We All Know Who The Number One Rivalry In Sports Is…The Question Is, Who Is Number Two?
Without question the number one rivalry in sports is the NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Almost every game has drama. Most fans are on pins and needles either at the stadium or watching the game on TV. They play each other 18 times a year and in the past few years have also met in the playoffs. The ratings are clearly off the chart, and the energy and enthusiasm displayed by the fans is second to none.
The real question is who is number two?
- Is it the Montreal Canadians vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs?
- Is it the New England Patriots vs. the Indianapolis Colts?
- Is it the UCLA Bruins vs. the USC Trojans?
- Is it the Dallas Mavericks vs. the San Antonio Spurs?
In your opinion who is the second best rivalry in sports?
I look forward to your comments!
September 19th, 2007 at 10:07 am
How about Michigan vs. Ohio State — or am I just a mid-western hick now?!
September 19th, 2007 at 10:08 am
How about OU vs Texas?
September 19th, 2007 at 10:10 am
First, let me take the opportunity to point out that, as of this morning, the Red Sox are only 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees.
And while all of the above are worthy contenders, the glaring omission, which gets my vote, is Cowboys & Redskins. Others that came to mind are Ohio State/Michigan and ‘Bama/Clemson.
(The hockey fan in me really wanted to vote for the Habs/Leafs though)
September 19th, 2007 at 10:13 am
With professional sports it is hard to maintain that rivalry because of ups and downs with the teams. The Lakers and Celtics had it going for awhile and that is now long gone. Same can be said for the Bulls and Pistons. I go to college sports - there are some great rivalries there. How about Ohio State and Michigan (football) or Duke and UNC (basketball) - definitely no love lost between these schools when it comes to sports. Now for great rivalries in history, I lean toward the individual sports - Agassi and Sampras (tennis), Ali and Frazier (boxing) - great contrasting styles make for exceptional rivalries and interest among fans.
I will hand it to the Yankees and Red Sox - that has lasted a very long time and seems to stay heated year after year. Everything else seems a distant second.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Merrill:
as a native New Yorker (and a huge Yankees fan) now living in MA I totally agree with you on #1. You can imagine what they are saying about Gagne today.
As for #2 you could make a case for Cubs vs. Cards, Dodgers vs. Giants, Army vs. Navy, Duke vs. UNC, Michigan vs. Ohio State.
John Garvey
September 19th, 2007 at 10:15 am
that’s easy: UNC vs DUKE.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Merrill I can only think of two that might rival the Sox and the Yankees…both in college. Michigan vs. Ohio St. (football) is huge in Big Ten country and of course Duke vs. North Carolina in basketball
September 19th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Stephenie,
That is a great choice! I can’t believe i left that out.
Is it just basketball or every sport?
Merrill
September 19th, 2007 at 10:20 am
i think the cowboys/eagles rivalry is pretty huge! nothing compares to the yankees/bosox rivalry for sure, but this one gets just as nasty. they threw batteries at michael irvin when he went down with the neck injury for pete’s sake!!
btw, so far…
cowboys 2-0
eagles 0-2
September 19th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Growing-up in the Boston area, I followed the Celtics-Lakers rivalry closely 20+ years ago, and I’d love to see it happen again. Ditto on the old rivalry between the Bruins and Canadiens…
Switching gears, within professional tennis I think the Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer rivalry will continue to pick-up steam. Although Federer currently dominates the sport, Nadal won the French Open twice in the last 2 years, and he would’ve performed much better in the recent US Open if he was 100% healthy).
September 19th, 2007 at 10:22 am
How about Lakers and Celtics
September 19th, 2007 at 10:28 am
That’s easy- the best rivalry in football is the Packers and Da Bears. It’s the oldest rivalry with the most games played against each other in the NFL.
Many times the highlight of the season for these teams is beating up on each other. The cliche “these teams don’t like each other” really applies here. One season the Packers had a kicker that mouthed off about the Bears. So the next time they played every time the Packers would kickoff, the whole Bears return team would chase after the kicker trying to nail him to the turf as he ran to the sideline for cover. And who can forget Charles “Too Mean” Martin wearing a “hit list” of Bears numbers on a towel and then taking out Jim McMahon with a body slam?
September 19th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I don’t even have to think about this one: Glasgow Rangers FC vs. Glasgow Celtic.
