16 Overrated Sports Rivalries Right Now

Every fan loves a solid rivalry, and some of the ones that sports has given us are the best around.

Lakers-Celtics, Yankees-Red Sox, Brady-Manning.

These are just a few that make sports fans stop what they're doing and cozy up on a couch for, because they are intense and impassioned.

Unfortunately, not all sports rivalries are equal, which is why I looked at a few—both of teams and individuals—to find which ones are, quite frankly, overrated.

So which one tops the list? I'll give you my answer, but let the debate continue.

16. Bill Simmons vs. ESPN

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While some of us might not actually enjoy strolling into work every single day—in fact, finding insane excuses not to get to the office—Bill Simmons of ESPN has made the hatred for his employer very clear, as he has tweeted and bad-mouthed the worldwide leader multiple times, drawing a few suspensions for doing it.

Still, ESPN knows that Simmons draws viewers, which is what the network clearly cares about. So, while we're all waiting for the day The Sports Guy gets canned, it won't happen, proving that this is a one-sided rivalry that Simmons will, most certainly, never lose.

15. Tennessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators Football

There was a time—a long time ago, actually—when the Florida Gators playing the Tennessee Volunteers was one of the biggest games on the college football calendar.

These days? Yeah, not so much.

With both programs spiraling in the wrong direction and struggling with both consistency on the field and with their head coaching hires, the Vols and Gators haven't been much of a factor in the national landscape.

For that reason, when the two play, there isn't as much fanfare or intrigue outside of Knoxville or Gainesville. No College GameDay visits. And, worse, no national-title aspirations on the horizon for either team.

Add in the Gators' 11-3 record in the series since 2001, and this looks to be more like a normal SEC game than one that resembles anything the two programs had in the '90s.

14. Duke Blue Devils vs. Michigan Wolverines Basketball

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Playing annually between 1963-70, the Duke Blue Devils and Michigan Wolverines established the groundwork for their rivalry, as the first four games has both teams ranked in the top five nationally.

Facing each other 21 times after renewing the rivalry in 1989, it has been owned by the Dukies, as they've won all but five of those contests, being ranked no lower than 18 at the time of the game, while the Wolverines have been ranked in only nine of them.

With the schools being in separate conferences, fans don't see these two play as often as they probably should, making this rivalry something that isn't really thought of when putting together a list of the greatest rivalries in college hoops—which, for the reasons given, is appropriate.

13. Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

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Yeah, I know how pathetic it is to be a Cleveland Browns fan.

With just one playoff appearance since the team's rebirth in 1999, being a member of the Dawg Pound hasn't been too great.

And when the team faces its biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, things get even uglier, as the Brownies have lost all but two games since the Steelers drafted quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.

Although the Browns did split the 2014 season series with Pittsburgh, over the years, they have been bullied by their neighbors to the east, with the Steelers adding two Super Bowls and zero losing seasons since Big Ben took over the job under center.

12. Navy Midshipmen vs. Army Black Knights

Viewed as the epitome of what a rivalry should be, there are a few things that make the Army-Navy football game a dud each season.

While both programs signify class and honor, there aren't too many casual fans who would prefer to watch the Midshipmen and Black Knights actually play, as the programs lack star power.

And like others on this list, the series has been one-sided as all hell, with Navy—a traditional, average team at best—winning 13 of the past 15 meetings.

The two teams might have great history, but, well, that's history, because this game isn't what it once was.

11. Bill Self vs. John Calipari

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We all know about the rivalry between University of Kentucky men's hoops coach John Calipari and in-state rival Rick Pitino of Louisville, but another sideline battle is with Kansas' Bill Self.

Heading two of the most prominent college basketball programs ever, it's natural to want to make Cal and Self rivals—which is why it has happened.

That doesn't mean one is brewing, though, as Calipari has, for all intents and purposes, beaten Self when it matters most in recent years.

Some out there believe that Self is actually a bigger threat to Calipari than Pitino is—which is just absurd. Even with all the head-to-heads that their two teams have had, on the biggest stages, Calipari's Wildcats have squashed the threat of a rivalry.

Besides that, I tend to discount rivalries between coaches that don't regularly meet, making the Calipari-Self battles nothing more than big games between two big programs.

10. Florida State Seminoles vs. Miami Hurricanes Football

During the height of the rivalry, Florida State and in-state rival Miami (FL) was the biggest spectacle of the college football season.

Not only were both competing for national titles, with a loss to the other potentially being the one hiccup of their schedule, but they also recruit with one another for top talent in the state—with many going on to become NFL stars.

But in recent years, the Seminoles have won seven of the past 10 meetings, with the Hurricanes dipping from prominence as FSU has regained their rank among the better teams in the country, hoping to defend their national title from last season.

For fans of the two teams, this one is always big. But for casual fans, it's anything but.

9. Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin

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While their teams haven't always been heated rivals—the two have faced off in the postseason in eight of the past 25 years—the rivalry between superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin appears to be alive and well, right?

Well, not so much.

When considering individual awards, Sid and Ovie go back and forth in a backyard batter. Unfortunately, I don't really care for individual awards, putting more emphasis on team success.

