After all the talks of the rivalries in professional sports, I decided that it was time for the Bleacher's finest to decide.
So after all the hell I got from my Oakland Raiders column, it's time for those very same haters of me to tell me if there is a rivalry that is the absolute best in the world.
There is no out of bounds this time. I'm only going to talk about two rivalries that stick out for me since this is officially baseball season.
The rest is going to be up to all of you. So here are my thoughts on my nominees.
New York Mets-St. Louis Cardinals
For years, the Mets and Cardinals have been locked in an epic battle in both the regular season and postseason. No matter whether they're battling for a playoff berth or for pride, these two powerhouses always leave it all on the field.
That's why I nominate this rivalry for category of one of the best in the world.
Who can forget the epic seven game series between these two teams in 2004?
Still to this day, that NLCS series still ranks among the best of all time. For many reasons, everyone still finds themselves talking about the slugfests from Games six and seven.
For me, it was all about the ending that no one saw coming.
The looks on Mets fans' faces as the Cardinals celebrated their first trip to the World Series in over a decade.
As fans were left in shock, Cardinal fans across the country were in a state of frenzy as their hometown team put it all on the line and came back to beat the Mets in their own backyard.
Despite what happened a week later, I still enjoy the visions of the New York Mets wondering what just happened and what should have happened in their eyes.
Four years later, the pain still lingers, and the rivalry still contains at the same intensity.
Ohio State Buckeyes-Michigan Wolverines
For the better half of the 20th Century, the Big Ten has always played a perennial part in deciding the national championship contender.
Whether they're playing for that or bragging rights, these two college gladiators clash for the ultimate prize in their conference.
And that is respect.
Every year in Colorado, I watched as Buckeye and Wolverine fans talk mad smack to each other.
With all due respect to Broncos and Raiders fans, this game brings out the best and worst in people.
Even my brother, who is usually quiet and nonchalant, finds himself with a beer in one hand and a "Bad Call" Brick in the other.
The Buckeyes have won the last two meetings between the two teams, but what made this rivalry go up a notch was the showdown that occurred in 2006.
Ohio State won a high scoring game, but after USC fell to UCLA, it was Michigan that was chanting "BCS! BCS!" in the hopes that the committee was listening.
Unfortunately, the committee was listening, but was not in their favor.
Florida got the spot that Michigan felt they deserved, and the rubber match between Michigan and Ohio State never happened.
Ohio State and Michigan both went on to lose their respective bowl games in January 2007, and the team that ended up with the bragging rights turned out to be Florida.
Even though that was then and this is now, next season will be different.
Most likely, Mike Hart, Chad Henne, and Lloyd Carr are all leave Ann Arbor, while James Laurinitis will probably be heading to the pros.
Expect even more fireworks next season as it will be a new crop of players planted into one of the biggest rivalries in the country.
So, there are two rivalries that I feel deserve consideration in the best in the country.
I'm figuring that the ones with most vote make the Top 10, and after that's been decided, I'll post the winners.
Doesn't matter what sport it is. If you got one that deserves consideration, by all means, let them fly.
It's time for you to decide once and for all.
Who owns the right to be called "The Greatest Rivalry of All Time?"
Comments (54) Add a comment »
from about 1 month ago
How 'bout Duke-UNC? they're in the same state and the same conference and the history is certainly there. As is the animosity (I'm looking at you Duke fans) Duke-UNC games are always fun to watch
from about 1 month ago
Max, not only are they in the same state, but they are only 8 miles apart!! Obviously a top-five rivalry in all sports.
from about 1 month ago
Max, not only are they in the same state, but they are only 8 miles apart!! Obviously a top-five rivalry in all sports.
from about 1 month ago
Max, not only are they in the same state, but they are only 8 miles apart!! Obviously a top-five rivalry in all sports.
from about 1 month ago
Max, not only are they in the same state, but they are only 8 miles apart!! Obviously a top-five rivalry in all sports.
from about 1 month ago
Max, not only are they in the same state, but they are only 8 miles apart!! Obviously a top-five rivalry in all sports.
from about 1 month ago
Personal greatest? Ohio State vs. Michigan, hands down.
These might not be considered "the best" rivalries, but respectable in their own right:
Cards-Cubs
Florida-Florida State
Bengals-Browns (although who outside of Ohio cares about that?)
Notre Dame-USC (the only time I cheer for USC)
USC-UCLA ("fUCLA" being one of the better taunts I heard while living in SoCal)
Dodgers-Giants
A's-Angels
That's all I can think of right now
from about 1 month ago
my vote goes to Michigan - Ohio State, with second in my area being the D-III rivalry of Calvin vs. Hope. It's a battle in every sport, every year.
from about 1 month ago
I would like to hear more about that Calvin-Hope rivalry. I would at least like to give it an honorable mention.
from about 1 month ago
http://www.calvinhope.com/men/history.htm
from about 1 month ago
In the Grand Rapids area there are two major Christian colleges, Calvin College and Hope College. About 30 miles separate the two, and becuase they are the two major Christian colleges in the area, they compete in everything. The games are fun to watch in almost every sport, with different teams winning each year. A couple of years ago ESPN had a poll asking what the best college sports rivalry was, once of which listed was Calvin vs. Hope. Due to both colleges pushing people, they actually won the poll in a landslide.
sorry... i wrote that on your personal comment board too.
from about 1 month ago
Try Alabama/Auburn. It's the only rivaly in sports where the two schools hated each other so much, the state legislature had to get involved to get them to play each other.
from about 1 month ago
Michigan and Ohio State if longevity counts. But if it doesn't?
How about...
New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.
Holy hell, these guys have been KILLING each other for almost a decade. We've got a few more years left for both Brady and Manning... enjoy this while it lasts, I'm not sure we'll see anything like it for twenty years after they retire. I sit down and watch this game EVERY year. It's the most exciting regular season game the NFL has every year, and if they meet in the playoffs, THAT is something else...
I'm a Ravens fan, but I go for the Pats in those games. By about the 2nd quarter, I've forgotten that I'm a Ravens fan. The games are so emotionally charged that it's impossible to discount this rivalry, even if it's a relatively new one. And guess what- every fan of professional football hates Brady and loves Manning or hates Manning and loves Brady. There isn't an in between. This is the most exciting sporting event of the year, every year.
from about 1 month ago
If you want to mention a rivalry, that's born in blood, and still exists, go no further, than Denver Vs Oakland. Those two clubs have fought each other for years, for different reasons, and even for some crazy ones....but it's always a sellout when the two go to war, twice a season.
from about 1 month ago
RAIDER STEVE says: I agree with RAIDER CARD. RAIDERS & BRONCOS is a great rivalry. But the rivalry I like most is RAIDERS & CHIEFS. I hate the Chiefs with a passion!!! And that's the 2 games that I want to win the most every season. We have had a longer rivalry with the Chiefs going back to 1960. That's over 50 years of bad blood. The only rivalry that I think is just as heated and longest running is the YANKEES & RED SOX. But I don't like baseball. RAIDERS V.S CHIEFS is the rivalry of the decades.
from about 1 month ago
RAIDER STEVE says: Or how about this rivalry? The NFL V.S AL DAVIS
from about 1 month ago
RAIDER STEVE says: How about the OAKLAND RAIDERS V.S The NFL Referee's
from about 1 month ago
RAIDER STEVE says: How about the RAIDERS V.S STEELERS in the 70's. You wanna talk about rivalry's? How about the NFL's two most feared teams. Two "POWER-HOUSE" teams killing one another on the field and the contraversy off the field. When the RAIDERS & STEELERS went to battle it was like "GOLIATH V.S GOLIATH". It was the "BLACK FLAG V.S THE STEEL CURTAIN"
from about 1 month ago
RAIDER STEVE says: Or better yet. How about the most current Raiders rivalry. The OAKLAND RAIDERS V.S THE MEDIA & EVERY OTHER NON-RAIDERS FAN IN THE WORLD.
