Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are coming off a physical game with the Steelers last week and they will not get a week off.  The Titans are as physical as they come.  Tennessee has one of the leagues best running attacks with Lendale White and Chris Johnson and make no mistake of what they want to do.  Joe Flacco will try to build on his performance against Pittsburgh and manage Ravens to victory. 

The Ravens defense is good enough to stuff the running game and force Kerry Collins to beat them.  The Titans are ripe for their first loss.

Ravens 17  Titans 16

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles

The Redskins are coming off a huge win against Dallas, while the Eagles came up short against Chicago.  This is a classic let down game.  Brian Westbrook will be a key if he plays.  Donovan McNab will have to play big, because they are having problems running the ball, and the Redskins defense plays the run well.

The Eagles have to have this game, and will play like it.

Eagles 27  Redskins 21

San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins

Miami got their first win last weekend against the Patriots, but they will be playing a Charger team that finally got LaDainian Tomlinson on track.  Even though they will be traveling across the country their defense should be able to stymie Chad Pennington and company.  Especially if they stuff their running game.  That will be the key.

Chargers 17  Miami 13

Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers

This could be the perfect storm for the Falcons.  Aaron Rodgers may not play.  Green Bay’s defense is giving up over five yards per carry, and Atlanta prefers to live and die with Michael Turner running the ball a lot.  Matt Ryan has struggled on the road so far, so they would like to just pound the ball.

If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play, this game is not only close, but the Falcons have a chance to win.  Green Bay’s secondary is not in great shape either.

Packers 20  Falcons 17

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions

Even though the Lions won both meetings last year, they are in disarray.  They are win-less in three games so far, and Jon Kitna has been ineffective as their starting quarterback.  The Bears would like to control the game by running it and making sure that Kyle Orton doesn’t have to win the game on his own.  The Bears should win a close one.

Bears 23  Lions 20

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Desperation time for the Colts.  They have to have this game to get back in the hunt in their division.  The health of their offensive line is the key.  If they can create some space for Joseph Addai, and give Peyton Manning time to throw they will be in good shape.  Manning has been hit more this year than the past two years combined.

Colts 27  Texans 24

Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants

The Seahawks are coming off their bye week, but have to trave accross the country to play the Super Bowl champions.  Their struggles on the road when going east have been well chronicled.  Julius Jones has been suprisingly effective for them and they will need to run the ball against the Giants, but that is easier said than done.

Giants will get it done at home in spite of Plaxico Burress out due to his suspension.

Giants 27  Seahawks 17

Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers

Damon Huard has stabilized the Chiefs offense, and if their offensive line continues to improve they will be more and more competitive as the year goes on.  Carolina will want to exploit the suspect run defense of the Chiefs.  That will keep them honest so they don’t load up on Steve Smith.

The only way the Chiefs can win this game is for Larry Johnson to have a big game.  If the Chiefs become one dimensional they will be in trouble.

Panthers 31  Chiefs 24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos

This game may come down to how well Brian Griese plays against the Bronco defense.  Griese has thrown six interceptions the last two weeks, but Denver’s defense hasn’t been effective stopping teams either.  The Broncos fortunes have rested on the arm of Jay Cutler, who has been great. 

Tampa Bay’s defense will not be easy to dissect, and if Denver insists on throwing a lot, they could be in for a long day.  A balanced attack would be more in order if they want to keep Cutler healthy.  Both teams are 3 - 1 so something has to give.

Denver 28  Buccaneers  20 

Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals

Arizona looked lost against the Jets last week and were blown out.  They are having the same issues that have plagued them in previous years.  They cannot run the ball with any consistency, and that puts pressure on Kurt Warner to make plays when the defenses know they have to pass.

Trent Edwards is licking his chops after looking at how Brett Favre carved up the Cardinals secondary.  Turnovers will be what decides this game.  Arizona is not as bad as they looked last weekend, and Buffalo may get caught looking past this game.  I smell and upset.

Cardinals 27   Bills 24

New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers

The Patriots look to get back on track after losing their first game of the year.  They will have to alter their approach offensively until Matt Cassel shows he can excel in their offense.  That means they will have to run the ball more and have Cassel manage the game.  The 49ers will continue to depend on Frank Gore.  The Patriots will have to take him away and force J.T. O’Sullivan to make plays.

The game will be close, but New England will make just enough plays to win it.

Patriots 20  49ers 10

Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys

The Bengals haven’t won this year and it will be interesting to see if Marvin Lewis can hold everything together for the rest of the year.  Carson Palmer’s injury hasn’t made it easier.  If he can’t go, Ryan Fitzgerald is the man, which means the Bengals will look to establish the run first, and pass second.  Dallas will look to balance their attack more this week, as they went pass happy and lost to the Redskins.

