Last week, we had another of Mike Chamernik’s “Question of the Week” series, the response was great, and Mike is back again with his next question.
Question of the Week
by Mike Chamernik
This past weekend, Simone Biles wore a jacket that celebrated her husband, NFL safety Jonathan Owens. Only problem is, Owens now plays for the Bears, and the jacket had images of him in his old Packers uniform.
Bears-Packers is one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries, so the jacket has drawn some buzz. Packers fans are delighted, but Bears fans are too ecstatic about Caleb Williams right now to care.
What are some of your favorite sports rivalries? They can either be ongoing (like, Yankees-Red Sox) or of a certain era (Cavs-Warriors, back when they met in the Finals for four straight years).
For your teams, do you and other fans have any rules or rituals when the rival comes to town? Stuff like, Ohio State football fans crossing out “M”s before the annual Michigan game, or fans of the Brazilian soccer club Corinthians avoiding green, because it’s the color of their nemesis.
And, what are some of your favorite lesser-known rivalries in sports?
Thanks, Mike. This is definitely another fun QOTW, or should I say, QsOTW. Rivalries are always a fun, but sometimes touchy, subject.
Readers? Fire away!
Glasgow’s Old Firm derby has to be right up there with the very best in sports. Its impact goes way beyond the pitch. Coming from a Celtic family, this has affected my personal life, especially when I lived in Scotland (during the lead up to the referendum, no less). Even if you don’t appreciate the extra stuff, the rivalry on the field/in the stands is unmatched.
Seconding this, especially as a Celtic supporter
All the soccer rivalries I’m part of (including Aberdeen-Rangers, as an Aberdeen fan) are on another level entirely from the ones I’m part of in North American men’s pro sports. That includes Commanders-NFC East, Capitals-Penguins/Flyers/Rangers/etc. Like Charlie says, they can spill way off the pitch.
In college sports, Virginia-VPI also comes close to soccer-level for me. I don’t want to comment as an outsider on anything else.
I grew up right in the middle of the Old Firm divide – one parent in each camp – which gives me a love/hate relationship with it. The intensity, the energy, it’s brilliant. The background and the bigotry, anything but. But it does need to be seen to be believed.
Haha, I’m not too different! Although my mum’s side, of the Presbyterian faith, aren’t really into soccer, so it’s not an issue.
Before my brother and I were born, my dad made a deal with my maternal grandfather – he would allow us to be christened in the Presbyterian church, as long as we grew up to be Celtic supporters :)
Tigers and Blue Jays was a great rivalry while both were in the same division. They hardly ever play any more though. When they do play it’s great seeing how many opposing fans travel for the games.
Blue Jays-Mariners is also a big rivalry, evidently. At least among fans. I see that Jays fans flood Mariners ballpark when the teams play.
1977 expansion twins.
Any baseball fan in Canada is pretty much a de facto Jays supporter, and if they’re west of, say, Calgary/Edmonton then their visits to Seattle are the only chance to see them. Seattle is besieged during these series :)
Seattle “fans” always complain bitterly, but clearly don’t care enough to buy tickets themselves to keep the Canucks away…
Across town, the Huskies are hated by the Cougars, and irk them even more by mostly ignoring them in favor of hating the Ducks. If you really want to stop a WSU alum in their tracks, ask them who they root for when UW plays UO.
I agree with you but I also wonder if it was ever really a rivalry to the Tigers. Jays fans are still salty about the way 1987 ended, but do Tigers fans even remember it?
The Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry was an all-timer. It pretty much died down after the lockout year, but at its height, it was something. And it wasn’t just the brawls, there was plenty of intense hockey in general, and both teams had incredible talent.
Wings-Penguins was an interesting thing for me, during their back-to-back Cup meetings, because I happen to like both teams, so I actually took some ribbing from family members.
When I was a kid, it felt like it was Wings-Avs every single year in the WC Final. I’m not a huge hockey guy but I think that was before the salary cap, so the teams were loaded.
Salary caps and evened-out schedules have killed rivalries. I think the NHL Rangers and Islanders recently went something like 11 calendar months without playing each, other which is ridiculous. Division rivals in hockey used to play each other 8 times a year. Now it is like 4 times. Boo.
