Rivalries in the NFL

[CowanCCFC]

How do teams become 'rivals' in the US? Over here it's purely based on location. I'm only asking as we played Cinci a couple of weeks ago, and geographically they are situated closest to the Colts, yet nobody referred to it as a rivalry game?

 

Yet, now we approach the Pats game and I'm getting the sense that this is seen as a rivalry game! 

 

So, does location have no bearing on rivalry games in the US? What makes a team a 'rival'?

[SteelCityColt]

How do teams become 'rivals' in the US? Over here it's purely based on location. I'm only asking as we played Cinci a couple of weeks ago, and geographically they are situated closest to the Colts, yet nobody referred to it as a rivalry game?

 

Yet, now we approach the Pats game and I'm getting the sense that this is seen as a rivalry game! 

 

So, does location have no bearing on rivalry games in the US? What makes a team a 'rival'?

 

I'd say it's pretty much the same as over here, a mixture of location and playing each other repeatedly or being in contention with each other every year. So yes while a number of football teams rivals over here are based on location (the local derbies, side note name all the city derbies in the UK ), you do get rivalries that come and go. Example Man Utd and Arsenal when both were fighting for the title each season. 

 

Same really goes for the NFL, there are some location based rivals but you've got to remember it's a much much bigger country so you don't tend to get teams all that close together. I'd mainly say it's division rivals or in say the case of the Pats/Colts, or going back a bit Steelers/Cowboys 49ers/Cowboys it's teams who play each other regularly in the post season.

 

Of course I don't have any US perspective so take everything I say with a pinch of halen.

[CowanCCFC]

I'd say it's pretty much the same as over here, a mixture of location and playing each other repeatedly or being in contention with each other every year. So yes while a number of football teams rivals over here are based on location (the local derbies, side note name all the city derbies in the UK ), you do get rivalries that come and go. Example Man Utd and Arsenal when both were fighting for the title each season. 

 

Same really goes for the NFL, there are some location based rivals but you've got to remember it's a much much bigger country so you don't tend to get teams all that close together. I'd mainly say it's division rivals or in say the case of the Pats/Colts, or going back a bit Steelers/Cowboys 49ers/Cowboys it's teams who play each other regularly in the post season.

 

Of course I don't have any US perspective so take everything I say with a pinch of halen.

 

That makes a lot more sense now! Should have really thought about it more .

 

City Derbies (not cheating I promise) -

 

All of the London derbies.

 

Birmingham/Villa

Manchester City v Utd

Liverpool v Everton

Bristol City v Rovers

Port Vale v Stoke? Technically 

Nottingham Forest v County

Sheffield Utd v Wednesday

Dundee v Dundee Utd

Hibs v Hearts

Ranger v Celtic

 

That's all I could think of! bound to have missed some obvious ones! 

[SteelCityColt]

That makes a lot more sense now! Should have really thought about it more .

 

City Derbies (not cheating I promise) -

 

All of the London derbies.

 

Birmingham/Villa

Manchester City v Utd

Liverpool v Everton

Bristol City v Rovers

Port Vale v Stoke? Technically 

Nottingham Forest v County

Sheffield Utd v Wednesday

Dundee v Dundee Utd

Hibs v Hearts

Ranger v Celtic

 

That's all I could think of! bound to have missed some obvious ones! 

 

Well played sir, the Scotland ones I'll give you bonus points for! Most people forget Stoke. 

 

The other thing of course is some of these go back 100 plus years, the NFL just doesn't have that history yet. 

[CowanCCFC]

Well played sir, the Scotland ones I'll give you bonus points for! Most people forget Stoke. 

 

The other thing of course is some of these go back 100's of years, the NFL just doesn't have that history yet. 

 

Going off topic again, but are you United or Wednesday then? 

 

It's easy to forget how relatively young the NFL is compared to 'soccer'! 

[SteelCityColt]

Going off topic again, but are you United or Wednesday then? 

 

It's easy to forget how relatively young the NFL is compared to 'soccer'! 