This is a soccer rivalry that goes back over 100 years. Glasgow is a port city and many Irish laborers come over to work in the shipyards, so there is a huge Irish population in this Scottish city. Traditionally, the Scottish Protestants root for Rangers, while the Irish Catholics root for the Celtic. Sure the Red Sox/Yanks get heated, and “Yankees Suck” sounds rude but imagine hearing this cheer at a match:
“We are Rangers,
Super Rangers,
No one likes us, we don’t care,
We hate Celtic, Fenian b*******,
And we’ll chase them anywhere”
or, worse:
“Hurrah, hurrah, we are the Billy Boys
Hurrah, hurrah, you’ll know us by our noise
We’re up to our knees in Fenian blood,
Surrender or you’ll die!”
Like the Sox/Yanks, these are the two dominant teams in their League (Scottish Premiere) and the rivalry is a heated one (Rangers have over 100 trophies–take that Yankee fans!). In Dallas, for instance, supporters of each club gather in separate bars to watch the games live. I was a member of the Ranger supporters club and one day our satellite feed went out and we had to go to the Celtic bar to watch the game. One of our members refused to set foot inside and sat outside while we came out and ave her up dates. Ranges were winning 5-1 and one of our members asked the bartender for a lemon wedge. He bit into it and when the bartender asked what he was doing, he replied “Trying to keep the smile off my face.”
When you meet someone from Glasgow, never guess what team they support, always ask. I was in St Andrews Bar in NY (46th between Broadway and 6th–one of the best selections of beers and single malts, I’ve ever encountered),introduced my brother to a waitress from Glasgow. and said “I bet she supports Rangers.” Her face went wild, there was fire in her eyes and she told me in no uncertain terms, “I most certainly do NOT! I support Celtic and if you don’t like it the door is that way, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!”
Other rivalries I enjoy: UMASS/UCONN (If you can still call that a rivalry, Calhoun is too chicken s*** to play UMASS again). UMASS/Temple (A friendlier one, it will probably calm down a bit now that Chaney has retired, but Karen Flannery and I are doing our best to keep it alive). I never knew there was a Cardinals/Cubs rivalry until I moved to St Louis or a Dodgers/Giants rivalry until I met Ed Sugar.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Texas - OU. It’s one of very few rivalries played on a neutral field. The game is always in Dallas’ Cotton Bowl, about 200 miles from each campus. On gameday, the stands are split evenly at the 50 yard line instead of by each team’s sideline - adding to the tension.
The winner has gone on to win the national championship 11 times. 4 of the last 6 winners have played in the BCS title game. The game has featured 6 heisman trophy winners. The last 8 Big 12 championship games featured either Texas or OU as the south division representative.
Texas leads the all-time series 57-39-5.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:44 am
John,
I forgot about the Arny/Navy rivalry - I always wanted to go to that game.
Have you been?
Merrill
September 19th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Shu,
That is certainly a great rivalry and being from Boston you can never be a mid-western hick!
Merrill
September 19th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Having lived on both coasts and being a baseball fan for the most part I think the second best rivalry if Dodgers-Giants. The rivalry has survived relocation, poor play and budgetary issues.
My next one would be Tiger and Phil although it’s most;y one-sided.
September 19th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Well, being a Midwestern, I would kindly submit Bears & Packers, the oldest rivalry in the NFL. As for baseball, Cubs vs. White Sox (the color of Sox I prefer) and college -Notre Dame vs. USC (which won’t be much of a game this year).
Anyway, this are some thoughts from a guy who grew up in Chicago!
September 19th, 2007 at 11:07 am
As a UNC grad it is ingrained in you to hate anyone that has anything to do with Duke, and i am not just talking about Basketball. It is in every aspect of the school. we despise each other. If a Duke fan/grad/student walks into a Chapel Hill establishment they are met with bitter resentment; same goes in Durham. If you see a Duke sticker on a car or someone in a Duke shirt, you immediately dislike them. Even the word Durham can cause a scuffle. We want to pummel them in Basketball, Baseball, Football, Lacrosse, and even Fencing and Water Polo!
It’s beyond a rivalry, it’s a way of life.
September 19th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Michael,
Interesting comment - I actually never thought of Tiger and Phil. It does make sense but I am not sure it makes my top 5.
It certainly is a little one sided.
Merrill
September 19th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Biggest rivalry in all of sports. Don’t you mean biggest rivalry in all of US sports. Otherwise the list is endless. Have you seen Rangers v Celtic, Barca v Madrid, AC v Inter, Liverpool v Everton etc etc?( and that is just soccer). Or Czech v Russia in ice hockey, India v Pakistan in cricket, or my personal favorite Wales v England in Rugby!! For a one off rivalry England v Argentina in the World Cup in 1982 (five months after the Falklands) was pretty good.
