It made my list because it had to , but I knocked it a few spots because it's baseball. I do remember watching some of these games , I remember seeing the highlights of a ton of the stuff and this rivalry taking forefront in the early 2000's and that 2004 ALCS was really one of the peak moments of recent baseball history.

What a great pic for this.

Even despite half of my family (mom's side) hailing from Massachusetts, Red Sox vs. Yankees was never really a thing on my radar growing up. Somewhat strangely, my grandpa was more of a Mets fan (perhaps because he was involved with their spring training down in Florida?) and Gah seemed more into the pre-Brady Patriots than any other team or sport.

But then I moved to Boston for college in fall of 2005, one year removed from that long-awaited World Series Title victory, and it all became VERY apparent what the #1 sports rivalry of all time was. Like to the extent I was surprised there weren't Israel/Palestinian-style rocket attacks between Boston and NYC whenever there was a series going on between the two teams.

Being an accentless outsider from the DC area who had maybe more of a Southern or Midwest accent than anything, New Yorkers and Bostonians sounded similar enough to me I struggled to tell how they could tell each other apart if they weren't wearing their teams gear. When I asked a retired Boston firefighter slash lifelong Red Sox season ticket holder with whom I worked, he said it's easy to tell just from the smell. Pretty sure he wouldn't have saved a Yankees fan even if they were on fire in front of him while he was holding a running hose.

Then they won again in 2007 in the middle of my Boston stint. Talk about insufferably annoying fans. Never get caught going somewhere on the T on a home game night, especially if the Yankees are visiting. You'll be packed like sardines inside a deafeningly drunk piss-soaked subway car.

All in all, I loved watching and listening to the heated rivalry as a more unbiased third party. It felt like a sociology project. I didn't have skin in the game, and couldn't (and still don't) understand how people could be so up in arms passionate about baseball of all boring things. That would be like feuding over golf. But it all least provided some level of peripheral entertainment on some level. And based on personal experience, this seems like a fitting #1.

I had this #3 on my list, because well.....baseball. At the same time I though I couldn't ignore the 100+years of history and mythos this rivalry carries.

1. Ali vs Frazier
2.Lakers vs Celtics
3.Yankees vs. Red Sox
4.Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta
5.Packers vs. Bears
6.Raiders vs Chiefs
7.Liverpool vs. Arsenal
8.Barceloma vs. Real Madrid.
9.Chicago Bulls vs Detroit Pistons
10.UNC vs Duke(Basketball)
11.Michigan vs Ohio State(Football)
12.Cowboys vs Redskins
13. 49'ers vs. Giants
14. Alabama vs.Clemson (Football)
15.Steelers vs. Ravens

Mine:
1. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
2. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns
3. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Filthadelphia Flyers
4. Missouri Tigers vs. Kansas Jayhawks
5. Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen
6. Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
7. Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
8. Harvard Crimson vs. Yale Bulldogs
9. USA vs. USSR
10. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Tyson vs. Holyfield
12. Ali vs. Frazier
13. Tiger vs. Phil
14. Palmer vs. Nichlaus
15. Brady vs. Peyton

I wish more AFC West rivalries made it , honestly outside of personal ones as far as rivalries within a division I find those to seem to seem like the most personal or historic. Minus the Chargers.

I’d take Raiders vs Chiefs , Raider vs Broncos and Chiefs vs Broncos over most.

And San Diego/Oakland seems cooler too.

Also Pats/Colts had a fun one for awhile in the same ilk and Cowboys and 49ers.

Jul 13, 2020 13:50:17 GMT 🤯 said:

What a great pic for this.

Even despite half of my family (mom's side) hailing from Massachusetts, Red Sox vs. Yankees was never really a thing on my radar growing up. Somewhat strangely, my grandpa was more of a Mets fan (perhaps because he was involved with their spring training down in Florida?) and Gah seemed more into the pre-Brady Patriots than any other team or sport.

But then I moved to Boston for college in fall of 2005, one year removed from that long-awaited World Series Title victory, and it all became VERY apparent what the #1 sports rivalry of all time was. Like to the extent I was surprised there weren't Israel/Palestinian-style rocket attacks between Boston and NYC whenever there was a series going on between the two teams.

Being an accentless outsider from the DC area who had maybe more of a Southern or Midwest accent than anything, New Yorkers and Bostonians sounded similar enough to me I struggled to tell how they could tell each other apart if they weren't wearing their teams gear. When I asked a retired Boston firefighter slash lifelong Red Sox season ticket holder with whom I worked, he said it's easy to tell just from the smell. Pretty sure he wouldn't have saved a Yankees fan even if they were on fire in front of him while he was holding a running hose.

Then they won again in 2007 in the middle of my Boston stint. Talk about insufferably annoying fans. Never get caught going somewhere on the T on a home game night, especially if the Yankees are visiting. You'll be packed like sardines inside a deafeningly drunk piss-soaked subway car.