 

I get asked that a lot on here, answer is neither I'm a North Ender  

[CowanCCFC]

I get asked that a lot on here, answer is neither I'm a North Ender

 

I dislike Preston due to when you beat 6-0 us in April 2009. We missed out on the play offs by 1 goal that year! 1 GOAL! 

[Valpo2004]

How do teams become 'rivals' in the US? Over here it's purely based on location. I'm only asking as we played Cinci a couple of weeks ago, and geographically they are situated closest to the Colts, yet nobody referred to it as a rivalry game?

 

Yet, now we approach the Pats game and I'm getting the sense that this is seen as a rivalry game! 

 

So, does location have no bearing on rivalry games in the US? What makes a team a 'rival'?

 

In college football location is a huge part of rivalries.  Probably the biggest part.  Most college football rivalries are in-state rivalries or states that border each other.  And if they arn't then it's probably a rivalry that Notre Dame is involved in. . . Notre Dame is odd in forming not only a lot of rivalries but a lot of cross country rivalries as well such as Notre Dame/USC.  

 

In the NFL it's more about history of playing each other I think.  The NFC North with Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, and Detroit has probably the deepest rivalries in the NFL followed by the NFC East and the AFC North.

 

On the other hand the AFC South's rivalries are not very deep.  Part of it I think has to do with the fact that since 1984 when the Colts moved to Indianapolis every team in the AFC south has either changed locations or been established as an expansion team.

 

Colts moved from Baltimore to Indy in 1984

Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997 became the Tennessee Titans in 1998

Jacksonville Jaguars played their first game in 1995

Houston Texans played their first game in 2002.

 

So that's all pretty recent history. . . nothing long enough that we can say something like "I hate the Jags, my dad hated the Jags, and my grandfather hated the Jags."  

 

Where as in the NFC North the Bears and Packers where established in 1919 and the Lions in 1929 and by the 1930's are all in their current cities.  The Vikings where later established in 1961.  So there is a much much longer history between these teams then any of the teams in the AFC South.  

 

Lions/Bears/Packers fans could even say their Great Grandfather hated the Lions/Bears/Packers.  The history between the teams is much much deeper.  

[HungarianColtsFan]

I guess in most cases the origin of rivalry is unknown.

[Steagles]

It's based on proximity, playing the other teams in high profile games, divisions, and fanbases.

 

For example, we have the New York "derby" rivalry of the Giants and the Jets. Other proximity rivalries include the Bears and the Packers (who also would fit into the division argument, and subsequently their fans HATE each other). Comparable to any derby where the teams are essentially the same strength (for example not like Fulham/QPR/West Ham v Chelsea, but like Arsenal v Chelsea).

 

High profile game rivalries tend to be playoff rematches that happen more than a few times. An example of this was Manning's Colts against Brady's Pats. The team rivalry has stayed intact, but the main part of it has now shifted to Denver with Peyton Manning. Comparable to Chelsea v Liverpool recently. 

 

Divisional rivalries are, for the Colts at least, pretty limited because we are in a weak division that we can pretty much win every year, and geographically it makes no sense so we have no proximity rivalries. For us, it just comes down to us fighting them for the playoff berth out of the AFC South. A big divisional rivalry would be Pittsburgh vs Baltimore. Obviously these aren't really comparable to the EPL. 

 

Fanbase rivalries are generally the most heated that we get to experience. One that the Colts fans get to experience would be with the Ravens. Baltimore fans hate Indianapolis fans because we have "their team" and Indianapolis fans hate Baltimore fans because they have their own team again and we want them to just let it go already and quit their whining (which is honestly one of the most annoying things in sports in my opinion). This is most like the EPL. Fans are passionate abut their team, and when they hate another team, they hate everyone that loves said team.

[The Old Crow]

It's based on proximity, playing the other teams in high profile games, divisions, and fanbases.

For example, we have the New York "derby" rivalry of the Giants and the Jets. Other proximity rivalries include the Bears and the Packers (who also would fit into the division argument, and subsequently their fans HATE each other). Comparable to any derby where the teams are essentially the same strength (for example not like Fulham/QPR/West Ham v Chelsea, but like Arsenal v Chelsea).

