1. 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers: To be considered for this list, a team must challenge the title of best ever in its sport, and the 12-0 1995 'Huskers may have been the most dominating force in college football history. They beat every opponent, including three top 10 teams, by at least 14 points. In the championship game against No. 2 and previously undefeated Florida, Nebraska won 62-24 in a game that included Tommie Frazier's incredible run that inspired announcer Jim Nantz to question, "How many tackles can one man break?" The tail end of Tom Osborne's back-to-back national champs averaged 52.4 points per game and never posted less than 35 in any contest.

2. 1985 Chicago Bears: The Shufflin' Crew didn't equal the 1972 Dolphins as the only undefeated team in NFL history, but the 15-1 Bears could have probably played 15 more games and not lost again. Before a Week 13 loss at the Miami Dolphins, the Bears thumped the Lions, Cowboys and Falcons by a combined score of 104-3. In the postseason, Chicago disposed the Giants, Rams and Patriots by a combined score of 91-10. This team simply beat the shit out of its opponents.

3. 1996 Chicago Bulls: Score another one for the Windy City, compliments of Michael Jordan, who, in his first full season after returning from his initial retirement, was the regular season scoring champ (30.4), MVP of the regular season, MVP of the All-Star Game and MVP of the Finals, which the Bulls won 4-2 over Seattle after taking a commanding 3-0 series lead. The record-setting 72-10 Bulls disposed of its other playoff challengers — the Heat, Knicks and Magic — in only 12 games, winning 11. Jordan was joined on the NBA's All-Defensive First Team by Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, while Toni Kukoc was named Sixth Man of the Year, Phil Jackson earned Coach of the Year honors and Jerry Kruase was named Executive of the Year.

4. 1986 Boston Celtics: Including the postseason, this team played 51 games at home in the Boston Garden and lost exactly one. When you feature four Hall of Fame frontliners — Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, Bill Walton — success is essentially assured. But to send season-ticket holders home unhappy only one night out of an entire championship season? That's ridiculous.

5. 1998 New York Yankees: Last year, I ranked the top 10 World Series winners of all-time for TIME.com, and I had this Yanks squad at No. 6, just ahead of the 1986 Mets (7) and 1984 Tigers (9), placing them ahead of any baseball team in the last 25 years. Including the postseason, the Bronx Bombers won 125 games, 23 more than the Marlins did a season ago. This team, the first of a three-peat, just won and won and won.

This debate can go on and on and on. For the most part, this list is off the top of my head, and I don't want to sit here all day researching, so maybe you can chime in with some comments. Certainly, a hockey team deserves consideration. The early '80s Islanders, mid-'80s Oilers and 2002 Red Wings were absolutely loaded with Hall of Famers. Can't forget the 1990 UNLV Running Rebels or the team that unseated them, the back-to-back champion Duke Blue Devils, led by Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill, who, no matter how they panned out in the pros, were supremely talented college players. Joe Montana's 49ers, anyone? I think the '85 Bears could have had their way with them, but not many teams of the last quarter-century can say that. You might even want to toss out some sentimental favorites, like the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.

Incredible Sports Links of the Day:

• St. John's Athletic Director Search on Monster.com — "Qualified candidates should electronically submit their resumes and salary history by July 1st to James Pellow at Adsearch@stjohns.edu." Oh, and be willing to get your ass kicked by Syracuse in Big East hoops next year.

• Screenshot: Those Big Breasts Behind Phil Jackson's Head — Leave it to SportsByBrooks.com to reveal the distraction behind the Lakers' woeful Game 1 performance.