All in all, I loved watching and listening to the heated rivalry as a more unbiased third party. It felt like a sociology project. I didn't have skin in the game, and couldn't (and still don't) understand how people could be so up in arms passionate about baseball of all boring things. That would be like feuding over golf. But it all least provided some level of peripheral entertainment on some level. And based on personal experience, this seems like a fitting #1.

Heh, two golf rivalries made my list, great story.

Yanks/Bosox was my number 1. I'm an admitted fence jumper with this one, I loved the 90's lunch-pail Yankees but also was ecstatic when Boston came back in the '04 ALCS. Just too much history and myth associated with this rivalry to not be number 1 for me.

I guess I can reveal what those two golf rivalries were and other odd picks that I made. I tried to be somewhat of a renaissance man with my picks but I just can't do right by soccer since I never really watched it except for that brief time during the 1990 World Cup.

1. New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox (MLB)
2. LA Lakers vs. Boston Celtics (NBA)
3. Canada vs. Russia (Men's Hockey)
4. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
5. Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears (NFL)
6. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier (Boxing)
7. Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal (Tennis)
8. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins (NHL)
9. United States vs. Europe (Men's Golf- Ryder Cup)
10. Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins (NFL)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens (NFL)
12. Canada vs. USA (Women's Hockey)
13. Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer vs. Gary Player (Golf)
14. Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
15. Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost (Formula 1)

Jul 13, 2020 15:31:36 GMT thereallt said:

7.Liverpool vs. Arsenal

Was this supposed to be Liverpool/Man Utd? Liverpool's main rivals are Man Utd (biggest) and Everton (local). Arsenal's are Spurs (local and biggest), Chelsea (local) and Man Utd.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs/Montreal Canadiens
2. Los Angeles Lakers/Boston Celtics
3. New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox
4. Michigan/Ohio State (Football)
5. Barcelona/Real Madrid
6. Dallas Cowboys/Washington Redskins
7. Boston Bruins/Montreal Canadiens
8. Philadelphia Eagles/New York Giants
9. Manchester United/Arsenal
10. Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal
11. Green Bay Packers/Chicago Bears
12. Canada/Russia (Men's Hockey)
13. Canada/United States (Women's Hockey)
14. Miami/Notre Dame (Football)
15. Edmonton Oilers/Calgary Flames

For as short the rivalry was, Miami/Notre Dame was pretty volatile. Miami piling it on in Jerry Faust's last game as Notre Dame's head coach in '85. 1988's Catholics vs. Convicts, ending with Miami getting screwed out of a TD, that took them out of National Title contention. Up to 1990's finale, there was a lot of TNT in that pocket.

And let's not forget about the NHL's Battle of Alberta.

Jul 13, 2020 20:44:54 GMT CM Punk'd said:

And let's not forget about the NHL's Battle of Alberta.

I was all in on that one as a Flames fan in the 80's/early 90's. Steve Smith's own goal in 1986 and Theoren Fleury's Game 6 winner in 1991 are still points of pride in my hockey viewing.

Looking back at the 1990 World Cup this is probably why I was turned off. I don't know why I even started to have an interest in soccer back then. Probably just trying to continue to broaden my horizons beyond hockey.

From wiki:
"The 1990 World Cup is widely regarded as one of the poorest World Cups in terms of the games. It generated an average 2.2 goals per game – a record low that still stands."

Yankees/Red Sox was my #1 with a bullet. As far as I'm concerned, it is the rivalry to which all others are compared. Nothing else even comes close. PW must agree since it won despite our lack of baseball fans.

The Greatest Rivalry In All Of Sports started in earnest when the Red Sox sold Babe "GOAT" Ruth to the Yankees after the 1919 season because their owner needed money to finance his stupid Broadway plays. Up to that point, the Sox had won 5 of the first 16 World Series, and the Yankees none. It would take the Sox 86 years to finally win another- this drought is famously referred to as "The Curse of the Bambino." The Yankees won a whopping 26 Series during that long lull in Boston.

Oh, but it gets even worse for the Sox. They were like the Minnesota Vikings, only more so, in that they typically fielded good teams, yet rarely managed to overcome the Yankees. They did make the Series 4 times during that stretch. All of them being epic 7 game defeats. The way they lost the famous '86 Series to the Mets makes the Vikings so-called struggles almost laughable.

Let's go back in time a bit. During the Yankees inaugural Golden Age in the 20s & 30s, their pitching staff was anchored by Red Ruffing, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, and Carl Mays. These guys are only known to the most hardcore baseball historians nowadays, but they were all either Hall of Famers, or borderline HoFers. Every single one of these pitching aces started with the Red Sox before finding their mojo in New York with the hated Yankees. The Sox were basically the Yankees unofficial farm team.

This pattern of Red Sox defecting to the Yankees continued into modern times with Red Sox legends Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon, and Jacoby Ellsbury all turning heel by going to New York.