I can think of several occasions when someone asked me what I thought was the greatest rivalry in sports, trying to get me to say it was their favorite team and their favorite team’s rival (e.g., Yankees-Red Sox, Islanders-Rangers, Packers-Bears, &c.). When I get that question I usually give the same answer:
“Army-Navy.”
That’s a great answer. And it’s its own standalone weekend.
I’m going to use that answer from now on!
Unfortunately, Army/Navy is not a standalone game anymore. The Celebration and Camelia Bowls will be played on the same day.
YES!!!
It galls me when people mention anything other than Army-Navy. It always has been, always will be the best rivalry in sports.
The Army-Navy rivalry is an interesting one to put at the top because it undercuts so many things that have made other rivalries great. In the modern era, it is relatively meaningless as far as championships go. Neither of these teams are close to the top in what is now semi-pro college football, so the only thing that is ever on the line now is the game itself. Also, the fan bases of the teams are exclusive. Obviously, you can pick a side and like any team, you don’t to live there / be an alumnus to be a fan, but at least to me, it feels wrong to have a strong passion for one of these teams unless you actually served in the Army or Navy (or have a close family member that served). And on that note, the rivalry is relatively civil compared to many others. In spite of any ribbing, the mutual respect and comradery is there between both the players and the fans who served in either branch. Having been to an Army/Navy game it is an amazing experience and feels completely different than other big rivalry games I have attended. And it feels different in a good way. To me it felt like everyone was there to celebrate the rivalry itself, whereas in other big games, it feels like it is so much more about having bragging rights over your opponent.
Akron vs. (Can’t Read, Can’t Write) Kent St.
Go Zips!!!
The MAC!
As an Akron grad with a Kent State sister, you’d think I would agree. But I miss Akron/Youngstown State.
That rivalry could resume if the Zips accept reality and drop back down to FCS.
Duke/Carolina aka the #1 rivalry in sports. Followed by Ohio State/Michigan and Yankees/Red Sox.
But for me personally it’s Jets/Dolphins.
I’m in my 30s and my father is in his 60s. We’re both Jets fans. It’s funny how much he hates the Dolphins, and I hate the Patriots.
You saying I’m old?!? JK but I actually have no issues with the Patriots. Any of their haters are just jealous of their success and I was an outright fan of Brady. But even in my 40’s if I ever saw Dan Marino I’d have to show a lot of restraint to not want to kick him in his artificial knees.
Duke-UNC…. I don’t know how Duke bounces back from UNC beating Coach K in his last game at Cameron, AND in the Final Four. Bragging rights claimed forever.
To paraphrase Duane Thomas, if bragging rights are claimed forever, why will they play each other twice in hoops again this year?
Rangers vs. Isles and Devils equally my favs.
I don’t have strong feelings about them (probably because the Rangers always take care of biz vs. them in the playoffs), but I do like how Rangers fans avoid using capital letters when playing the Capitals in the playoffs.
I’m always surprised at how intense the NYC-area hockey rivalries are
It’s because the Devils and Isles are always “little brother,” even on their own home turf. As a Devils fan, it’s infuriating, even if understandable from an historic perspective.
Always take care of business vs. the Devils in the playoffs??? Selective memory!
Let’s go Devils!
Typical Devils fan with poor reading comprehension! I was clearly referring to the Caps there.
Hope vs. Calvin in D-III sports, especially basketball.
Coming from Alabama, I guess I am permanently predisposed to rank college rivalries over professional, at least in the US. Although that stance has softened a bit as I spend more time elsewhere, I still say the Iron Bowl, Duke/Carolina, and Michigan/Ohio State are a cut above.
Alabama-Auburn?
Nats vs. Baltimore should be a bigger rivalry because of the general crapulence of the Orioles franchise towards the District of Columbia, the Washington Nationals and their fans. Sadly, the DC MSM has underplayed how much MLB appeases Baltimore at our expense, so the casual fan doesn’t have the red hot hate.
DC vs. Pittsburgh is well-established in the NHL though if the Nationals and Pirates are ever in a playoff against each other, I think it be fun. There are a lot of Western Pa transplants in the DC area. A meaningful NFL matchup could be fun too, but that’s every four years.
