SI's top 10 best NFL rivalries heading into the 2009 season - Page 2 - New England Patriots Forums

Dino 6 Rings · 05-22-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmt57

Granted the Ravens and Steelers are division rivals, but after closer inspection it's been a bit one-sided:

2008: Steelers sweep, and then win a third time in the playoffs
2007: Steelers win 38-7 and then lose a meaningless week 17 game while resting their starters for the playoffs
2006: Ravens sweep in the aftermath of Roethlisberger's helmetless face-plant.
2005: split
2004: split
2003: Steelers win opener 34-15; Ravens win meaningless season finale
2002: Steelers sweep
2001: split in the regular season, then Steelers win in the playoffs
2000: split
1999: split
1998: Steelers sweep
1997: Steelers sweep

If my math is right that's 17-9 in favor of Pittsburgh, with two of the Ravens wins coming in meaningless week 17 games.

LMAO!

Great Research!!!

jmt57 · 05-22-2009, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DynastyDriven

2. Colts vs. Patriots

4. Jets vs. Patriots

7. Patriots vs. Dolphins

The league just can't get enough of the Pats

Yeah, he may as well have said "Pats vs. AFC East" the way he gave #6 to Packers vs. NFC North or #3 to "NFC East vs. NFC East."

Actually a lot of Dolphin and Jet fans consider Dolphins-Jets to be a bigger rivalry than their team playing the Pats - maybe because they have a better chance at winning that game this past decade.

I would have put that on the list before Falcons - Panthers. The NFC South teams have been slow to develop rivalries because they all came from different divisions before the last realignment. Eventually they'll get there but none of them qualify as being a top ten rivalry yet.

***godef*** · 05-22-2009, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glm

Haha no Pats VS Bills.

<snigger> Yeah well, we've beaten them how many times i a row? Eleven? That ain't no rivlary.

glm · 05-22-2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by godef

<snigger> Yeah well, we've beaten them how many times i a row? Eleven? That ain't no rivlary.

More like a scrimmage in practice.

HEY BRO! WHAT UP? · 05-23-2009, 12:02 AM

Seriously, who cares about the Ravens-Steelers? Pats-Steelers or Pats-Colts are the games everyone wants to see.

***efin98*** · 05-23-2009, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HEY BRO! WHAT UP?

Seriously, who cares about the Ravens-Steelers? Pats-Steelers or Pats-Colts are the games everyone wants to see.

Ravens fans and people who don't want to put the Patriots at the top of the list of rivalries...

jmt57 · 05-23-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HEY BRO! WHAT UP?

Seriously, who cares about the Ravens-Steelers? Pats-Steelers or Pats-Colts are the games everyone wants to see.

I completely agree; even when you take the homer glasses off, it's hard to disagree with Pats-Colts, Pats-Steelers, or Pats-Chargers.

I know some will talk about Redskins-Cowboys or Packers-Bears, but we're not talking about who has the oldest rivalry; the question was 'who has the best current rivalry?

I work in an area that is made up mostly of transplants, in a company that does business globally. Bottom line is that the employees and our nationwide business partners and customers comprise a diverse and fairly equally represented NFL fan base. Trust me, there is far more talk from them about a Colts-Pats game, even by those who are fans of neither team, than any other regular season game every year.

Those other teams have large fan bases, which results in annually good ratings, but how many people who are not Cowboy or Redskins fans would complain if that game was not on TV? Now ask yourself how many viewers who are not fans of the Colts or Pats would complain if that game was not on TV?

Pats-Colts is the number one game of every regular season, and it is the biggest NFL rivalry of the decade.