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Umm what?
The Top 10 Best Current Rivalries in Sports
By Richie Whitt
Tonight's the next chapter in one of sports' best rivalries. That's right, I said best.
To be a true sports rivalry - more than just a plethora of games between teams in close proximity (see Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals) - the meetings between opponents must:
*Take place at an advanced level, with championships on the line.
*Feature sustained excellence by both teams over a period of time.
*Include some form of contentiousness, be it physical alternations or trash-talking taunts.
*Prompt you to watch, even if you're a fan of neither team.
What do you know, Dallas Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs meets - and exceeds - each criteria. In fact, when the Mavs and Spurs battle tonight just four hours south on I-35 it will resume one of the best - yet most underrated and overlooked - rivalries in not just the NBA, but all of sports.
You want history? The Spurs were born as the ABA's Dallas Chaparrals.
You want trash-talking? Mavs owner Mark Cuban has repeatedly criticized Spurs fans and called San Antonio's famed Riverwalk "dirty."
You want familiarity? Former Spur Avery Johnson coached the Mavs; Former Mav Michael Finley plays for the Spurs.
You want conflict? Dirk Nowitzkti had his two front teeth knocked out in an '01 playoff game against San Antonio; Jason Terry punched Finley in the family jewels in an infamous '06 scrum.
Most importantly, you want superior play at an elite level? As I noted last week, the Spurs (504) and Mavs (480) have by far the NBA's most regular-season victories since 2000. They are the league's only two teams to have won 50+ games the last eight seasons. And they've saved their best for last. The winner of the teams' three playoff meetings this millenium has advanced to the NBA Finals, with the Mavericks beating the Spurs in a seven-game series en route to their only appearance in 2006 and with the San Antonio ousting Dallas in compe ive series on their way to NBA Championships in 2001 and 2003.
So, exactly where does Mavs-Spurs fit in the landscape of current sports rivalries?
10. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics - Memories of Bird vs. Magic and "Beat L.A.!" were rekindled with last summer's Kobe vs. Garnett-Pierce-Allen NBA Finals. With the league's best records this year, they're seemingly again on a collision course.
9. Mancheser United vs. Chelsea - The Premiership's best, richest teams annually fight for the le in soccer's most prestigious league. Sorry, Tom Hicks.
8. Tiger Woods vs. The Field - Golf's all-time best player has won 14 of the 51 majors he's entered and 30 percent of his career PGA starts against the best of the rest in the world. Still, someone other than Woods wins 70 percent of the time.
7. North Carolina vs. Duke - Not only have they won two college basketball championships this decade, the Tar Heels and Devils are seperated by only eight miles and boast a history filled with Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Michael Jordan, Grant Hill and two of the sport's all-time winningest records.
6. New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts - This matchup features Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning and has combined to place a team in five of the last eight Super Bowls. Take that, Cowboys-Redskins.
5. Texas vs. Oklahoma - The annual Red River Rivalry not only fills the Cotton Bowl, but the Sooners and Longhorns have combined to win two college football national championships since 2000 and make five le-game appearances.
4. Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees - Their genuine, mutal disdain goes back to 1919 and the sale of Babe Ruth and their current domination includes combining for five of the last 11 World Series.
3. Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs - The NBA's two best teams this millenium produce monumental playoff series as contentious neighbors. Imagine the hype is this was Nets-Knicks?
2. Baseball vs. The Truth - For years players lied their way to unprecedented records and resurgent popularity, but - just ask Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, et al - their enemy is staging a furious rally.
1. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer - They have been ranked No. 1-2 since July 2005 and have won an astounding 15 of the last 16 Grand Slams, most in dramatic, five-set theater.
Umm what?
spurs vs suns > spurs mavs
I don't know where to begin. I'm fine with saying it's a rivalry but that list is all kinds of messed up.
Yeah, and don't forget the Spurs vs Lakers rivalry.
Spurs v. Lakers > Spurs v. Mavs
We're talking about 7 of the last 10 rings. 8 Finals appearances between them in the last decade, and one almost always had to go through the other. Some of the greatest battles either team has seen.
This article is wack.
This is ridiculous, talking about greatest rivalries and take the example og Manchester / Chelsea is beyond idiotic...
That's why I put it up.
I know ST will have a better list.
Spurs didn't win a championship in 2001. And Spurs vs. Mavs is hardly one of the best current rivalries. I'd put the Lakers or Suns rivalry far ahead.with the San Antonio ousting Dallas in compe ive series on their way to NBA Championships in 2001 and 2003.
But I do agree that the best current rivalry in all of sports is Federer vs Nadal
"The winner of the teams' three playoff meetings this millenium has advanced to the NBA Finals, with the Mavericks beating the Spurs in a seven-game series en route to their only appearance in 2006 and with the San Antonio ousting Dallas in compe ive series on their way to NBA Championships in 2001 and 2003."
ing wrong.
Just to clarify, the Spurs and Suns never had a rivalry. The Spurs just kept beating the Suns. It's like the Kings and Lakers never had a rivalry, the Lakers just kept beating the Kings.
2005-06 this might have been right (that 2006 series was magical, and would have been even better had the Spurs pulled it out) but now there's just so much more rivalry-wise, especially with the Suns.
But Rafa/Roger is definitely number 1. With-out-a-doubt.
inter e milan stramerda!
milan inter
spurs suns
arsenal tottenham
duke nc
spurs lakers
spurs david stern
chelsea man u
spurs mavs are honerable mention
and im leaving out a lot to get in the actual emotional rivalries in soccer(the derbies etc.)
Mmmm I could really go for a tepid malaysian carlsberg with some raw snails from a street hawker right now.
This is based on an american point of view, I suppose.
There are several rivalries in soccer more important than manchester udt - chelsea, at least for the rest of the world:
Germany - England
Barcelona - Real Madrid
Argentina - Brazil
Where's Ohio State - Michigan?
The writer works for a Dallas newspaper so he obviously is biased.
Wow, I thought Jeff McDonald was clueless. SA-Dallas higher than LA-Boston? Higher than Boston-NYY? Texas-Freakin OU? What, Dallas beat us one time because Manu pulled a bonehead play and now it's a top three rivalry?
Richie should change his name to Lack. Lack Whitt.
yah, i don't think you can call the mavericks the other best nba team of the millenium. they haven't even won a finals championship. you can call them one of the most consistent as far as winning this decade, but they surely aren't the other best... must be a typo
WTF????????? not even close....... if they include international sports.... there are 1000 “Best Current Rivalries In Sports” before Spurs-Mavs …
Cowboys vs. Redskins > Spurs vs. Lakers > Spurs vs. Suns > Spurs vs. Mavs
right, just cuz one team has played another at high stakes a lot doesn't mean that it's a rivalry. rivalries should consist of one team beating the other approx. half of the time. the suns haven't beaten the spurs in a 7 game series (suns beat the spurs in a 5 game series in 2000, but 5 game series' are a joke, and they were both different teams at that point.) no rivalry with the spurs and suns, but for the financial well being of the nba, let's call it one anyways
Richie Whitt is a moron.
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