Nationals vs. Phillies could be a rivalry if both teams were good at the same time. The Phillies fans travel well when the Phillies are good. There was an infamous home opener when the Nats president Stan Kasten went on Philly radio encouraging them to come down.
Penn State – Nebraska is a Big Teen rivalry I was looking forward to, but they never play each other! The Huskers even have a Happy Valley native as head coach (but for how long?) so that could add to an interesting history.
If the Washington Football Team (yeah, I know) ever stopped sucking so incredibly bad, an I-95 rivalry with the Ravens would be fun.
A friend of mine who used to teach at a PG County Catholic school and a lot of his colleagues commuted from Baltimore area.
That rivalry was real to him.
The older I get the less I care about the rivalry aspect in sports. I used to hate certain division rivals, cheering against them even if my team wasn’t playing. Somewhere along the way I eased up and don’t hate anyone, only cheering *for* teams I like, or with superior uniforms. Rooting *against* feels too serious these days.
I agree with what you said floorwalker as I age about not hating teams but being appreciative of both team’s part in a passionate game or environment.
Agreed.
Mostly… I still root against the Raiders, but I don’t hate them. Sports are supposed to be fun so I leave it at the level of intensely dislike.
I like the Steelers, so I do enjoy the rivalries with… well, everyone in the division. I also like the Bengals/Browns rivalry, and the Bears/Vikings.
College: I miss Pitt/Penn State and Nebraska/Oklahoma. I’ve come to really like Iowa/Nebraska now. Always liked Army/Navy and Alabama/Auburn. And for basketball, it may not be the rivalry it once was, but I still like Villanova/Georgetown. Go Wildcats!
The Penn State – Pitt rivalry ended with a clang because Narduzzi elected to kick from the 1 yard line, down 7, under 4 minutes in the 4th quarter on the road in the last game of the series, will never not be funny, mind-boggling.
That was a good few months of clangs in sports…
That’s a good outlook. Reduces stress. But… sports hate can be fun.
Here’s a hill I’m willing to die on: the most underappreciated rivalry in sports was Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova.
Evert was cute, blonde, all-American girl-next-door from Florida. As a player, she was a right-handed defensive baseliner who excelled on clay courts and was called the “Ice Maiden” or “Ice Princess” because of her cool demeanor. She was the good girl who dated the ultimate tennis bad boy at the time, Jimmy Connors. Navratilova was a chunky brunette who hailed from behind the Iron Curtain in the midst of the Cold War. She was a left-handed, offense-minded, serve-and-volleyer whose best surface was grass and who wore her emotions on her sleeve. And, though she didn’t actually come out until later in her career, it was an open secret that she was gay. The two players could not have been more different.
They played each other 80 times (!!!) over the span of 15 years, including 60 finals (!!!!!). Navratilova has the slight edge in both their overall head-to-head, 43-37, as well as in finals, 36-24. They finished their careers deadlocked with 18 Grand Slam singles titles each.
Navratilova introduced Evert to the man who would become Evert’s second husband, Andy Mill. Evert traveled to Prague when Navratilova returned to Czechoslovakia for the first time after her defection. They have supported each other through battles with cancer.
In retirement, they are extremely close friends. But throughout their careers, they were polar opposites and one of the greatest rivalries in sports history.
Love this!
You definitely captured what I knew about this rivalry -back in the day.
Thanks for replying, Judy!
Northern California vs Southern California, regardless of sport.
My favorite rivalry when considering uniforms is the USC/UCLA football game. Both teams wear their home colors. USC Cardinal Red and UCLA Light Blue has the perfect contrast, though it was better when UCLA’s blue was lighter than now. They’ve have a number of names for it, and now they just call it “UCLA Blue”. It was also better when they shared the Coliseum, with half the stadium fans wearing red and the other half wearing blue.
Among rivalries I don’t have any stake in, I’ve always really enjoyed Red Sox-Yankees and Dodgers-Giants.
I grew up in central Ohio and went to Ohio State, so I hate Michigan as much as any normal decent person, but I have to say I find the whole “crossing out Ms” thing to be kind of lame and petty and I wish they’d stop. I happened to be near the Stadium this summer and saw a sign with the Ms crossed out, and at first I thought it had been vandalized before I figured out what was going on. They should be above that kind of thing.