UT covered most of the other highlights- Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Pedro vs. Zimmer, and the legendary 2004 ALCS where the Sox finally broke the Curse of the Bambino by becoming the first team in baseball (major American sports?) history to come back from a 0-3 deficit. Naturally they did this against their arch rivals, the New York Yankees. The Sox then went on to win the Series, ending the 86 year Curse of the Bambino. That run is one of my favorites in sports history. Loved the 2004 Red Sox because fuck the Yankees.

The Red Sox have actually won 3 Series to the Yankees 1 since 2004, but they still have a loooong way to go if they're ever going to catch New York.

For these reasons and more, the heat is off the charts when these two teams play. The hatred is real. There was a stretch during the 2000s where you expected a fight to break out at any moment, and one often did. 

Fans of basically every other team in the AL (and probably most in the NL tbh) hate the Yankees more than any other team. Most baseball fans outside of Boston also hate the Red Sox nowadays (they stopped being lovable losers a long time ago, and are now basically Yankees Lite when it comes to both payroll and obnoxiousness- they don't call 'em Massholes for nothing). Yet to Yankees and Red Sox fans, all those other teams and their fanbases barely register at all. They're just mildly annoying children. They reserve their true hatred for the century-old Greatest Rivalry In All Of Sports.

1. Yankees vs. Red Sox (#1)
2. Steelers vs. Ravens (#5)
3. Celtics vs. Lakers (#2)
4. Duke vs. UNC (college basketball) (#6)
5. Alabama vs. Auburn (college football)
6. Michigan vs. Ohio St (college football) (#4)
7. Giants vs. Dodgers
8. Falcons vs. Saints (#15)
9. Florida St. vs. Miami (college football)
10. Cubs vs. Cardinals
11. Packers vs. Bears (#3)
12. Cowboys vs. Redskins (#10)
13. Louisville vs. Kentucky (college basketball)
14. 49ers vs. Seahawks
15. UCLA vs. USC (college football)

NFL- 5
College Football- 4
MLB- 3
College Basketball- 2
NBA- 1

Also NBA rivalries that were/are fun for me:

Bulls/Pistons (deserved to be on the list you NBA haters)
Lakers/Spurs
Bulls/Knicks


Knicks/Pacers
Lakers/Kings

Jul 14, 2020 0:16:46 GMT Baker said:

Yankees/Red Sox was my #1 with a bullet. As far as I'm concerned, it is the rivalry to which all others are compared. Nothing else even comes close. PW must agree since it won despite our lack of baseball fans.

The Greatest Rivalry In All Of Sports started in earnest when the Red Sox sold Babe "GOAT" Ruth to the Yankees after the 1919 season because their owner needed money to finance his stupid Broadway plays. Up to that point, the Sox had won 5 of the first 16 World Series, and the Yankees none. It would take the Sox 86 years to finally win another- this drought is famously referred to as "The Curse of the Bambino." The Yankees won a whopping 26 Series during that long lull in Boston.

Oh, but it gets even worse for the Sox. They were like the Minnesota Vikings, only more so, in that they typically fielded good teams, yet rarely managed to overcome the Yankees. They did make the Series 4 times during that stretch. All of them being epic 7 game defeats. The way they lost the famous '86 Series to the Mets makes the Vikings so-called struggles almost laughable.

Let's go back in time a bit. During the Yankees inaugural Golden Age in the 20s & 30s, their pitching staff was anchored by Red Ruffing, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, and Carl Mays. These guys are only known to the most hardcore baseball historians nowadays, but they were all either Hall of Famers, or borderline HoFers. Every single one of these pitching aces started with the Red Sox before finding their mojo in New York with the hated Yankees. The Sox were basically the Yankees unofficial farm team.

This pattern of Red Sox defecting to the Yankees continued into modern times with Red Sox legends Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon, and Jacoby Ellsbury all turning heel by going to New York.

UT covered most of the other highlights- Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Pedro vs. Zimmer, and the legendary 2004 ALCS where the Sox finally broke the Curse of the Bambino by becoming the first team in baseball (major American sports?) history to come back from a 0-3 deficit. Naturally they did this against their arch rivals, the New York Yankees. The Sox then went on to win the Series, ending the 86 year Curse of the Bambino. That run is one of my favorites in sports history. Loved the 2004 Red Sox because fuck the Yankees.

The Red Sox have actually won 3 Series to the Yankees 1 since 2004, but they still have a loooong way to go if they're ever going to catch New York.

For these reasons and more, the heat is off the charts when these two teams play. The hatred is real. There was a stretch during the 2000s where you expected a fight to break out at any moment, and one often did. 

Fans of basically every other team in the AL (and probably most in the NL tbh) hate the Yankees more than any other team. Most baseball fans outside of Boston also hate the Red Sox nowadays (they stopped being lovable losers a long time ago, and are now basically Yankees Lite when it comes to both payroll and obnoxiousness- they don't call 'em Massholes for nothing). Yet to Yankees and Red Sox fans, all those other teams and their fanbases barely register at all. They're just mildly annoying children. They reserve their true hatred for the century-old Greatest Rivalry In All Of Sports.

The 1942 or 1943 Leafs came back from 0-3 to beat the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup.