A Rivalry Revisited

'Can't we all just get along'


-Rodney King

No! And since it is rivalry week on ESPN, I wanted to take time to revisit some of the greatest rivalries in sports and culture to see where they stack up against each other. Maybe I missed one that you think is pertinent to this conversation. Which rivalries are relevant, passed their time or burgeoning? I left out hockey, but feel free to list your favorite rivalry. So take a gander and let the debate begin…

College Football

Battles for jugs, axes, and eggs withstanding, Ohio State v. Michigan is the marquee match up. Both teams are normally consistant and Rich rod doesn't get his act together, Michigan will throw 4 or 5 million to jim Harbaugh to right the ship. Notre Dame and USC stands the test of time for a by coastal rivalry and the Red River Rivalry is held during the Texas State Fair. Miami and Florida State produced great "wide" games and many pros, and therefore they're right up there with the big boys. Florida v. Georgia is a border war that the Gators have owned, but makes the list with a great title in "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Auburn and Alabama breath college football and husbands and wives who attended either or don't talk to each other for that week. Oregon and Oregon State have the best name..."Civil War." West Virginia hates everyone they play, but saves an extreme amount of hate for Pitt and Va. Tech.

Florida v. Georgia
USC v. Notre Dame
Michigan v. Ohio State
Texas v. Oklahoma
Miami v. Florida State
Alabama v. Auburn

Honorable Mention:
Pitt v. West Virginia
West Virginia v. Va. Tech
Oregon v. Oregon State

Professional Football:
Pro football is above rivalries and is a corporate machine built off of a proven draft system, free agency, and parity. I believe the old time, blue collar cities of the NFL posses the greatest rivalries. However, New York, Philly, DC, and Dallas do fit into the rivalry aspect of the NFL. Those cities (barring Dallas) have a strong blue collar demographic in their fandom. DC has the NOVA area which isn’t blue collar but isn’t Wall Street either.

Bears v. Packers
Packers v. Lions
Browns v. Steelers
Cowboys v. Redskins

Honorable Mention:
Giants v. Eagles



College Basketball

Sorry to Kansas v. Oklahoma and Missouri v. Illinois. No love for Purdue v. Indiana and anyone that Kentucky plays. College basketball rivalries are sacred and fly by night teams need not apply. The 5 schools in Philly get some love for their consistency, but don't carry enough mass appeal for the list. Lou Carneseca v. John Thompson was classic in the 80's when college basketball was invading the airwaves on ESPN, but not sustainable. Clearly Duke v. UNC is the top college hoops rivalry and is in a dead heat with Yankees v. Red Sox for best in sports.

Duke v. North Carolina
Georgetown v. Syracuse

Honorable Mention:
Notre Dame v. UCLA
UMASS v. Temple

Professional Basketball NBA

The is a bi-coastal league thus their rivalries imitate their league status. The Lakers and the Celtics will go down as the best ever, but don't sleep on the Bulls with Mike v. The Bad Boys from Motown. rick Mahorn made it real hard for his airness to flush it on the Pistons for a while. Mike then developed that killer turn around jumper and Joe Dumars couldn't do nothing with it.

Lakers v. Celtics
Bulls v. Pistons

Honorable Mention
Knicks v. Celtics
Knicks v. Lakers

Major League Baseball

Baseball has lost a majority of its luster to the NFL and its seasons are so long. Competing in the Microwave society of sports fans, has made it difficult to attrack the ADD sports fans of today. Plus when it did attrack Joe Sports Fan (Joe the Plumber's cuzin) it did it with steroids. So it's pre-Vietnam rivalries are in tact, but no new rivalries have developed since then. The Mets and Dodgers carry a small torch of hate for the way the Dodgers left Brooklyn and the Mets came to Queens. Can't we all just get along?

Red Sox v. Yankees
Cubs v. Cards
Giants v. Dodgers

Honorable Mention
Mets v. Dodgers