Top 15 Sports Rivalries of All Time 

15. New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons 

14. Canada vs Russia 

13. Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins

12. Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal

11. Celtics vs Rangers 

10. Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys

09. Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens 

08. Barcelona vs Real Madrid 

07. Ali vs Frazier 

06. North Carolina vs Duke 

05. Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers

04. Michigan Wolverines vs Ohio State Buckeyes

03. Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

02. Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics

 01. Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees 

15. Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints 

Total Meetings 

102 

Head to Head Wins 

Falcons: 53

Saints: 49 

Head to Head Playoff Wins 

Falcons: 1 

Saints: 0 

Division Championships 

Saints: 8 

Falcons: 6 

Conference Titles 

Falcons: 2 

Saints: 1 

Super Bowl Titles 

Saints: 1 

Falcons: 0 

Notable Games 

- Falcons def. Saints 62 - 7 in 1973 

- 1991 Wild Card Game ; Falcons def. Saints 27 - 20

- Post Katrina Primetime on 9/25/06 

- 9/23/2018 Overtime Shootout 

This one crossed my mind but ultimately fell off my list , it just doesn't have the history yet for me to stand with the rest of the rivalries in football much less ALL SPORTS to really be considered one of the greatest ever. Nor does it really have a ton of defining rivalry moments I can think of outside of the post Katrina game where the Saints waxed Atlanta in a perfect storm of emotion.

I know it's gained steam recently , especially with the Brees and Ryan era's and the teams are constantly going back and forth in the division , and they play some really fun games in their cute little domes but the perception to me just isn't that of teams who ultimately hate eachother.

I'm sure @theshow could speak better to his hatred for the Falcons though. I imagine they have to be his least favorite team as despite everything - they are definitely the Saints biggest rivals.

This one didn’t even cross my mind to be honest. Maybe it’s where I live and the fact that I never seen this rivalry as ‘must watch’. Still an interesting way to start a list that I’m sure is going to be awesome.

This one didn't move the needle for me in the least.

I’m guessing this was Show’s #1 and that’s why it made the list because I didn’t vote for it either.

Also it’s amazing they’ve only met in the playoffs once.

Jun 28, 2020 16:37:09 GMT RT said:

I’m guessing this was Show’s #1 and that’s why it made the list because I didn’t vote for it either.

Also it’s amazing they’ve only met in the playoffs once.

Snow didn’t make a list , it placed on three lists and one pretty high.

Just based on the stats it seems like a pretty even competitive rivalry, so it makes sense to me from a non-sport guys view anyway.

Jun 28, 2020 17:08:23 GMT @ness said:

Just based on the stats it seems like a pretty even competitive rivalry, so it makes sense to me from a non-sport guys view anyway.

Rivalries need heat and history , now I can’t speak to how it is in the south but with other rivalries (yet to appear) you can feel it.

I do think both teams having the perception of being sawft in different times lately plays into that.

Plus the visuals of other teams playing in the snow or mud add to the ambience - which will never happen here.

It’s all contrived and superficial stuff , but it works well in the vision of a football rivalry.

I just realized that I missed putting in an EPIC NBA rivalry. Shame on me for forgetting it! I’ll bring it up when it inevitably pops up on the list.

This is what happens when you rush a list last minute.

I hope this is a fluke and not an indication of the meh "rivalries" that are gonna be featured...

-_-

Bad call by everyone complaining about this - I think this is the best current rivalry in the NFL. The only thing you can argue against it is the lack of history, but seeing as none of us were alive before 1970 that's only really an ephemeral aspect anyway.

The games between these two teams are virtually always fantastic. 2018 they had the 43-37 OT classic, 2017 Sean Payton running on to the field before the end of the game, going back to 2010-11 a couple more OT games that were pivotal in the division race, and of course the first game after Hurricane Katrina with the Steve Gleason punt block TD.

It's also considered the most focused rivalry in the NFL via the Know Rivalry survey.

I had Falcons/Saints at #8. Now listen up all you jabronies....

You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Even non-sports fan @ness gets it! Look how close this rivalry is in terms of wins/losses! Fans of both teams overwhelmingly consider the other to be their most hated rival. 

The Falcons and Saints have waged war twice a season for over 50 years now. They were in the NFC West together back in the day and now they're in the NFC South together. They sucked together and now they are good together. New Orleans and Atlanta are close enough for fans of both teams to invade other's stadium twice a year, only adding more fuel to this already raging fire. These two arch-rivals have also combined to win 8 of the last 11 NFC South titles. Meaning their games matter.

And that one playoff game was a big deal! I was devastated! Stupid Falcons....

