What is the greatest rivalry you've ever seen?

1. 72

   EJ Lambertposted 10 years ago

   What is the greatest rivalry you've ever seen?
   
   Rivalries by their very nature breed contention and drama.  Whether it's in sports like the Red Sox and Yankees or in business like Coke and Pepsi, rivalries quench our constant thirst for competition.  What is your favorite?
   
   

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2. 60

   Miller2232posted 10 years ago

   I have a good one, Cowboys-49ers in the NFL. When these two teams met, they had games that defined the franchises in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and some of 2000s. When they met, it was about Super Bowls and bragging rights. There is no other rivalry that can compare to Cowboys-49ers in the NFL where you have 4 different decades where you can talk about where two teams met a lot. Being a Cowboys fan (along with being a Patriots fan) I remember the 3 straight times they met in the NFC Championship games in 1992, 1993, and 1994. I still haven't gotten over the 1994 NFC Championship game because the Cowboys fell behind 21-0 with less than 8 minutes into the game and lost 38-28, costing them a 3-peat. Cowboys-49ers are #1 and there is everybody else.

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   1. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The longevity alone is so impressive.  From the early '70s when the Niners couldn't conquer Staubach to the '80s when Montana and Clark put Dallas to bed for a decade up to Steve Young desperately trying to conquer Aikman, Smith and Irvin.  Awesome.

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   2. 60

      Miller2232posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If you look closely at what happened after "The Catch" took place, the Cowboys were still making the playoffs until the late 80s and if Drew Pearson doesn't get tackled by Eric Wright, different story.

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   3. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe.  Personally I don't think the Cowboys were good enough to beat the 49ers that day or the Bengals int he Super Bowl.  Remember, SF turned the ball over six times and still won.

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   4. 60

      Bronteraeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thats what I was going to say and I'm a woman. Warning: name dropping:  Met Steve Young, talked to Joe Montana at a club, BUT got snubbed by Jerry Rice to my face! Two young girls in 100 deg weather waited for hrs to get his auto.. gave us the hand.

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   5. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, I've never been big on Rice.  He always comes off a little high and mighty for my tastes.  Not the greatest personality and I don't think he was the greatest receiver ever anyway despite what the numbers show.

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3. 85

   SidKempposted 10 years ago

   I won't call it the greatest rivalry ever, but perhaps the most fascinating: Thomas Alva Edison and Nicola Tesla. Edison, the senior, and highly respected, showed his worse side in breaking a promise to make Tesla a partner. Tesla invented alternating current, much safer and more useful, eliminating the use of direct current for electrical power distribution. Edison went on to create the image of the "mad scientist" in his movies, making fun of Tesla.
   
   Very strange. Also very sad. The two men could have done so much more together if their brilliance had been united. We might even have power transmission without electrical power lines today.

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   1. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It just goes to show how destructive ego can be in any form of society, be it business, science or otherwise.  Edison for some reason worried about his legacy.  He never understood what he and Tesla could've accomplished together.  Sad.

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4. 0

   Ghost32posted 10 years ago

   I don't pay much attention to rivalries that don't take play out under my very nose...so will respond on a personal level:
   
   The greatest rivalry I ever saw involved a bunch of women in a band, especially the female lead singer vs. the male lead singer's wife.  The man was me, I'd started the band to play my own original songs, and my wife (#6 at the time) chose NOT to be in the band.  She was not skilled on any given instrument but could certainly sing, and I was disappointed.
   
   Among the people I recruited was a redheaded female lead singer who backed up my male lead work.  She worked into the group well, and all was progressing nicely...until my future ex decided that was too much, and she jumped right in there. 
   
   Which was fine musically--her voice rounded out the band's sound nicely.  But the tension between those two gals, stirred even further by the bass player's wife (who wasn't even part of the band but who started trying to run the whole thing)...bad, bad news.
   
   I had to disband the band two days before our first scheduled gig.

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   1. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It's all about keeping the right formula.  If personalities don't mesh it will create big problems.  It's a real shame your band didn't work out.  Fascinating story.

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5. 54

   whonunuwhoposted 10 years ago

   I don't see a rivalry as much as a miscarriage of justice in the fact that many of Tesla's works were taken from him or changed to fit a mold that someone else may have done and taken credit. Tesla was the greatest scientist-inventor of the ages and one in whom we are deeply indebted regarding modern technology. Though some relationships may be seen as rivalry, usually there are reasons behind the scenes that created this appearance. Edison was a great scientist and inventor in his own right, yet in my opinion, Tesla was the greatest in all areas. Rivalry in sports and politics are some of the best, in the definition of the word.

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   1. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Do you have a particular favorite?

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6. 68

   connorjposted 10 years ago

   
   
   In my opinion, an opinion manifest with prejudgment about one particular sport. It is quite simply Chicago against Detroit. No not baseball or football; I am texting about NHL hockey. The Black Hawks vs. Red Wings does indeed fit my bill as the greatest rivalry I have seen. They are next facing off against each other today (May 25th). It promises to be a physical and finess filled 2 to 3 hours...

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   1. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I understand your thinking though I view that rivalry as a little one-sided.  If anything the Bulls and Pistons are probably a better one just in terms of playoff balance.  Good pick though.

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7. 90

   Thief12posted 10 years ago

   Some interesting technology ones... PCs vs. Mac, Microsoft vs. Apple, Internet Explorer vs. Mozilla Firefox vs. Google Chrome, iOS vs. Android...

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   1. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      To me Microsoft and Apple conquers all in that group.  Two guys at their head were the single reasons for our unprecedented tech boom the past few decades.  I think the rivalry only made it better.

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   2. 90

      Thief12posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The history of the rise of Microsoft and Apple is really impressive. 2 "teens" sneaking past big corporate moguls like IBM and Xerox only to become arguably two of the most influential figures in the world. I agree that the rivalry just added spice.

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8. 72

   Man of Strengthposted 10 years ago

   I'll go with Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier. In their three fights these men stood toe to toe pummeling each other for a combined 44 rounds! Their first fight in 1971 at Madison Square Garden is the most hyped and greatest showdown in boxing history. Their last fight "The Thrilla in Manilla" was a brutal war in the humid Philippines. Ali said it was the closest thing to death he ever experienced. While Ali won two of the three contests, Frazier was the first man to ever defeat Muhammad Ali. It's hard to think of one without the other. Both legacies were defined by this rivalry.

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   1. 72

      EJ Lambertposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      An outstanding answer.  It had everything:  trash talk, controversy, bitter hatred, and three outstanding fights that remain the standard of boxing at its best.

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