Teams without an arch rival

[BeerGuyJordan]

15 hours ago, Kaz said:

So they'd be their own archrival then? 

Anyone who thinks the NHL is letting go of that market is kidding themselves. 

 

I still think that the Phoenix area can work. The biggest issue is poor management and marketing by the front office.

 

Sure, non-traditional markets are tough, even when you're winning. But I've always felt that ANY metro area of 2.5 million or greater us viable, with the right approach. I think this new GM deserves a shot, maybe he'll turn it around. 

 

Is there a solid argument for moving the Coyotes? Absolutely, they're one of four teams who should be considered, based on the last 5 season averages. Carolina needs to go, and Columbus, Florida and Arizona are all at a point where one last effort may be worth attempting, but you need to start considering relocation if rejuvination doesn't work.

[masterchaoss]

I'm pretty sure the Angels don't, or if they do it's hard to figure out who it is. The Dodgers aren't any form of a rival from a Dodgers fan, they haven't meet in the postseason, they don't play each other that often and the fact that regional rivals aren't really rivals, plus I know many Dodgers fans, including myself, that want the Angels to do well and vise versa. I like to think it's Oakland or Texas but it's really hard to tell with them. 

[TheGrimReaper]

On 6/1/2016 at 7:03 AM, crashcarson15 said:

I’ve never quite gotten a grasp on USC though — do Trojans fans care more about UCLA or Notre Dame?

 

UCLA, since it's local, and it's a multiple sport rivalry.

[TheGrimReaper]

Do the Angels really have an arch rival? You could make a case for the AL West teams, and the Yankees/Red Sox, but none of them are obviously the arch rival. I guess Texas and Boston are the closest.

[TheGrimReaper]

On 6/1/2016 at 7:53 PM, 4_tattoos said:

In the AFC however, I definitely feel like the Chargers don't have a true arch rival.

 

Raiders.

 

On 6/2/2016 at 10:06 PM, B-Rich said:

Having talked to some San Diegan Charger fans (1 native and one who has lived there since adulthood) I got the impression the Raiders were their archrival.  Makes sense; NoCal -SoCal split; same division going back to the AFL days, etc.

 

Plus it was an LA-San Diego rivalry for 15 years, and many Raiders and Chargers fans live in LA/OC/IE. It's a pretty big rivalry.

[ltjets21]

On June 1, 2016 at 10:03 AM, crashcarson15 said:

Yeah, opening this thread and, well, kinda sorta this is a lot of teams I root for.

 

As has been mentioned, the Blue Jackets are one. Probably should’ve become Nashville (?), but never winning down there didn’t help. But geographically surrounded by teams with a lot of history and existing rivalries, and being generally terrible since the inception doesn’t help.

 

Indians are kind of one too. I’ve never felt a strong rivalry with any team really — I hate the Yankees more than anyone else, and that’s not a rivalry — and where there are candidates (say, the Reds), there’s probably a bigger existing rivalry (Cardinals, for example).

 

I think there’s a day where the Browns and Steelers was a two-way thing, but I’m pretty sure we hate the Steelers a lot more than their fans do the Browns. It’s more about the Ravens — and even the Bengals — down there these days. Obviously, we consider Pittsburgh to be our “arch rival,” but that’s not that much of a two-way street these days.

 

Never felt like the NBA has many great “arch rivalries,” to be frank, given how superstar-dominant the sport is — so the Cavs not having one is probably par for the course. Biggest “rival” these days is probably Golden State, which has no geographic rooting to it.

 

And as has been at least tangentially alluded to, one could make the case that Notre Dame doesn’t have any “arch” rivalries. The only two schools any of us would consider to be in that category are Michigan and USC, and the former certainly wouldn’t consider ND to be their arch rival. I’ve never quite gotten a grasp on USC though — do Trojans fans care more about UCLA or Notre Dame?

 

I agree with the basketball arch rivals part.. If you think about it the biggest rivalry in basketball is Lakers Celtics and they dont even play in the same conference. Overtime interconference rivalries die out due to lack of team success. Most geographic rivalries are also not there due to lack of teams success. Knicks-Pacers Knicks-Heat Bulls-Pistons etc are not huge rivalries anymore for one reason or another.

[Mitch B]

On May 31, 2016 at 10:41 PM, 4_tattoos said:

So I'm watching the NCAA Men's Lacrosse championship on Monday and a random thought came to mind. Who is the University of Maryland's arch rival? I know Maryland has historic rivals, but don't have a main arch rival (that I can think of) in the same way UNC has Duke. Maryland is/was at best a secondary rival to a few schools....

 

• Virginia - after Virginia Tech & arguably North CarolinA

 

Actually, from VA Tech's POV, Virginia is their big rival, but from Virginia's POV it's #1 North Carolona and #2 VA Tech.  This is because VT's history in the ACC isn't that long.

[4_tattoos]

11 hours ago, Mitch B said:

 

Actually, from VA Tech's POV, Virginia is their big rival, but from Virginia's POV it's #1 North Carolona and #2 VA Tech.  This is because VT's history in the ACC isn't that long.

Really? Always assumed UVA & VTech had a Florida/Florida State and UGA/Georgia Tech type of out of conference, in state rivalry. The handful of UVA alums I've personally known have all claimed VT as the school's biggest rival. And that's a group of alums with graduation years ranging from the early 70s to 2008.

