Unrivaled: The 20 top sports rivalries
June 9, 2004
BY BRAD BIGGS STAFF REPORTER
Chicago Sun Times
The best sports rivalries are defined by great moments, classic games and unforgettable personalities. While the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry has been in the heart of Midwesterners for generations, it was brought into the national spotlight when sluggers Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire waged their epic home-run battles beginning in 1998.
With players from both sides trading verbal jabs, the rivalry became a focal point again last September during a five-game series at Wrigley Field. Amid a series of controversy, brushbacks and bad blood, the Cubs won four games, knocking the Cardinals from atop the National League Central en route to eventually winning the division.
Cardinals legend Stan Musial has long referred to Cubs-Cardinals as the finest rivalry in the game. Expansion and interleague play have created fun geographical matchups like Cubs-White Sox, Yankees-Mets, Dodgers-Angels, Cardinals-Royals, etc., but they don't bring with them the deep-rooted passion or tradition. In fact, some once-fun rivalries, such as Reds-Dodgers, have been lost.
Here's a look at 20 other top rivalries, some classics and others just taking shape:
THE OLD
Baseball
Red Sox-Yankees: Aaron Boone might never wear pinstripes again, but Yankees fans will forever remember him for his walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last October that extended the Red Sox' World Series drought to 85 years. So what that Boone injured his knee playing basketball this past offseason? It's not like Bucky "[Expletive]'' Dent ever did a whole lot more than homer over the Fenway Park Green Monster off Mike Torrez in a one-game playoff between the teams in 1978. The blast propelled the Yankees to the World Series after the Red Sox blew a 14-game lead. The war between the front offices only serves to heighten tension between the AL East enemies and make it the finest in professional sports.
Dodgers-Giants: Cubs manager Dusty Baker could share plenty of stories about this hate fest after managing in San Francisco and starring in Los Angeles. The rivalry was born in New York, and many consider Bobby Thomson's home run to defeat the Dodgers and clinch the pennant in 1951 to be the greatest longball in history. Few baseball pairings have featured more bad blood, including Juan Marichal's attack on Johnny Roseboro with a bat at the height of their duels in the 1960s.
Basketball
Lakers-Celtics: Michael Jordan never would have achieved such global riches had it not been for the arrival of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird to save the struggling NBA. Their rivalry began in the 1979 NCAA championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State and carried over to the pro ranks after a decade of declining attendance and popularity for the NBA. Because they only play twice a season and the Celtics have struggled in recent years, this isn't what it used to be. But the two series between the teams (and Johnson and Bird) in the Finals in the '80s and the eight titles between them buoyed a league in need.
Duke-North Carolina: With 18 combined Final Four appearances in the last 23 seasons, this Atlantic Coast Conference tussle between schools separated by only seven miles is unparalleled. Coaches Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski forged something that is certain to last well beyond Krzyzewski's reign. They get all the great players, and the classic meetings between them are innumerable.
Kentucky-Indiana: Two of the richest college basketball programs have been going at it for years, but the Hoosiers' recent struggles were magnified in the Wildcats' 80-41 victory in their annual meeting in December.
Football
Bears-Packers: The fact that both teams pretty much alternately have been lousy for the better part of the last 40 years proves this rivalry stands the test of time, but long gone are the days of George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Dick Butkus and Vince Lombardi, men who forged the Wisconsin-Illinois battle. From a national perspective, there is not much left to this one-sided affair, which Packers quarterback Brett Favre dominates with a 20-4 record. Bears fans are ecstatic that new coach Lovie Smith says there is more to this twice-annual game, something his predecessor, Dick Jauron, would never admit. Here's proof how many times these meetings have not mattered in the big picture: Only four times since 1966 have both teams finished with winning records.
Cowboys-Redskins: In the beginning, it was Tom Landry vs. George Allen, and each was disliked by the other side. Now, it's Jerry Jones vs. Daniel Snyder, and the hatred runs deeper. One of the reasons the Cowboys remain in the NFC East after realignment is because of this rivalry. The Redskins' problem is much like the Bears' is with the Packers -- they haven't found much success against the Cowboys in the last 10 seasons.
Chiefs-Raiders: This rivalry, which dates to the formation of the American Football League, is more responsible for the success and acceptance of the fledgling operation than New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath and the Super Bowl III upset of the Baltimore Colts. Bedlam usually surrounded their meetings in the early days, but the Chiefs more so than the Broncos or Chargers can claim hatred of Al Davis' team. In regular-season meetings, the Chiefs hold a 43-42-2 edge.
Ohio State-Michigan: The greatest rivalry in football has a direct impact on the Big Ten champion almost every season. Since 1987, at least one of the two teams has finished in the top 10 of at least one of the two final polls. One myth is that former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes was driving home from a recruiting trip in Michigan. He was near the state line when it dawned on him that he was nearly out of gas. Instead of filling up in Michigan, he drove until his tank was empty and pushed his car into Ohio to avoid paying for gas in the Wolverine state. Michigan leads the series 57-37-6, but before the 1928 meeting, Michigan held a 19-3-2 edge. Since 1935, it traditionally has been the last regular-season game for each team.
Alabama-Auburn: No rivalry comes close to the bitterness between these schools. The Iron Bowl divides the state, and that's why from 1948 to '89 it was played in neutral Birmingham. There was no meeting for almost 40 years because of a dispute between the schools over nearly everything, including how many players to suit up. When Fob James, a former All-American halfback at Auburn, ran for governor in 1978, Crimson Tide fans paid for advertisements asking the public if it wanted a former Auburn player in the governor's mansion? He won the election nonetheless.
Oklahoma-Nebraska: The game of last century is considered to be the 1971 meeting between these schools when both entered 10-0. Nebraska was ranked No. 1 and the Sooners No. 2. Johnny Rodgers starred as Nebraska prevailed 35-31 and went on to defeat Alabama for the national championship in the Orange Bowl. New Cornhuskers coach Bill Callahan, a South Side native, has some work to do to maintain national interest, especially considering they don't meet every year anymore with the Big 12 divided by North and South divisions.
Florida-Georgia: The world's largest outdoor cocktail party is held every fall in Jacksonville at Alltell Stadium, formerly the Gator Bowl. Lindsay Scott caught a 93-yard touchdown pass in the 1980 meeting to help the Bulldogs to a comeback victory on the way to the national championship. The Gators dominated with the arrival of Steve Spurrier, and Georgia still is fighting to turn the tide.
Army-Navy: A half century ago, these institutions were also football powerhouses. While the outcome no longer has a great impact with the real action in the power conferences, perhaps only the Super Bowl is of more meaning globally.
Hockey
Bruins-Canadiens: The classic Original Six rivalry was rekindled in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs with the Canadiens rebounding from a 3-1 series deficit to win. Even with Bobby Orr in his heyday with the Bruins, the skillful Habs usually came out on top. They also won seven-game series in 1952, 1971 and 1979. In '71, rookie goaltender Ken Dryden propelled Montreal when he thwarted the Bruins, who had scored a whopping 399 goals in the regular season, en route to a Stanley Cup triumph over the Blackhawks.
THE NEW
Baseball
White Sox-Twins: The tension isn't quite as thick with vocal catcher A.J. Pierzynski out of Minnesota now, but these teams have had hotly contested series since 2000. The Sox have taken four of the seven games already this season, but Minnesota has had much more success of late, with a 38-26 record vs. the Sox since they last won the AL Central in 2000. Last summer, the Sox dropped their final five meetings with the Twins and lost the division by four games. It will come down to these two again in September.
Basketball
Lakers-Kings: This matchup has all the ingredients of what the Bulls-Knicks and Knicks-Pacers featured in the '90s and more. The teams even got into a bench-clearing brawl in a preseason game in 2002 after an epic meeting in the Western Conference finals the previous spring. Some of the characters have changed since then, but the main combatants and talkers -- Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber -- remain in place.
Football
Browns-Ravens-Steelers: The longstanding hatred between Cleveland and nearby Pittsburgh took a new twist when Art Modell uprooted the Browns and moved to Baltimore. When the league added a franchise in Cleveland, this hate triangle was set up with both the Browns and ex-Browns loving to do battle with the Steelers.
Florida State-Miami: There are dozens of intriguing college football matchups, but this one, which has been played since 1969, takes on added significance with the Hurricanes jumping to the ACC, where they will be conference rivals. Four times between 1987 and 1993 the teams entered their annual battle ranked in the top five, and it happened again last fall. When these teams meet in years to come, there's going to be more at stake than supremacy in the Sunshine State.
Hockey
Red Wings-Avalanche: Just about since the time the Quebec Nordiques packed up and moved to Denver to become the Avalanche, these clubs have been fighting for supremacy in the NHL Western Conference. They battled in the conference finals in 1995-96, when the Avs' Claude Lemieux put a blindside hit on Kris Draper that fractured his jaw and nose. With their physical play, the Avs went on to defeat the heavily favored Wings and cruise past the Panthers for the Stanley Cup trophy.
Maple Leafs-Senators: This rivalry, which has heated up in the playoffs the last several seasons, has brought out the sweater police. The City of Ottawa banned people from wearing Leafs jerseys in their rink. Ottawans weren't going to kick people out of the arena, but they would ask them to make a donation to a local food bank. The Leafs upended Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs this spring. In 2002, they dumped the Senators in the second round. They also had first-round victories in 2001 and 2000.
June 9, 2004
BY BRAD BIGGS STAFF REPORTER
Chicago Sun Times
The best sports rivalries are defined by great moments, classic games and unforgettable personalities. While the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry has been in the heart of Midwesterners for generations, it was brought into the national spotlight when sluggers Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire waged their epic home-run battles beginning in 1998.
With players from both sides trading verbal jabs, the rivalry became a focal point again last September during a five-game series at Wrigley Field. Amid a series of controversy, brushbacks and bad blood, the Cubs won four games, knocking the Cardinals from atop the National League Central en route to eventually winning the division.
Cardinals legend Stan Musial has long referred to Cubs-Cardinals as the finest rivalry in the game. Expansion and interleague play have created fun geographical matchups like Cubs-White Sox, Yankees-Mets, Dodgers-Angels, Cardinals-Royals, etc., but they don't bring with them the deep-rooted passion or tradition. In fact, some once-fun rivalries, such as Reds-Dodgers, have been lost.
Here's a look at 20 other top rivalries, some classics and others just taking shape:
THE OLD
Baseball
Red Sox-Yankees: Aaron Boone might never wear pinstripes again, but Yankees fans will forever remember him for his walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last October that extended the Red Sox' World Series drought to 85 years. So what that Boone injured his knee playing basketball this past offseason? It's not like Bucky "[Expletive]'' Dent ever did a whole lot more than homer over the Fenway Park Green Monster off Mike Torrez in a one-game playoff between the teams in 1978. The blast propelled the Yankees to the World Series after the Red Sox blew a 14-game lead. The war between the front offices only serves to heighten tension between the AL East enemies and make it the finest in professional sports.
Dodgers-Giants: Cubs manager Dusty Baker could share plenty of stories about this hate fest after managing in San Francisco and starring in Los Angeles. The rivalry was born in New York, and many consider Bobby Thomson's home run to defeat the Dodgers and clinch the pennant in 1951 to be the greatest longball in history. Few baseball pairings have featured more bad blood, including Juan Marichal's attack on Johnny Roseboro with a bat at the height of their duels in the 1960s.
Basketball
Lakers-Celtics: Michael Jordan never would have achieved such global riches had it not been for the arrival of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird to save the struggling NBA. Their rivalry began in the 1979 NCAA championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State and carried over to the pro ranks after a decade of declining attendance and popularity for the NBA. Because they only play twice a season and the Celtics have struggled in recent years, this isn't what it used to be. But the two series between the teams (and Johnson and Bird) in the Finals in the '80s and the eight titles between them buoyed a league in need.
Duke-North Carolina: With 18 combined Final Four appearances in the last 23 seasons, this Atlantic Coast Conference tussle between schools separated by only seven miles is unparalleled. Coaches Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski forged something that is certain to last well beyond Krzyzewski's reign. They get all the great players, and the classic meetings between them are innumerable.
Kentucky-Indiana: Two of the richest college basketball programs have been going at it for years, but the Hoosiers' recent struggles were magnified in the Wildcats' 80-41 victory in their annual meeting in December.
Football
Bears-Packers: The fact that both teams pretty much alternately have been lousy for the better part of the last 40 years proves this rivalry stands the test of time, but long gone are the days of George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Dick Butkus and Vince Lombardi, men who forged the Wisconsin-Illinois battle. From a national perspective, there is not much left to this one-sided affair, which Packers quarterback Brett Favre dominates with a 20-4 record. Bears fans are ecstatic that new coach Lovie Smith says there is more to this twice-annual game, something his predecessor, Dick Jauron, would never admit. Here's proof how many times these meetings have not mattered in the big picture: Only four times since 1966 have both teams finished with winning records.
Cowboys-Redskins: In the beginning, it was Tom Landry vs. George Allen, and each was disliked by the other side. Now, it's Jerry Jones vs. Daniel Snyder, and the hatred runs deeper. One of the reasons the Cowboys remain in the NFC East after realignment is because of this rivalry. The Redskins' problem is much like the Bears' is with the Packers -- they haven't found much success against the Cowboys in the last 10 seasons.
Chiefs-Raiders: This rivalry, which dates to the formation of the American Football League, is more responsible for the success and acceptance of the fledgling operation than New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath and the Super Bowl III upset of the Baltimore Colts. Bedlam usually surrounded their meetings in the early days, but the Chiefs more so than the Broncos or Chargers can claim hatred of Al Davis' team. In regular-season meetings, the Chiefs hold a 43-42-2 edge.
