What’s not to love about great sports rivalries? The adrenalin … the bragging rights … the excitement and the out and out disgust or even hatred of your most polarizing opponent. It makes sports and friendships more exciting. We all know a close friend or family member who is on opposite sides of our favored sports teams.
Rivalries transcend all sports. We just saw Dodgers-Giants and Yankees-Red Sox in baseball and the atmosphere was raw. In the pros, we have such storied competition as Lakers-Celtics, Warriors-Rockets, Knicks-Heat in basketball. Packers-Bears, Cowboys-Eagles, Cowboys-Redskins (Washington Football Team), Steelers-Ravens, Browns-Steelers in NFL football. Red Wings-Blackhawks, Maple Leafs-Canadiens, Islanders-Rangers, Pens-Caps in NHL hockey. Back to baseball we can add Cards-Cubs, White Sox Cubs, Yankees-Mets.
The list of great rivalries goes on and on and I am sure I missed the match-ups you love to hate. Let’s hit some of them here and share yours with me if you’d like.
Now I find that the BEST rivalries are college and high school … community rivalries that go back decades. Let’s talk NCAA football and start with Army-Navy (I still love that game), Ohio State-Michigan (since 1935), USC-UCLA, USC-Notre Dame, Alabama-Auburn, Texas-Oklahoma, Nebraska-Oklahoma, Texas-Texas A&M, Florida State-Miami, Florida State-Florida, Stanford-Cal, Missouri-Kansas, Harvard-Yale, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Michigan-Michigan State, Grambling-Southern, Indiana-Purdue (the Old Oaken Bucket game), Minnesota-Wisconsin (Paul Bunyan’s Axe), Cincinnati-Louisville (Keg of Nails), Minnesota-Michigan (Little Brown Jug), Arkansas-LSU (Golden Boot), Kent State-Akron (Wagon Wheel), Miami (Ohio)-Cincinnati Victory Bell, TCU-Texas Tech (The Saddle), Texas-Texas Tech (Chancellor’s Spurs), Florida-Georgia (Okefenokee Oar), TCU-SMU (Iron Skillet), Fresno State-San Diego State (Oil Can), Fresno State-Boise State (Milk Can) and so many more. Have a favorite that we missed?
Not to forget NCAA basketball and Duke-North Carolina, North Carolina-NC State, Kentucky-Louisville, Kansas-K-State, Syracuse-Georgetown, Cincinnati-Xavier, UConn-Tennessee (NCAA Women’s basketball) and any mix-match game between Women’s Division UConn, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Baylor, Louisville, South Carolina and more.
Add to that your local high school same-community or next-community- or next-county-over rival and you have what sports is all about. Hate your rival, but show them respect, and love the game, wear your school colors and support your school. Go out there and root, root, root for the home team. Ya gotta love rivalries.
See you next time.
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