They say a family that plays together, stays together — and this list is exactly about that.

It starts with a father and son playing catch in a backyard and ends up with two or three generations of kids following their roots into professional sports.

Sometimes the athletic lineage directly derives from inherited genes and sometimes its just dad being the coach from day one. And in many cases, the latter generation outdoes its predecessors.

Here is a top 10 list of the biggest sports families.

10

The Boones

Major League Baseball
Notable members: Ray, Bob, Bret, and Aaron

The Boone family has provided Major League Baseball with a three-tier lineage of All-Stars. The late Ray Boone, a member of the 1948 World Series champion Cleveland Indians and a two-time All-Star, was the father of Bob Boone, who is a four-time All-Star in his own right.

Boone is the father of the two sons who are probably most familiar to us: Bret and Aaron.

Aaron “bleeping” Boone is best-known for his 11th-inning home run in the Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, thus crushing the hopes of Red Sox Nation one more time. His sibling Bret is a three-time All-Star, but has been widely suspected of steroid use.
Pub. 09/29/09

9

The Gracies

Mixed Martial Arts
Notable members: Royce, Roger, Rolls

It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s a new Gracie involved in mixed martial arts. They’re easily the biggest family in the sport and that’s because since Carlos, Carlson and Helio founded Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, they’ve been handing the knowledge down to the family for years.

There’s over 30 Gracies in MMA with the most familiar ones being Royce, who won a few UFC tournaments and Roger, who is an eight-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion.

The Gracies, particularly Royce, were pioneers for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu not only in the UFC but in America. The family now has over 100 academies in America where they share their tradition and wisdom.
Pub. 09/29/09

8

The McMahons

Wrestling
Notable members: Roderick, Vince J., Vince K., Linda, Stephanie, Shane

While this might be better filed under sports entertainment rather than sports, the McMahon family has been one of the most influential in their form of athletics.

While Roderick was the pioneer, the two Vinces — particularly Vince K. — brought this type of wrestling to the forefront.

Vince K., his wife Linda, and his two kids Stephanie and Shane, have either been the faces of the sport or pulling strings in the background.

Their version of “family” might be a little different than what the rest of us would use for a definition but, nonetheless, they have been a significant one in wrestling.
Pub. 09/29/09

7

The Sutters

National Hockey League
Notable members: Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, Ron

The NHL is a recycled old-boys club, and if you aren’t going to hire Mike Keenan as your head coach, there’s a pretty good chance it’s going to be one of the Sutters.

The six brothers now spend most of their time coaching or managing, and throughout their time, they’ve had quite the impact on the NHL. Collectively, they’ve played over 5,000 games and won six Stanley Cups — and that’s just the first generation.

Look for the second generation, including Brett and Brandon, sons of Darryl and Brent, on an NHL rink near you.
Pub. 09/29/09

6

The Matthews

National Football League
Notable members: Clay Sr., Clay Jr., Bruce, Clay III

It was evident that Clay Matthews, Sr. had all sorts of athletic gifts when you factored in that he was not only an NFL defensive tackle, linebacker and offensive linemen, but also an SEC wrestling champion and a member of the Georgia Tech swim team.

His good genes were passed down to his sons Clay Jr., who is a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker and Bruce, who is a Hall of Fame offensive lineman.

Clay III and Casey, sons of Clay Jr., are the third generation. Clay III was a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft while Casey is a linebacker at Oregon.
Pub. 09/29/09

5

The Andrettis

Auto Racing
Notable members: Mario, Michael, Marco, Jeff, Aldo, John, Adam

When it comes to racing, the Andretti family is the biggest family in the sport.

Mario, who is at the top of this family tree, is a legend in the sport and is only one of two drivers ever to win the Indy 500, Daytona 500 and the Formula One Championship.

His son, Michael, who now owns Andretti Green Racing of the Indy Racing League, had a very successful CART career with 42 wins and one championship. Marco, Michael’s son, is a highly regarded 22-year-old driver in the IRL with one win under his belt.

The other branch of the family, which stems from Mario’s twin brother Aldo, hasn’t had as much success in racing. Aldo retired after a few ugly crashes and while his son John has a couple of NASCAR wins, his grandson Adam is less heralded.
Pub. 09/29/09

4

The Bowdens

College Football
Notable members: Bobby, Terry, Tommy, Jeff

Bobby Bowden is not only an icon at Florida State, he’s also one of the few faces of college football. While he’s still trying to catch Joe Paterno for the most wins in college football history, the Hall of Famer wouldn’t mind settling for second place.

Bobby’s sons, Terry, Tommy and Jeff, have also made the coaching ranks. Terry coached at Auburn, Tommy coached at Clemson and Jeff was an offensive coordinator at Florida State.

Adding to the Bowden legacy has been the Bowden Bowls, where Tommy took on Bobby, which was the first time a father and son met as head coaches on opposing sidelines. Also, Bobby (Florida State), Terry (Auburn) and Tommy (Tulane) each led a team to an undefeated season.
Pub. 09/29/09

3

The Hulls

National Hockey League
Notable members: Bobby, Dennis, Brett

While the Sutters might be the biggest family in hockey, the Hulls might be the most successful.

Bobby, otherwise known as The Golden Jet, is one of the best hockey players to ever step on the ice. The 10-time All-Star retired as the second-leading goal scorer of all time.

Dennis wasn’t quite as good as his Hall of Fame Brother, but the Silver Jet still made five All-Star Games and was part of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series.

Last, but definitely not least, was Brett, who was Bobby’s son. The apple didn’t fall from the tree as Golden Brett followed his father’s footsteps as a prolific scorer. He, too, is a Hall of Famer and still currently ranks third all-time with 741 goals.
Pub. 09/29/09

2

The Mayweathers

Boxing
Notable members: Floyd, Sr., Roger, Jeff, Floyd, Jr.

Boxing has had a number of father-son duos, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a family more successful than the Mayweathers.

While Floyd Jr. is on top of the sport right now with a 40-0 record and six world boxing championships in five divisions, his predecessors have helped him out.

Floyd, Sr. was a good welterweight contender and taught his son his uncanny defensive skills. Roger, Floyd, Sr.’s younger brother and Floyd, Jr.’s current trainer, was a WBC super featherweight and super lightweight champion. He has shown Floyd, Jr. the offensive skill set. Lastly, Jeff, the youngest of the three brothers, was an IBO super featherweight champ.
Pub. 09/29/09

1

The Mannings

National Football League
Notable members: Archie, Eli and Peyton

Having a Manning as a quarterback is like buying a Ferrari: you know you’re getting a good brand name.

Archie, the father of Peyton and Eli, wasn’t exactly a winner. His 26.3% winning percentage as a starter was the worst in NFL history when he retired (among quarterbacks who started 100 games). However, his stats were very good considering the teams he played on were very lousy.

His offspring have done the family name well. If Peyton retired tomorrow, he’d already be among the best quarterbacks ever and Eli, although he took a lot of flack at the beginning of his career, has established himself as a franchise quarterback. – Askmen