Army-Navy.
Army-Navy.
Army-Navy.

Looks like the top three slots are taken.

Michigan-Ohio State by far. Having experienced it first hand, nothing compares. GO BLUE!!

In sports, Carolina-Duke b-ball.
In college football, Michigan-the team from Ohio.

Oklahoma-Texas football

Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

No other college football rivalry has the stakes and pagentry of this game. The winner typically goes on to win the conference and in four of the last seven years played in the national championship. It's big!

NFL: Redskins-Cowboys; Browns-Steelers

NBA: Lakers-Celtics (back in the day)

MLB: BoSox-Yankees

NCAAB: UNC-Duke

NCAAF: Mich-OSU; OK-Tex

UTEP-NMSU

Easton PA-Phillipsburg NJ High School Football

Auburn-Alabama

Kornheiser vs. Farhi...that's quite a rivalry there.

Bill Belichick vs. Spygate's effect on legacy

Frerotte v. wall

It's Army-Navy followed by Oklahoma-Texas.

US v. Soviet Olympic competition
Evander Holyfield Grill v. George Foreman Grill
Kerrigan v. Harding

Pro football: Used to be Skins Cowboys. Now it's Steelers Ravens or Pats/Colts.

College Football: Too many: South Carolina Clemson. Army Navy. Mich O State. Alabama Auburn. USC/UCLA. I'll take Army Navy for history's sake.

Pro Basketball: Used to be Lakers Celtics. Now it's Mavs/Suns. Or the refs versus the Mafia.

College Hoops: Duke/Carolina. Although Cleveland State versus UIC was rough in the mid 90s...lol.

Sox/Yanks. In all seriousness, this is probably the biggest right rivalry now overall. And I don't even consider wimpy baseball a sport really. But this has more juice than the rest.

Pro Hockey versus the Network Ratings is a good one. Ratings have been get destroyed lately though. Hmmmm... has hockey started yet?

Bowling on TV versus Poker on TV. Winner gets to go up against Bass Fishing early morning on ESPN2.

Redskins-Cowboys

I can't quite figure out how the two best teams in recent times automatically become the best rivals. I still prefer a NFC East matchup more than any Pats-Colts game.

Auburn-UAT

the anti Auburn signs at UAT-UGA gameday in outnumbered the anti UGA signs

Um, you all recognie that sports do exsist outside of the united states, right?

Boca Juniors/River Plate
Celtic/Rangers

discussion over ...

How bout we look beyond US sports.

Arsenal-Tottenham Hotspur. The North London Derby.

People should question whether or not something is a true rivalry when opposing fans are allowed to sit together and mix.

St. Johns vs Gonzaga

MARQUETTE - UCLA

GO NATIONALS!!

Army-Navy....in a league of its own. Next question

In any sport: Navy - Army

Hockey: NY Islanders vs NY Rangers (doesn't matter where they are in the standing, these games are big)

Baseball: Used to be Orieles vs Yankees (1980's to 1996) Rex sox are just rivals want to be's

Redskins-Cowboys

I'm tired of people talking about Patriots-Colts. You have to play each other in more than 4 good games to be a rivalry. Redskins-Cowboys, Eagles-Cowboys, Redskins-Eagles, Eagles-Giants, Giants-Cowboys, or any NFC East match-up is a better rivalry than the Colts-Patriots ever could be.

The provincialism here is incredible. Real Madrid-Barcelona, Boca Juniors-River Plate, Rangers-Celtic, Chivas-America, etc., etc. : People's lives, and sometimes more, revolve around these games. NOTHING in this country compares.

Duke/UNC all the way! And NW/Senca (lol)

Dook v. Carolina.

NCAAF: Army-Navy, USC-UCLA, Harvard-Yale, Ohio State-Michigan
NCAA Lacrosse: Hopkins-Maryland
NCAAB: Carolina v. Durham Satan
NHL: Toronto v. Montreal
NFL: Green Bay v. Chicago
MLB: Cubs v. Cardinals, Dodgers v. Giants.
Soccer: Too many to list; rivalries that have been going on for centuries!
Cricket: India v. Pakistan; again, this has been going on forever.
Other: Tastes Great v. Less Filling

Pat Buchananon v. Civilized Society

Gonzaga-St.Johns

Celtic / Rangers
Yankees / Red Sox
Michigan / Ohio State
India / Pakistan (cricket)
Chevrolet / Ford
Boca Juniors / River Plate

Wile E. Coyote v. Road Runner?