Ohio State-Michigan: The greatest rivalry in football has a direct impact on the Big Ten champion almost every season. Since 1987, at least one of the two teams has finished in the top 10 of at least one of the two final polls. One myth is that former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes was driving home from a recruiting trip in Michigan. He was near the state line when it dawned on him that he was nearly out of gas. Instead of filling up in Michigan, he drove until his tank was empty and pushed his car into Ohio to avoid paying for gas in the Wolverine state. Michigan leads the series 57-37-6, but before the 1928 meeting, Michigan held a 19-3-2 edge. Since 1935, it traditionally has been the last regular-season game for each team.
Alabama-Auburn: No rivalry comes close to the bitterness between these schools. The Iron Bowl divides the state, and that's why from 1948 to '89 it was played in neutral Birmingham. There was no meeting for almost 40 years because of a dispute between the schools over nearly everything, including how many players to suit up. When Fob James, a former All-American halfback at Auburn, ran for governor in 1978, Crimson Tide fans paid for advertisements asking the public if it wanted a former Auburn player in the governor's mansion? He won the election nonetheless.
Oklahoma-Nebraska: The game of last century is considered to be the 1971 meeting between these schools when both entered 10-0. Nebraska was ranked No. 1 and the Sooners No. 2. Johnny Rodgers starred as Nebraska prevailed 35-31 and went on to defeat Alabama for the national championship in the Orange Bowl. New Cornhuskers coach Bill Callahan, a South Side native, has some work to do to maintain national interest, especially considering they don't meet every year anymore with the Big 12 divided by North and South divisions.
Florida-Georgia: The world's largest outdoor cocktail party is held every fall in Jacksonville at Alltell Stadium, formerly the Gator Bowl. Lindsay Scott caught a 93-yard touchdown pass in the 1980 meeting to help the Bulldogs to a comeback victory on the way to the national championship. The Gators dominated with the arrival of Steve Spurrier, and Georgia still is fighting to turn the tide.
Army-Navy: A half century ago, these institutions were also football powerhouses. While the outcome no longer has a great impact with the real action in the power conferences, perhaps only the Super Bowl is of more meaning globally.
Hockey
Bruins-Canadiens: The classic Original Six rivalry was rekindled in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs with the Canadiens rebounding from a 3-1 series deficit to win. Even with Bobby Orr in his heyday with the Bruins, the skillful Habs usually came out on top. They also won seven-game series in 1952, 1971 and 1979. In '71, rookie goaltender Ken Dryden propelled Montreal when he thwarted the Bruins, who had scored a whopping 399 goals in the regular season, en route to a Stanley Cup triumph over the Blackhawks.
THE NEW
Baseball
White Sox-Twins: The tension isn't quite as thick with vocal catcher A.J. Pierzynski out of Minnesota now, but these teams have had hotly contested series since 2000. The Sox have taken four of the seven games already this season, but Minnesota has had much more success of late, with a 38-26 record vs. the Sox since they last won the AL Central in 2000. Last summer, the Sox dropped their final five meetings with the Twins and lost the division by four games. It will come down to these two again in September.
Basketball
Lakers-Kings: This matchup has all the ingredients of what the Bulls-Knicks and Knicks-Pacers featured in the '90s and more. The teams even got into a bench-clearing brawl in a preseason game in 2002 after an epic meeting in the Western Conference finals the previous spring. Some of the characters have changed since then, but the main combatants and talkers -- Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber -- remain in place.
Football
Browns-Ravens-Steelers: The longstanding hatred between Cleveland and nearby Pittsburgh took a new twist when Art Modell uprooted the Browns and moved to Baltimore. When the league added a franchise in Cleveland, this hate triangle was set up with both the Browns and ex-Browns loving to do battle with the Steelers.
Florida State-Miami: There are dozens of intriguing college football matchups, but this one, which has been played since 1969, takes on added significance with the Hurricanes jumping to the ACC, where they will be conference rivals. Four times between 1987 and 1993 the teams entered their annual battle ranked in the top five, and it happened again last fall. When these teams meet in years to come, there's going to be more at stake than supremacy in the Sunshine State.
Hockey
Red Wings-Avalanche: Just about since the time the Quebec Nordiques packed up and moved to Denver to become the Avalanche, these clubs have been fighting for supremacy in the NHL Western Conference. They battled in the conference finals in 1995-96, when the Avs' Claude Lemieux put a blindside hit on Kris Draper that fractured his jaw and nose. With their physical play, the Avs went on to defeat the heavily favored Wings and cruise past the Panthers for the Stanley Cup trophy.
Maple Leafs-Senators: This rivalry, which has heated up in the playoffs the last several seasons, has brought out the sweater police. The City of Ottawa banned people from wearing Leafs jerseys in their rink. Ottawans weren't going to kick people out of the arena, but they would ask them to make a donation to a local food bank. The Leafs upended Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs this spring. In 2002, they dumped the Senators in the second round. They also had first-round victories in 2001 and 2000.
