Rivalries are a mainstay in sports. It’s the nature of the sports and how games are played. One team/player has to win, and so there also must be a loser. There have been many great sports rivalries: Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, Boston Red Sex and New York Yankees, Adolf Hitler and Jesse Owens (I’m stretching this a bit), Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, and the list goes on.
What I wanted to do was make a list on the rivalries that are non-sports related. If sports can transcend into life, than surely its nature can affect us and how we live. While there isn’t a winner or loser per se, in reality there is such a thing as a good or an evil.
1. God vs. Satan - The rivalry to end all rivalries. Right now, God is winning, and His victory has brought humans and aliens continued life in the universe. In this epic and ongoing struggle, God and Satan are vying for control of existence. If God loses, then life as we know will end. Darkness and chaos will consume anything and everything. Sin will be enjoyable. Wow, that actually doesn’t sound too bad.
2. Jews vs. The World - Depending on how you view the world and maybe on how racist you are, this seems like an obvious rivalry. Anti-semitism has been prevalent throughout the times, maybe even the age of the dinosaurs? You have the Egyptians versus the Hebrews, more of that (I don’t know the specifics, help a brother out), Hitler and the Nazis versus the Jews, and most recently Mel Gibson versus the Jews. It’s everywhere, and if people can’t see it, then the media isn’t do their jobs.
3. The Bush Family vs. “Evil” - You could see this coming. The first Bush dynasty bean in 1989 and Bush Sr. was riding the success of Ronald Reagan and started but never finished the “Iraq Situation.” The second Bush dynasty began in 2000 and will last until 2008. George W. has almost 3 years left to give history more information and reasons to extent that Bush aura for the next century. Jeb Bush has denied rumors of his running for the presidency, but imagine if he did win. Three President Bushes in 20 years. Whoa.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - dietdoc
Tan the Man: Don't forget capitalism versus communism! It deserves, at least, an honorable mention. At one time, this one threatened to end all of us. And, while less heated (with fewer bastions of communism remaining), the coming showdown of capitalism with China/North Korea may still have something to say about their rankings on the list.
Cheers,
Ron
2 - Shark
Are yall too young to remember Shark vs MacDiva?
heh.
3 - Shark
Less taste -vs- less filling?
Evolution vs Creationism? (...oops, I mean "Intelligent Design")
That whiney shaved-head chick singer from the "where are they now" category -vs- The Pope?
Tom Cruise -vs- Psychiatry?
Tom Cruise -vs- Matt Lauer?
Tom Cruise -vs- tabloid reports of his alleged gayness?
OJ vs Nicolle?
4 - andy marsh
Shark - it was mac diva vs everybody!
5 - andy marsh
red vs blue?
6 - visualsimplicity
to be vs. no to be
7 - JR
Spy vs spy?
8 - Tan The Man
Less taste -vs- less filling?
to be vs. no to be
-- these are clever...
I should have put capitalism v. communism as an honorable mention... such a lapse in concentration...
9 - andy marsh
with us vs against us?
10 - andy marsh
and thre's always....us vs. them!
11 - visualsimplicity
Err... I didn't even see it until Tan rewrote it. Make that, to be vs. not to be.
12 - visualsimplicity
Roe vs. Wade
13 - visualsimplicity
Godzilla vs. Mothra
14 - visualsimplicity
Joe vs. the Volcano
15 - Victor Plenty
Us vs. them pales compared to us vs. us, as Pogo so aptly reminded us all on the occasion of the first Earth Day.
16 - Matthew T. Sussman
Any music rivalries? Only one I can think of is Stones versus Beatles, but that was only between fans, not really the bands.
17 - Tan The Man
There was this thing between Axl Rhodes of Guns & Roses and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. But it might have been just a day hatred.
18 - Victor Plenty
Don't forget Marvel Comics vs. DC Comics. Less important now, in an age with more independent comic publishers, their rivalry shaped much of late twentieth century America's superhero mythology.
19 - visualsimplicity
Tupac vs. Biggie
or in a broader sense
West Coast Rap vs. East Coast Rap
20 - El Bicho
"If God loses, then life as we know will end. Darkness and chaos will consume anything and everything. Sin will be enjoyable."
Some think this already happened.
As for a great, non-sports rivalry my creative writing teacher would be happy to know that I stated one of the best rivalries in all of literature: man vs. himself.
21 - Tan The Man
But we still fear God. If God lost, then we shouldn't fear Him anymore.
22 - Victor Plenty
Speaking of fear: Freddy vs. Ghostbusters is another great rivalry.
Or so I've heard, anyway. My dialup connection means I've not yet had a chance to verify the reports of its greatness.
But how can you go wrong with that premise?
23 - Lisa McKay
In these parts, it's Yale vs. Harvard.
24 - Victor Plenty
Yale vs. Harvard isn't a fully non-sports rivalry, though.
25 - Lisa McKay
Not fully, Victor, but I'd argue that the rivalry that truly counts (at least among those who care about such things) is most definitely not sports-related.