Well, it's the daily double.

I'd like to make this one higher, but I cannot let bias change my view.

The 7 teams ahead include, in no particular order:

1. the three NFL teams that have won 5 Super Bowls
2. the winningest baseball team in the history of the sport
3. the two winningnest NBA teams in the history of the sport, plus the team that has won most of any pro franchise in the past 15 years.

# 8: OAKLAND ATHLETICS

division titles in 1971, 75, 81, 92, 00, 02 and 03

pennants in 88 and 90

world titles in 72-73-74-89

13 winning years in the past 35, but unfortunately in most of the rest, the team was not even a contender as it suffered through the various indignities caused by a small revenue base.

You guys know the characters, but there have been quite a few, from Eck to Rollie to Reggie
to Vida to Byrnsie to Stew to Rickey to Jose to Miggy.

When all is saidand done-- counting cameo appearances and assuming that one day Big Mac comes to terms with his sport in the post-steroid era, or vice- versa-- the following A's will be in Cooperstown.

Jim Hunter
Reggie Jackson
Rollie Fingers
Dennis Eckersley
Rickey Henderson
Mark McGwire
Billy Williams
Frank Thomas

and possibly Miguel Tejada and Barry Zito

GREATEST FRANCHISE PLAYER: Is there any doubt about who deserves this? Rickey was one of a kind.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Again, I have to go with real history here. The Gibson homer certainly comes close; so does the classic fake pitchout as Fingers froze Bench; the Clemens tantrum; the Isringhausen strikeout to win the division in 2000; all the big moments in the 4 title years.

But the image that will linger longest occurred before Game Three of the 1989 World Series. It overshadowed then and still overshadows now-- along with the ongoing controversy surrounding two of our star players-- the actual outcome of that series. It happened-- improbably-- just as the game between two Bay Area franchises-- was about to begin.

Loma Prieta is the biggest memory.

SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW:

What? Can I slip something past this crowd??

Well, how about this one.

Since the beginning of the 1999 season, the A's have the 3rd best record in the game, trailing only the Yankees and the Braves.