There is nothing quite like a great sports rivalry, whether you are a sports fan or not. The ambiance, the drama and the meaning of the outcome for the winner and loser are enough to draw us in. Here is a list of my all-time great rivalries.

10. Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys
The intense loyalty of these fans helped this rivalry hit a peak in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. Redskins fans hated Tom Landry, his hat and the support the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders got. Cowboy’s fans hated Joe Theisman, Joe Gibbs and the Hail to the Redskins fight song they incessantly played after every score. Even though this rivalry has lost some of the luster it once held due to a lack of competitive balance, both teams still play each other tight when they play.

9. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
The Showtime Lakers and the blue-collar Celtic’s reputations was what made this rivalry great. The glitz of players like Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the hard-nosed style of Larry Bird resurrected the National Basketball Association back to national prominence in the 80’s. Both teams embodied the cities they represented. The two legendary players carried professional basketball into the next generation. Today this rivalry still rages on with a renewed vigor since the Lakers won their 16th championship by beating the Celtics.

8. Tiger Woods vs. The field
Before Tiger had all of his personal issues play out publicly and a slew of injuries, betting on him against the field was as safe a bet in Vegas as you could get. Tiger is still reeling from the fallout and trying to regain his championship form, but while he does, all of the golfers he stepped on staying at the top now will be all too happy to step over him in the rankings.

7. Chicago Black Hawks vs. Detroit Red Wings
When the NHL consisted of six teams, that meant everybody played each other all the time. And no game was as intense as this one. This is one of the rare rivalries when the beef between the two clubs starts with the players and not the fans. These two clubs were filled with enforcers on the ice and were often unafraid to use them in the battles between them.

6. Auburn Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
The “Iron Bowl” is the quintessential intrastate football rivalry. In fact, the series was discontinued from 1908 to 1948 because of a long-standing dispute over a referee and per diem pay for players. When the schools finally agreed to play again, the game had to be held in Birmingham, Ala., a neutral site with tickets split equally. Auburn finally hosted Alabama for the first time in 1989 and set a stadium attendance record. The most famous meeting came in 1972. Both teams entered with one loss. ‘Bama led 16-0 entering the fourth quarter, but Auburn returned two blocked punts for touchdowns and won 17-16. “Punt, ‘Bama, Punt,” became a famous slogan.

5. Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons
Before Michael Jordan could ever hoist that first NBA Championship trophy he had to go through the Pistons. The Piston so despised Jordan they designed a defense specifically to stop him in the playoffs. They called this defense the Jordan rule. Anytime Jordan drove to the basket or was anywhere in the paint, the Pistons made sure to foul Jordan hard. The fouls weren’t just to keep him from scoring, but as later described by Dennis Rodman, as ways to break his will to make plays close to the basket.

4. Boston Red Sox vs. Yankees
Some would say this is a media-driven rivalry and to some degree that is true, since the two teams have rarely battled head-to-head for the pennant. But what really stokes the flames of this feud is its rich history and those involved. Boston trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees began the feud that has since been played out very publicly between the two ball clubs. When the Boston Redsoxs team president, Larry Luchinno refuses to call the Yankees by name but rather refers to them as the “Evil Empire,” then you know the contempt runs deep between these two clubs.

3. Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
This is National Football Association’s longest standing rivalry that started in 1921. The Bears and Packers organizations are steeped in tradition with five Super Bowls and 48 members combined represented in the Hall of Fame between them. With so much in common between the two teams and the blue-collar cities from which each team hails, it is easy to imagine the level of contempt that each team feels for the opposing teams players.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines
When Ohio State’s Stadium opened in 1922, Michigan spoiled the party with a 22-0 victory. The rivalry was heated in the early days as both have been long-time college football powers. But it got even hotter in 1969, when Bo Schembechler took over as Michigan’s coach and upset Woody Hayes’ No. 1-ranked, undefeated Buckeyes. The rivalry continues strong today with Michigan’s Saturday win over OSU breaking their seven-game winning streak.

1. Duke University vs. University of North Carolina
College basketball’s most storied and talked about rivalries ends up at the top of the list. This game shows what true college basketball is all about and it features it all, the top players, the best coaches, and most importantly the most rabid fans in the game trying their best to propel their team to victory. This rivalry has been known to go down till the last possession quite often. Both of these teams are playing to be the best team in North Carolina and most importantly, in college basketball.

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