Rivalries

Being from New York, I know a little bit about rivalries. Among the rivalries I've been a part of, either as a fan or as a member of the media, include:

Yankees-Red Sox
Yankees-Mets
Yankees-Dodgers
Mets-Cubs
Jets-Dolphins
Jets-Patriots
Giants-Cowboys
Giants-Redskins
Knicks-Bulls
Knicks-Heat
Knicks-Celtics
Rangers-Islanders
Rangers-Devils

As someone who was part of not one but two national radio networks (ESPN and Sporting News Radio), I've had the opportunity to experience some other rivalries, including:

Oklahoma-Texas
Michigan-Ohio State
Cowboys-49ers
Giants-Dodgers
Florida-Florida State
Cubs-Cardinals

The list goes on and on. Living in Milwaukee and being a member of the Wisconsin media for the last three years, I've also been able to see rivalries like Brewers-Cubs; Marquette-Wisconsin; Marquette-UM; and Wisconsin-Minnesota.

However, none of them comes close to the blood feud that is Packers vs. Bears.

The 2008 edition of this rivalry kicks off this afternoon at Lambeau Field, where Lovie Smith's Bears haven't always been the most gracious of guests. In fact, since Smith became head coach of the Bears, he pumped brand new life into the rivalry. It had become stale thanks to Green Bay's dominance in the 1990's, but that's not the case anymore.

This is the best rivalry in sports. I'm not just saying it because I live here. I've seen it up close and personal from both sides (having lived in Chicago for six years before coming to Milwaukee), and I've come up with a few good reasons why this rivalry is better than any other I've seen.

* There isn't a person in Wisconsin or Illinois that isn't into this particular rivalry. You're either a Bears fan or a Packers fan. Everyone has the two games these two teams play ever year circled on their calender. At noon today you won't find many cars on the streets. You won't find many people in the stores. You won't find anyone going to a late mass. They'll all be watching the game. Living in New York not everyone got into Yankees-Red Sox. The city had two baseball teams, and if you weren't a Yankees fan you didn't care. The same could be said for many of the rivalries (except the college ones) that I mentioned before.

* This rivalry is competitive once again. The Bears beat the Packers twice in 2007, split the two games in 2006, and have made this a much closer rivalry than it used to be in the nineties. Now, add in this factor. This game could be for the NFC North title. If the Bears win this afternoon they take control of the division (they'll have a two game lead over the Packers with six to go). If the Packers win then the rematch next month likely is for the division title. And, considering the strength of the NFC East, the only team from the North that will go to the playoffs will be the team that wins the division.

Look, what rivalry is the best in sports is a completely subjective question. It makes for some good talk radio when it's done as a topic. There is no right or wrong answer. All I'm saying is that I've had the chance to see a lot of these rivalries. The Packers-Bears rivalry, having experienced it from both sides, is the best in all of sports.