Then there was the time FORMER Saints icon Bobby Hebert SOLD OUT to the Falcons. He threw a touchdown pass and proceeded to flap his arms like a damn falcon right in front of the Saints bench! There's heat and then there's 1993 Bobby "The Traitor" Hebert levels of heat.
========================
Seriously though. I focused more on current rivalries. Did I do it wrong?

10 years ago Colts vs. Patriots would have been high on my list. 25 years ago 49ers/Cowboys, Knicks/Pacers, Knicks/Heat, Oklahoma/Nebraska (football), and Orioles/Blue Jays would have been high on my list. But, with the possibly exception of O's/Jays, none of those are really a thing anymore.

I went more with stuff that is still big in 2020, though some rivalries are obviously timeless.....like Saints vs. Falcons! 

EDIT: @admin gets it

14. Canada vs Russia 

Notable Moments 

- 1972 Summit Series 

- 2005 World Junior Cup - Gold Medal Game 

- 2014 Winter Olympic Games 

- 1987 Canada Cup 

- 1991 World Junior Cup

I tried to find some stats for this but couldn't find the right stuff , so sorry about that. Maybe hockey should think about mattering more. (Just kidding RT)

Never heard of the rivalry but that's more because of my interest in the sport and winter olympics than anything I imagine.

So... did this start in 1945 with the race to Berlin, or before then, or really not until the buildup to the Miracle on Ice / Rocky IV?

EDIT: WHOOPS! Ignore me. As an American, I just read "AMERICA!!!" instead of Canada. That's cute that Canada tried feuding with Russia as America Lite.

Piggybacking on what 🤯 wrote, I did consider USA vs. USSR/Russia before ultimately cutting it since it's not as big in 2020 as it was during the Cold War.

Had no idea Canada vs. Russia was this big thing :$

Saints and Falcons didn't even cross my mind.

Canada/Russia was my number 3, it had everything, both the nastiest and best hockey I've ever seen. It was Canada's own doing that the Summit Series was so close since our NHL guys took the Russians for granted and arrived out of shape. Still it became one of the defining moments in Canadian history with Paul Henderson netting the winner in game 8 to make the score a notable 6-5. Plus you had Bobby Clarke's hatchet job on Valeri Kharlamov, Phil Esposito's whiny speech after the Canadian fans booed them off the ice in Vancouver. One of the more emotional sporting events of all time.

The 1987 Canada Cup had less of the extracurriculars and just showcased amazing hockey. Every game was decided by a 6-5 margin with Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky hooking up for the series winner in one of two overtime games in the 3 game set. There's also the Punch Up In Piestany among other legendary World Junior Encounters, like Jordan Eberle's goal with 5 seconds left in a 6-5 semifinal win in 2009. 

And that's just scratching the surface.

The stats themselves don't really matter. I'll try to paint a little picture here.

The main thing you have to know is that Canada and Russia started this rivalry because of the 1972 Summit Series, and it's pretty much been a thing ever since. I'll try to keep this short but there's a lot to unpack.

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) had banned pro players from competing in international competitions. Since Canada was the dominant hockey force on the planet, this meant that all the best players were pro and in the NHL, and therefore couldn't compete in international competitions like the World Championships and Olympics. This was fine, because Canadian players were still the best, but Canada was still annoyed that once their players entered the NHL or other various pro leagues that existed at the time, they couldn't go out there and kick the world's ass anymore. Because of this dispute, in the 1960's Canada actually pulled out of international competitions altogether, effectively ending their long-as-fuck run as winning nearly every single championship out there.

The Soviets always had a good hockey team but they played a variation of hockey known as "bandy," which is essentially ball hockey played on ice. Us elitist Canadians looked down on them for that even though the USSR didn't even compete in most international events until the 1940's when the Soviet Union decided they were now going to dominate the world in every sport, and switched to playing Canadian style hockey.

During the 1960's, when Canada had pulled out of competitions, the Soviets rose to the top, easily becoming the best on an international stage thanks to their only real competition pulling out of all competitions. They were getting pretty high on themselves, had what many people thought was the best goalie on the planet (Vladislav Tretiak), and their players were actually being funded by the Soviet government, something Canada hated because our "real" players were all university kids that weren't getting paid at all. They just did it "for the love of the sport."

Well, that didn't go well, because the government-funded, mostly-military-and-KGB Soviet players wiped the floor with Canada every time they played. This led to the creation of Hockey Canada in 1969, an organization created to pay international players.

But since pros still couldn't play because of IIHF rules, and this heated rivalry was boiling over thanks to national pride and The Cold War, something had to give. So Canada and the Soviet Union agreed to host an eight game series that would allow professional players to play, and decide who is the best once and for all.

