Is a lot better than Giants/Eagles

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Ravens vs. Steelers is on par with Cowboys vs. Redskins and Packers vs. Vikings. Pats vs. Jets is a no and Giants vs. Eagles is also a no. One long standing rivalry that didn’t get mentioned because neither team is a playoff threat is Chiefs vs. Raiders. To this day, it is still a heated rivalry even though both teams are weak competition for the rest of the league.

That said, it’s also only a temporary rivalry. It’s not permanent like tOSU/Michigan or Redskins/Dallas. The Ravens and the Steelers are just two football teams that play in the same division; playoffs for either team depend, in part, on the games played between them.

Add the proximity of the fans and the similarity of the styles of play, and you got a really good rivalry. The Steelers are number one and Ravens are number two in total defense over the last decade.

When one team starts to suck, the rivalry will be over. I remember like four seasons ago, (not sure, but the season where Carson Palmer got knocked out by the Steelers in the Wild Card round) and Sports Illustrated had a cover like “The best rivalry in the NFL?”

I don’t know of too many fans that will throw batteries at opposing teams fans. There is intense hatred there that followed from Oakland, to L.A. and back again.

That being said, our rivalry followed the Purple Browns from Cleveland. I hate your team, but have intense respect for them. At the same time, I hate most of you (few exceptions), and I’m sure you guys aren’t too fond of me.

Did you guys know that when Chris Henry died that not a single Brownies fan went over and posted on any of the commiseration threads the Bungholes had up on their site? The Skidmarks didn’t even have a post about his tragic death on their shit-stain of a site. I did notice, however, how many Ravens and Steelers fans went over and offered condolances to our almost equally hated division rival last week. Coincidence? I think not. For all our mutual hatred, we are still fairly classy people, who can put aside our vitriol for a good cause.

That’s it.

eagles fan here. i def feel that over the last couple years it has been the ravens/steelers due to the similarity between the two teams. But i think the Cowboys/Eagles are right with them, alot of eagles fans are torn between Eagles/Cowboys and Eagles/Giants. But they are def both up there. Well i also live in Maryland so im around Ravnes fans everyday

this sun

It’s Dallas/Eagls. Not even close. Trust me, living here in Philly, albeit Eagles fans hate the Giants, the hatred for the Cowboys is far superior to the hatred for the Giants.

this decade was defined by colts-pats. steelers/ravens just doesn’t have the history and, for the most part, it’s a one sided affair in terms of the “dynasty” factor (6 to 1? come on, not even close). in terms of this rivalry, it’s 4-3 in favor of the colts and the patriots were robbed by an inhuman effort by the giants D-line and david tyree back in 07 from tying the series. colts/pats though is interesting every year, has major playoff implications and has often decided home field advantage. plus they only play once a year in the regular season so it’s not like if you lose the first time you can win the next one to make up for it a few weeks down the road. steelers ravens is ok, but the last game was just sloppy, the last colts/pats game? up for game of the year, no debate. face it, the two best QB’s of the decade going at it trounces the streaky 2nd year man and the dude who fell off a motorcycle.

Steelers-Ravens is a good, physical rivalry. But the NFL is a business, and since Pats-Colts and anything involving the Cowgirls, Eagles, Giants, Chargers are aerial-first, they are going to be more popular. Don’t shoot me, but even Steelers-Ravens is starting to skew towards an aerial battle. Big Ben vs. Flacco? Could be compelling in the future.

Patriots/Colts. Almost every game they’ve played this decade has been a classic. The 2003 goal line stand game, the 06 AFC championship game (Game of the decade candidate right there), the 07, 08, and 09 games all came right down to the wire (07 and 09 probably the best regular season games of their respective years).

I can’t think of memorable or meaningful ravens/steelers games outside of 08 (when it WAS the greatest rivalry for that year). But the fact that pats/colts only meet 1 maybe two times a year only increases the anticipation for those games. Like any other non-division rivalry it’ll fade once one team starts to suck, but right now, it’s the best rivalry in the NFL, and will define the ’00s when people look back on this decade.

MAY THEY CATCH BROWNS FEVER AND BECOME FLOUNDER BAIT.