1990s
The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including years from the early 2000s and beyond. Much of the decade was characterized by the dominance of so-called "dynasty" teams: the Dallas Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the decade; the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls won six NBA Championships in the Nineties; and the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves dominated the baseball scene almost by themselves during the decade. Other notable events during the 1990s included labor strife in almost every major pro sport (especially the 1994 MLB strike that cancelled the World Series); the full-fledged emergence of free agency in the pro ranks; the general corporatization of sports and sporting events; Tiger Woods' rise to become the most marketable athlete in the world (especially notable given the fact that he is of mixed race, excelling in a sport that has not traditionally been racially diverse); and the growth of the sports media (ESPN in particular). Sports culture generally associated with the 1990s can be said to begin between 1989 and 1992 and end anywhere from 1997 to the present day.