High profile game rivalries tend to be playoff rematches that happen more than a few times. An example of this was Manning's Colts against Brady's Pats. The team rivalry has stayed intact, but the main part of it has now shifted to Denver with Peyton Manning. Comparable to Chelsea v Liverpool recently.

Divisional rivalries are, for the Colts at least, pretty limited because we are in a weak division that we can pretty much win every year, and geographically it makes no sense so we have no proximity rivalries. For us, it just comes down to us fighting them for the playoff berth out of the AFC South. A big divisional rivalry would be Pittsburgh vs Baltimore. Obviously these aren't really comparable to the EPL.

Fanbase rivalries are generally the most heated that we get to experience. One that the Colts fans get to experience would be with the Ravens. Baltimore fans hate Indianapolis fans because we have "their team" and Indianapolis fans hate Baltimore fans because they have their own team again and we want them to just let it go already and quit their whining (which is honestly one of the most annoying things in sports in my opinion). This is most like the EPL. Fans are passionate abut their team, and when they hate another team, they hate everyone that loves said team.

The Ravens top rival is clearly the Steelers. Most Baltimore people treat Indy like any other team now. No one cares that you have the team or the Irsay family, the only annoyance is the history, records , and Hall of Fame. That being said, nothing will change on that, and on we go. The Colts have a nice rivalry with the Patriots.

When I was a kid, the Colts had a great rivalry with the Packers in the 1960's, then the Dolphins in the 1970's when Shula went over there. I agree that the AFC South rivalries have been stunted by franchise moves, and for the most part, no other team has been able to rival the Colts consistently in the division. The Ravens/ Steelers is hot because the cities have always hated one another, the players and coaches hate each other, and both teams have won two Super Bowls since 2000. When Harbaugh is dissing the Steelers following a Titans victory, or Tomlin is trying to trip our kick returner during a game, you know it's a good rivalry.

[oldunclemark]

Bears and Packers are two of the early NFL teams

and George Halas (arguably the founder of the NFL) and Vince Lombardi were arch rivals....

Descendents of the Halas family still run the Bears...and northernmost Illinois and southernmost Wisconsin are Bear-Pacer

fan battlegrounds

[oldunclemark]

To be more accurate..Curly Lambeau and George Halas both are the founders and first coaches of their teams..teams they played for.

They both have coached their teams to 6 NFL titles..and the teams have always had a parallel existence.

..Its the oldest rivalry in American professional team sports...going back to the beginning of the NFL..

[Synthetic]

Rivalries should be solely divisional.

 

 

It's crazed fans and media trying to make a buck selling stories, that normally creates rivalries out of teams from playoff games.

 

 

In the NFL's case, many have forgotten the old rivalries of former divisional opponents. For example, the 49ers and Rams used to play against Carolina, New Orleans, and Atlanta. These rivalries are long forgotten sadly.

 

The Colts used to share a division with the Patriots....something you never ever see talked about among their rivalry since according to the news, it only existed with 2 marketable QB's. The Colts also shared this same division with Miami, Buffalo, and the Jets.

 

 

Overrated rivalries are Pats/Colts, Cowboys/49ers, Packers/Cowboys, Chiefs/Colts, Steelers/Raiders etc etc.

 

These games bring in a lot of hype just because the teams have met in playoffs before, and during the regular season they bank on these stupid storylines that people love so much. It's profitable, and that's what counts at the end of the day. Money makes the world go around in this country.

 

 

All those old "rivalries" from playoff teams decades in the past are dead now. Hell, the Pats and Colts so called rivalry died when Manning went to Denver, sheer proof that it was all about that guy vs this guy at the QB position, cause no one cares about the team, all about their guy.

 

 

Technically speaking, you could make an argument that every team is a rival to each other since it's a competition and the only way you succeed is by doing whatever it is to ensure your victory.

[oldunclemark]

That's true..The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs used to be the most bitter rivalry in the NFL..

..but since Oakland has taken up permanent residence in sucktown....no one cares or even knows when they play anymore