The first four games were held in Canada, and in Game 1 the USSR murdered us. It was 7-4 but it shouldn't have even been that close. They walked into our turf and killed us.

Uh oh.

Game 2 ended with Canada winning, then Game 3 ended in a tie.

Then Game 4 came and went, and Canada lost again, finding themselves down 2-1 in the series and on their way to play the remaining games in Moscow.

The Canadian fans booed their own players off the ice, and then one of the first iconic moments of the series happened:



That might seem pretty tame, but in Canadian standards, especially back then, this was Phil Esposito basically saying "fuck all you stupid bitches," on national television.

Canada goes to Moscow and loses Game 5 after being up 3-0 in the 3rd period. They're down 3-1. The Soviets win one more game and it's over.

Now besides playing in Moscow, there are other things working against Team Canada here. They just traveled. They're playing on a larger ice surface (international rules ice is bigger than NHL ice). They're being fucked with by Soviet fans and authorities, losing sleep, losing practice time...all the shady stuff that you would expect the Soviets to pull, they're pulling.

Canadian fans know this and they're pissed. The USSR is acting like they have this in the bag.

Canada wins Game 6 in a nail biter, going up 3-2 late and holding on. But that isn't the story. The story is, what would become to be known as, "The Slash."

Canada was the bigger, rougher team by far, and they were picking on one of the USSR's star players, Valeri Kharlamov. He couldn't step on the ice without someone elbowing him or face-washing him or hitting him. Then he got a clean break, and Bobby Clarke, notable goon and leader of the Philadelphia Flyers (a.k.a. The Broad Street Bullies), slashed Kharlamov so hard on the ankle that he broke it.

Kharlamov had some choice words for the Canadian bench and the Soviet fans were in shambles. But Kharlamov eventually came back into the game and almost scored.

Game 7 is another nail biter that goes in Canada's favour, and contains yet another controversy where Soviet player Boris Mikhalov kicked Canada's Gary Bergman twice during a scuffle. Canada wanted the officials replaced for Game 8, but they were denied and the same officials were going to call the final game. Then before Game 8, the Soviets tried to switch out the refs which caused Team Canada to threaten to not play the game. They compromised, but then the Soviets were going to not show up to a pregame ceremony where Canada was going to gift them a totem pole as a symbol of good will.

All this happened before they even hit the ice, then in the final game of the series, with both teams at 3 wins apiece, Canada starts getting penalized out the ass. The officials are trying to hand this game to the USSR. It's clear as day.

USSR goes up 1-0. Canada ties it. 2-1. Canada ties it again.

Then the flood gates open and the USSR is up 5-3 late in the game. Canada tightens up defensively to try and keep this from becoming a blowout, then Phil Esposito scores and Canada is within 1.

The tension was so bad in the building that the Soviets mobilized more security during the 3rd period. Then Yvan Cournoyer scored to tie the game, and I'm just going to past the paragraph from wiki I'm referencing:

"After the Cournoyer goal, the goal judge refused to put the goal light on despite the fact that it was signalled a goal on the ice. In response, Alan Eagleson (seated across the ice from the Team Canada bench) attempted to reach the timer's bench to protest, causing a ruckus in the crowd as he made his way to the timer's bench.[118] As he was being subdued by the Soviet police, the Canadian players headed over and Peter Mahovlich jumped over the boards to confront police with his stick. Eagleson was freed and the coaches escorted him across the ice to the bench. In anger, he shoved his fist to the Soviet crowd, as a few other Canadian supporters also gave the finger to the Soviets.[119] The Soviets continued to play defensively. Sinden speculates the Soviets were willing to accept the tie and win the series on goal differential."

So while the Team Canada GM is being arrested by Soviet police, the game continues and with 34 seconds left possibly the most iconic goal in Canadian hockey history is scored by Paul Henderson to give Canada the series.

...

Sorry that was so long. I probably didn't even touch on everything, just the points I could remember from learning about the series from family. My dad used to talk about how he remembered school shutting down for Games 7 and 8. Every single kid was packed into the gymnasium and they grabbed the two televisions they had and put them on opposite sides of the gym.

Basically it was one of the craziest sporting events of the time, and the controversies didn't stop there. The Canada Cup became a thing, there's "The Punch-Up in Piestany" where both teams literally tried to kill one another (read about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch-up_in_Piestany there's the Crosby/Ovechkin saga...the list goes on.

Face it Espo, you played like shit in that game and deserved all you got. I still find he came off as less inspirational and more whiny but I'm sure his teammates were inspired and that's what counts.

 Good job RT and going more in depth. I'm kind of pressed for time.

