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 CLASSIC RIVALRIES
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 NEWER RIVALRIES
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.
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