For my money, it's Alabama-Auburn. But I'm biased...er, provincial. As are most others on these comments. Of course, there is no objective answer, eh?

MBL - Boston - NY Yankees (Goes back to the late 1800's)
NHL - Detroit - Montreal (two of the original 8)
NBA - Celtics - Lakers (still brings more eyes to the tv set than some of these "new rivals, and more combined titles)
MLS - Chicago - DC United (DC with their 4 tiles and Chicago's ability to beat DC in the playoffs has become huge)
Olympics - USA vs The World (USSR, Germany, China, depending on the sport)
Boxing - Who cares, but Ali/Frazier - Lenard / Duran
WWE - For all who think this is real sport, IT'S NOT!
Beer - Great Taste vs Less Filling
International Soccer - Man U vs anyone who hates Murdoch

For the person who said the Orioles and Yanks. HELLO!!! The Yanks and the Orioles have never been a true rivalry. The O's haven't been around long enough, had enough dealings with the Yanks and just haven't been good enough over time to matter to anyone.

For tradition you can't beat England vs Australia in Cricket.

For MLB, I can't believe NO ONE has mentioned the the Cubs / Cardinals.

Soccer rivalries are indeed far more intense than US sport can produce, for better or for worse. A couple not mentioned so far is England-Germany and England-Argentina.

You think that O's- Yanks was EVER a bigger rivalry than Yanks- Sox??! Exactly how big of a Balti-moron are you anyway, hon? As far as Yankees and Red Sox fans are concerned the O's are basically a southern version of the Blue Jays. In other words, they are NOT a rival and only even get noticed at all when they have a decent season... which of course doesnt happen much in the Angelos regime, does it? Yanks - Sox has a CENTURY of history including the Curse of the Bambino, Bucky Dent, the 2004 ALCS, on and on and on..... What do the O's have to compare to that in their history with the Yankees? Also, how can O's be a rival of EITHER the Sox or Yanks when O's fans are SIGNIFICANTLY outnumbered at HOME GAMES by fans of both of those teams. You Baltimorons need to go back to Baltimore, get drunk on your Natty Boh, disrespect the flag by shouting that moronic "O" during the national anthem, and quit pretending that you have anything intelligent to say about sports. Oh, and please take Boswell with you.

Caps vs. Penguins

So it is "provincial" to not mention various soccer rivalies in La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga or the Premiership in response to a question posed in a US- based newspaper message board? Yes, I know plenty about those leagues and those rivalries, and, no, that does not make me "provincial" for preferring sports where grown men do not feel the need to whine in agony on the field everytime they stub their toe. Oh wait, you call that the "pitch" not the field, dont you? How precious.

I am sure you feel very sophisticated cheering for your "side" along with LESS than 20K of your fellow fanatics of the "beautiful game" at whatever "match" of you happen to be watching at RFK. Get over yourselves, soccer is a niche sport in the US and always will be.

You would, of course, need to define "best."

If you mean "most intense," then you'd have to pick a rivalry that has a proven track record of off-the-field violence. England v Germany soccer may be the winner here.

If you mean "most intense" but not necessarily violent, Celtic-Rangers (which is not to say that this *never* becomes violent).

If you mean "most exciting" and definitely not violent, probably Yankees-Red Sox... even non-baseball fans will watch. The answer to this question can probably be settled quite easily by referring to TV ratings.

"Best rivalry" should be a match-up that meets at least the following criteria:
1. The two teams meet at least annually;
2. The rivalry spans many decades;
3. The intensity of the rivalry is not predicated on the quality of the two teams;
4. A person can never possibly be a fan of both teams simultaneously.

There are other criteria but those four are inescapable. For those reasons such recent "rivalries" as Colts - Pats do not count. If one or both team were not good, this match-up wouldn't matter. Compare that to Army - Navy when both teams can be winless going into the game and it is still an intense rivalry. Colts -- Pats also have very little long-term history.

Most of the other professional rivalries are likewise episodic rather than continuous. Lakers - Celtics are hardly intense rivals anymore.

