12/18/24
December 10, 2012
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
The Ravens fire Cam Cameron. No word as to whether Cab Calloway has been contacted.
posted by yerfatma at 12:17 PM on December 10, 2012
So what are the best rivalries in all of the leagues?
MLB: Yankees vs Red Sox
NHL: Maple Leafs vs Canadiens
NFL: Cowboys vs Washington?
NBA: Celtics vs Lakers
EPL: ManU vs ManC? ManU vs Liverpool?
posted by grum@work at 12:32 PM on December 10, 2012
I think the EPL Would be Man United vs Liverpool and Arsenal vs Spurs. I think Manchester United fans still consider themselves to be "above" City to a degree that it's not a real rivalry.
The Black Country derbies are pretty heated, but have gone off the boil as Villa are one of the dullest sides in the league and despite West Brom's current good times, it doesn't seem like another of the other midlands teams - Brom, Wolves, Birmingham - can stay up long enough to build it up properly.
Of course, Elsewhere you have the likes of Real-Barca and Celtic-Rangers that have a little more to them than just football.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:39 PM on December 10, 2012
I'm partial to NFL: Pittsburgh vs Baltimore, but maybe that's more a product of Talking Head Speak.
posted by jmd82 at 12:40 PM on December 10, 2012
Forget the EPL. The rivalry in British soccer is MK Dons vs. AFC Wimbledon.
posted by rcade at 01:09 PM on December 10, 2012
NFL has lots of regional rivalries thanks to the scheduling. I'd vote Manning(s) v Brady.
posted by kokaku at 01:14 PM on December 10, 2012
Packers-Bears (I am of a mixed family and am now a Lions fan by virtue of geography, so it sucks to admit it)
posted by Etrigan at 01:45 PM on December 10, 2012
Stoke - Port Vale is one of those rivalries where there is no humour whatsoever. Portsmouth - Southampton is similar. But they're lower-division, and a lot of the old First Division city derbies (Sheffield, even Nottingham for a time) have been broken up.
As an ongoing contest, Arsenal - Spurs has staying power, perhaps more so than the Manchester and Liverpool derbies. Although Newcastle - Sunderland definitely has a lot going for it.
posted by etagloh at 02:45 PM on December 10, 2012
Pittsburgh v. Baltimore in the NFL is remarkable in that it's such a relatively young rivalry, yet has gotten very meaningful and intense very quickly.
The thing I like about the Packers-Bears rivalry is that it's a border war with pockets of resistance firmly entrenched on both sides of the state line. If you're a Pack fan heading home from Illinois, I don't think you can really feel that you're out of no man's land until you're north of Racine.
The NBA Celtics - Lakers rivalry is important, but for sheer depth of passion and frequency of clashes, it does not equal the Celtics-76ers jihad of bygone days. Bob Ryan referred to the first Boston-Phila. game of each season as the annual Athens-Sparta renewal. Charles Barkley was completely delusional in thinking that his arrival in Philly raised the rivalry to a new level. In truth, by that time, most of the major warfare between the two teams had already taken place.
The latter 80's Celtics-Pistons rivalry was notably intense for a shorter period of time. The 1987 conference finals was a Tombstone showdown. If Clint Eastwood were to say that he was unable to watch Game 7, I would understand.
Someone could also make an intermittent case for Sixers-Lakers.
posted by beaverboard at 03:01 PM on December 10, 2012
I think Manchester United fans still consider themselves to be "above" City to a degree that it's not a real rivalry.
Sort of like the Battle of Ontario in the NHL. Until the Senators actually beat the Leafs in the playoffs...
Of course, the Leafs would need to actually MAKE the playoffs for that to happen.
Of course, there would actually have to be an NHL season for that to happen.
posted by grum@work at 03:28 PM on December 10, 2012
I'd vote for Celtics-Lakers for a few reasons: sheer length; it's the two most successful franchises in the sport, bar none; and in a game where basically only the playoffs count, they've met in the Finals 12 times -- no two non-Celtic/Laker teams have met in the Finals more than twice. Thirty-three times, the Celtics or Lakers have ended the other team's season (only four other franchises have even played that many games in the Finals). That is insane. Other rivalries may have been deeper, but if you add up all the hate and heartbreak together, it's Celtics-Lakers in a walk.
posted by Etrigan at 03:51 PM on December 10, 2012
posted by yerfatma at 03:52 PM on December 10, 2012
Western Kentucky invests in three electronic monitoring bracelets.
posted by NerfballPro at 03:57 PM on December 10, 2012
Does Western Kentucky have a women's Volleyball squad?
posted by cixelsyd at 04:48 PM on December 10, 2012
It will soon.
posted by Etrigan at 05:09 PM on December 10, 2012
This year's edition of Taylor University's Silent Night. Casey Coons should probably go invest in some lottery tickets or something.
posted by bender at 05:20 PM on December 10, 2012
Gotta wonder what went through Becky Petrino's mind as her husband proudly announced:
"As of today, honey, I'm the head Hilltopper".
posted by beaverboard at 05:40 PM on December 10, 2012
I miss the Red Wings/Avalanche rivalry.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:01 PM on December 10, 2012
Edmonton vs Calgary... (CFL or NHL. Sadly not in baseball anymore)
posted by Drood at 06:07 PM on December 10, 2012
First one I thought of was Rangers - Phillies, especially going back to the '70s and '80s. Boy was there blood in those games!
posted by billsaysthis at 06:16 PM on December 10, 2012
Calling rcade -- AFCA auctioning autographed game footballs, including North Texas.
posted by wfrazerjr at 06:54 PM on December 10, 2012
NCAA football: Michigan/Ohio State
NCAA basketball: Duke/Carolina
NHL: Carolina/New Jersey in the playoffs (I'm just trying to get fritsy to come back)
posted by NoMich at 08:56 PM on December 10, 2012
and a lot of the old First Division city derbies (Sheffield, even Nottingham for a time) have been broken up.
Say what you like, I still hate those F****t bastards for winning OUR European Cups, with OUR players. The East Midlands rivalry is still very much alive, albeit in the Championship.
/Goes back to sticking pins in Sam Longston voodoo doll.
posted by owlhouse at 09:15 PM on December 10, 2012
As I write this, the Patriots are up over the Texans 21-0 in the second quarter. If the Texans come back and win this (and let's be frank, the Texans could totally come back and win this - this is the 2012 Texans we're talking about) then I'd like to kindly ask the sports media to shut up about the Patriots running up the score for a while.
Besides, Seattle holds this season's running up the score record.
posted by Joey Michaels at 09:52 PM on December 10, 2012
Hunh, well, maybe this isn't the 2012 Texans tonight. Who knew?
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:08 PM on December 10, 2012
NFL Time Travel Hot Tub in action, Joey!
posted by billsaysthis at 11:52 AM on December 11, 2012
Carolina/New Jersey in the playoffs
Go coitus yourself.
I never left. I just sit here quietly lurking, waiting for a chance to pounce.
posted by MrFrisby at 01:16 PM on December 11, 2012
A reddit user explains the rivalry between Paris-Saint Germain and Olympique de Marseille.