For that reason, save for the epic 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup, why should these two be considered as rivals?

Crosby has won a Stanley Cup in two appearances, going through Ovechkin to get there, but the Washington Capitals star hasn't even made the Cup Finals before, meaning that these two aren't exactly the NHL's version of Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird—though everyone treats it that way.

8. Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals

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In the past 15 years, the NL Central's St. Louis Cardinals have made the playoffs 11 times, reaching the NLCS in nine of them, the World Series in four and winning it all twice.

Their historical rival Chicago Cubs in the same time frame? Three postseason trips with one NLCS appearance and zero World Series chances.

If that's not an overmatched rivalry, I don't know what is.

Playing against each other since 1875, the rivalry might be considered to be one of baseball's best, but it's been lacking for a long time.

In fact, in my 30 years, the one relevant battle between the two franchises was the great home run race of 1998 when the Cardinals' Mark McGwire and the Cubs' Sammy Sosa looked to break the former single-season home run record.

How did that turn out? Well, McGwire won it, but both players were alleged to have used steroids, putting a dampener on the whole thing—and ruining the one thing fans of both teams can really argue was of significance in the past two decades.

7. New York Jets vs. New York Giants

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Like another in-city rivalry you'll see on this list later on, the supposed feud between the NFL's New York Jets and New York Giants isn't what most people want it to be.

While the two teams share a stadium in the Meadowlands and play in the shadows of New York City, there's nothing that says over-hyped more than when two bad teams play against each other in the regular season every four years.

And with both teams struggling the past couple of seasons to right the ship, it just makes any talk of a rivalry between the two that much sillier, as any game they play is insignificant, anyway—assuming they actually get on the same field together.

6. Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson

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As two of the biggest and most successful names in golf over the past 20-plus years, many would think that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson would have had some epic battles in final rounds of majors like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer did.

Similar in likeness to the two legends—Phil's a fan favorite and Tiger has been more successful—the two golfers haven't provided the rivalry that the PGA Tour had hoped it would, although it has been a tired argument to help boost the game's popularity.

And with both continuing to get older and new blood taking over the reins of the sport, the Woods-Mickelson rivalry isn't nearly as epic as it could have been.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines Football

As an Ohio State Buckeyes fan, I know that my friends and family are salivating at the chance to rip me a new one for putting "The Game" on this list, but, as I like to say, the numbers don't lie.

Although that team up north and Ohio State is still an enormous rivalry game and in the discussion as the best in all of sports, over the past 15 years, the Buckeyes have dominated the matchup, posting an 11-4 record.

There really is nothing better than Michigan Week for OSU fans, especially with the recent results, but the game has been lacking since Jim Tressel (eight wins) and Urban Meyer (two wins) took the helm in Columbus, with both understanding the hatred for Michigan.

With the Big Ten continuing to catch heat for being weak, the conference survives on its rich history—and the Buckeyes and Wolverines is the biggest—so things need to even out between them before the perception of the conference changes.

4. Richard Sherman vs. Michael Crabtree

Thanks to the overreaction to Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman's postgame rant about San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree last season, this rivalry has just been waiting to explode ever since.

But, as anyone who saw the Seahawks-Niners game on Thanksgiving Day can attest, the first matchup between the two was nothing but a dud.

Sherman broke out with two interceptions, but Crabtree hurt himself just 56 seconds into the game and finished with three catches for just 10 yards.

These two have some serious history, but until Crabtree becomes more consistent, it won't live up to all the war of words they exchange.

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers

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After relocating to Los Angeles from San Diego in 1984, everyone imagined this could become an unrivaled feud between the L.A. Clippers and L.A. Lakers—it's too bad one never truly escalated.

Absolutely one-sided in favor of the Lakers for years thanks to their prestige and willingness to actually construct a team for NBA titles and the Clippers being, well, the Clippers, few years actually consisted of both franchises being competitive.

And just as the Clips found themselves as one of the most exciting teams in the league, with All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Lakers took a major step back, getting swept from the playoffs in 2013, missing out last season and getting off to just a 3-12 start in 2014.

One would imagine a city, and arena, that's shared by two pro teams would be bitter, yet, that's just not the case whenever the Clips and Lakers share the floor.

2. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao

I think we all know why the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao beef is so overrated by now—because we're still waiting for them to actually step into the ring against each other.

Considered two of the best fighters of the past couple of decades, Floyd and Manny have had years of bashing one another through the media—with the most recent instance coming just a week or so ago—but until they actually set a fight and knock gloves, this one is nothing more than a great tease.

In fact, some actually think that the entire rivalry has lost some intrigue, showing that, just because two athletes dislike each other, it doesn't mean that they're bitter rivals.

1. Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James

Seeing how Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have been, arguably, the two best and most popular basketball players on the planet over the past 15 years, it's only natural for people to pit them against one another.

There was just one major problem; with Bryant and James in different conferences, the only time in the postseason they could ever meet was in the NBA Finals.

And although there were a few hopes that it would happen, fans never got the opportunity to see the sports biggest stars on the game's grandest stage.

Sure, they might be competing against one another for fame and an ultimate legacy, but, because they've never squared off against each other, this rivalry just feels incomplete.