That was some good reads and I get it now. The first thing that popped up when I googled Canada vs Russia rivalry was the summit series - where it all began.

Great stuff from Shootist and RT . The hockey writeups tend to be my favorites in these countdowns simply because that is the Big 4 North American sport I know the least about. I learn something almost every time.

Echo the love for RT's epic post. Makes me regret being a wise ass before. Good stuff!

I so undersold the 1987 Canada Cup the wiki write-up is just epic.

"Three closely fought 6–5 games decided the '87 Canada Cup.[1]

In Game 1, Canada erased a 4–1 second period deficit to send the game to overtime, only to lose on Alexander Semak's goal at 5:33 of the extra frame.

In Game 2, which is considered by some to be the greatest hockey game ever played,[1][4] Canada led 3–1 after one period, but this time it was the Soviets who came from behind to tie it 3–3 in the second. Canada scored twice more, each time Mario Lemieux assisted by Wayne Gretzky, but the Soviets replied each time. The tying goal was an end-to-end rush by Valeri Kamensky with 1:04 remaining in regulation time. After a scoreless period of overtime, which featured tremendous goaltending from Grant Fuhr, Gretzky and Lemieux hooked up for the third time of the evening at 10:07 of the second overtime. It was the fifth assist for Gretzky on the night and completed a hat trick for Lemieux.[1]

The Canadians got off to a slow start in the decisive third game. The Soviets scored three times in the first eight minutes to take a 3–0 lead. Canada's grinders took over after that (particularly Rick Tocchet, Brent Sutter and Dale Hawerchuk), and pulled Canada into a 5–4 lead after two periods. The Soviets tied it back up in the third and the game looked like it would head to overtime again. But late in the third period, Canada coach Mike Keenan, who had been juggling lines all series, sent the trio of Gretzky, Lemieux and Hawerchuk out to play with a faceoff in Canada's end. After the faceoff, Gretzky, Lemieux and Larry Murphy rushed up the ice. Soviet defenseman Igor Stelnov was the only man back and he fell down to block a pass across but Gretzky fed the puck back to Lemieux, who fired a shot over the glove of goaltender Sergei Mylnikov with 1:26 remaining. The Gretzky to Lemieux play is one of the most memorable plays in Canadian sports history."

Gretzky only scored 3 times the entire tournament and still got MVP honors, 500 goal scorer Dale Hawerchuk was on the third line. Just mind boggling talent on that team.

Jun 30, 2020 2:15:41 GMT Shootist said:

Gretzky only scored 3 times the entire tournament and still got MVP honors, 500 goal scorer Dale Hawerchuk was on the third line. Just mind boggling talent on that team.

Would it be accurate to say the 1987 Canada Cup team is the hockey version of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team? It certainly seems that way given your hype job.

The 1987 Canada Cup had some of the greatest hockey ever played. Probably the greatest hockey tournament ever, from top to bottom.

Jun 30, 2020 2:38:41 GMT Baker said:

Jun 30, 2020 2:15:41 GMT Shootist said:

Gretzky only scored 3 times the entire tournament and still got MVP honors, 500 goal scorer Dale Hawerchuk was on the third line. Just mind boggling talent on that team.

Would it be accurate to say the 1987 Canada Cup team is the hockey version of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team? It certainly seems that way given your hype job.

There were 12 future hall of famers on that team and they even made some questionable choices like Doug Crossman and Normand Rochefort instead of Scott Stevens or Al MacInnis on defense. Even more mind blowing, 700 goal scorer Mike Gartner was a role player as well. For that era it was as close to a dream team as you could get.