from about 1 month ago
EVERYBODY BUT RAIDER STEVE says: Raider Steve, just STFU...you're only perpetuating the stereotype of "Dumb Raider Fan."
from about 1 month ago
You can not seriously make this list without mentioning The Iron Bowl, Alabama vs. Auburn. All who think UM-OSU is a rivalry need to come down South to realize what a real rivalry is. For OSU-UM to be considered a rivalry, it is quite possibly the most quiet stadium I have ever heard. There is no excitement around that game whatsoever. No one even cared about it until ESPN, the original Big Ten Network, came around and started pushing it with extreme bias...and anyone who doesnt believe ESPN has a huge bias towards OSU-UM has obviously not seen the light of day lately.
from about 1 month ago
Something tells me you have never been to the South. Inbreeding? There are as many hicks in the North as there are in the South. I bet you think we dont have indoor plumbing? Electricity? Probably think we mark our territory by going outside and lifting our hind legs around a tree. Listen here buddy, the Iron Bowl is older, has more history, and doesnt need some sports network to spoonfeed the nation so people will watch it. Without ESPN, no one would care about UM-OSU. Its a boring game with boring fans. If you want a rivalry, come down South, there are plenty that are better than that sorry excuse for a rivalry.
from about 1 month ago
Wow, good to know you have no response to defend your "rivalry". That shows that it truly does have merit in this argument.
from about 1 month ago
No, no, no. Most people could care less about OSU-UM. ESPN wants YOU to care about that game because its on their network and it draws viewers for higher ratings. Im still waiting for some history or form of hate to at least strike this as a rivalry. No matter what, there is still more history, a longer hatred, and better fans involved with the Iron Bowl.
Also, playing the likes of Akron, Northwestern, and Youngstown St. year in and year out and you want to say we play 2-hand touch down South??? THAT is the most entertaining thing I've seen all day.
from about 1 month ago
That is probably one of the more hilarious rants I have ever read in my entire life.
I will watch that HBO documentary the next time I want to take a Sunday nap. I bet I will get to sleep faster by watching that than watching a meaningless golf tournament.
And not a normal OSU schedule??? ok then...
2007: Youngstown St, Kent St, Akron
2006: N Illinois, Cinci, Bowling Green
2005: Miami,OH, San Diego St.
2004:Cinci, Marshall, NC St.
2003: San Diego St, NC St, Washington, Bowling Green
Yea, those are all some very tough teams right there.
And schedule a meaningful OOC game? FSU last season. Clemson this season. G Tech and Penn State in the future.
And Im possible for Alabama to play a meaningful regular season game anymore??? Thats hilarious. Bama played LSU for the SEC West lead just last season. Alabama beat Tennessee 41-17 to take the SEC West lead last season in October. Gameday came to town for Bama-UGA last season and have already singled out Bama-UGA this year as one of their spotlight games. Not to mention the Clemson game will be nationally televised on ABC or ESPN on the first weekend of the season. And there is no jealously of Ohio State on my part. Im already a fan of the best team and tradition in college football.
Also, are you sure you want to play us? I mean, I know that 1995 Citrus Bowl may still sting a bit, but we are still in the SEC. No need to remind you your record against the SEC, but for your own good, we wont bother with your team.
from about 1 month ago
Wow, Ive never even met a Barner with glasses as thick as yours are in Scarlet and Gray. There is no chance of having an objective conversation or discussion with you because you think Ohio State was sent from God to rule the universe. You obviously know nothing about college football outside of the state of Ohio and wouldnt know good football if it came up and beat you down in a national title game. You talk down to other teams and people, yet you have done nothing with that talent. Any team outside the Big Ten could run through the Big Ten, even Vandy. When you play a team inside the top 20, let me know.
from about 1 month ago
I like Bears-Packers and Vikes Packers but waht can i say i'm a Packer fan lol
from about 1 month ago
Without a doubt, Ohio State vs. Michigan in football. One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. I know someone else has posted these teams as being rivals, but I certainly think this one fits in the "rivalry" category.
from about 1 month ago
I'm a huge mets fan- and if there was a "rival" against the mets it's either the phillies or braves. no way it's the cardinals--they had one series in the NLCS--that doesn't make it a rivalry.
from about 1 month ago
That was my first thought. I think if there's a big Mets rivalry its Phillies-Mets. I don't even know this Josh guy, but hes "a huge mets fan", thus I will likely hate him.
from about 1 month ago
I definitely think that Michigan - Ohio State wins this argument by a landslide, but we're only scratching the surface.
There are many, many more great rivalries across the board, in every sport.
Being a Minnesota fan, there is the Packers - Vikings rivalry. That one brings out many a fan's emotions. If you insult Tarvaris Jackson or Sidney Rice in Minnesota, you're almost guaranteed a 10 minute debate. At least.
But I think that Max is on to something. Duke - UNC could possibly be the second best rivalry ever. There is tons of arguing, trash talk, and gloating. The best part is that the two schools are only a handful of miles apart.
Nice article, Ron!
from about 1 month ago
I have to agree with Andrew, great article Ron!
from about 1 month ago
Maybe not in recent history, but greatest rivalary of all time?
Maybe USC vs. Notre Dame football.
from about 1 month ago
I've never been to an UM-OSU game, but I would have to say that the Iron Bowl is by far a bigger rivalry. I have read stories of people getting devorced, family members refusing to talk to other family members, and even murders over this game. Yes, I said murders. In the county in which I live, two men got in a fight after an Iron Bowl one season and one ended up shooting & killing the other.
I'm sure it may have happened in other rivalries before, but I've never heard of it.
To me a bigger rivalry than the Iron Nowl, though, is the UT-Bama game. I witnessed a 70 year old & an 18 year old get in a fist fight during the third quarter of the "Third Saturday in October." I know a Bama fan who got jumped by 5 Tennessee fans after the game and found himself in the hospital with a broken jaw. And that's just two examples. So as far as hated rivalry goes, I think it's Bama vs. Tennessee hands down.
Bear Bryant once remarked that he would rather beat UT once than that "cow college" (Auburn) 10 times.
from about 1 month ago
I think it depends on where you live as to what is the "greatest rivalry" in sports. Perhaps, most intense would go to the Iron Bowl and Third Saturday in October.
Go ahead with your name calling and all, but just because people are passionate doesn't automatically label them as stupid, except in your book I guess.
from about 1 month ago
Okay. There's no need for name calling, everyone. Calling SEC fans stupid and inbredded is ridiculous. Calling Big Ten fans retarded is a little off topic. This is an open forum on what truly is the "greatest sports rivalry of all time." At this moment, the Iron Bowl and Ohio State-Michigan are neck and neck at the top due to the fan input. If you got anything else, or any other rivalries to add on, do so soon.
from about 1 month ago
I would say that OSU-Michigan is a better rivalry at least partially because it is spoonfed to us by ESPN.
However, that does not reduce its status as the greatest rivalry in sports. And just because people kill each other does not make the Iron Bowl the greatest rivalry. The most violent, perhaps. But everyone who plays in the OSU-Mich games comments on how CLEAN the rivalry is. They substitute honorable play for dirty play... if you're going to beat your opponent do it the right way. No cheating.
from about 1 month ago
I did mention above (not sure if you read) that I believe the Iron Bowl is the most intense (not necessarily greatest) rivalry due to the bitter hatred.
So it it doesn't make a rivarly great because of hatred (Iron Bowl), but it makes a rivalry the greatest because of how clean it is (UM-OSU)? That really validates your point! Oh, by the way, I think the Alabama St/Alabama A&M rivalry is pretty clean also, so I guess it ranks right up there with UM-OSU?