[FiddySicks]

There are some teams who's rivalries don't make a lot of sense to me. The A's are one example. Their biggest rivals should be the Angels, but they have MUCH more hatred for the Giants. Most Giants fans, on the other hand, have much bigger "rivalry" fish to fry (Dodgers), and a lot of Giants fans look at the A's as their "AL" team. 

 

 

Come to think of it, I don't really get "cross-town" rivalries all that much. I mean, I get it from a city pride standpoint, but hating a team that represents the city you associate with comes across as a bit odd to me. Add to that most "cross-town" rivals being in separate divisions makes it so they never play each other for anything of real value anyway (not the case in some sports like basketball and hockey, but still). 

 

Like, if you're a Jets fan, why would you hate the Giants? Wouldn't you rather see a team from your area win the Super Bowl over the Pats? 

 

 

I'm still hoping (foolishly) for a Niners Raiders Super Bowl some day. And I'm not even a primary fan of either team. 

[The_Admiral]

34 minutes ago, Bucfan56 said:

Come to think of it, I don't really get "cross-town" rivalries all that much. I mean, I get it from a city pride standpoint, but hating a team that represents the city you associate with comes across as a bit odd to me.

 

White Sox fans don't feel the Cubs represent Chicago, or at least any part worth representing.

 

[Nyk33]

36 minutes ago, Bucfan56 said:

I don't really get "cross-town" rivalries all that much. I mean, I get it from a city pride standpoint, but hating a team that represents the city you associate with comes across as a bit odd to me.

 

I think any team would want to be the top dog in their town/area if there is more than one team in it. As for the fans of those teams its always nice to have more ammunition for trash-talk/banter at work, school, or wherever. 

[Lights Out]

On 5/31/2016 at 10:53 PM, 4_tattoos said:

In the AFC however, I definitely feel like the Chargers don't have a true arch rival.

The Raiders and Broncos would like a word...

[Mitch B]

I grew up close to UVA and longtime ACC rival UNC is HATED, especially in basketball.  I've seen many "Carolina Sucks" bumper stickers in my lifetime, far more than any bumper stickers directed at VT.  The UVA-VT rivalry is more intense on the football field and has become more intense since VT joined the ACC last decade.  

 

I would describe the UVA perspective as being akin to that of one of my alma maters, Kansas.  Jayhawks like to beat and make fun of Kansas State, but Jayhawks HATE Missouri Tigers.

 

Carolina Sucks ... Muck Fizzou !!!

[4_tattoos]

1 hour ago, Lights Out said:

The Raiders and Broncos would like a word...

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of Raider and/or Bronco fans would not consider San Diego to be their team's arch rival. Oakland, Denver & Kansas City all have sort of a 3 way arch rivalry with each other. Chargers are definitely secondary to that.

[FiddySicks]

5 hours ago, 4_tattoos said:

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of Raider and/or Bronco fans would not consider San Diego to be their team's arch rival. Oakland, Denver & Kansas City all have sort of a 3 way arch rivalry with each other. Chargers are definitely secondary to that.

 

I dunno about that. The Chargers are WAY bigger rivals to the Raiders than the Chiefs are IMO. I've been to a ton of Raiders games and it can be downright scary when they play the Chargers (and it's even worse when they play at Qualcomm). Denver games are usually pretty tense as well, but the Chiefs have never really brought out that same kinda ire from what I've experienced. 

[Alex Houston]

16 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

White Sox fans don't feel the Cubs represent Chicago, or at least any part worth representing.

 

 

As an actual fan of the pale hose, I don't really get the animosity towards the 'norff side' in good old fashioned partisan teasing. Before I gravitated towards the Sox, I couldn't understand how both teams were saying the other sucked more when the freaking Reds had won more titles in the last quarter century than both of them over nine decades. Even if they win in October - and I assume they will, because 'this is really the year' after all - I'll feel some happiness for the sports nerds I know who really watch this team through and through every summer. 

 

Besides, the Sox won it a decade earlier, so there

[The_Admiral]

6 hours ago, Alex Houston said:

As an actual fan of the pale hose, I don't really get the animosity towards the 'norff side' in good old fashioned partisan teasing.

 

Where in the area are you originally from? I imagine people who grow up on the south side and are constantly told what a wasteland it is develop some honest resentment. (Of course, it's not all a wasteland.) 

 

[Alex Houston]

1 hour ago, the admiral said:

 

Where in the area are you originally from? I imagine people who grow up on the south side and are constantly told what a wasteland it is develop some honest resentment. (Of course, it's not all a wasteland.) 

 

 

Born and raised south sider. I roll my eyes pretty hard when I hear folks say the usual talking points, typical jargon like, "Yea, I'm not gonna go to Bridgeport, might get shot! Ha ha!" Nevermind the steady increase in crime off Belmont red or how there's a sizable drug and homeless population just a mile down the road in Uptown. By the way these WASPs talk, you'd think Lakeview was this sort of Walden between Ashland and the lake. No doubt it's economically stronger and safer than most of the south side, but considering the south side is predominantly African-American due to a healthy dose of institutionalized racism, yea, that's not something I'd feel the need to tout in between cheese curds at John Barleycorn. 

[The_Admiral]

The funny thing is that Bridgeport itself is pretty safe. If anything, it's just boring. Besides, Comiskey is walled off from its surroundings anyway.

 

Still, I always found the Sox fan pathology of measuring column inches and sports radio minutes to be less than endearing.

[YelichGraphics]

Every one else in the AFC East and the Browns have a little rivalry for the battle of Lake Erie. And i don't think its really considered a rivalry but the pre-season match every year against the Lions is a possibility.