ESPN.com Poll - Greatest Rivalry in Sports

Submitted by spacemanspiff231 on

The poll on the main page of espn.com right now is asking what is the greatest rivalry in sports.  Currently, the leader is the Yankees and Red Sox???  with UM v. OSU in second by a significant amount and barely ahead of Duke v. UNC basketball.  We need to get on and vote for what we know is right.

 

http://espn.go.com/

double blue

February 9th, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^

while as a michigan alum i naturally voted for the um-osu rivalry the other leaders are not slouches as i can personally attest to them as well.  my wife is a tar heel and i can tell you she hates duke with as much passion as i have ever seen any um grad hate osu.  and as i am originally from new york and still a yankees fan and she is from boston and remains a red sox fan, i would,if i could, have my son tell you about how heated that rivalry is as he endured his mother and i pulling on him in his early years (when it was yankees red sox facing each other in the playoffs every year).  of cours, he is now a die-hard yankees fan and the rightful order in our house has been restored.

Hardware Sushi

February 9th, 2011 at 3:22 PM ^

Maybe I'm just bullheaded, but I fail to recognize college basketball rivalries on the same level as college football. There is just so much tradition, hate, and build-up to college football's once-a-year meetings that they just blow basketball out of the water.

Not to mention college basketball, and basketball in general, didn't even enter the nation's conscious until the 70s. College football was one of the four major US sports in 1900, along with baseball, boxing, and horseracing.

I can admit I'm biased and haven't ever been big on basketball, but there's just so much more to football rivalries. I can think of 10 college football rivalries I'd place over UNC-Duke. But, I suppose if they are going to choose a bball rivalry, they got the right one.

Let's take down those Tobacco Road chumps...

MGoTarHeel

February 9th, 2011 at 4:32 PM ^

Let's not say things we can't take back now. I agree Ted that there is a certain quality to games played once a year, but there is also value in games played twice a year (a month apart). There is revenge still fresh in everyone's minds, there is still a sting. Heck there were still posts on my facebook from the February game when the March game rolled around. It's fresh.

Also the UNC-Duke rivalry runs deeper than just basketball. Imagine if MSU was a the academic equivalent of Northwestern, and imagine if they moved it to EMU's campus. We share the same dry cleaners, the same apartment complexes. I will always have a respect and place for the Michigan-OSU football rivalry, and as a sports rivalry it will always be my number one, but UNC-Duke is all around hate on every level. One of the best articles I've ever read on the subject (other than the quintessential book To Hate Like This Is To Be Happy Forever) was written in 1990 by a Daily Tar Heel columnist. It is reprinted every year during Duke week.

matt mich

February 9th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^

I voted for the great blue not for that team down there.  I don't think its lived up to the potential for the past couple of years but Woodey V. Bo has got to be the best to coaches against each other in the greatest rivalry in sports.

Tha Stunna

February 9th, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^

This poll is blasphemous.  Where is Florida-Bama, the greatest rivalry in sports?  What kind of terrible outlet doesn't even include it as one of the poll options?  It would  clearly be geting 121% if it was an option right now.

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/dumb-espn-article-rivalries for context.

In all seriousness, I refuse to believe that the value of the greatest rivalry in sports has anything to do with a poll, particularly an ESPN poll. I'm not voting.

Chippewa Blue

February 9th, 2011 at 2:13 PM ^

We all know the great and powerful pull that is the Mgoblog vote but with 100k already voted and our canidate being 18%(roughly) down, I beleive that this would be our greatest voting accomplishment. Well this or the fish sandwhich contest

michgoblue

February 9th, 2011 at 2:22 PM ^

Can everyone please send this to everyone they know.

I know that the odds are slim, but if M / OSU actually wins, or at least finishes second, it would not hurt recruiting.  High school kids get just about all of their sports info from ESPN, and what kid wouldn't want to at least hear from the schools that make up the greatest rivalry.  

Sure, this will probably not help, but if it even sways 1 4* kid, it is worth the effort.

Hoke-A-Hey

February 9th, 2011 at 2:36 PM ^

As much as I want to vote for our rivalry, until we make it one again, I can't. However I do think with hole were able to compete with them right away to get the games status back. They did this poll several years ago an ours was ahead by a nice margin.

MGoShoe

February 9th, 2011 at 4:09 PM ^

...voting for other rivalries besides M - OSU. Fully 33% of votes from the state of Michigan are for choices other than the correct one. Pathetic.

tdcarl

February 9th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^

The Duke vs UNC poll is probably getting a lot of help due to the fact that the game is tonight and on ESPN. Fans of those two schools are probably checking the site more today than a Michigan or OSU fan probably would.

The Blue in Ohio

February 9th, 2011 at 5:49 PM ^

i fear that i feel torn between the yeakees/redsux and michigan/OSUcks. I am a devoted Michigan fan, but am also a Yankees fan. I don't think one is greater than the other, it's 2 different sports. Although Michigan/osucks is the greatest foobtall rivalry.

Y0ST

February 9th, 2011 at 5:56 PM ^

By "The Game's" fall from graces by the gen pop.  M needs to be highly ranked and start beating the Buckeyes again before this rivalry regains its status.