September 19th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Hi Merrill,
I agree with Stephanie - aside from Yanks/Sox, it is tough to top DUKE/UNC. I might have picked Pats Vs. Colts - but since it has now become clear that the Pats cheated their way to the top, I am not so sure.
I also wouldn’t ignore the Subway Series - - Yanks Vs. Mets generates alot of chaos as well - albeit local.
Ok - gotta run - off to the store to purchase my Eric Gagne jersey! - GO YANKS!
September 19th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Duke? Unc …. maybe Florida / Georgia
September 19th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Has everyone forgotten the Army - Navy football rivalry?
I do agree with the Yankees - Redsox. As a kid in the 40’s I remember listening to the radio broadcasts that had me spellbound. No matter who was ahead in the standings (which of course was always the Yankees) the games between them were so close and played as if it were the world series.
Go Yankees go!
September 19th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Owen,
That is a very interesting point. I have been to many Sox/Yankee games and no matter what time of year it is you are always on the edge of your chair. I have never seen any of the teams you have mentioned but I have heard that they are amazing.
Can you describe them? Have you been to a Yankee/Sox game how do they compare?
Merrill
September 19th, 2007 at 11:40 am
Adam T - you are killing me with the Eric Gagne joke. Terry NEVER should have had him in the game yesterday and clearly leaving him in to not only give up the tying run but two more was ridiculous……. More decisions like that one and they might run him out of town.
Merrill
September 19th, 2007 at 11:43 am
What rivalry? There is only the Yankees and the wannabes….
Presently there is the distinct sound of collective hand wringing resonating from the center of Red Sox nation…..
September 19th, 2007 at 11:50 am
I assume number 1 is your Bosox and the evil Yankees. Probably the biggest number2 is the Dodgers versus the Giants. Their mutual disdain for each other is legendary. In NCAA you have Michigan vs OSU, Alabama vs Auburn and USC vs UCLA, Gators vs FSU. The answer…There is no clear cut winner.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Merrill:
No I have never been to Army/Navy. I would love to go someday.
I found it very inspiring to see college athletes who know the odds are slim to none that they will ever play in the NFL but might be deployed in a matter of months giving it their maximum effort. Plus the person they are trying to tackle or block they could be in combat with in a few months.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I know it’s hard to believe, but there are sports outside of the stick and ball arena!! In my humble opinion there’s no greater rivalry than that between the Ferrari Formula One team and their arch rival McLaren/Mercedes…even the NY Times has picked up on the recent controversy!!
September 19th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Merrill, most of the rivalries can only be truly experienced if you have vested interest in one side or another. As indicated above Celtic Rangers has an underlying religious/racial theme, Barcelona V Madrid is an expression of Catalan independence. I went to college with someone who played for Wales against England in rugby and he played that day as if the 15 Englishmen on the field were personally responsible for the centuries ‘injustice’ that England has ‘heaped’ on Wales. Most of the time these rivalries are a reason to hang with a group of friends to drink and sing songs- but with a token nod to something of historical significance. I am not sure how that translates to Red Sox -Yankees.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
While I come from NY where college football is hardly a pastime, I am amazed at the intensity in the SEC. There is an incredible rivalry between Georgia and Florida, and the loyalty to each team (school) is almost “religious,” unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Lots of good input here. I like UNC-Duke and Dodgers vs. Giants but here are two that haven’t been mentioned—Florida vs. Florida State. and from a New York perspective NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders. Similar to Red Sox- Yankees, the Islanders always played Yankees to the Rangers. To this day, when the Islanders come to Madison Square Garden, the crowd still chants anti Dennis Potvin slurs…and the guy hasn’t laced up a skate in 30 years.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
UGA vs Florida…oh wait that’s the biggest cocktail party.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Betsy — that’s what I hear about the GA-FL game which is typically in Jacksonville (they say it is neutral territory [?] but it is FL to me). Yes, the winning team fans are partying while the losing team fans are drowning their sorrow because they won/lost to their most hated school. But it seems like I will never know what it is like to go to a game since it is totally impossible to get tickets to any of these games unless you donate beaucoup $s to the school or go on ebay and pay very high prices. 92,000 + seats and you cannot even get a ticket! Unfortunately, I think I have passed the age where I can disguise myself as a student and get a ticket from my son (though I just heard of a 90 year-old woman who is just starting college).
September 19th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I agree with Bob T.
