I'm writing a story on famous sports rivalries. I am interested in
hearing about fierce rivalries between sports teams at any level of
play (high school, college, and pro). Which rivalries are the most
fierce? I read a list online at askmen.com, but I didn't think that
list did a good job at all. What do you think? What rivalries matter
most in your area? Thanks in advance for your opinion.

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 09 Nov 2006 13:09 PST

No problem! Hands down is an ancient rivarly that you may never have
heard of. The answer is the Nika riot that began on Tuesday, January
13, 532AD:

THE NIKA RIOT
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/circusmaximus/nika.html

"In the 6th century, rivalry between supporters of the Blue and Green
chariot-racing teams in Constantinople, led to 30,000 deaths in the
week of the Nika riots in 532."
NIKA RIOTS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nika_riots

How's that?

tutuzdad-ga

Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL hockey (there's a game
this Saturday!)

College football:
Michigan vs. Ohio State
Florida vs. Florida State
USC vs. UCLA

NFL:
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
NY Giants vs. Washington Redskins
NY Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs

MLB:
NY Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Um, duhhh, Texas High School Football.  There's no comparison.  

Check out the movie, "Friday Night Lights."  It might give you some idea. 
http://www.fridaynightlightsmovie.com 

If you need any more explanation, here are a few articles: 
http://gotexas.about.com/od/texasvacations/a/HSfootball.htm
http://www.getapodcast.com/podcast2268.aspx
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Allure-of-Texas-High-School-Football&id=256049
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2004/October/08/sport/stories/01sport.htm

Or just do a search for yourself on [texas high school football]

I have a young email pal from Midland whose sister was an extra (in
the band) in the movie, and who had a chance to be a football extra,
until they told him he'd have to put on a Permian jersey, which he
just couldn't bring himself to do ....

My grandson has a year left in middle school, and then he will be
playing Texas high school football. I can hardly wait!! :-)

Cheers,
Byrd-ga
[infected with the Friday night madness, like all other Texans]

I think people are leaving out all the big soccer rivalries.  I don't
know what they actually are though, because I'm American.

The biggest rivalry of all, of course, is Miyagi dojo vs Cobra Kai. 
You're the best. Around.  Nothing's ever gonna keep you done.

Collingwood versus Essendon on Anzac Day! Giga-rivals!

(Australian Rules Football. 
And US sports fans will know a bit about it thanks to Ben Graham --
punter for NY Jets. He was ours once. (Geelong.) Best player for the
best team playing the best game in the world!)

Celtic vs. Rangers.

In college football there are many but Ohio State vs. Michigan is one
of the top ones.  They're even delaying vote counting in a tight Ohio
Congressional race for the game:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/elections/15982012.htm

DUKE - UNC COMING SOON TO ESPN.

I agree with hoser93 that Duke-UNC is hard to be rivaled.

For baseball, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs is quite the showdown.

As far as an above suggestion of Cowboys-Giants goes, as a lifelong
Cowboys fan, I've never given a rip about them playing the New York
Giants, but maybe I'm on another planet.  It seems to me like Cowboys
fans care more about the 49ers (in the '90s) and the Packers.

"Fierce" and "intense" sports rivalry may need a bit of definition. 
Are you more interested in what happens between the players or between
the fans (short for fanatics)?  Does "fierce" and "intense" have to
breach the rules of the game or of normal decorum on the part of the
fans?

I am rather partial to the "Boat Race" between Oxford and Cambridge,
but the F & I remain quite civil.

The "Palio" horse races in Siena twice a year certainly are fierce and intense:
http://goeurope.about.com/od/paliodisiena/

Hi! 
Great Question!

I live in a medium-sized town in Missouri. We have the official OLDEST
RIVALRY on the west side of the Mississppi, between our high school
and the next town over.

We have had Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine cover the schools and
the rivalry. Every Thankgiving Day, we have the game, called the
"Turkey Day Game" at high noon. It is held at the high schools on
alternating years (Kirkwood on odd years, Webster Groves on even
years). In 2007, the games will have been going on for 100 years.

In the community, we live for this game. I constantly hear stories
about my grandparents and their involvements in the games, rallies,
etc. The rivalry was so bad at one point in time (around the early
part of the century), the games were cancelled for a few years (one
man was shot off of his horse on the way to the game!) Our community
revolves around the history of this game. When it happens each year,
you will see helicoptors flying above the fields! The traffic to park
and go gets bad, but I'm lucky enough to live close! There are a lot
of community rules, like you can't live in Webster if you grew up in
Kirkwood.

I am from Kirkwood, so I will root for Kirkwood always!

Here are some websites about the towns and our rivalry:

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster_Groves
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkwood,_Missouri

NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/10/travel/escapes/10ahead.html

School Website:
http://www.kirkwood.k12.mo.us/parent_student/KHS/Sports/turkey_day/Kevin%20Thayer/Turkey%20Day2/History.htm

You can find many sources on the games, especially this time of year
(because the game is coming up).

Info:
The schools:
Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri
Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, Missouri (the BAD one!!!)
Turkey Day Game

I dont know how many people in your part of the world now about the
game cricket. In cricket the real rivalry show goes between the
countries like England and Australia. The each and every match played
between these two nations really brings the thrill to the audience.
That is the real rivalry sports which i see in my life. The defeat is
not considered between the teams instead it is seen as if between the
two countries.

I strongly think that the biggest rivalry and best-to-see match all
over the world, is Boca Juniors - River Plate in Argentina (Soccer).
It is really amazing. To support my opinion, here you have an article
from a UK newspaper...

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1182710,00.html

As you may see, it is listed No. 1 in the list of events you MUST see.

Here, you can also see some pics of some previously matches.

http://www.lamitadmas1.com.ar/partidoxpartido/2002Apertura/River-Boca2.asp
http://www.elsitioxeneize.com.ar/fotos_de_la_12.htm

Wish you like it!!

Cricket: Australia vs England, a rivalry known as "The Ashes".

Cricket itself is an epic game where one match lasts for 5 days,
beginning at 10AM and ending at 5PM or 6PM (depending on weather
interruptions). An Ashes test series consists of five of these
matches.

"The series is named after a satirical obituary published in The
Sporting Times in 1882 following the match at The Oval, in which
Australia beat England in England for the first time. The obituary
stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated
and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media dubbed the next
English tour, to Australia (1882-83) as the quest to regain The
Ashes."

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashes

It's a rivalry that's included Bodyline in the 1930s (a series where
the English players used a tactic of bowling at the batsman's head or
heart in an attempt to force him to fend it off with their bat, which
would spill a catch to waiting fielders). This was reputed to have
become so bad that it threatened Australian and UK international
relations.

It has a real history to it, especially with both sides being the two
original cricket Test match playing nations.

Argentina:

Soccer: First division.(greater leagues)
River Plate - Boca Juniors (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Estudiantes de La Plata - Gimnasia y Esgrima (La Plata City, Argentina)

Independiente - Racing Club (Avellaneda City, Argentina)

Newell`s Olds Boys - Rosario Central (Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina)

Good Luck.