My favorite under-the-national-radar rivalry is Utah-BYU. Not only geographic (50 miles apart) and public vs. private but also sectarian, or rather church vs. state. I spent several years in Utah and I can tell you it’s as intense as any.
I’m not in Central Ohio, so I’m never sure if the crossing out Ms thing is only done by a handful of people, or if it’s widespread.
Haven’t actually lived in Ohio since the 70s, so I can’t say. Don’t think it was even a thing back then and I don’t know when it started.
Woody Hayes hatred of Michigan made the “10 year war” the best rivalry ever.
Two incidents come to mind:
1. On the road at Michigan and up like 40 points with less than a minute left, the Buckeyes scored a TD and a two point conversion . Asked why he went for two, Hayes replied, “cuz they wouldn’t let me go for three!”
2. Once on a recruiting trip he ran out of gas, and him and an assistant coach pushed their car over the state line into Ohio. Because he simply refused to buy gas in Michigan.
As a lifelong Manchester City supporter with a dad who’s a lifelong Manchester United supporter, the Manchester Derby is by far my favourite rivalry. No superstitions as such, but I try and avoid wearing red wherever possible, as City’s most notable rivals all wear the colour.
I’ve always liked usmnt vs England. For historical reasons but also with the idea of proper football vs counter. I like to drink a domestic and see usmnt play above their standard.
I like that matchup too because we (the US) have nothing to lose and England has all the pressure in the world.
And you have a fun inverse of that when the USWNT plays the Lionesses. Not to say England is not a strong squad, but the US Women are pretty obviously the ones with the most pressure placed on them.
MLB: Padres vs. Dodgers
NHL: Rangers vs. Capitals
NBA: Spurs vs. Suns
NFL: Giants vs. Eagles
Favorite good luck ritual: Shutting off the TV because I bring bad luck to my favorite teams.
I also turn off the TV for good luck. Well, mainly because I get too nervous to watch.
It’s hard to describe to people how big the Crosstown Shootout is in Cincinnati. UC and Xavier are the two closest high major schools, plus the religious affiliation vs public school.
Dodgers/Giants and Yankees/Red Sox are the all time sports rivalries in the states. What makes them great are the latter are usually both decent teams and vying for position, while the former tend to be on different success schedules and so are constantly trying to spoil the other’s chances.
However, those are easy pickin’s. The Niners/Cowboys got real spicy in the Terrell Owens years and I loved every minute of it. And the Niners/Packers, which is maybe not such a rivalry, but their playoff history is always fun to watch. It really feels like playoff football once those two teams square off.
Niners-Cowboys, Niners-Packers, Packers-Cowboys are all great NFC rivalries. Been quite a few playoff games between them in recent years, as well.
Steelers Ravens is still intense and may be the best NFL to rivalry today, but the games back in the Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs days were something else.
Steelers-Ravens is a great one. Two powerhouse franchises who are always competitive.
Pretty much every matchup in the AFC North feels like a bloodfeud.
From Texas, it is Texas OU and Texas A&M Texas. Viscous, ugly hatred! I have known people who will drive around College Station or Austin on their travels. It will be nice to get this one back and it is the ONLY positive from the desertion of the Big XII.
When Astros played the White Sox in the World Series, we did not wear any white socks. And with the Rangers winning last year, that rivalry increased several magnitudes. We were all happy that Texas was going to World Series and they were all like pissed. Since it does not appear the Rangers will be a long term threat, I think that rivalry will back down again.
USA v Europe in Ryder Cup. Since GB&I added continental Europe in 1979 and broke up the US dominance, it’s been a must watch event.
As a lifelong Habs fan who lived in Quebec for a good part of it’s timeline, my vote goes to The Battle of Quebec, Canadiens vs. Nordiques.
The fans didn’t get along, the media didn’t get along and the teams, at the time, were owned by rival beer companies, Molson and O’Keefe.
When my American friends ask me how seriously do Canadians take hockey, I always tell them the story about how/why my father and grandfather switched their allegiances from the bleu-blanc-rouge to the fleur-de-lysee.
Back in 1979, when the NHL was voting on the proposed merger with the WHA, the vote needed a large majority in order to be passed. The Canadiens owners, Molson, originally voted against the merger saying something along the lines of it possibly cutting into their market seeing as how O’Keefe owned the Nordiques.
Let’s just say that didn’t go over well with a lot of people. Many people in the province of Quebec threatened to boycott Molson, including my grandfather. Molson eventually realized the error of their ways and voted in favour of the merger, but still…I can’t remember ever seeing my grandfather drinking a Molson product. He was definitely an O’Keefe man.
As for my father? Well, I think it was more to aggravate my Mom’s side of the family, who were, and still are, Canadiens fans since birth.
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“The deal came up for a vote at the NHL Board of Governors meeting in Key Largo, Florida on March 8, 1979. The final tally was 12–5, one vote short of passage, as a three-quarters majority was required to permit a merger.[18] The Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks voted against the deal. The Bruins were not pleased with having to share New England with the Whalers. Los Angeles and Vancouver feared losing home dates with NHL teams from the East. Montreal and Toronto were not enamored at the prospect of having to split revenue from Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts six ways rather than three.[17]
When a second vote was held in Chicago on March 22, 1979, Montreal and Vancouver changed their votes, allowing the deal to go forward. Vancouver and Los Angeles were won over by the promise of a balanced schedule, with each team playing the others twice at home and twice on the road. The Canadiens’ owners, Molson Breweries, were feeling the effects of a massive boycott that originated in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Winnipeg and spread across Canada. With the boycott severely hurting Molson’s sales, the brewer reached agreement with the owners of the three Canadian WHA teams to have Molson replace their competitors (and Nordiques owners) Carling O’Keefe as the exclusive beer supplier for the Oilers’ and Jets’ arenas; it is probable that this concession was made in exchange for the Canadiens’ vote.”
WHAA merger was a great thing for NHL hockey fans in Canada. Went from 3 Canadian NHL teams in the league to 6 in one season. Then the addition of the 7th team with Calgary arriving from Atlanta a season later.
*WHA
As a Wisconsin native and Packers season ticket holder, of course I would say Packers-Bears is at the top of the list. But here’s the thing: they are each other’s biggest rival, but I loathe (in general) Vikings fans more.
Packers & Bears are two big brothers who have been through it all. Together. Lots of titles. Lots of hall of famers. Lots of epic games. Mutual respect. Lambeau Field. Wrigley & Soldier Fields. Absolutely rivals but also “get” each other, despite all the clatter.
The Vikings are like the little kid who wants to sit at the big kid table. Come talk to us when you’ve won more than an NFL title that no one counts because you lost SB4. Take your European soccer cheer, horn and Skol in your domed stadium and call when you get over the hump.
And, the Lions are like that cousin who occasionally shows up and when things are going well for him, you’re happy for them because 1957 was a long time ago. There’s a still a rivalry due to the history but it just ain’t the same. As Douglas Adams described Earth: Mostly Harmless.
If I had to watch a rival win a Super Bowl, I’d be happy for the Lions because of the decades of suffering. Could tolerate a Bears win. And I’d have to get off all social media and hide in the dark if the Vikings ever pulled it off.
I love this so much. From my experience (Lions fan, lifelong Chicagoland-er) this is accurate.
Not to criticize you as a Bears (I assume) fan, but with all the Super Bowl titles you’ve won (1) and appearances (2), I wouldn’t go criticizing the Lions and Vikings for their lack of success. The Vikings have been in more Supes (granted, with an 0-4 record) and yeah, the Lions have been doormats for most of everyone who is reading this lifetimes, but for the great proud squad that the Bears have been historically, they haven’t done jack since the Super Bowl shuffle. It’s fine to be a proud Bears fan, but don’t be a Vikings/Lions hater (at least not because of their lack of recent success). And I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Lions in the Supe before the Bears are back again.
Not to stir the pot or anything but I really don’t have a dog in this fight, but one of my favorite observations about the Packers/Bears rivalry is this:
Jim McMahon, the polarizing QB of the Bears team that won SB XX, finished his career as a back-up for the Packers. He was there when the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI, which means his team defeated the Patriots twice. But better than that, he was on SB winning teams as a Bear and a Packer, he has as many Super Bowl rings in a Packers uniform as Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers do, and as many total SB rings as the two of them combined.
