There is nothing we love more in sport than a good rivalry. Supporting a team taps into our tribal history. It answers a basic human requirement much like raising a family, materialistic desires or even escaping for a couple of hours a week for an X-Box fix. Rivalries - or being part of a rivalry - allow us to reach an extreme of human emotion difficult to ascertain in most areas of our lives.
Rivalries are often dripping in heritage and cultural references. It is self serving and unique to the human race. Despite what the Disney film told us in 'A Bugs Life', Ants and Grasshoppers don't really have a 'rivalry'. People do. It is something we should be proud of, something we should embrace and something we should talk about, cry about, rejoice about and analyse. Let's look at the five classic NFL rivalries.
Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears
The most renowned of NFL rivalries, imagine it being to NFL rivalries what Mozart was to banging out a decent tune. It remains the most played NFL fixture and goes back to before the NFL existed in its current form. The NFL as we know it today basically merged in the sixties and the 'Super Bowl' era began. Way back before that Chicago were relatively successful winning their fair share of championships.
The bloody water between the two has been sloshing around since the thirties with the Bears' desire to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field reaching a bitter zenith in the sixties. The Packers have won quite a few Super Bowls in this modern era whereas the Bears will say they earned their stripes back when it was borderline trench warfare over a leather ball.
Advert
The Bears had a mean team in the mid 80s but have been pretty much a nonentity since whereas over at Green Bay they've literally won first prize in the lottery of QBs twice. First it was Brett Favre, the pass-throwing every man turned proud owner of two Super Bowl rings, and now they're lead by arguably the most talented QB in the game, Aaron Rodgers, and you suspect that more Super Bowl glory is never too far away for the Packers.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens
Ok, the Bears vs. Packers rivalry wins the plaudits for the ultimate 'classic' NFL feud but this one takes the proverbial biscuit when it comes to pure hatred. Imagine the fabled 'War in Heaven' when you try and picture the magnanimity of this one. Literally legions of Ravens and Steelers pitched in a never ending conflict of good and evil. I won't say which one is good or evil but it's a truly cosmic rivalry.
Geographically they're also pretty close when you consider how hard it is to be close in America, but this rivalry is so bitter you could almost imagine them coming to conventional blows with the proximity. The genuine vitriol between the two is enhanced by the fact the attrition was built in the era of tough defenses and low scoring games. Contests between the two would be brutal affairs with a bounty even being put 'allegedly' on the head of legendary Steelers WR Hines Ward back in the day.
Advert
The rivalry can even be traced back to when the Ravens were based in Cleveland as today most Steelers won't even recognise the current Cleveland franchise as a worthy adversary. They are divisional rivals and both had relative success. Without the religious angle the closest comparison to European football rivalries would be the Old Firm or the Roma-Lazio derby. Real, human, tribal disdain. Long may it continue.
Washington Redkins vs Dallas Cowboys
If you're cultured in any way, shape or form I'm sure just from the titles of these two franchises you can see how deep-seated this loathing will run. It's basically Cowboys and Indians with a ball. The Redskins are the capital's team and according to Forbes are the third most valuable NFL franchise behind the Patriots and you guessed it, the Cowboys.
The Redskins have a rich history in the NFL with a sprinkling of on-field success. Cue the sixties and along come the new expansion team, the Dallas Cowboys. On their arrival they weren't really seen as any sort of threat and weren't expected to even compete on the field. Their appearance upset the owner of the Redskins though, George Preston Marshall took umbrage immediately and even tried to prevent them being voted into the league. Using Machiavellian type tactics, Cowboys then owner Clint Murchison realised the Redskins hadn't patented their marching song and stated that unless Marshall voted them in the Cowboys would take the song as their own. A bitter rivalry began.
Advert
The early salvos were fired in the sixties with the Cowboys slowly outdoing their more established rivals as time wore on. Both franchises have had their moments but with Jerry Jones now owning the Cowboys, they continue to outshine their adversaries in nearly every way. This rivalry is close but so far you'd have to say the Cowboys are edging it.
Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals
A truly pitched rivalry with both franchises splitting the proud state of Ohio. Currently this one is a little uneven with the Bengals being pretty darn decent (except in the Playoffs) and Cleveland being, well, the biggest stink in the game. They literally could write the book on how to not draft an NFL QB. As well as sharing similar colours they have currently played out two of the eight highest scoring games in NFL history.
Over the decades they've been pretty equal but neither has yet to win a Super Bowl. The Bengals at the moment look best placed to break that duck and have actually reached the Super Bowl a couple of times. Cleveland look like they can't sink any lower and this seasons expectations look to have taken an immediate nosedive with newly acquired RGIII already being put on the injured list. When the two teams meet there'll still be that vitriol and expect the games to still contain competitive edge.
Advert
Think of this rivalry as something akin to when Villa play Birmingham City. Scenes of genuine dislike but little actually riding on the game's outcome, unless that is the Bengals need a victory to advance to the playoffs or even gain home advantage. What I should have said is, little riding on the game's outcome for the Browns. Sorry Cleveland fans.
New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts
A truly modern-day NFL rivalry seemingly created for the 21st century, over-dramatized montage. This has been perhaps the most viewed and scrutinized rivalry since the turn of the millennium. Played out between two well-run, brilliantly led franchises, this has produced some transcendent modern moments of the game.
The two franchises have been pitched in the same conference and therefore cannot meet in the Super Bowl. This has perhaps increased the frequency of the skirmishes but not reduced the importance. Most of the last fifteen years it was headlined by the leaders of the teams. Often billed as Brady vs. Manning, the two have played out some momentous games and conference championships in particular. In the mid-noughties, this rivalry was equal, bathed in attrition and must-watch TV.
Advert
One truly memorable contest between the two was back in September 2001 when Tom Brady made his New England debut standing in for the injured Drew Bledsoe. The Colts at that time were 2-0 and the Patriots were up against it. Brady remarkably prevailed and the rest as they say is history. Since then and more recently the Colts have flagged, unable to find a decent roster to support superstar QB Andrew Luck. If the Colts front office could find that roster and Brady can go another few years we could yet see a few more historic Patriots vs. Colts battles. We'd all love that.