Definitely two of the oldest teams, Packers & Bears (formerly “Decatur Staleys”) are the #2 rivals in sports . They’ve played over 170 games against each other.
Not only is the long-standing rivalry between teams fierce; it was also fiery between once head coach and owner of the Bears, George Halas, and head coach and part owner of the Green Bay Packers, Curly Lambeau.
Oh…and then there’s Tanya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
I believe there is some East coast bias going on when proclaiming that there is no debate that the best rivalry in all of sports is Yankees/Red Sox. Nothing against either team except for most of America the sentiment is probably close to “who cares”. You’re always going to get big east coast numbers for games like that but the rest of the country, who aren’t fans of those teams, are not going to stop down to watch. You may still get a big national audience but I believe that is more due to the Yankees than anything else. The Yankees are the television draw in baseball, just like the Cowboys are in football…and why is that. Because both teams have fans all over the country, but just as important, both teams have people all over the country whose favorte team is whatever team is playing the Yankees/Cowboys. Both teams are equally loved and hated, which makes them a huge draw. Growing up outside any major sports market as I did, I would have assumed that in baseball the Yankees/Dodgers were the best rivalry in baseball, because it seemed they were meeting in the World Series every year when I was growing up…and that they really didn’t like each other very much. And during the 70s, I got a good sense that the Celtics/Knickerbockers had a bit of bad blood between them, though that feeling doesn’t exist anymore when I watch those teams play today. Heck, even the storied rivalry that was the Celtic/Lakers of the Magic/Bird days is no more. Rivalries to me are very regional and time sensitive. Here in Texas, put up the Yankees/Red Sox vs Texas/OU vs Cowboys/Redskins and I’ve got a feeling Yankees/Red Sox comes in a very distant third. I think collegiate rivalries out do Pro rivalries because it doesn’t seem to matter as much whether both teams are at the top of their games. As a Cowboys fan I didn’t take much solice in beating the Redskins twice but going 4-12 on the season…it didn’t make up for a bad season. However I do believe that in college football, beating your rival can take a lot of the sting out of a bad year. The other day I was talking with someone from Texas A&M, whose program has been down for quite a while now. But a recent win over Texas had him talking with confidence and offered him a since of pride and hope that you don’t see in pro sports. Given a choice as an impartial party allowed to pick a “rivalry” atmosphere…I’d choose a slew of college games before I would any MLB game… Texas-OU, Army-Navy to name 2 off the top of my head. I don’t have a “dog” in either of those fights but can enjoy the sense of tradition and rivalry that exists between those schools.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Speaking of college football, last Monday night I represented my alma mater, UMASS, at a high school college fair in St Louis. My table was right next to the University of Michigan’s. At the end of the event, I went over to introduce myself: “Hi, I’m Bob Graham from UMASS. Last fall, our football team played Appalachian State for the national title in 1-AA. We had problems with them, too…”
September 19th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Merrill, I’m sure it’s the biggest rivalry as far as Yankee and Red Sox nation goes. Objectively speaking people in other markets and sports would disagree. I guess the proof of the pudding would be the ratings some of the rivalries would get on National TV.
That being said Green Bay/ Bears, Celts /Knicks, NC / Duke ,,Pats/ Colts, Giants/ Dodgers , Cubs / Cards.
I’ll get back to this. I have to run.
Joe
September 19th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Merrill to add to some of the rivalries:
Texas/ Oklahoma, ND / Michigan , Mich. /Mich. State , Army / Navy , .
The point I would make about the Yanks / Sox is that they have been very competitive in recent years and it’s done at least 18 times a year and they have been able to sustain the hatred / rivalry.
Revisionist history, but when I was growing up NY Giants / Brooklyn Dodgers was every bit as intense and it did not matter where they were in the standings.
Great question and I guess the net is I don’t have the answer.
Right now for me it’s tonights Mets /Nationals game. If the Metsies don’t get their act together they will be home for the playoffs.
By the way, the way I see it is that the Angels will go all the way. A great combination of pitching, offense and defense and a great mgr.
Joe
September 19th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Texas-OU…mike h was right on the money with his comments
Michigan - Ohio St
USC - UCLA
Duke - UNC
Cowboys - Redskins
Tony Amador
September 19th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Browns and Steelers of course
September 20th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Merrill, excellent posting and many great responses. At the moment, the Sox/Yanks is probably #1 in North America. But the rest of the country will lose interest soon if the Red Sox continue to spend big bucks for below average players, lose their “underdog” status and morphed into an New England version of the “Evil Empire”. Worldwide, this rivalry does not register at all. I was in London and Berlin this past week and it got zero play in the media and public discourse. There was more interest in the World Cup qualifying round (Yes Bob, Scotland over France was the biggest sports story), the Women’s World Cup and UEFA Cup play.