My summaries in bold

RW Glenn Anderson Vancouver, British Columbia Edmonton Oilers
(clutch playoff performer, 498 career goals)
D Ray Bourque Saint-Laurent, Quebec Boston Bruins
(all time record holder in goals assists and points for a defenseman, 4 time Norris trophy winner for top D-man)
D Paul Coffey Weston, Ontario Edmonton Oilers
(until Bourque, the previous record holder for offensive categories for a d-man, single season record holder for goals and points at D, 3 time Norris Trophy winner)
D Doug Crossman Peterborough, Ontario Philadelphia Flyers
(stay at home D-man who was a key piece to those underrated mid 80's Flyers teams)
RW Kevin Dineen Quebec City, Quebec Hartford Whalers
(formed a killer pairing with Ron Francis in Hartford, still if only Mike Bossy was healthy...)
G Grant Fuhr Spruce Grove, Alberta Edmonton Oilers
(top money goalie of the 80's, also perhaps the most exciting with his acrobatic style, anchor of the Oilers dynasty)
RW Mike Gartner Ottawa, Ontario Washington Capitals
(fastest skater in the NHL, as mentioned prodigious goal scorer who was in the midst of 15 straight seasons with at least 30 goals)
C Doug Gilmour Kingston, Ontario St. Louis Blues
(at the time an up and comer whose gritty play earned him the respect of everyone who played with or against him, 450 goals scored)
LW Michel Goulet Péribonka, Quebec Quebec Nordiques
(the face of the Nordique franchise and one of the more underrated players in history, 4 straight 50 goal seasons from 82-86, 548 career goals)
C Wayne Gretzky Brantford, Ontario Edmonton Oilers
(well duh...)
D Craig Hartsburg Stratford, Ontario Minnesota North Stars
( I guess Larry Robinson was getting long in the tooth but still. This is a weird choice as well)
C Dale Hawerchuk Toronto, Ontario Winnipeg Jets
(Face of the Winnipeg Jets, number 1 pick in the '81 draft , youngest player to score 100 points in a season at the time, 10 30 goal seasons and 518 for his career)
G Ron Hextall Brandon, Manitoba Philadelphia Flyers
 (next to Fuhr became big time in clutch situations in leading the Flyers to the '87 cup final as a rookie, wild man with several suspensions and also had a penchant for scoring, 2 legit goals at the postion which is a tied record)
G Kelly Hrudey Edmonton, Alberta New York Islanders (just came off back stopping the Islanders to a win in the longest game 7 in NHL history
, respectable career with 271 career wins which is top 50 all time)
RW Claude Lemieux Buckingham, Quebec Montreal Canadiens
(pissant irrtitant who started the Detroit/Colorado rivalry almost single handily, but also great in clutch situations)
C Mario Lemieux Montreal, Quebec Pittsburgh Penguins
(uh yeah...)
F Mark Messier Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton Oilers
(I think we've covered him pretty well, 6 Stanley Cups, second all time in points)
D Larry Murphy Scarborough, Ontario Washington Capitals
(electric defenseman in the vein of Paul Coffey, 5 20 goal seasons as a D-man, second most games played all time at the position)
D James Patrick Winnipeg, Manitoba New York Rangers
(a complete all around D-man, wouldn't have been a first choice, Al Iafrate of 103 mph slapshot fame is another name that comes to mind as a replacement)
LW Brian Propp Lanigan, Saskatchewan Philadelphia Flyers
(next to Mario one of the most impressive junior careers of all time, along with Tim Kerr supplied the fire power for the mid 80's Flyers)
D Normand Rochefort Quebec City, Quebec Quebec Nordiques
(I barely remember this name... going off stats a more traditional D-man, eh...)
C Brent Sutter Viking, Alberta New York Islanders
(grinder on the flashy Islander teams of the 80's, consistent scorer and best of the 6 Sutter brothers)
RW Rick Tocchet Scarborough, Ontario Philadelphia Flyers (another gritty complete player like Gilmour who hadn't come into his own yet, 40 plus goal scorer multiple times post '87, most notably with Mario and the Pens)

Jun 30, 2020 3:24:20 GMT Shootist said:

Jun 30, 2020 2:38:41 GMT Baker said:

C Doug Gilmour Kingston, Ontario St. Louis Blues
(at the time an up and comer whose gritty play earned him the respect of everyone who played with or against him, 450 goals scored)

My favorite player when I kinda sorta followed hockey for those few years during the mid 90s.

Great post as usual.

I have to go to sleep now. But if I remember tomorrow I'm going to run the Baker Test on all these guys. 

Jun 30, 2020 4:03:44 GMT Baker said:

Jun 30, 2020 3:24:20 GMT Shootist said:

C Doug Gilmour Kingston, Ontario St. Louis Blues
(at the time an up and comer whose gritty play earned him the respect of everyone who played with or against him, 450 goals scored)

My favorite player when I kinda sorta followed hockey for those few years during the mid 90s.

Great post as usual.

I have to go to sleep now. But if I remember tomorrow I'm going to run the Baker Test on all these guys. 

From around 1991-1995 Gilmour was in the running for mine as well. He became the heart and soul of lose Leaf teams.

I really want to see how Ron Hextall does on your Baker test. I didn't go deeper into his wild man persona, he's the all time leader for penalty minutes both single season and career for a goalie.



and Claude Lemieux for that matter, biggest heel to use wrestling terms for me in the 90's as a Red Wings fan.

Shootist

Hextall passes. Knew he was a goalie. Knew he was a Flyer. Didn't know he was a goon though. 
Claude Lemieux passes with flying colors. Devils legend. Fun Fact: For the longest time I just assumed he was Mario's brother  :lol: