Top Ten Professional Sports Rivalries

Sports were designed for rivalries. In sports you have so much of what makes us human: tribalism, passion, the good guy the bad guy and much more. Throughout human history sports have evoked passion in both the competitors and the spectators. What is it about a sport that fires our passions so much? Is it the competition? Is it the chance to watch our hero match against another? Whatever it is there is no doubt that there have been some great sports rivalries throughout history. While the amateur ranks of collegiate sports has its fair share there has to be a way to narrow the list of great sports rivalries so this one focuses n professional rivalries. Admitted two Olympic competitors are on this list but they are professionals for all intents and purposes.

10. Broncos vs. Raiders

While NFL rivalries have lost some of their intensity because of the effects of free agency this still remains one of the classic rivalries in sports. This rivalry began back in the days of the AFL and was very much a David vs. Goliath match up. The Raiders were one of the dominant teams in not only the AFL but eventually the NFL as well while the Broncos struggled in obscurity for the first decade of their existence. This rivalry became much more prominent in the seventies when the Broncos became a legitimate contender, and it became a common thing for both teams to leave the benches and fall into a massive melee in the middle of the field. Times have changed and you don’t see the players as involved in it, but the fans rivalry between these two teams is still very alive.

9. Navratilova vs. Evert

For our next rivalry we look into the world of women’s tennis. Navratilova vs. Evert is not so much a rivalry between players (though they were fierce competitors) as it is a rivalry between images. Evert was pretty and girly and the face of women’s tennis while Navratilova was almost the exact opposite. Because these two were so different in image a rivalry was bound to be developed by the powers that be. This rivalry probably wouldn’t have been half what it was if both women were beautiful and that says something about our culture that should make us all examine ourselves a little bit.

8. Young vs. Montana

This is not so much a rivalry between two teams as it is between two men on the same team. Joe Montana was the three time super bowl MVP and Steve Young was the former first round pick who was considered by many to be a bust. This rivalry may have never developed had it not been for Montana getting injured and Young coming in and wowing the coaches. What happened next was a quarterback controversy that was only fueled by the two men themselves. Neither Montana nor Young tried to hide the fact that they thought they should be the starter and from an outsiders view they didn’t seem to like each other much either. Eventually Young won the starting job and Montana was traded to another team and the rivalry continued.

7. Thorpe vs. Phelps

Ian Thorpe vs. Michael Phelps was more than a rivalry between two very gifted athletes, it was definitive of the rivalry between the U.S. and Australian international swim teams. Thorpe was the Australian who had dominated his event for years. Phelps was the up and coming star of the American swim team. While Phelps was the better all-around competitor, Thorpe was the king of the freestyle race. This rivalry first began in the summer Olympics of 2000 and continued into 2004 as well. Phelps did eventually beat Thorpe and the rivalry no longer exists because Thorpe retired long before Phelps’ dominating performance in the 2008 summer Olympics. Yet it will stand out as one of the top sporting rivalries of all time.

6. Frazier vs. Ali

Joe Frazier and Mohammed Ali were two of the greatest boxers to ever exist. The fact that both of them existed at the near peak of their careers at the same time is simply amazing. Frazier and Ali were destined to eventually face each other in the ring, but what makes this rivalry worthy of this list is their final fight. Termed the Thrilla in Manila this fight between two of the greatest boxers in history was everything it should be. It was a brutal match between two men who virtually hated one another. Both Frazier and Ali tore into each other mercilessly for fourteen rounds neither giving an inch to the other. While Ali did win the fight by TKO the Thrilla in Manila will go down in history as one of the greatest sporting events ever.

5. Celtics vs. Lakers

Without a doubt the rivalry between the Celtic and Lakers is the single biggest rivalry in NBA history. During this rivalry these two teams have met in the NBA championship a total of twelve times which is more than any other two teams have met in a championship of any kind in professional American sports history. While there have been certain times this rivalry was more heated then others it stands out so strongly because of the way it has carried out over such a long period of time.

4. Canadiens vs. Bruins

There is not liking the other team and then there is hatred. The Canadiens and Bruins have hated each other passionately since the teams first met and that rivalry continues strong to this very day. What makes this rivalry so long lasting is the fact that when you combine both regular season and playoff matches these two teams have faced each other more than any other two teams in NHL history. Over the span of this rivalry so many sporting moments have happened that it’s impossible to nail down a single one as definitive and that is what makes this rivalry so special.

3. Brady vs. Manning

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are two of the greatest NFL quarterbacks to ever play the game. These two players have come to signify the argument of what makes a quarterback great. Manning has all the gaudy stats while Brady has all the championship appearances and wins. What really makes this rivalry unique though is that its more about two men in a team sport more than it is about their teams. In the day of player movement between teams in the NFL it makes since that our new rivalries are much more focused on individual players than the teams they play for.

2. Yankees vs. Red Sox

The rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox is not as much about baseball as it is about the fierce pride each fan base takes in their city. While the two teams are a big part of this rivalry and have been known to get in the occasional brawl with one another during a game or two, it’s also about culture and old fashion us versus them mentalities. However despite the strife between these two teams they always shake hands and congratulate each other at the end of the day.

1. Bears vs. Packers

The Bears vs. Packers rivalry is the epitome of everything rivalries are about. From the beginning of their history these two teams have been at each other in every way imaginable. This rivalry exists between the team owners, the coaches, the players themselves and the fan base. There are teams that hate each other more but these two teams have hated each other for so long that it’s become a part of our culture. Someday another rivalry may replace this one as the greatest of all time but right now the Bears and Packers hold the top spot on this list.