Dallas has been shaky on defense and the Bengals need to exploit it.  With Palmer that would not be to much to ask.  Without him it will be difficult.  The Cowboys will be on a mission after last week.

Cowboys 34  Bengals 14

Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags have had the Steelers number the last four times they have played.  Pittsburgh’s running backs have been decimated with injuries and Ben Rothlisberger is banged up and is not a lock to play either.  They may not want to play him based on the performance of their offensive line against the Ravens.  They want to keep him alive.

The Jaguars will look to pound the ball and set up David Gerrard to make plays down the field.  This will be another physical game, but look for the Jags to prevail again.  They have Pittsburgh’s number

Jaguars 24  Steelers 17

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints

The Saints have injury problems, and the Vikings struggle to score points.  For Minnesota to win, they have to force turnovers by the Saints.  They will have to pressure Drew Brees into making bad decisions while putting him in a lot of third and long situations.  That can only happen if they stuff the run.

The Saints want this to be a shoot-out, because they don’t believe the Vikings can beat them at that game.  If the don’t turn the ball over, the Saints should prevail.

Saints 27  Vikings 20

The problem is only one of them will make it.  Looking at both of these teams they are more alike than different and pretty much share the same issues.  For long stretches this year they have both looked like playoff teams, dominating the competition.  They have also gone long periods where they looked inept and can’t hit or pitch their way out of a paper bag.  Hitting has not been the issue.  Both teams have had their droughts, but are capable of scoring a lot of runs.  Pitching has been the issue.

If it wasn’t for the Mets issues with their bullpen we would hear a lot more about the Brewers shortcomings.  Theirs is not as bad as New York’s pen, but they have been guilty of coughing up a lot of late leads as well.  Eric Gagne has been a bust as a Brewer, and even though Solomon Torres is better than anything the Mets can throw out there to finish off a game, that doesn’t excuse Milwaukee from letting their closer of a year ago, Francisco Cordero, escape to the Reds.  They would have been well served to pay him what he wanted.

The Mets’ bullpen woes have been well chronicled.  Billy Wagner going down with an elbow injury didn’t help, and just made a bad situation worse.  New York doesn’t have a reliable long reliever, set-up guy, or closer.  It’s just hit or miss.  When a starter goes out for the Mets it gives confidence to their opponent because they know they will score runs.  It is amazing that the Mets are in this position at all. 

Aaron Heilman has no confidence left and looks lost, and their closer, Luis Ayala is a castoff from the Washington Nationals.   What amazes many is the fact that the Mets didn’t really try to improve their bullpen and they knew it was an area of need.  Not even at the trade deadline did they try to make a deal, which to me was absurd given the state of their relievers.  How or why Omar Minaya got an extention at this time doesn’t make sense either.  Maybe it is because he has shown “evident progress” like Isiah Thomas did for the Knicks, or maybe it is a New York thing.  Pay the executive before the collapse. 

At least Milwaukee went out and got a difference maker during the year for their staff. Adding C.C. Sabathia to the rotation has been even bigger given Ben Sheet’s injury problems.

It would be fitting for both teams to win their last game of the year, and have to decide the wild card by a one game playoff.  Milwaukee has a big edge.  Sabathia will pitch for the Brewers on three days rest, and Oliver Perez, who couldn’t protect a four run lead against the Cubs this week goes for the Mets.  One of these teams will experience redemption, while the other will be left to figure out how they collapsed two years in a row. 

Should the Mets lose to the Marlins it will be a repeat performance of last year when they had a chance to make the post season with a win and Dontrel Willis turned them away with a win.  They now have a chance to erase that memory.

The eyes of the other SEC teams were on this game as well.  We know the conference is loaded, and if Alabama is better than expected that could shake up the conference.  With so many other good teams no one was counting on Alabama being all the way back yet.

Make no mistake about the fact that everyone wanted to see how good the Tigers were, and what that would mean for the ACC.  The ACC is no where near as strong as it once was, and as a conference hasn’t won a BCS bowl game in years.  Many expected this to be a coming out party for Clemson.

No one expected Alabama to dominate the way it did from start to finish like they did.  They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and never let the Tigers establish anything.  C.J. Spiller and James Davis were supposed to be the two headed monster on the ground that would set the tone, but Saban’s defense did an excellent job taking them away and forcing Cullen Harper to beat them with his arm.

He was under pressure most of the game, and when he wasn’t, ‘Bama’s defensive backs were all over the receivers.  Harper’s receivers didn’t help him out at all by dropping passes that were right in their hands.

Clemson was completely over-powered by Alabama’s offensive line.  The Tide was able to create room up the middle for their backs whenever necessary.  They did an excellent job in protecting John Parker Wilson.  He exploited their defense continually with short, quick passes that the Tigers had no answers for.

