Ranking the Most Exciting Professional Sports Rivalries of the Last Decade
Turkey is one aspect of Thanksgiving. Football is another. Let's talk about that second aspect.
The NFL outdid itself this year. The Seattle Seahawks versus the San Francisco 49ers—on prime time? Now that's how you celebrate the giving of thanks.
Seattle and San Francisco may have the NFL's best rivalry right now, but where does it rank all time? Come to think of it, what is the best current rivalry in all professional sports?
The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics had a good thing going, but that grudge match has been dormant for years. Same goes for the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons. The New York Mets-Philadelphia Phillies rivalry is another clash that has fallen by the wayside.
So what's left? There's still plenty to choose from. Here are my top 10 sports rivalries of the last decade, with a few extras for your enjoyment.
Honorable Mentions
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Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots
It's rare to have Tom Brady's number, but the Baltimore Ravens appear to be that rare team.
The Ravens beat up on Brady in the 2009 playoffs and did it again in 2012. They might have been 3-for-3 if not for Billy Cundiff's embarrassing miss at the end of the 2011 AFC title game.
And who could forget Justin Tucker's maybe game-winning field goal in 2012? Not Bill Belichick.
For what it's worth, New England won last year's meeting by a comfortable 41-7 margin.
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
It's true these teams haven't met in the playoffs since 2004. But that doesn't mean the rivalry is extinct. Just ask Ryan Dempster. Or Michael Pineda.
The rivalry reignited last offseason when Jacoby Ellsbury switched allegiances. Now free agent Jon Lester faces a similar dilemma. Should he stay true to his Boston roots or cross over to the dark side? Expect Lester to endure plenty of sleepless nights pondering his decision.
We do know one thing. Derek Jeter won't be around to make anymore catches like this. Re2pect.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls
This rivalry isn't so much about the Cleveland Cavaliers as it is about LeBron James. Wherever LeBron winds up, it always seems like Chicago is standing in his way, often quite literally.
With Derrick Rose healthy again (or as healthy as he's ever going to be), there's a good chance we'll see these teams play in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the mean time, don't expect James and Joakim Noah to be sharing a picnic together anytime soon.
Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks
A hockey rivalry—in California? What will they think of next?
These teams have met in the playoffs three of the last four seasons with Los Angeles winning two out of three. In the most recent matchup, Los Angeles came back from three games down to win in seven games. And yes, things got physical.
Might we see an encore performance in this year's postseason? I sure hope so.
New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
Conventional wisdom would say this rivalry is dead. After all, the New England Patriots are 9-2 and the New York Jets are 2-9.
Sometimes, you have to throw convention out the window. The Patriots won by the skin of their teeth when these teams played in October. And the last time New England came to MetLife Stadium, the Jets walked away with an overtime victory.
This rivalry has given us so much over the years. But most importantly, it gave us the butt fumble. Thanks, Mark Sanchez. We owe you one.
No. 10: Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays
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Let's brainstorm for a minute. What does a good rivalry need?
How about proximity? Tampa and Boston aren't exactly next door to each other, but the Rays and Red Sox do play in the same division.
A recent postseason matchup? Sure thing (Red Sox won 3-1 in the 2013 ALDS).
A late-season comeback at the other's expense? All taken care of.
Bad blood between players? Not a problem.
I think we've covered all the bases. The rivalry certainly loses some of its steam without David Price and Joe Maddon, but there's still plenty of hate—I mean mutual respect—to go around (okay, mostly hate).
No. 9: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants
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The New York Giants have to start pulling their own weight for this rivalry to continue. Dallas has won five of the last six meetings including Sunday's come-from-behind win at MetLife Stadium.
Or maybe the Giants just need a little luck to fall their way. Nine of the last 12 matchups have been decided by seven points or fewer.
Let's face it. The animosity between these two fanbases isn't going away anytime soon. Tony Romo versus Eli Manning is always great theater, especially when the outcome decides who makes the playoffs.
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No. 8: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings
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These are the two best teams in the Western Conference and probably will be for the foreseeable future.
There's star power on both sides—Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick for the Kings, with Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews starring for the Blackhawks.