Here are some of my favorites;
Giants/Dodgers
UCLA/USC Unlike other college rivalries, these teams compete nationally against each for many collegiate titles year in and year out. Yes, even when they tee off in golf, something is on the line. Between the two schools they have almost 200 NCAA team sport titles (UCLA was the first to get 100 earlier this year and USC is close to being the second). With the way Howland & Carroll recruit, looks like many more to come.
Arsenal/Tottenham Hotspurs (personal favorite London derby, though my Spurs have been mid-level for the last decade)
Rangers/Celtic (Bob, we are going to an “Old Firm Match” in the next 18 months)
Whenever Germany plays any other European country in the final rounds of either the World Cup or European Championship.
Browns/Steelers (I once met former Browns QB Brian Sipe and asked him which was the toughest NFL game he ever played in. I was expecting him to say the Browns/Oakland Raiders 1980 playoff game that was played in –4 degree weather. He surprised me with “Anytime we played Pittsburgh. Didn’t matter if it was at 3 Rivers or Cleveland, regular season or exhibition game; toughest games of my college and pro career”.
Army/Navy (For background on why this is a great rivalry, I suggest reading John Feinstein’s “Civil War: Army Vs. Navy-A Year Inside College Football’s Purest Rivalry”)
Anytime Scotland, France, India or the Irish Republic play the English in anything.
PS Merrill, Bob Graham and any other BoSox supporters, while I was at ESOMAR, I met a market researcher from Switzerland who is a cousin of Rico Petrocelli (True! And he was the only person who mentioned the weekend’s series).
PSS Any Italian football fans, I am going to my 1st Inter Milan match on Wednesday as they play host to Sampdoria (decent Northern Italian football rivalry).
September 20th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Ohio State vs. Michigan obviously!
ESPN has it right. They only put the Yankees Sox rivalry at #7 though, which seems a little low–however, the article is a little dated and I think they should be higher in light of recent events.
http://espn.go.com/endofcentury/s/other/bestrivalries.html
September 21st, 2007 at 10:18 am
Hi Merrill,
I begin by stating that 2007 IS NOT 1978! Beantown will secure a playoff spot by wild card or by divisional entry…
As for rivalries:
A case can be made for OU/Tex, Mich-Ohio State, and the Bears-Packers. A couple that I am not reading but will add are: Auburn Alabama, Texas A&M-Texas, Florida State-Florida, USC-UCLA, Notre Dame-USC, Nebraska-Oklahoma, to name a few.
What makes a great rivalry? Is it amount of time played? Is it the closeness of matches over time? Is it the level of media hype? or all of the above? For pro football the AFL fans will no doubt scream Broncos-Raiders, and Raiders-Chiefs.
My final answer for #2 will remain Bears Packers…What might be more fun is to investigate how many players played on BOTH sides of a rivalry. Start with Boston, N.Y. Players and managers…
Take care Merrill!
September 23rd, 2007 at 1:52 am
With regard to players who have donned the Yankee and Red Sox stripes, the following come to mind:
1.Babe Ruth
2.Waite Hoyt
3.Luis Tiant
4.Wade Boggs
5.Johnny Damon
6.Roger Clemens
7.Sparky Lyle
8.Danny Cater
9.Mike Easler
10.David Wells
11.David Cone
12.Joe McCarthy (mgr)
13.Ralph Houk (mgr)
14.Mike Torrez
15.Urban Shocker
16.Carl Mays
17.Don Baylor
18.George Scott
19.Bob Porterfield
20.Don Zimmer (mgr and coach)
21.Herb Pennock
22.Joe Dugan
23.Butch Hobson
Im sure there are more, but these jump at me from memory. Have fun with this one Merrill
September 23rd, 2007 at 3:04 pm
No question about it…Alabama vs. Auburn!!!
September 24th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
In women’s college basketball it has been U of TN and UConn. Unfortunately for the fans, the coashes, Pat and Gino had a falling out and Pat Summit took UConn off the UT schedule. I have read a number of blogs on this issue and the fans as well as some of the past players on this team were furious and very disappointed. I can’t imagine why you would ever take such a sirited rivalry away from the fans. It can’t be good for the sport.
September 24th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
What makes a rivalry special is one’s personal involvement with the team.
As a lifelong Yankees fan, there’s no question that the number one Yankees/Dodgers (Who, my age, can forget the Brooklyn Bums?) rivalry morphed into Yanks/Sox is/will be my personal number 1. There is no #2.
My school, UVA, seemed to be rivals with whoever they were playing in the ACC that week.
Also nice to see my nephew posting - Hi Adam.
September 25th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Slight correction to my post above: St Andrews is on 44th between Broadway and 6th Avenue (or “Avenue of the Americas” if you’re not a New Yorker). I envisioned an army of market researchers walking up and down 46th St saying “Where the hell is this place Graham told us about?”
September 26th, 2007 at 7:01 am
I think that 2 great rivalries that you hadn’t mentioned are the following (of course, you’ll see my Chicago bias)
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
September 26th, 2007 at 8:01 am
Rob,
That is a great link. I wish we had one a little more updated - the Red Sox/Yankees at 7th doesn’t seem right.
If anyone does come across a new list please post it on the blog.
Thanks.
Merrill
September 26th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I guess that those who think that the Sox and the Yankees are the Greatest Rivals have never been at Ohio Stadium when the OSU and Michigan lock horns. If you have ever experienced this, I think that you would agree with me that there is no greater rivalry!!!!
Thanks.
Louise
October 1st, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Last night I watched a great game on Italian TV. The match was between bitter cross-town rivals Torino and Juventus. Because of the European system of promotion & regulation (and a small gambling scandal), it was the first time in 5 years the two clubs had played each other. Needless to say there was a lot of tension before, during and after the game (non-stop taunting and cheering from standing fans, seas of flags waving both team’s colors, and of course smoke bombs, and post-game looting and arrests).
The score was 0-0 going into the 4th minute of injury time, when Juventus scored the winning goal 1-0, with barely a minute left in play. The Juventus end of the stadium went nuts. As tradition in a cross town derby, the players of the winning team, Juventus, went to the end of the stadium where their supporters were; bowed, clapped their hands and took off their jerseys and threw them into the stands. Then I saw a first in European football (well at least according to my Italian friends); some of the Juventus players added an extra touch, as they took off their shorts and tossed them into the stands. It was strange seeing half the Juventus team run back across the field to the locker room in just their shoes, socks and briefs.
Let’s hope this trend does not hit the US anytime soon. I have no desire to see Big Papi, David Wells or the likes of Bob Wickham in a similar fashion mode.
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:49 am
Great comments - well the big game is Sunday. New England Patriots vs the Indianapolis Colts - probably the best rivalry in professional football.
I believe this is the first time in over 50 years that two undefeated football teams are playing each other this late in the season. Disappointed that it isn’t on prime time but it should be a fun and exciting game to watch.
I don’t see the Colts stopping the Pats - yes you are probably calling me bias because I am from Boston and i understand that - but this time is amazing and will win by at least 17 points.
Final score Pats 42-24.!
November 5th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Well, round 1 goes to your Patriots. Of course, it helps that the Colts were a Little undermanned (no Harrison or Ugoh.) It should only help to add to the intrigue of the expected January match-up. What I find interesting is the similarity that both teams have to the other team’s past. The Patriots look like the 2005 Colts while the Colts look more like some of those past Patriot teams. One consolation I took out of Sunday’s game is that the Colts might actually now be better suited than the Patriots to play in a snowy Foxboro stadium. The Colts were more physical, harder-hitting, and more of a running team on Sunday. I never thought I’d say those things!
November 6th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Kevin,
Thanks for your comments. Injuries are clearly part of the game and who knows what would have happened if they played - The Pats are on a roll and not sure anyone stops them. The Colts came close this time and if they do meet in New England in January one thing is for sure it will be cold. It’s funny you could be right. Addai is great and gives them more of an advantage than James did. This is a great rivalry and stuff like spy gate, coaches sort of shaking hands and possibly pumped in crowd noise leads to very, very hard feeling and hits.
The game was great - sort of a preview of what is to come. If they meet again it will be a better game than the Super Bowl.
Merrill
November 6th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
This was forwarded to me - absolutely hysterical:
According to Bob Ryan this morning, as the teams were leaving the field
after yesterday’s game, Randy Moss found a cell phone on the floor of the
tunnel to the visitor’s locker room at the RCA Dome. He immediately
recognized it and returned to the field to give the phone to rookie
referee John Parry. Parry was grateful to get his phone back, but inquired
of Moss how he had known who the phone belonged to.
“Easy,” Moss told him, “I just looked at the display. It said, ‘Nine
Missed Calls.’ Figured it had to be yours.”