E.g.: I think LeBron is right. Cavs vs. Warriors is NOT a rivalry. These just happened to be the two best teams in the league at this particular point.

True natural rivalries, to me, are mostly based on something natural, something that exists beyond just two good teams playing.

Usually it is geographic tradition. Cleveland/Pittsburgh in football. Cleveland/Detroit in basketball.

The Steelers/Ravens rivalry has mostly been fueled simply by the fact that both have been good at the same time....but there is enough of a geographical proximity to say, yes, there may be more to it than just two teams being good at the same time.

Another example: Browns vs. Broncos....was not really a rivalry. It was just two teams who were good at the same time.

Some of the BEST rivalries, in the NFL at least, have been suppressed. THE most natural rivalries are not allowed to flourish:

No Jets vs. Giants (Christ, these two play in the same stadium), no Raiders/49ers...and this one will be going away in a couple of years. No Ravens vs. Redskins. These two cities are as close as Akron and Cleveland. Rams/Chargers should now become a natural rivalry, they too will be playing in the same stadium. Other natural rivalries are not promoted: Texas Tango: Cowboys vs. Texans, Florida salsa: Dolphins/Bucs/Jags Pennsylvania Polka: Steelers vs. Eagles (who once merged into one team)

In terms of teams in the same state being placed in the same division, right now you have only: Calif. with Rams/49ers, and for a bit Chargers/Raiders. Browns/Bengals, and Jets/Bills....if you discount the fact that the Jets actually play in NJ, not NY.

Most teams in the same state are in different divisons/conferences. The Florida teams are all in separate divisions.

@tour2ma said:

And Garrett has already helped them renew that rivalry. I'm hoping that the Steelers' desire to show up the rookie is used well by our DC and backfires on them by unleashing Ogbah, Peppers & Co. while Garrett gets those double/triple teams he is already used to in the SEC.

Oilers-Steelers during the Oilers' "Luv Ya Blue" days was as heated as any NFL rivalry I have seen... including Renfro's "non-catch" catch in the snow in old, Three Rivers which did as much to give birth to "replay" as any other single play.

Team rivalries are easy... what about player rivalries?

Jim Brown vs. Sam Huff...

Any bigger than Larry Bird-Magic Johnson?

@nickers said:

lol... "The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd vs. Johnny Powers

In my home of childhood it was divided as the Cowboys always won but as time went on its been all Cardinals,

@tiamat63 said:

Though certainly it is historically relevent.

@the-gipper said:

Here is someone's somewhat bogus "Top 25 Rivalries" in history of America:

25. 76ers vs. Celtics

24. Harvard vs. Yale football

23. Cowboys vs. 49ers

22. Yankees vs. Royals ??

21. USC vs. UCLA football

20. Bulls vs. Pistons

19. Stanford vs. Cal football

18. Yankees vs. Dodgers

17. Indiana vs. Purdue basketball

16. Miami Fla. vs. Florida St. Football

15. USC vs. Notre football

14. Steelers vs. Ravens

13. Cubs vs. Cardinals

12. Army vs. Navy football

11. Redskins vs. Cowboys

10. Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football

9. Texas vs. Oklahoma football

8. USA vs. Russia (USSR) hockey

7. Dodgers vs. Giants

6. Bears vs. Packers

5. Auburn vs. Alabama football

4. Duke vs. North Carolina basketball

3. Ohio St. vs. Michigan football

2. Lakers vs. Celtics

1. Red Sox vs. Yankees

Not sure I can agree with all this.

1. Browns front office vs. common sense and any kind of cohesive plan. This rivalry is decades long.

@mld-woody said:

And versa vice... it takes two, baby...

@comeonman said:

Steelers Ravens. GTFO

Carryover... since the Ravens are the old Browns... 🥷

@texasag1969 said:

Not a rivalry Bill...that was absolute domination! Secretariat is far & away the most dominant horse I ever saw run.

Mike

@mld-woody said:

College football rivalries are better and more intense than any other, imo.

@tour2ma said:

Yup... and ours is being reborn before our very eyes. 'Bout time you guys got your shit together.

@mld-woody said:

College Football is tough with recruiting not being an exact science and great players turning over much faster than pro sports, as a Sooner fan Texas is the main rival but the game is more trap than battle at this point.

@tour2ma said:

Yup... and ours is being reborn before our very eyes. 'Bout time you guys got your shit together.

Cycles

Unfortunately whenever OSU has their downturn I won't care nearly as much.

@the-gipper said:

Some hits and misses. Typically no one agrees on all of these. I have no issue with 1 & 2

@tour2ma said:

Auburn - Alabama is already on the list.

And who is this tu of which you speak, that team that was in Asstin whose selfish leadership made them dead to me?

@mld-woody said:

Yup... and ours is being reborn before our very eyes. 'Bout time you guys got your shit together.

@wargograw said:

Not to mention Alabama - Auburn...

Aggies - tu can give any college rivalry a run for it's money...

@the-gipper said: