One of the greatest things about sports is rivalries. There is that extra bit of passion you have for your team when they face that hated opponent. Now rivalries are really huge in college sports, such as Michigan and Ohio State, Duke and North Carolina, or Oklahoma and Texas. Pro sports have some great ones as well like Lakers and Celtics or Yankees and Red Sox. In the NFL there are some strong rivalries that have stood for many years and others that have developed just recently. Here are some things that make for an intense rivalry in the NFL.
Hate: One thing a strong rivalry has is an intense dislike between the players. This works better in college sports, because you don't see a player as a Florida Gator one year and then a Georgia Bulldog the next. This doesn't mean that hate can't work in the NFL. Teams like the Jets and Patriots seem to have a general dislike for each other. It is one thing for fans of one team to hate the other, but it takes everything to a whole new level when the players take this dislike on the field.
Familiarity: You need to play each other often to be able to build a rivalry. This is one of the major reasons why you don't see any real cross conference rivalries in the NFL. It is hard to get all worked up when you face a team only once every four years. Teams don't need to be in the same division though, just look at the Patriots and Colts rivalry of the last few years. The NFL has been smart to have these two teams play every season, it is almost always a marquee match up.
Stars: One of the biggest rivalries of the 90s in the NFL was the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. How could a game go wrong when you have guys like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, and Bryant Young were on the same field. Stars can drive a game, even when those stars struggle. If there is one thing we like in America it is watching our stars fall off the pedestal we put them on.
Trash talk: A rivalry is never hurt by some guy popping off about how he is going to destroy the other team. Joey Porter is one of the masters of trash talk. I usually like my athletes to let their play do the talking, but sometimes some bulletin board material is good. When a guy like Porter is taking shots at a member of the Cleveland Browns, as he did with Kellen Winslow Jr. a few years back, it makes the game a bit more interesting.
Good teams: There isn't a rivalry in sports that will survive very long if it doesn't have quality teams. The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs used to have a huge rivalry, but since both teams have struggled the last few seasons it has died down. Currently both teams are on the upswing and the rivalry might be rekindled, but it will take time. The main reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have the best rivalry in the current NFL is because both are quality teams. When these two teams meet it is a nasty game that bears watching. I am not a fan of either team, but their games make for compelling, must-see football.
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