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NFL Rivalry names/trophies


FALCON6

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 https://theathletic.com/95711/2018/08/27/the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald-trophy/

Came across this article today, and realized that something college football rivalries have that NFL rivalries don't are names and trophies for the game and the game's winner, respectively. In general, NFL rivalries hardly stand up to those in CFB, and maybe the lack of "characterization" of the games has something to do with it. This thread is basically brainstorming names and/or trophies for NFL rivalries. Keep in mind, teams don't need to play in the same division to be rivals, but when they do play every couple of years the game could still have a name. Don't necessarily need to involve just two teams, could be who has the best record of three, like the Commander in Chief's Trophy.

Ideas off the top of my head-

Established Rivalries: Rust Belt Battle (Ravens v Steelers) Battle for Ohio (Bengals v Browns) Cowboys and Indians (Redskins v Cowboys) Southern Showdown (Falcons v Saints)

Non-established: East and West (largest cities on each coast) (Giants/Jets v Rams/Chargers) The Brawl in a Blizzard (coldest and snowiest stadiums) (Bills v Packers)

3 or more teams: Dixie Shootout (teams located in traditional Deep South (Falcons v Saints v Jags v Titans) The Cat-Fight (Panthers v Jags v Bengals v Lions)

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11 hours ago, Cosmic said:

A rivalry trophy game should be played once a year. It would be dumb to lose an NFL rivalry trophy to a divisional rival, and then get it back two weeks later.

 

True, but over a weekend where I was incredibly bored and at my in-laws, I traced back a mythical, lineal championship of the NFL in the same fashion that professional boxing does - awarding "the title" to "the team that beat the team."  I lost the actual paperwork but it worked out that at the end of the season the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, they were both that season's champ and the lineal champions of the NFL, dating all the way back to its first game in 1920.

 

Someone putting together that kind of award - a "Challenge Championship Cup" that was contested every week of the season and (when appropriate) throughout the playoffs (and no, despite what you think, in many seasons the lineal champ didn't qualify for postseason play)?  It might be worth doing.

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On 8/28/2018 at 11:59 PM, FALCON6 said:

 https://theathletic.com/95711/2018/08/27/the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald-trophy/

Came across this article today, and realized that something college football rivalries have that NFL rivalries don't are names and trophies for the game and the game's winner, respectively. In general, NFL rivalries hardly stand up to those in CFB, and maybe the lack of "characterization" of the games has something to do with it. This thread is basically brainstorming names and/or trophies for NFL rivalries. Keep in mind, teams don't need to play in the same division to be rivals, but when they do play every couple of years the game could still have a name. Don't necessarily need to involve just two teams, could be who has the best record of three, like the Commander in Chief's Trophy.

Ideas off the top of my head-

Established Rivalries: Rust Belt Battle (Ravens v Steelers) Battle for Ohio (Bengals v Browns) Cowboys and Indians (Redskins v Cowboys) Southern Showdown (Falcons v Saints)

Non-established: East and West (largest cities on each coast) (Giants/Jets v Rams/Chargers) The Brawl in a Blizzard (coldest and snowiest stadiums) (Bills v Packers)

3 or more teams: Dixie Shootout (teams located in traditional Deep South (Falcons v Saints v Jags v Titans) The Cat-Fight (Panthers v Jags v Bengals v Lions)

Cleveland vs Cincy is already known as the Battle of Ohio. Baltimore isn't part of the Rust Belt so Pittsburgh vs CLE/DET/CIN or Phila makes more sense.

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8 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

Cleveland vs Cincy is already known as the Battle of Ohio. Baltimore isn't part of the Rust Belt so Pittsburgh vs CLE/DET/CIN or Phila makes more sense.

 

not really.  The Phila/Pitts "rivalry" is a little brother complex in the Tucky end of Pennsyltucky.  The Penguins aren't really a rival any more than because they're a long time divisional foe, and the jealousy factor that they are a great team that's had all-time players throughout their history, while the Flyers are just a super rich team that overspends for the wrong guys.  If / when Pitts ever falls back to the pack, or the Flyers ever overtake them, it won't be that big a deal (any more than just that they're a divisional rival... although there's like 50 teams in the division now so even that's not a big deal.)

 

Phila's "rivals" would be any NY/NJ based team, maybe DC but not really.

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

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12 minutes ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

not really.  The Phila/Pitts "rivalry" is a little brother complex in the Tucky end of Pennsyltucky.  The Penguins aren't really a rival any more than because they're a long time divisional foe, and the jealousy factor that they are a great team that's had all-time players throughout their history, while the Flyers are just a super rich team that overspends for the wrong guys.  If / when Pitts ever falls back to the pack, or the Flyers ever overtake them, it won't be that big a deal (any more than just that they're a divisional rival... although there's like 50 teams in the division now so even that's not a big deal.)

 

Phila's "rivals" would be any NY/NJ based team, maybe DC but not really.

I think the same rules apply to Eagles vs Steelers.

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In the NBA, Orlando tried to have a trophy with Miami. In reality, it was an anti-trophy, "designed" it was a broken trophy shop like award adorned with dirty, white socks to be given to the series lover.  It never gained traction after Pat Williams made it up

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1 hour ago, MJWalker45 said:

I think the same rules apply to Eagles vs Steelers.

 

that was specifically what my reply was originally in reference to (hence the bolded part in the original post) but I see how that wasn't clear.

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

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3 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

The Phila/Pitts "rivalry" is a little brother complex in the Tucky end of Pennsyltucky.  The Penguins aren't really a rival any more than because they're a long time divisional foe, and the jealousy factor that they are a great team that's had all-time players throughout their history, while the Flyers are just a super rich team that overspends for the wrong guys.  If / when Pitts ever falls back to the pack, or the Flyers ever overtake them, it won't be that big a deal (any more than just that they're a divisional rival... although there's like 50 teams in the division now so even that's not a big deal.)

 

Phila's "rivals" would be any NY/NJ based team, maybe DC but not really.

 

Sort of sounds like the Hawks-Blues rivalry, where St. Louis is the looked-down-upon city near the other end of the state whose fans take it much more seriously while the other city's fans look elsewhere for real rivalries. I know I still hate no team more than the Red Wings, but they're, in turn, uninterested in us and far more interested in their hated divisional rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

EDIT: I just noticed that the good-ass post that started this thread talks about the "Southern Showdown" but does not acknowledge the rivalry that dates back to the founding of the league

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Most of these are strictly geographical but some do contain some established and competitive rivalries:

 

BosWash Corridor Rivalry (New England Patriots vs New York Giants vs New York Jets vs Philadelphia Eagles vs Baltimore Ravens vs Washington Redskins)

I-95 Rivalry/East Coast Rivalry (all of the above + Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins)

Great Lakes Rivalry (Buffalo Bills vs Cleveland Browns vs Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers), can also add the Steelers and Bengals and Colts and Vikings

Michigan vs Ohio Rivalry (Detroit Lions vs Cincinnati Bengals/Cleveland Browns)

Ohio Rivalry (Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals)

Battle for the Upper Peninsula (Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers)

Lone Star Rivalry (Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Texans)

Gulf Coast Rivalry (Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

West Coast Rivalry (Los Angeles Rams vs Los Angeles Chargers vs Oakland Raiders vs San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks)

Biggie vs Tupac Rivalry (New York Giants/New York Jets vs Los Angeles Chargers/Rams)

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/11/2018 at 12:48 PM, NicDB said:

 

I remember them also playing the Celtics a lot in that span.

 

All of their playoff runs in the 80s ended at the hands of the Sixers or Celtics.

 

On 8/31/2018 at 12:01 AM, MJWalker45 said:

Cleveland vs Cincy is already known as the Battle of Ohio. Baltimore isn't part of the Rust Belt so Pittsburgh vs CLE/DET/CIN or Phila makes more sense.

To me, the Rust Belt would just be Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo.

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