The Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the Edmonton Oilersand New York Islanders of the National Hockey League and the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League were the dominant professional sports teams during the 1980s.The "Showtime" Lakers, led by Magic Johnson, won five titles (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) during the decade, the most for any team in the major professional sports during that span. In the 1985 Finals, they finally defeated their nememis, the Boston Celtics, who were 8-0 in previous Finals series against the Lakers.http://www.nba.com/tvc/index.html? gamecode=20100224/LALDAL&brand=LAL The Islanders captured four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980-83. Their run was finally ended in 1984 by the Oilers, who were led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. The Oilers added Stanley Cups in 1985, 1987, 1998 and 1990. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=edmonton+oilers&rlz=1R2TSHB_enUS338&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=

With quarterback Joe Montana leading the way, the 49ers won four Super Bowls during the decade - 1981, 1984,, 1988, 1989. Major League Baseball was marked by parity during the 1980s, as the Los Angeles Dodgers (1981 and 1988) were only team to win multiple titles. The 1981 season was marked by a players' strike. The work stoppage, the fifth in Major League history, began on June 12 and resulted in 783 games being cancelled. The top team in college football in the 1980s was the Miami Hurricanes, who won national titles 1983, 1987 and 1989. The biggest sports upset of the decade occured on February 22, 1980, when the United States hockey team, comprised of college students, shocked the powerful Russians, 4-3, in the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. The game became known as the Miracle on Ice because of ABC announcer Al Michaels' signature call. As the seconds ticked down, Michaels shouted, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/ken-morrow-remembers-his-miracle-on-ice-022210