The biggest rivalries in the U.S. are in college football without question. Whether it is Alabama - Auburn, Ohio State - Michigan, or even Virginia - Virginia Tech, the rivalries fit the criteria above. The closest thing to an enduring rivarly in professional U.S. sports are Red Sox - Yankees or Redskins - Cowboys. Everything else is situation-dependent.

The rivalries in international rugby (i.e. Australia/New Zealand, New Zealand/South Africa, England/France, etc.) make American rivalries look like rank amateurs by comparison.

And, provincial?, get over yourself.

in basketball Duke versus Carolina
inf football Army versus Navy

The Game: Yale-Harvard, 124th meeting this saturday if you dont think its the best rivalry watch the video at www.harvardsucks.org (yes that really is the link, no joke!)

Williams - Amherst - did you guys see college game day there, place looked crazy

Mexico v USA in football

Wisconsin - Minnesota is the longest running football rivalry, this year being #125. The Paul Bunyan Axe is something to behold.

Oakland Mills v Howard High (Columbia, MD)

No Question: Army - Navy.
After 107 games look how close these teams play:

Army-Navy Game Scores 1890-2006
Games played: 107 | Army Wins: 49 | Navy Wins: 51 | Ties: 7

there are many true rivalries out there, but the best ones are the ones where both teams are consistently competitive...not just with each other, but on the national and international level as well. this is why certain "great" rivalries like army-navy won't escalate the next level...because they won't matter to anyone outside the rivalry. for this reason i think duke/unc bball, michigan/OHstate fball, and England/Argentina, Brazil, and Germany soccer, and barca/r.madrid soccer will always rank as better rivalries: they always have a bigger impact on the sport outside that actual game.

i meant england/germany, england/argentina, and brazil/argentina...my bad

Calvin vs. Hope

Heh.

Calvin vs Hope.

>

It thought it was Calvin vs Hobbes.

prep - landon

If we're talking IAC, then SSSAS/EHS.

Here's a great rivalry, even if only folks in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia know about it. Virginia Tech vs. Virginia, Hokies vs. Hoos in football. For people who attended those august universities, nothing much else matters. Wahoo-wah, y'all!

I'm a Naval Academy grad, so I've been to my share of Army-Navy games (and it's still the only football game which causes me to yell at the TV), and have gone to three Michigan-Ohio State games with my Buckeye wife. It's not close - it's OSU-Michigan. The entire city of Columbus goes crazy. People fly into the area who don't have tickets and don't plan to get them just to be NEAR the stadium. There are over 700,000 LIVING graduates of the two schools; there are less than 75,000 TOTAL graduates of USNA. And after the game, Army & Navy shake hands - after the Big Game, they bash cars. Much as I hate to concede, fact is, OSU-UM is the biggest.

NCAAF: Army-Navy or Auburn-Alabama
NCAAB: Carolina-Duke
NHL: Edmonton-Calgary
NFL: Washington-Dallas
MLB: Boston-New York(AL)
Soccer: Rangers-Celtic
NBA: Detroit-Chicago (however, no NBA rivalry truly stands out)

Redskins v. Cowboys (easily) Long storied rivalry that doesn't only have to do with football.

Lakers v Celtics

NCCAB- Used to be Carolina v. Duke
recently- umd v. duke (UMD has dominated Duke the past 6 years)

NCAAF- Ohio St. Mich.

Highschool- Gonzaga v. St Johns

Clinton vs Capitalism

NFL: Redskins--Cowboys, Pats-Colts for the past few years
NCAA men's hoops: UNC--Duke
college football: Ohio State--Michigan
MLB: Red Sox--Yankees
NBA: who cares?
Tennis: Federer--Nadal

Michigan-Ohio St. Who can forget the 10 year war? After that, it's (in no particular order):

Army-Navy (football)
Yanks-Sox
Skins-Cowboys
Carolina-Duke
and maybe Oklahoma-Texas

That's it, that's the list!

NCAA BB: Maryland v Duke

It may not have the tradition and the in state thing that unc v duke has, but as a umd alumni who has attended several duke games I can say that I have never been to a sporting event where the fans hated the opponent more, including skins v cowboys.

Can't believe ND-USC has not been mentioned yet for NCAAF. The teams have WAY more NCs and Heisman winners between them than OSU-UM. The game typically effects the national championship picture, despite how non-competitive it has been the past few years. Not to mention, it was the Big 10's refusal to admit ND that drove it to play other national powerhouses, which is in large part responsible for its current national following.

Turn on ABC at noon on Saturday and you'll see it: GO BLUE!

Really if it's your team involved, that's the biggest rivalry for you.

As outsiders, we can only look in and feel the passion. Some of the best:

> games between evenly matched teams at the very top of their sport decade after decade: Real Madrid-Barca, AC Milan-Juve, Lakers-Celtics, OU-Texas, Auburn-Alabama, Mich-Ohio ST., USC-ND (I know...not this year).
> Kansas-Missouri - hey, these states fought their own actual war against each other! also goes for plenty of international soccer matches, England-Germany, USA-Mexico, Japan-Korea, etc.
> games with religious or cultural undertones - Rangers-Celtic, Chivas vs. anyone.
> Army-Navy - for all the obvious reasons, and for fans watching around the world.
> honorable mention: not the "best" but some are so nasty they can't seem to be played, like VT-WVU now, Kentucky-Louisville for years awhile back.

I don't think Yanks-Sox rates. I don't think Skins-Cowboys rates. Baseball is too local, and is every day, so how can one game be so important? As for the NFL, I can't see two teams consistently at the top to make a "best" rivalry. Cowboys-Steelers might be the closest.

Best rivalry in American sports or the entire world? In the entire world all sports rivalries pale in comparison to Celtic-Rangers in soccer. Anyone who knows what I'm talking about knows its truth.

MY TWO CENTS:

NFL: Steelers-Browns
NCAA:USC-Notre Dame/Army-Navy/OSU-Michigan
NHL: Rangers-Islanders
MLB: Cubs-Cards (used to be Giants-Dodgers)
NBA: Mavs-Suns (used to be Celts-Lakers)
CBB: UNC-Duke
SOC: Man. U vs. Liverpool
NASCAR: Jarrett vs. Gordon

COMICS: Charlie Brown vs. Lucy
MOONSHINERS: Hatfields vs. McCoys
CELEBRITIES: The Donald vs. Rosie
AUTOS: Chevy vs. Ford
SODAS: Coke vs. Pepsi
FAST FOOD: McDonald's vs. Burger King
PIZZA: Pizza Hut vs. Domino's
CANDY: Reese's Cups vs. Snickers
BEER: Bud vs. Miller
SHOES: Nike vs. Reebok
COMPUTERS: Microsoft vs. Apple

NHL

Flyers - Rangers

Lafayette vs. Lehigh

The football rivalry has been played 142 times (143 on 11/17) since 1884, making it the most-played football rivalry in the nation. It is also the longest uninterrupted rivalry, since the teams have met every year since 1897.

GO PARDS!

University of North Carolina v. THE University of North Carolina - any sport, any time - game on!

There's no such thing as a Maryland-Duke rivalry. Over their history, Duke has dominated Maryland. Maryland has the edge the past 2 or 3 years, but that doesn't make a rivalry. UMCP fans want to be thought of as having something close to the history and tradition Duke has. They don't.

I'll say that Duke and Maryland have played some pretty good games this past decade, but that's not enough for a rivalry.

It's still Duke vs. Carolina in college basketball. Nothing else comes close.

Worldwide? There's probably hundred plus soccer rivalries that nothing in US sports even comes close to.

Ali-Fraiser Randolh Macon-Hampton Sydney Army-Navy

It used to be mighty Dalhart vs. evil Phillips in Texas high school football. But then the entire town of Phillips (a Phillips Petroleum oil town) closed. We win ;)

Notre Dame fanatics vs. Notre Dame haters

If you have never been to the Midwest you can't appreciate the depth of the Missouri-Kansas "border war". I have not stepped foot in Kansas for over 10 years. I hate the Chokers from that other state. We will own them and their Mommas in 2 weeks. At least the entire nation will be able to see the best game of the entire football season. But that's how we ride in the Big 12.

NEW YORK YANKEES-BOSTON RED SOX.