Surprisingly, Clemson could not generate a consistent pass rush, and their defensive backs seemed lost on some key passing downs.  Alabama repeatedly converted third down and short passing plays and Clemson never adjusted their coverage to take those plays away and force Alabama to throw down the field.  You got the feeling that the Tigers were out-coached as well as out-played.

The way this game played out made you think that Clemson got caught reading their press clippings and thought all they had to do was show up.  Nick Saban had his team ready to play, and ready for whatever the Tigers would throw at them.  Kudos to him and his staff.  I have to conclude that Clemson is over-rated and will have to spend the rest of this year proving this was a fluke. 

This doesn’t bode well for the ACC as a whole.  With Virginia Tech losing to East Carolina on Saturday as well, a mediocre conference all of a sudden has shown itself to be weak.  The Florida State’s and the Miami’s will be lumped in with the mediocre bunch as well.

Even though we can’t say that Alabama is all the way back based on beating Clemson, but things just got more interesting in the SEC.  The Crimson Tide just made everyone’s schedule in the SEC look a little harder.  On the whole, I think this game was more a reflection on Clemson and their conference.  A few years ago you could have argued that the ACC was among the best.  My how the mighty have fallen.

Lost in the spotlight of the ultra competitive SEC is the defending national champion, LSU.  The Tigers got rid of Ryan Perilloux, and all of a sudden there is no more talk of LSU winning the conference.

With Perilloux, LSU was definitely in the mix to repeat as National Champions.  There is no denying that he would be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation guiding one of the best teams.  We can only dream of what it would have been like with him at the helm.

What we fail to realize is that LSU was never just about their former troubled quarterback.  They are loaded where it counts the most.  Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch talent wise is a step down, but they don’t need him to be Perilloux.  They need him to manage the game and just make a few plays.

Two seniors and two juniors return to anchor a massive offensive line that will make it easy for Charles Scott and Keiland Williams to run behind.  Right guard Lyle Hitt is the only starter listed under 300 pounds.  They are not just big, but they are experienced, physical and good.  Most games the trenches is where the game is won, and I believe they have the best offensive line in the SEC.  That gives them a good chance against anyone.

On the other side of the ball, LSU continues its tradition of excellence on the defensive line.  Kirston Pittman and Tyson Jackson are senior defensive ends that will get after the quarterback, and Ricky Jean Francois and Charles Alexander anchor the middle of a very solid defensive line.  Even without Glenn Dorsey they are still very capable of dominating games.

They will make things a lot easier for their linebackers and defensive backs.  If you can dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, you can win consistently, and LSU is definitely able to do that.

The schedule is not easy, but I think it sets up well for them.  They are at Auburn on 9/20 and three weeks later they are at Florida.  Georgia and Alabama are home games for the Tigers.  Their last game of the season is at Arkansas and that could very well be a trap game.  That loss to the Razorbacks last season almost kept them out of the championship game.

A win versus Auburn sets them up for another appearance in the SEC Championship game.  There is no telling what will happen in the SEC this year, but it would be a crime to think that LSU will not be in the mix.

Appalachian State is up first.  Let the fun begin!

To the extent they are able to overcome those weak areas will go a long way in determining whether they go to the post season.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have had problems scoring runs on a consistent basis.  Even though Ryan Howard has been very productive hitting home-runs and driving in runs, but is only hitting in the .230’s.  Chase Utley struggled after the All Star break,  and is now starting to come around.  He has still been very productive, (31 home-runs, 85 RBI), but he threatened to run away with the MVP award in the National League in the first half.

It is no surprise that they started having problems at the plate when he tailed off.  Jimmy Rollins has been injured and has not performed up to his MVP status.  That has hurt as well.  Hitting .258 with only 8 home runs is below his standards.  Jason Werth has done a pretty good job, but I believe this team misses Aaron Rowand.  He got a lot of big hits for them last year, and they miss his clutch bat.

With their ballpark and the talent they have they should turn it around.  The pitching is another matter.  For the first half of the year their bullpen statistically was the best in the National League, but they have been vulnerable there of late.  They cannot afford that because they have some serious issues with their starting pitching, and if they over use their bullpen that would be disastrous. 

The pressure is on Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer to have quality starts almost every time out because Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton are wild cards.  You don’t know what you are going to get from start to start.  If Philadelphia doesn’t win the division it will be because of their starting pitching.  Brad Lidge has to stay healthy as well.  He is perfect in save opportunities and gives the Phillies a decided advantage over the Mets, who currently don’t have a closer.

Playing .500 ball as they have been lately isn’t going to cut it though.

Florida Marlins

Very few want to acknowledge that the Marlins are in this race to stay.  They have fallen behind by five games in the standings, they are by no means out of it.  They are currently slumping at the plate and the home run barrage by their infield has slowed down some in the second half of the season.

What also haunts the Marlins is their pitching.  They have given up  633 runs so far this year, as opposed to the Mets and the Phillies  who have given up 575 and 540 respectively.  If Florida’s starters don’t deliver they are in deep trouble. 

As the Marlins are finding out that you can’t hit your way out of every situation.   The pitching inconsistencies got magnified when their torrid power hitting fell off after the All Star break.  Florida is hitting .239 and slugging .398 in August as a team.  Only Philadelphia and Cincinnati are hitting worse for average in the same time period. 

If Florida’s bats don’t get hot soon they will find themselves out of the race.  As it stands now New York and Philadelphia are very streaky and can be caught, but time is running out on the Marlins. 

New York Mets

The Mets have taken over first place in the division with their stellar play in the second half.  In spite of a rash of injuries to their pitching staff (Billy Wagner and John Maine) they continue to be one of the best teams in the National League over the last two months.

One reason has been the turnaround at the plate of Carlos Delgado.  He has hit for power, and in key situations, which has taken the heat off of David Wright and Jose Reyes.  When Delgado has it going their line-up is very formidable.

The biggest problem for New York is their very leaky bullpen.  Aaron Heilman has been a disaster, and Duaner Sanchez has not been the same coming back from injury last year.  Billy Wagner may not be able to close a game for the rest of the season, and the rest are up and down at best.

This is the biggest hurdle the Mets have to jump over.  If you can’t depend on your bullpen to hold one or two run leads late in games, you are in trouble.  It is really amazing that they have been able to overtake Philadelphia considering the amount of games they let get away in the later innings.

This really puts a lot of pressure on the starters to go late into games.  The only starter who can be counted on to do that consistently is Johan Santana.

Philadelphia is probably in the best shape to overcome their issues.  Their line-up should get hot and carry them at least for a stretch in September.  They have a reliable closer, and their bullpen is good enough to get by in their division.  They are not a lock, but if their starting pitching holds up they have the best chance.

True or not, the perception now is that the Phillies are the better all around team, even if they have not played up to their capabilities.  They can’t count on New York handing it to them like last year, they have to go out and win it.

Florida will have to count on the Mets and Phillies coming down a bit, and their bats heating up to the level they were on before the All Star break.  Short of that happening I don’t think they will be there at the end.

It just doesn’t make sense that New York can hold up untill the end of the season with their bull pen in shambles.  Relief pitching is too important in this day and age to operate with one that actually puts confidence in the opposing team when they are called upon.    They can hit, and their starting pitchers as a group are good enough.  It will be a minor miricle in my view if they make it to the post season.

The Mets will have to perform well when they play Philadelphia head to head, and pad their record against teams like Atlanta and Washington if they want to put themselves in position to win the division.

Robinson Cano continued his torrid hitting with three hits including a home-run off of knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.  He also added a two run double in the eighth inning.  Four Yankee pitchers combined for three scoreless innings to to finish the game.

The Yankees added to their roster by acquiring outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates for the New York’s top outfield prospect Jose Tabata and three minor league pitchers, Dan McCutchen, Jeff Karstens, and Ross Ohlendorf.  Nady was in the starting line-up against Boston on Saturday and Marte faced one batter.

The move was necessitated by injuries to Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui, and it adds a right-handed presence to a lefty dominated line-up.  To make room on the roster the Yankees optioned Brett Gardner to Scranton/Wilkes-Bare, and designated reliever LaTroy Hawkins for assignment.  

New York pulled to within 2.5 games of first place with the win and will go for the sweep on Sunday.  Sidney Ponson will take the ball for the Yankees, and Jon Lester will be on the mound for the Red Sox.  Lester is 8-3 on the season with a 3.20 ERA, and Ponson is 6-1.  The loss by Boston was only the third time this season they have lost two in a row at home.

Boston has reason to be worried because New York is peaking, and showing no signs of letting up.  They are getting solid pitching and their bats have come alive.  Bolstering their line-up and bullpen with this last trade didn’t hurt either.  The race in the American League East is far from over.

Minnesota gift wrapped this win for the Yankees with a crucial mental error in the fifth inning.  Second baseman Alexi Casilla took a throw to force a runner out at second base and started running off the field thinking it was the third out instead of turning the double play and getting out of the inning.

The next batter, Justin Christian, promptly doubled home two runs and the Yankees  never looked back.  New York is now eleven games over .500 and trail the first place Rays by 3.5 games, and Boston by just 3.  This sets up a three game show-down with the second place Red Sox beginning Friday the 25th.

Friday’s match up features Josh Beckett vs. Joba Chamberlain.  Beckett pitched a complete game in a loss to the Angels and Chamberlain pitched six good innings versus the A’s and got a no decision.  

