Are the LA Galaxy a dynasty? (Hint: No)

One question that's being asked about this MLS Cup is whether this is a sign that the LA Galaxy are a dynasty. The word comes into our common language in the 17th century, Late Middle English. It originates from a Greek word dunasthai meaning 'be able' or 'to have power'.

"The team we have," said Robbie Keane, "it's 90 percent of the same players from last year. We know with the quality of players we have, we can beat anybody."

The NHL is one of the few leagues that has officially recognized dynasties. There are nine official Stanley Cup dynasties and all of them have won at least four championships in a short amount of time. The longest period of time was over eight years that the Ottawa Senators won four Stanley Cups in the 1920s.

Landon Donovan links the current Galaxy squad to the Cup winners in 2005, so should the Galaxy win MLS Cup 2012, that would be three championships in eight years. This might be harsh. but I'm gonna say no the Galaxy are not a dynasty because it's not enough to be good for a number of years, there have the be championships.

The first D.C. United squads were able to win four championships in nine years, and have the only real claim to MLS dynastic status. The Earthquake/Dynamo franchise of the 2000s would be the other, but with new San Jose claiming those first two cups it gets complicated.

What the Galaxy can claim is that a solid core of players has been very good for an impressive number of years. Maybe they aren't ready for the dynasty label, but they're certainly a House in a league without Houses. The Galaxy and Houston Dynamo account for four of the last seven MLS Cups.

So here we are again. Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Los Angeles, where we lay our scene, from recent grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.