Last year's Western Conference Finals was a bloodbath with two games decided in overtime. The series went seven games with Los Angeles landing the final punch. A year earlier, Chicago overtook L.A. in five games en route to its second Stanley Cup in four seasons.
The irony is that Kings head coach Darryl Sutter spent the majority of his playing career with Chicago and actually coached there for a few seasons. Awkwarddd.
No. 7: New England Patriots vs. Peyton Manning
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If Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson was the rivalry of the 1980s, Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady has to be the matchup of the 2000s.
Brady has gotten the better of Manning more often than not, but there have been a few exceptions. One of those occurrences came in 2006 when Manning's Indianapolis Colts overcame a 21-3 deficit to win the AFC title. Another was just last season when Manning, this time with the Denver Broncos, captured a decisive 26-16 victory in the conference championship.
The most thrilling game in the rivalry happened in 2013, when the Patriots rallied from 24 down to beat Manning's Broncos 34-31 in Week 12. Bizarrely, it was a mistake by Wes Welker, a former Patriot, that led to the game-winning field goal.
No. 6: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants
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Though the rivalry has had some ugly moments, Dodgers-Giants is here to stay.
Having both made the playoffs this year, it's safe to say these squads are at the height of their powers.
This rivalry has all the right ingredients—top-notch pitching (Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner), perennial MVP candidates (Buster Posey and Kershaw) and outfielders who look and act like cartoon characters (Hunter Pence and Yasiel Puig). It's almost too good to be true.
No. 5: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
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You want goals? Well you came to the right place.
When Pittsburgh and Philadelphia met in the playoffs a couple years ago, these teams put up a combined 56 goals in six games. And only three of them came from Sidney Crosby. Somebody give the scoreboard operator a raise.
Six of the top nine scorers in the NHL this season reside in either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. Forget the Keystone State. Pennsylvania is the land of scoring. Isn't that right, Claude Giroux?
No. 4: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
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Could these teams be any more similar? Just look at some of the gladiators this rivalry has produced: James Harrison, Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu, Terrell Suggs. It's a miracle Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco are still standing after all the abuse they've taken over the years.
But what makes this rivalry epic, besides Baltimore's proximity to Pittsburgh, is how even it's been. No team has swept the season series since Baltimore did it in 2011. The home team has won each of the last four meetings, and if you add up the composite box score from the last two games, the score is 49-49.
Right now, the Ravens and Steelers are part of a five-way tie for the final playoff spot in the AFC. This could get interesting.
No. 3: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
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This rivalry has been going strong for almost 90 years. Sure, there have been a few lulls, but now it's back and better than ever.
These teams have met in the playoffs four times in the last seven seasons with each team winning two series. Montreal won the last battle 4-3 to advance to the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals. Milan Lucic made a stir with his chilly behavior in the handshake line, further igniting the rivalry.
Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban, arguably Montreal's best player, has a younger brother who plays in the Bruins' minor league system. Thanksgiving in the Subban house might be a tad uncomfortable this year.
No. 2: Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers
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There are so many beefs here, it's hard to keep track. But I'll try.
It started last year when Andrew Bogut and DeAndre Jordan came to blows in the second game of the season. Then on Christmas, Bogut went at it with Blake Griffin, probably because Griffin forgot to send him a Christmas card. Four months after that, feeling the situation still needed resolving, Griffin went ahead and drenched an innocent Warriors fan with a cold glass of liquid rage.
I think that brings us up to date. Both teams have young, talented rosters and should be good for a very long time. That means the Warriors-Clippers rivalry has just begun.
No. 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks
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These teams want blood. They want a Super Bowl, too, but mostly blood.
The rivalry between head coaches goes back to college, when Pete Carroll was coaching at USC and Jim Harbaugh was the top dog at Stanford. While coaching Stanford, one of Harbaugh's players was Richard Sherman, a founding member of Seattle's Legion of Boom. They didn't part on the best terms.
And don't even get Sherman started on Michael Crabtree. Erin Andrews learned that the hard way.
We should be in for a good one on Thursday night. Just make sure you're awake. What's that thing in turkey that makes people sleepy? Oh, that's right, tryptophan.
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