Andy Pettitte takes the ball for the Yankees versus Tim Wakefield on Saturday.  In their last outings Pettitte pitched very effectively and beat the A’s while Wakefield lost to Angels.  Wakefield has a no decision in his only start versus New York this year.

Jon Lester will pitch in game three on Sunday.  The Yankees have not announced who they will start.  Lester has pitched well and is 4-1 this year at Fenway.  His last effort was against the Mariners where he held them scoreless for 7 1/3 innings.

The Yankees added Richie Sexton to their roster as a much needed weapon against left handed pitching, which they have struggled against.  It will be interesting to see how he fits in.  Jorge Posada elected not to have season ending surgery on his throwing shoulder, opting to do rehab instead.   New York is hoping that Johnny Damon’s injury woes are over.

Over-all health will be a critical issue for the Yankees as hope to continue their winning ways.  They need all of their bats.  The pitching has been solid in every way, so it looks like they will be in the race for the long haul.

The definition of the word rivals : two competitors pursuing the same object, but with equal tenacity in their quest to surpass the other.  In sports that is normally when both competitors or teams have a lot of history between them, and the stakes are high.

One criteria has to be fan enthusiasm and participation.  The fans have to be jacked for the contest, and it has to mean something.  If nothing is on the line then it takes away from the rivalry.  There are times however, when there is nothing on the line, that the respective fans of both teams dislike each other so much, that it doesn’t matter that there is nothing on the line. 

Both teams or participants have to be consistently good.  It won’t generate as much of a buzz if one or both teams are down, or just not that good.  That will have to be factored in.

There must be history there between the teams or athletes involved.  The more history in many cases means the rivalry is more intense.

Geographical location will be a consideration as well.  Natural rivalries develop over time where teams have a common border, or are inter-state.  This is very prevalent in college sports.

They will be listed in no particular order, and it will be open for debate which are the best.

Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali

 This was a boxing rivalry to end all boxing rivalries.  The first time they fought in 1971 the fight was so hyped that it seemed that it could never live up to it’s billing.  It was called at the time, and is still referred to by many, as the fight of the century.  Both men were undefeated and about as different as they come.  Ali was the brash, trash talking anti-war Muslim who took on the establishment, and Frazier was the Bible reading Christian who liked to sing.

Frazier would win that epic battle and knock Ali down in the 15th round.  This would be the only fight out of the three that Frazier would win.  The rematch in January of 1974 was called “Superfight” and Ali would get his revenge.  He would dominate the fight with his lightning quick punches and movement.

In the pre-fight press conference Frazier got tired of the name calling and the taunts Ali dished out and attacked him.  Needless to say there was no love loss between the two.

The third fight, the Thrilla in Manila, in 1975 was a tremendous ending to this rivalry where both men dished out serious punishment, but Ali tortured Frazier in the later rounds worse than anyone had ever done.  Frazier couldn’t answer the bell for the fourteenth .

These men put each other in the hospital and inflicted permanent damage to each other, and when they were through, they ended up respecting each other.  For us, we will never see heavyweights like this again.

Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns

September 16, 1981 at Caesars Palace was the place where the two best welterweights met for the first time in the ring.  There was no love loss between them, particularly with Hearns.  I believed he hated the fact that Sugar Ray got more attention and was the flashier of the two.

The first fight would go down as the fight of the decade.  Leonard was losing the fight and had to stalk Hearns in the late rounds until he would catch up to him and knock him out.  The ironic thing was that they reversed their natural tendencies for much of the fight.  Leonard the boxer with the speed and finesse became the hunter, and Hearns with his punching power became the boxer with the effective jab.

This fight sealed Leonard’s greatness, and made Hearns yearn for another opportunity to prove he was better.  They would fight again and the match would be scored as a draw, but most think that Hearns won the fight. 

Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran

Duran was a hall of famer who was a beast, and finished with a record of 104-16 with 69 knockouts.  Duran thought Leonard was less of a man than he was, and in their first fight, which was a 15 round war, Leonard ignored conventional wisdom and stood in front of Duran the whole fight and duked it out with him.  In trying to prove to Duran that he was not afraid of him, he fell into his trap.

It was one of the best fights in welterweight history, but Leonard took the loss.  In the rematch, Leonard used his boxing speed, style, and counter-punching ability to humiliate Duran into quiting in the eighth round.  Leonard also taunted Duran during the fight.  No one had ever done this to Duran before. 

Duran was know for his brutality, but was reduced to a loser , quitter, and a traitor.  Nine years would pass and they fought again when they were well past their primes, and Leonard dominated that one as well.  The “no mas” fight will always be remembered, and these men would forever be linked together like Ali and Frazier were.

Lakers vs. Celtics

The Magic vs. Bird rivalry started in the college championship game in 1979 and continued into the professional ranks.  No other personal rivalry actually carried over like this one did.  That being said, the Boston vs. L.A. rivalry started long before Magic and Bird came on the scene. 

Overall the Lakers and Celtics have met 11 times in NBA finals since 1959, with Boston winning nine of them.  Bird and Magic coming into the NBA was significant because up unto that time the NBA was in a down period and the battles that they would have against each other generated a tremendous amount of interest. 

It was the slower, plodding, team-work oriented Celtics vs the showtime, fast-breaking, highlight reel Lakers.  Many times fans made it the mostly Caucasian Celtics vs. the mostly African American Lakers.  It forced all the fans to pick sides.  These star studded battles revitalized the NBA and Magic and Bird were the star of stars.  They rescued the NBA from low attendance and low television ratings

Over-all, Magic would get the better of it against Bird winning two championships(1985 and 1987) head to head versus one (1984). 

Other Lakers vs. Celtic battles would feature Bill Russell and Bob Cousy for Boston, and Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for Los Angeles.

Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson

We have to mention these two seperately from the Boston, L.A. rivalry because of what was at stake when they played, the intensity of the battles, and the way the fans took sides and debated who was better.  They were both great, but I would have to Magic the slight edge. 

Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain

These two warriors met 142 times in 10 years and was unquestionably the most talked about match-up in basketball in the 1960’s and is still debated today.  Keep in mind that the game was a little different then than it is now.  Bill and Wilt guarded each other every time they played.  That wouldn’t happen today because most times the two teams best players don’t guard each other so they can stay out of foul trouble.

Chamberlain averaged 28.7 points and 28.7 rebounds in those games and Russell averaged 14.5 points and 23.7 rebounds.  Russell’s teams fared far better.  In that time period he won nine championships to Wilt’s one.  Who was better?  I will let you decide.

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

In the 1990’s no one could doubt the ill will that these two teams had for each other.  It involved the teams, the fans, and the front offices. Pat Riley leaves the Knicks under bad circumstances to coach the Heat and all of a sudden things get ugly.

These were two teams built on physical play and their regular season games and playoff games were all heated.  Charlie Ward would tangle with P.J. Brown and it would almost lead to a bench clearing brawl which would cause many Knicks to be suspended for leaving the bench and dooming their playoff chances. 

Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson get into a full fledged fight in a play-off game, and Jeff VanGundy would grab Mourning’s leg in an ill fated attempt to break it up.  He gets dragged across the garden floor in the process.  Over a four year period the NBA put these teams on national television every time they could because of what might happen in the game.

For the most part they were all low scoring physical affairs with each point being precious, but that was really how the game is supposed to be played.  And then there was the shot.  Allan Houston’s jumper with less than a second left eliminated the Heat in a playoff series and added more fuel to this fire.

What made this more interesting was that Jeff VanGundy was a Rily disciple, and Rily’s top assistant at Miami was Stan VanGundy, Jeff’s brother.  The Knicks got the better of this rivalry over the years.  Fierce is not a strong enough word to describe their match-up.  Honorable mention goes to Bulls vs. Pistons in the Jordan era.

Florida State Seminoles vs. Miami Hurricanes

There are so many rivalries in the college game that are intense, that it is hard to highlight one, or just a few.  One reason Miami and Florida State stands out because over the years their games affected the whole college football landscape.  The games took on more meaning when Bobby Bowden took over Florida State in 1987.

Not only was (and still is) there a definite hatred between the two intrastate rivals, but five losses to Miami have kept Florida State out of national championship games.  Thirteen times in the last twenty years they have met when both were ranked in the top ten.

This rivalry has been marked by missed kicks that always seem to go against the Seminoles.  Even though both schools are down right now the rivalry is still intense, and over the years there has been more at stake with this game than any other. 

Army vs. Navy 

We have to put the Army vs. Navy game on this list as well.  When the men who protect us get together and play this game amidst the pageantry and the pre-game march on to the field, we all have to stand up and take notice.  They are the most well trained and disciplined that we have, and in many ways this rivalry tops the list.

Honorable mention: Auburn vs. Alabama, U.S.C. vs. Notre Dame, Oklahoma vs. Texas, Georgia vs. Florida, Michigan vs. Ohio State.

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees

Many feel that this is the fiercest, and most bitter rivalry in all of sports, and it doesn’t seem to be quieting down.  Since the wild card was instituted, they have played in the American League Championship Series three times, with the Yankees winning twice.

They finished tied at the end of the regular season in 1978 and played a famous one game playoff in Fenway that won by the Yankees 5-4.  The big hit was a three run home run by the light hitting Bucky Dent.  That season was memorable because Boston had a fourteen game lead on the Yankees at one point.

The ALCS in 2003 had some fireworks that resulted in a bench clearing altercation that resulted in Yankee coach Don Zimmer charging Pedro Martinez and being thrown to the ground.  This series was intense, and Boston actually led game seven 5-2 in the eighth inning, when Red Sox manager Grady Little decided to leave a tired Pedro Martinez in the game.

New York staged a one out rally with three straight hits to make the lead 5-3, and when Little left Martinez out there, Jorge Posada doubled in the tying runs.  The Yankees ended up winning on an Aaron Boone home-run in the eleventh inning.  This added to the feeling by the Red Sox nation that they were cursed.

Boston would turn things around, but the animosity between the teams would never wane.  In 2004, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Varitek got into a fight that resulted in another bench clearing brawl.  Both teams would finish first and second in the division and meet for the second straight year in the ALCS, and it didn’t disappoint as far as drama is concerned.

The Yankees led the series three games to none, and Mariano Rivera was on the mound in game four to save a 4-3 game.  Boston would come back and win this game, and begin what would go down as the biggest collapse in major league playoff history.  The Red Sox would go on to win the World Series that year and since then have not looked back.

In 2005 both teams lost in separate divisional series, but Boston, after not making the playoffs in 2006, would win their first American League East Championship since 1995 and go on to win the World Series.

Red Sox and Yankee fans go further than having a healthy dislike for their counterparts.  Boston fans won’t root for any New York team in any sport, and vice versa.  Even at this years All Star game, when Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon came in the game for the AL, he was booed mercilessly because of perceived disrespect aimed at Mariano Rivera.

Someone actually went so far as to bury a Red Sox jersey in the foundation of the new Yankee Stadium, believing that would jinx them.  The news about it became public, and the construction crew searched for it and subsequently found it and took it out.  Enough said.

NFL Football has so many great rivalries it’s hard to center on one or two.  The Bears and Packers had a great rivalry in the old NFL days, but in modern times this has been nothing special.  Chiefs and Raiders, Steelers and Browns, and Giants and Cowboys have a lot of history, but we will choose another.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders

This was a rivalry that could have been played out in a back alley or an Mixed Martial Arts ring.  For about six years between 1972 - 1977 these two viciously beat on each other and called it football.  The Raiders specialized in intimidating their opponents, and Pittsburgh’s steel curtain backed down from no one.

Raider safety George Atkinson knocked Lynn Swann out with a forearm to the head after a play was over, on the other side of the field, that resulted in a lawsuit being filed by Chuck Noll.  Atkinson countered by suing Noll for slander. 

Keep in mind that a lot of the bitterness came from the fact that both teams had unbelievable talent.  Nineteen players from the teams from this era have been inducted into the hall of fame, and they were constantly competing for the right to go to the Super Bowl.  They met in three straight AFC championship games from 1974-1976.

The most famous moment was the immaculate reception game in 1972, where Franco Harris caught a deflected pass just before it hit the carpet and scored the winning touchdown with little time left.  To this day, former Raider players say they were cheated by the officials on the play.  This rivalry was one of the nastiest in NFL history, if the nastiest.

Honorable Mention: Redskins vs. Cowboys from 1970-1983, Colts vs Patriots (current), Steelers vs Cowboys.

Raphael Nadal vs. Roger Federer

On the tennis courts, history is being made every time these two meet.  Nadal is the physical young bull, and Federer is the smooth, unflappable assassin.  They are the best in their sport and most of their matches have been epic battles. 

Federer’s legacy as the best ever has been thwarted by losses in three French Open finals, and this past Wimbledon final, which was probably the greatest match ever played.  Nadal has been frustrated by Federer on the grass as well until this year.  

They have brought out the best in each other and do it in a way that is different than all the other rivalries we have mentioned before.  There is no ill will between them, and they praise each other as top notch players. 

These two are so good and battle so hard, that they have drawn fans to the sport that were indifferent before.  This is the top individual rivalry going on today.  There is not another that comes close.

Honorable mention: Borg vs. McEnroe

Tiger Woods vs Nobody

We are currently waiting for someone to step up and replace Nobody.  I don’t think it will happen.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Canada is serious about their hockey, and this was their version of the Hatfield’s and the McCoys.  Through 1970 they were the only teams north of the American border, so every time they met it was a big deal.  From 1944 to 1978 they met twelve times in the playoffs, and faced off in five Stanley Cup finals.

This rivalry is symbolic of a rift in their history and society- the English and the French Canadians.  The English were British, conservative, and Protestant, and the French Canadians were Roman Catholic and liberal.

Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tarheels

Also known as the battle of Tobacco Road, is the most fierce rivalry we have in college basketball.  The intensity of the rivalry is inflamed by the proximity of the two universities, located only eight miles apart.  These teams are always among the ACC’s top teams and every time they meet it is a huge deal.

Former North Carolina coach Dean Smith and current Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski are hall of fame coaches that have presided over some of the best and hotly contested battles between the two schools.