Great factoid!
But I prefer knowing the Giants, led by Eli Manning, defeated the BRADY Patriots twice in the Supe, including once ending their quest for an undefeated season. So Eli has as many rings as Favre and Rodgers combined (and the same number as McMahon). I think defeating the BRADY-led Pats is a much greater feat that beating Tony Eason or Drew Bledsoe. Just sayin’ ;)
Oh, I agree that Eli’s accomplishment is more impressive. I just love the look I get from some of my die-hard Packers fans when I mention that an average QB from the hated Bears has bested their beloved Rodgers and Favre, at least in one category.
Growing up a Bears fan in the 70’s I always hated the Vikings the most because they dominated the division during the Tarkenton and Kramer years. The Packers and Lions were never good enough to hate.
This evolved into a general anti-Minnesota thing when the Twins moved into the Humpdome and the Hawks/North Stars rivalry ramped up in the 80’s.
Carolina-Dooooke, Yankees-Red Sox!
Great answers as always, everyone!
I’m a Brewers fan, and the rivalry against the Cubs has been fun but also very frustrating. Especially for games in Milwaukee when it can be > 50% Cubs fans.
Browns-Steelers was huge here from the ’70s until that dirtbag Modell moved our team. When we came back, the rivalry was still huge for Browns fans, although not so much for Steelers’ fans because we sucked so bad for so long. But it’s been heating up lately now that we aren’t dismal anymore.
And I love so many college rivalries: Ohio State-Michigan being the best of ’em all. But I also love Cal-Stanford, Harvard-Yale, Notre Dame-USC, and Army-Navy. In hoops, nothing tops Duke-UNC.
And it won’t be long now!
Being from Philadelphia, there just might be only one answer.
LaSalle v. Penn v. Saint Joseph’s v. Temple v. Villanova.
Not used to adding Drexel into that mix yet.
For Philly there’s only one answer:
Central/Northeast …
though for me it’ll always be Judge/North.
A favourite lesser-know rivalry in sports?
Might be lesser known to many Uni Watch readers. Major junior hockey’s WHL. The 45 min drive on the Saskatchewan prairie between the teams down the Trans-Canada Highway.
The heated Regina Pats vs. Moose Jaw Warriors rivalry. Some remember when the Pats would play “Pop Goes the Weasel” when Theoren Fleury stepped on the ice. A photo of Fleury back in the day arguing with Regina fans:
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As a huge White Sox fan (I know, I know), I’ve always loved the Sox–Cubs Crosstown Classic. With the advent of interleague play, it’s now morphed into a set of four games each year, two each at Wrigley and I’m-Still-Calling-It-Comiskey. But I think I enjoyed it even more back when it was just an exhibition game that would happen on a common off-day in the middle of the season. Each team would call up a AAA pitcher to start the game, and the teams’ stars might not have played the whole game, but it was still a huge treat to see this one-off, bragging-rights-only matchup each year.
A few that I used to relish…
NFL: Cowboys/‘Skins
NBA: 76ers/Celtics
AHL: Phantoms/Bears
NASCAR: Tony Stewart/just about everybody.
I miss the days when Dallas/’Skins was a heated rivalry. I grew up a Skins fan and I still list the Cowboys as the team I dislike above all others, despite the fact that both teams are sort of irrelevant now – at least in the postseason.
I fully accept that there are bigger rivalries in football (soccer) than the North London derby, but as a Spurs fan, that’s the biggest to me. Drilled into me since birth by my dad it is the 2 days that I always look out for when the fixtures are released. Too many stories to tell about the NLD but the one superstition that to have always done is this – when I am traveling on the Piccadilly London Underground line and the tube stops at Arsenal station, don’t breath in. I don’t want to breathe any Arsenal air! Can get a little interesting if there is a delay!
As a kid growing up in Maine, of course my favorite rivalry was Nebraska/Oklahoma in football. Big Huskers fan here because I saw Johnny Rodgers dominate a couple of games on TV when I was 7.