Greatest Sports Rivalries

Whether you're a competitor on the field or a fan cheering in the bleachers, a heated rivalry makes a sporting event more emotional and exciting. It's great when your team wins any game, but it's really, really great when your team kicks the snot out of their biggest rival. From the Yankees and Red Sox to the Pistons and Pacers, Kidzworld looks at some of the greatest rivalries from the world of sports.

Greatest Sports Rivalries - Ohio State vs. Michigan

Ohio State and Michigan have been rivals on the football field for over 100 years. The two teams from the Big 10 played each other for the first time in 1897 and have done battle in the final game of the regular season every year since 1935. In 2003, these teams played for the 100th time and the US Congress recognized the rivalry as the greatest in sports history. Overall, the Michigan Wolverines hold an edge in games between the two teams, 57-39-6.

Greatest Sports Rivalries - Pacers vs. Pistons

Ever since their infamous Basketbrawl 2004, the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers have become the biggest rivals in the NBA. While games between the two Central Division opponents no longer involve flying chairs and fights with fans, any matchup between the Pacers and Pistons is filled with tough defence, heated emotions and plenty of trash talk.

Greatest Sports Rivalries - New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Yankees versus Red Sox may be the greatest rivalry of all sports. The two historic baseball teams first became heated rivals after the Red Sox traded baseball legend, Babe Ruth, to the Yanks and triggered the famous Curse of the Bambino. After the trade, the Yankees went on to win 26 World Series titles, while the Red Sox suffered through decades of dismay, until finally winning a World Series title in 2004. These two American League rivals have played each other nearly 2,000 times and even a spring training game between the teams has the tension of a playoff game.

Greatest Sports Rivalries - UNC vs. Duke

In the world of college hoops, there's no bigger rivalry then the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils. The two teams hate each other. Their fans hate each other. There is simply no love to be found here. The Tar Heels and the Blue Devils are two of the biggest powers in NCAA basketball and their games almost always go down to the final buzzer.

Greatest Sports Rivalries - Eagles vs. Cowboys

With Terrell Owens leaving Philadelphia to catch footballs for the Cowboys, expect Philly vs. Dallas to be the best rivalry in the NFL for 2006. Considering the war of words that took place last season between Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles, you can expect the games between the Eagles and the Cowboys to have plenty of fireworks. Whether it's a provocative touchdown dance by Owens or a late hit by Jeremiah Trotter on Drew Bledsoe, Eagles versus Cowboys will attract more headlines than a Lindsay Lohan car accident.

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Read more: Sports Almanac