Whats the best rivalry in all of sports?

[UseTheSledgehammerUh]

Atlanta Braves Vs. Reality Setting In During First Round of the Playoffs

[The Czech Republic]

I don't get it. It's not as if they fall ass-backwards into every playoff berth and never had a chance anyway. They just lose.

[iggymcfly]

I'd have to say Duke/Carolina as #1. It's the only true regional rivalry that generates huge interest on a national scale. Seriously, they play 2-3 times a year, and every time it is the number 1 sports story in the country.

 

Yanks/Red Sox has intense feelings, but it's not a rivalry in the traditional sense of the word. It's more like the Red Sox have always hated the Yankees because they were the best in their division, and now they're happy that they beat them.

 

Back nine or ten years ago, when the Orioles were battling with the Yankees for first in the East and then taking them on in the playoffs, I think you would have been hard-pressed to find Yankees fans who considered the Red Sox their blood rivals.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh]

The reality being that they're annual chokers.

[Guest Ether]

College FB: Michigan v. Ohio State

College BB: Either Duke v. North Carolina or Kentucky v. Louisville

NFL: If one team didn't exist for 3 years in the 90's, it would be the Steelers and the Browns. I'm inclined to say Broncos v. Raiders

NHL: Probably Canadiens v. Bruins. Flames v. Oilers I know was a good one in the 80's and early 90's.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera (There should be a fourth fight next year)

 

good one. I'll say Bears/Packers, but I'm biased.

[Alro]

In college basketball, Kentucky/Louisville is #1. UNC and Duke will pay each other 2-3 times per year. If you lose one, you come back a few weeks down the road and try again. Kentucky and Louisville play one time per year. One time for a year's worth of bragging rights. It doesn't get any bigger than that.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

The reality being that they're annual chokers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They are 8-5 in first round series since 1991. They don't win every year because it's an eight team tournament, and seven teams lose every year.

[Art Sandusky]

Raiders/Chiefs is pretty intense. I saw an old NFL Films show once that had the players talking about the dirty tactics they'd use on the field once they got their mitts on the other team.

[Slayer]

Broncos v. Raiders

 

Raiders/Chiefs

 

The triangle rivalry between the Raiders/Chiefs/Broncos. Growing up in Chiefs territory I've seen several games between the three teams and it is very intense

[The Czech Republic]

The Toronto Maple Leafs vs. youth

[Robert]

For a long time, the Raiders vs Steelers were a very intense rivalry. It ended up hitting it's peek in the 70's when it was just all out warfare between the two games. When I was nine, I went to the 76 AFC Championship game where they beat the Steelers 24-7. It may have been pretty one-sided, but they just fought like wild-men. While Packer's/Bears, Lions, and Vikings are historic, that rivalry will always be my favorite, and best rivalry in football.

[Guest darealdeal21]

How about this one...Ali-Frazier

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Yankees/Dodgers used to be as big a rivalry as any in baseball. It's died down since the Tommy Lasorda era ended, but there's over 60 years of history involved.

[Masked Man of Mystery]

I think the Yankees/Red Sox, heck Boston/New York thing is pretty intense, players always get villified when they leave, but going to the New York team(other than basketball) is like sleeping with Osama Bin Laden around where I am

[Art Sandusky]

Yankees/Dodgers used to be as big a rivalry as any in baseball.  It's died down since the Tommy Lasorda era ended, but there's over 60 years of history involved.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which is a shame, because I always thought that was always underrated and a cool, true cross-country rivalry between the #1 and #2 cities in the country.

[Guest MugumboMcgee]

Without a doubt the greatest rivalary in all of sports is Celtic Football club vs Rangers Football club aka Protestant vs Catholic.

 

These two clubs are always battling for the Scottish Premiership title and the matches between them in Glascow get very ugly.

[JustJoe2k5]

In college basketball, Kentucky/Louisville is #1.  UNC and Duke will pay each other 2-3 times per year.  If you lose one, you come back a few weeks down the road and try again.  Kentucky and Louisville play one time per year.  One time for a year's worth of bragging rights.  It doesn't get any bigger than that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

If they ever made Duke/UNC play once a year, I believe Duke and UNC students would set charges at our state's borders and geographically separate us from the rest of the United States. With the ACC expansion most teams had to cut back to playing once a year, but Duke/UNC will never be cut back. Too much of an outrage as to which team would have the homecourt advantage, because that definitely matters in this rivalry. And as far as quality of the games go, I don't think you could get any better. Before this year UNC was pathetic for a long stretch, yet always brought their A-game against Duke. In '95 Duke was having one of their worst years during Coach K's run as coach, yet they have one of the all-time greatest games between them in double-OT. Duke/UNC is a perfect example of a rivalry that brings the best out of both teams.

[cabbageboy]

Yeah but as a U of L grad I gotta side with Alro. UNC/Duke is just so much wanking, it's like watching hours of HHH vs. Shawn Michaels. Yeah the games are good but at the end it's still one team I mildly dislike (UNC) vs. a team I pretty much hate (Duke).

 

Let me put it this way. This past year I feel that UK basically raped, fucked over, whored U of L to the max. They gooned Juan Palacios and managed a rally in the 2nd half and I've had to live with that shit this entire year. There was no rematch in a couple weeks, and then a 3rd in the conf. tourney. I nearly tore up the livingroom and beat the shit out of an annoying mailman (don't ask) after that game I was so pissed off.

 

If Duke/UNC can bring out that much bitterness, that's cool. But I tend to think them playing 2-3 times a year waters it down.

[Slayer]

I tend to think them playing 2-3 times a year waters it down.

It doesn't water down the rivalries in other sports where division rivals play more than once in a season

[Sass]

Al Davis vs. the NFL

[RepoMan]

Steeler/ Browns deserves consideration. Going to college near Cleveland made me hate the fuck out of Pittsburgh and I don't really care about the Browns.

[cabbageboy]

It would help if the Browns were any good though. Oh and Slayer what I meant is that playing 2-3 times a year makes it a little bit watered down compared to a 1 and done rivalry game where you don't get that rematch for a year.

 

The weirdest thing about the U of L and UK deal is that quite a few people in Jefferson County like both teams. Not so much in the rest of the state, though U of L has a few more fans in the sticks since Pitino came to U of L. But here in Louisville? It's likely about 65-35, and I'd dare say 10 years ago UK might have had a 50/50 split.

[Vern Gagne]

Minnesota and Wisconsin