TOBACCO ROAD, NC – So last night I’m watching Duke throttle North Carolina and I ask myself:
- “Self, what is the biggest rivalry in sports?â€
Is it Duke/UNC? They certainly rank up there. The Cameron Crazies alone are worth the price of admission. Multiple national championships on both sides and a dust up between Art Hamen and Larry Brown (yes that Larry Brown) in the early sixties has fostered decades of animosity.
Is it Cowboys/Redskins? Those couch potatoes of a certain age remember how big that one was, but is it as big today?
Raiders/Chiefs?
Giants/Cowboys?
Packers/Vikings?
Colts/Patriots?
There are so many they may be watering it down a bit.
Here’s one that’s a little outside the box. Is it Ali/Frazier? I know they haven’t fought in 35 years, but this rivalry had more drama than Liz Taylor had husbands.
Is it Yankees/Red Sox? This one certainly is big but is it national or regional? Does a Mariners fan from Idaho give a hoot? Is it Mets/Padres? Just kidding.
Brazil/Argentina futbol?
New Zealand/Australia rugby?
India/Pakistan cricket? Just throwing them out there!
Is it Lakers/Celtics? I mean the Bird/Magic back story has been almost annoyingly documented at this point. We get it. They kinda like each other.
HOW’S ABOUT A GROUP SKINNY DIP?
I know as much about NASCAR as I know about Sri Lankan cuisine, but there has to be a couple of rednecks and their pit crews spittin’ chaw on each other’s socket sets? Didn’t David Pearson and Cale Yarborough swap wives or somethin’. No, wait, that was Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich. Never mind.
I guess after the Olympic hockey tournament, Canada and pretty much anybody is a good rivalry, eh?
Texas/Oklahoma? Ohio State/Michigan? USC/Notre Dame? Oregon/Oregon State? Heck there’s probably a high school game in Texas that draws fifty thousand!
Any others? Whattaya got for me?
West Coast Craig, tomorrow.
Until next week,
Rex
