Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants: Who Is the Philadelphia Eagles' Bigger Rival?

I bleed Eagle (or Kelly, depending on how old you are) green every weekend the Philadelphia Eagles take the field.  I love to see blue blood spattered on the field.  The question is: Which blue blood rotting on the turf is more glorious to see?

Over the past five seasons, the rivalry is not close.  The Dallas Cowboys refuse to shore up their secondary, rendering them useless in any prolonged postseason campaign.  Hell, it has resulted in one postseason victory in the last 10 years. 

It has been so long since the Cowboys have been a convincing rival that Eagles fans almost forget their formidable presence in the NFC East during the early '90s. 

Of course, the Eagles lost to the Cowboys in the Cowboys' only postseason success in a decade.  All is well; the Cowboys folded a week later and were forgotten about.  Quarterback Michael Vick is sure to continue this success over this rival.

The New York Giants, on the other hand, have embarrassed the Eagles in the playoffs during the last decade and have gone on to win one of the most unlikely Super Bowls in the history of the league.

Still, there seems some debate amongst Philadelphia Eagle fans: The New York Giants are closer geographically, yet the Dallas Cowboys render a certain hatred in the blood-green hearts of Eagles fans.

No Philadelphia Eagles fan will ever forget our team's hasty ending of Michael Irvin's career on one play.  The ebullient fans in attendance were even congratulatory of the defensive team's effort to see him removed from the field on a stretcher.

We have ended the Giants' playoff hopes on more than one occasion over the past decade.  We have even done it in the regular season: witness DeSean Jackson's fourth-quarter punt return that officially ended the New York Giants 2010 playoff hopes. 

That was the most inspiring moment in Eagles history over the past five seasons.  Part of that reason is because of the team that it hurt and the team to which it was done.

There can be no denial that the Dallas Cowboys are hated rivals; however, would DeSean Jackson's punt return be as memorable if done against the Dallas Cowboys?  There would be no second "Miracle at the Meadowlands."

In fact, it is difficult to remember a true game that had any decisive playoff ramifications (aside from said playoff matchup) with the Dallas Cowboys in the recent past.  They have been an over-hyped, under-performing squad since Emmitt Smith was let go to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Giants, on the other hand, have played the Eagles hard season in, and season out.  In 2006, in Week 2, the Giants turned what seemed to be a sure loss into an overtime win, while simultaneously ending defensive end Jevon Kearse's season, needlessly.

Actually, in recent years, I have no problems with the Dallas Cowboys. 

I have seen them fail again, and again, and then again at the hands of Tony Romo's botched attempt at holding an extra-point attempt against the Seattle Seahawks.  The Cowboys defeated an Eagles team in the playoffs on 2009 that was clearly not poised to make a Super Bowl run.

Make no mistake Philadelphia Eagles fans: The Giants are our greatest rivals.  No matter who you were rooting for in Super Bowl XLII, did not Eli Manning's near sack turned lucky throw off of David Tyree's helmet make you just a bit sick? 

It made me think, what if the same had happened against the same team (the New England Patriots), but it was Donovan McNabb breaking away to finish the play off of Terrell Owens' helmet?  Oh, what could have been...

The Giants are our biggest rival, case closed.