| From college football to Major League | | | | the time Jordan and company were on the |
| Baseball, rivalries between teams have | | | | plus side in these contests. |
| always added excitement to fan | | | | Every season a tandem of college |
| experience. Many teams are old rivals, | | | | basketball teams always stand out as |
| while others have developed a | | | | among two of the best in the nation. In |
| competitive intensity more recently. | | | | North Carolina both on and off the |
| What teams have been fighting it out for | | | | court, one college basketball rivalry |
| some time? Rivalries are at the center | | | | dominates the region. The University of |
| of many fan's lives. Here's a quick look | | | | North Carolina and Duke, both members of |
| at some classic ones. | | | | the highly competitive Atlantic Coast |
| College football has some of the most | | | | Conference (ACC), are located only 8 |
| talked about rivalries in all of sports. | | | | miles apart. Both schools possess |
| To begin with, you have the heated | | | | myriads of faithful fans that have |
| battles between the Texas Longhorns and | | | | traveled Tobacco Road year after year to |
| the Oklahoma Sooners. Being in | | | | see their teams fight for victory. |
| neighboring states, they compete for | | | | Since 1990, the two clubs have a |
| regional bragging rights and often the | | | | combined for a total of eleven Final |
| same recruits. Over the years, there | | | | Four appearances. Those who follow the |
| have been many classic match-ups between | | | | ACC certainly recognize the high profile |
| the two teams. | | | | contests that have defined their |
| One of the biggest rivalries in college | | | | rivalry. The Duke Blue Devils and North |
| football history is between Big 10 | | | | Carolina Tar Heels are synonymous with |
| powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan. | | | | big name games, some of which they have |
| These teams, that are usually nationally | | | | won and others they've lost. |
| ranked, are so well matched and | | | | Off the court, these two teams also |
| competitive that the winner is often | | | | battle it out by attempting to recruit |
| determined in the final minutes and | | | | some of the most talented players in the |
| sometimes the final seconds of the | | | | nation. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils |
| contest. Consequently, when these two | | | | often court the same players, with |
| teams play, the game often determines | | | | coaching staffs jousting with each other |
| which remains in the National | | | | for the finest players available. NCAA |
| Championship picture and which is out. | | | | National Championships are the hallmark |
| The South features the tough competition | | | | of both these schools. If you enjoy |
| between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the | | | | excitement and hardcore college |
| Auburn Tigers. From the days of | | | | basketball at its best, Duke and UNC are |
| Alabama's legendary coach Bear Bryant | | | | your ticket. |
| this has been one of the most talked | | | | In Major League Baseball, there is |
| about match-ups on the gridiron. Both | | | | perhaps the greatest rivalry of all |
| schools are in the same state and are | | | | sports. The New York Yankees and the |
| highly competitive with each other year | | | | Boston Red Sox have battled each other |
| in and year out. There have been many | | | | on the diamond since the early twentieth |
| close, tight-knit games over the past | | | | century. The rivalry became heated in |
| century to prove it. The Tennessee | | | | 1920 when the Red Sox sold the game's |
| Volunteers also have an active rivalry | | | | greatest player, Babe Ruth, to the New |
| with these two teams but nothing | | | | York Yankees. From that point on, the |
| compares to the legendary hard fought | | | | Yankees dominated the rest of Major |
| battles between the Tigers and the | | | | League Baseball, going on to win 26 |
| Crimson Tide. | | | | World Series; while Boston, after Ruth |
| On the west coast, there is the | | | | departed, was unable to capture a single |
| University of Southern California (USC) | | | | crown. |
| and the University of California Los | | | | Some people began to call Boston's |
| Angeles (UCLA) rivalry. This | | | | championship drought the "curse of the |
| competition has been dominated recently | | | | Bambino." The trade of Babe Ruth, who |
| by the success of Southern California | | | | was also known as the "Bambino," was |
| and the strong teams they have produced | | | | supposedly the reason why Boston |
| over the last couple of years. Recently | | | | couldn't win a championship. But that |
| USC has taken to the field with Heisman | | | | all changed in 2004 when the Boston Red |
| Trophy winners Matt Leinhart and Reggie | | | | Sox were able to come back from three |
| Bush, giving the Trojans the edge. This | | | | games down in the American League |
| next year we may see a shift in power | | | | Championship Series and defeat the New |
| with UCLA coming to the forefront. | | | | York Yankees, and then go on to sweep |
| The National Basketball Association has | | | | the St. Louis Cardinals in the World |
| had the classic battles of the Lakers | | | | Series. |
| and the Celtics. For decades these two | | | | This was what Red Sox fans had been |
| teams fought back and forth to determine | | | | waiting for, and now they're hopeful |
| who would take home the NBA crown. | | | | that they will never have to hear about |
| There were the great match-ups in the | | | | "the curse" again. This has been one |
| 60's and 70's of Wilt Chamberlain and | | | | heck of a rivalry over the years and |
| Bill Russell, which are legendary in the | | | | odds are that it will continue to be one |
| history of the NBA. | | | | of the best in sports. |
| The 80's hosted memorable post-season | | | | When there's an intense rivalry between |
| contests between the Lakers' Magic | | | | two teams it's always magnified by fan |
| Johnson and the Celtics' Larry Bird. | | | | enthusiasm. The fans are what make two |
| Their respective teams, with Bird | | | | teams want to compete harder against |
| running the court and dishing off to | | | | each other, but it takes exciting, |
| Robert Parrish for a slam dunk or Kareem | | | | hard-fought games to get the fans |
| Abdul-Jabbar working the ball inside | | | | interested. Most great rivalries are |
| only to pass back to Johnson for three, | | | | not built on one or two good contests, |
| produced some of the greatest moments in | | | | but over decades of excellent games. |
| NBA history and will be talked about for | | | | There is no set number of games that |
| decades to come. | | | | teams must play in order to generate a |
| The meetings between the Chicago Bulls | | | | rivalry. The fans and players together |
| and New York Knicks produced another | | | | are the ones who decide what makes an |
| fine rivalry. Michael Jordon with his | | | | ongoing, classic rivalry. But one thing |
| extreme athletic ability was the | | | | is for certain, there is nothing better |
| catalyst for tough contests in which the | | | | than watching two, evenly matched rivals |
| Knicks sometimes surprised the team from | | | | battle it out until only one is left |
| the Windy City; although the majority of | | | | standing. |