Who has played dirty? Who has cheated Brendan? All the things I mentioned were off-the-field fan-related incidents.
from about 1 month ago
Best rivalry hands down OhioState and Michigan Football other than the superbowl one of the most watched games in America every November!
from about 1 month ago
I don't know... maybe OSU-UM is a big deal in the Midwest each year, but outside of the region (Texas here), it's not really that big of a weekend-stopper. Don't get me wrong, it's a big game, but I don't know if it should take the top-billing.
It's too regional--- my opinion is that you need a national rivalry, like Duke-UNC in basketball or ND-USC in football.
from about 1 month ago
I agree with you to some degree. But nobody I know in the south cares about ND-USC, so that would scratch it from being national. Maybe it's just 3/4 national - East Coast, West Coast, Mid-West, but not south??
What about the "Oldest Rivalry in the South" - Auburn/UGA? That's a bitter rivalry, mainly because they've been playing it for 100 years and they are so close geographically. Maybe it's not getting national rankings, but I'll watch that game every year over UM-OSU or ND-USC.
from about 1 month ago
I'll plug USC v. Notre dame football.
Texas v. Oklahoma, Ohio State v. Michigan, the Iron Bowl...these are great rivalries, but most of the intersest if in the immediate area of the Universities.
USC/Notre Dame was a hot national rivalary for many years.
from about 1 month ago
Are all of you kidding yourselves?
I hate the Yankees and Redsox...but they are by far the best rivalry in HISTORY of sports.
Geez....the Buckeyes want everything.
from about 1 month ago
I think Timothy raised a good point-- there are four regional divisions: West Coast, East Coast, Midwest, South.
Perhaps the purest rivalry of national interest would be able to win all four regions. If it can't win all four, the next check-off is to see who can win the most regions.
Michigan-Ohio State
W: no
MW: yes
S: no
E: most likely
ND-USC
W: yes
MW: yes
S: not necessarily
E: yes
Texas - Oklahoma
W: no
MW: yes
S: yes
E: not terribly much
Alabama - Auburn
W: no
MW: no
S: yes
E: maybe
Miami - Florida State:
W: no
MW: no
S: yes
E: yes
SO:
UM-OSU: 2
ND-USC: at least 3
UT-OU: at least 2
Alabama-Auburn: 1.5
Miami-FSU: 2
from about 1 month ago
Notre Dame-USC actually matters?
from about 1 month ago
Notre Dame-USC actually matters?
from about 1 month ago
Notre Dame-USC actually matters?
from about 1 month ago
Yes. Notre Dame-USC Actually matters.
from about 1 month ago
Seriously. Even last year when Notre Dame sucked, USC fans in LA still got riled up over that game the week before it happened. It may not be played for much, but its a serious rivalry to Trojan fans, at least, from what I encountered in the five years I lived in SoCal.
from about 1 month ago
Here's a fun stat for all you Michigan/Ohio State homers:
The highest-rated College Gameday ever was not from Ann Arbor or Columbus.
No, no. Not even when Michigan was No. 2 and Ohio State was No. 1.
It was November 24, 2007, from Kansas City, MO, before the Mizzou/kansas Border Showdown game.
from about 1 month ago
I'm a huge Buckeye, but even I can admit the best years of the OSU-UM rivalry were the fabled "Ten Year War" between Woody and Bo. There's been some great games (at least, for the Buckeyes) the past few years, and the 2006 #1 vs. #2 matchup was a classic, but very few OSU-UM games played in the last two decades compare to the all-out hatred stemming from the games coached by Woody and Bo from 1969-1978.
from about 1 month ago
Wow Tim, you're hilarious. How long did you spend thinking that one up? Three hours? Or did a ten-year-old just tell you in passing?
And I wasn't saying that it was the biggest rivalry in sports. It's not. I'm just saying that OSU/Michigan isn't as big as it's made out to be.
from about 1 month ago
FINALLY!!! Someone includes Mizzou and Kansas!! Thank you JJ! You DA MAN!!!!! Okay. I'm good now.
from about 1 month ago
Well, considering that I go to Mizzou, I figure I might as well get it some play...
Seriously, the atmosphere at the Border Showdown this year was about as close to a playoff atmosphere as college football can get.
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