There are other college basketball rivalries, but this one is the gold standard.  None of the others have quite the bite that this one has.

Rivalries are what help to make sports what it is.  It lets us know that that there is something other than just money that is driving our athletes.  Thanks, to the rivalries past, as we look forward to the future rivalries.

Hideki Matsui still has injury problems, and there is a chance he may not make it back this year.  Johnny Damon is still out and the Yankees have been plugging the holes with their youth.  They probably still have enough fire power in their line-up despite those injuries, but they need to stay relatively injury free if they are going to catch the Red Sox and the Rays.

A-Rod and Jorge Posada have spent time on the disabled list also.

The biggest injury for New York has been to their ace, Chien-Ming Wang.  If it wasn’t for Mike Mussina coming through with an unexpectedly good first half, the may not be over five hundred.  The bullpen has been surprisingly solid, and Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth have been effective setting up for Mariano Rivera.  That has made Joba Chamberlain’s transition to the rotation seamless.

The Yankees first series after the break is against a surprising contender, the Oakland A’s.  They are six games back of the Angels and and will try to make up ground.  Joe Blanton will start for the A’s against Mike Mussina in Yankee Stadium on Friday.  Blanton has been up and down in the first half and has twelve losses. 

New York needs to jump on Blanton quickly and set the tone for the series.  The Yankees have beaten him already this year so they hope to continue that trend. Mussina has a winning record lifetime against Oakland so this match-up favors New York.  Look for the Yankees to start quickly and win this first series coming out of the gate. 

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal left everything and more on center court, and it was truly a shame that someone had to lose.  Nadal took control of the match early with his penetrating forehands and went up two sets to none. 

It looked like he would win in straight sets and Federer wasted break point after break point.  Federer would show that he not only had the skill to overcome any challenge on his favorite surface, but he showed he had the mental toughness necessary for a champion to deal with his number one nemesis.

After two tie-breaks, one in which Federer was down five to two, it was two sets apiece, but Nadal’s resolve would not diminish.  Rafa’s toughness would not allow him to wilt under the pressure the five time champ would inflict.  He would not allow Federer to break his serve over the final three plus sets, which was really the difference in the match.

Both men showed unbelievable mental fortitude that most athletes in other sports don’t possess, and neither would choke.  This match show-cased the best professional tennis had to offer, and proved that Federer and Nadal should be in the conversation when we talk about the best athletes in the world.

Not only do they have the skill that comes from being trained in their craft almost every day from their youth, but they have something else that most professional athletes don’t.  Humility and sportsmanship.  Nadal always defers to Federer as number one in the game when asked.  Federer said he tried everything but to no avail, and that Nadal was a worthy champion.

Federer is a class act and represents the sport with dignity and a conservative style that reminds everyone that it is a gentleman’s sport.  Nadal exudes the youthful qualities of a young man that really doesn’t take it for granted what he has achieved.  Even when proded with questions about his greatness he always says that any of the men in the draw can win, and that it is unbelievable that he has been this successful.

What we have is a rivalry for the ages where they both want to win and re-write history, but respect each other and the game enough not to take verbal shots at each other.  Our athletes today should take a page out of these guy’s book.  It’s about being mentally and physically in shape, believing in your abilities, never quiting, and being humble. 

We also remember what Dominick Hrbaty did in his match with Federer as well.  The two are friends, and this was Hrbaty’s last Wimbeldon before he retired, so before the last game he broke with tradition and decided to sit next to Federer and chat.  I thought that was a great moment that you don’t normally see.

These guys made people who don’t normally care about tennis stand up and take notice.  Honorable mention goes to Marat Safin, and Rainer Schuettler.  No one expected them to get through to the semi-finals.  Adding to the unpredictability of this years Wimbledon was Novak Djokovic, who, after mouthing off that Federer was done and it was his and Nadal’s time, lost in the second round to Safin.

Adding to the drama, and lost in the weight of the men’s final was the quality of the women’s final between Venus and Serena Williams.  You have to appreciate the fact that we are watching history continually being made, and that this probably will never happen again.  Two sisters, both multiple grand slam champions, Americans, who desperately want more titles before they retire, even at the expense of each other.

Right now they are the best that tennis has to offer on the women’s side.  Most of the higher ranked women went out early.  Most notably Maria Sharapova and the new number one,  Anna Ivanovic.  Ivanovic showed in her post match interview why she will be heard from again.  She knew she was not mentally ready for what comes with being ranked number one, and she pledged to learn from her Wimbledon experience.  She was not too torn up about it.  She handled her second round exit well.

All in all, this was the most memorable Wimbledon I can remember, and I have seen a lot of them.  I only hope that our American athletes in football, basketball and baseball show the class and respect that Nadal and Federer showed.  They are proof that you can compete with an edge, and even in disappointment teach your peers and younger players how to conduct themselves.