North America: USA-Mexico
>> Chivas-America, Galaxy-Chivas USA, DC-
Chicago

Europe: England-Germany, France-Italy, Germany-Netherlands
>> Celtic-Rangers, Real-Barca, AC-Inter, Benfica-Sporting, Fenerbahce-Galatasaray, Liverpool-Man U

South America: Brazil-Argentina
>> Boca-River, Santos-Sao Paulo

Africa: Nigera-Ghana
Asia: Japan-Korea, Iraq-Iran
Central America: everyone against Mexico
Worldwide: England-Argentina, USA-Rest of World

The most heated MLB rivalry is between the fabulous, hard working Red Sox and the Evil Empire Yankees. The Red Sox always come first when discussing the rivalry and for the 2007 season! Go Sox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Within the USA:
1) Army-Navy....just for the love of the game.
2) Red Sox-Yankees
3) Cowboys-Redskins
4) Mexico-USA
5) Michigan-Ohio State
6) USC-ULCA
7) Duke-UNC

Worldwide:
1) England-Germany
2) Germany-Netherlands
3) Milan AC-Inter Milan
4) Boca Juniors-River Plate
5) Celtic-Rangers
6) Any team versus another in Turkey
7) France-Italy

As far as the NFL goes, no other rivalry has gone on as long as Packers-Bears.
All others are Johnny-come latelys.

College FB - Army vs Navy
College Basketball - MD vs Duke
College Lacross - Anyone vs Johns Hopkins

Baseball - Have to say BoSox vs Yankees

Football - Redskins vs. Cowboys or
Cleveland vs. Steelers a close 2nd

good vs. evil

good vs. evil

GO GONZAGA BEAT ST. JOHN'S

Islanders-Rangers,NHL. For most of you fans in the D.C. area,you just don't get or understand the greatest sport on Earth! The hatred between the blue collar Isles fans and the business suit wearing Rangers fans is pure HATE! Go Isles!

If you've ever been to a Carolina-Duke basketball game, you know the answer. When two top universities are 8 miles apart, there is no love lost AT ALL. There is no rivalry that is close to the intensity of this one- the whole country follows it. And, by the way, UNC leads 127-96 or 57%!

World cup hockey: Finland - Russia

NCAA FB: Cal - Stanford

Any sport: China - Japan, Japan - Korea

Army-Navy.

Everything else is a fleeting regional skirmish.

OHIO STATE - the team up north
your just born into a strong hatred if you are from Ohio or the state up north!

mich and state iv been to that game more times ten i can coutn its the best

Dallas Cowboys vs NY Giants!

College Hoops- unc-duke and louisville vs Kentucky-i cant beieve no one has said that yet.

College FB- Mich-OSU, no one gives a crap for navy and army they always suck!

NFL- Skins-cowboys, Pats-Colts, Bengals-Steelers.

High School- Trinity(louisville,Ky) vs ST. Xavier(louisville,KY)when these two teams play theres always from 3500-4000 fans at the game, and the game has a college Atmosphere.

The rivalries in the US can't paralyze the entire nation like the soccer rivalries around the world...
In Argentina or Spain...the Boca Juniors-River Plate and Barcelona-Real Madrid are subjects of debate even in the politics...
No one could divide the countries like Rangers-Celtic in Scotland, Galatasaray - Fenehrbace in Turkey or Guadalajara-América in Mexico...
No one could revive historical hate like Argentina-England (for the Argentine people, a victory in a soccer pitch against England is a revenge for the Falklands Wars), England-Germany (a symbolic continuation of the WWII conflict) or Turkey-Greece (Ethnic and historical hete between this two)

Football -- Cowboys / Redskins
College football -- Texas / OU
International soccer -- Brazil / Argentina
Club soccer -- Barca / Real Madrid
College basketball -- UNC / Duke

NHL - Islanders v Rangers
SPL - Celtic v Rangers

I get to hate the rangers in two sports.

ok Im not sure about the rivalries in the US but the navy vs army sounds like it would be a great game to watch if I ever make it to the US. Here in the land down under we got massive Queensland Vs New south wales. state vs state hate fest. But i'd have to give it to celtic v rangers. Not even allowed to ride the same trains.
oh and Honduras vs El Salvidore.. They actully went to war after a game between the nations. Im sure that would be hell of a rivalry