This is what "not-a-rivalry" really looks like.

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TomCat88
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This is what "not-a-rivalry" really looks like.

Post by TomCat88 » Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:15 pm

Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. That used to be the biggest rivalry in the NFL and one of the biggest in all of sports, but talk about a meaningless game. Especially Washington. The Cowboys usually land somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7 every year. When both teams aren't good, it's not a rivalry. More so than when one team dominates the other team.


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John K
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Re: This is what "not-a-rivalry" really looks like.

Post by John K » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:41 pm

TomCat88 wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:15 pm
Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. That used to be the biggest rivalry in the NFL and one of the biggest in all of sports, but talk about a meaningless game. Especially Washington. The Cowboys usually land somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7 every year. When both teams aren't good, it's not a rivalry. More so than when one team dominates the other team.
I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one Tom, at least in the case of college rivalries. In a really good college rivalry, it doesn't really matter if both teams are really bad. Would Cat-Griz be any less meaningful, if both teams were 0-10 or 1-9 going into the game? Maybe that would be true for the rest of the world, but not to Cat or Griz fans. However, I do agree that rivalries are diminished somewhat, if they become too lopsided over the course of several years, especially for the team that has the upper hand. I'm sure that Cat-Griz became slightly less meaningful for Griz fans, as "the streak" grew longer and longer, but not for Cat fans. I guarantee you that Cat-Griz has become more important than ever to Griz fans, now that we've won four in a row. Your premise might be more applicable to pro rivalries, than it is to college rivalries. I'm a Lakers fan, and when both the Lakers and Celtics are title contenders, that might be the best rivalry in all of professional sports. When either or both teams are bad though, it certainly loses a bit of its luster.



iaafan
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Re: This is what "not-a-rivalry" really looks like.

Post by iaafan » Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:38 am

John K wrote:
Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:41 pm
TomCat88 wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:15 pm
Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. That used to be the biggest rivalry in the NFL and one of the biggest in all of sports, but talk about a meaningless game. Especially Washington. The Cowboys usually land somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7 every year. When both teams aren't good, it's not a rivalry. More so than when one team dominates the other team.
I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one Tom, at least in the case of college rivalries. In a really good college rivalry, it doesn't really matter if both teams are really bad. Would Cat-Griz be any less meaningful, if both teams were 0-10 or 1-9 going into the game? Maybe that would be true for the rest of the world, but not to Cat or Griz fans. However, I do agree that rivalries are diminished somewhat, if they become too lopsided over the course of several years, especially for the team that has the upper hand. I'm sure that Cat-Griz became slightly less meaningful for Griz fans, as "the streak" grew longer and longer, but not for Cat fans. I guarantee you that Cat-Griz has become more important than ever to Griz fans, now that we've won four in a row. Your premise might be more applicable to pro rivalries, than it is to college rivalries. I'm a Lakers fan, and when both the Lakers and Celtics are title contenders, that might be the best rivalry in all of professional sports. When either or both teams are bad though, it certainly loses a bit of its luster.
Uhh, this IS the Professional Sports section. Nonetheless your assertion that the Cat-Griz game would be just as big if the teams were 0-11 and 1-10 isn’t true at all. Your heart is clouding your judgement. It would still be a big game, but a lot of people would be looking on laughingly. It would be referred to as a pillow fight.



John K
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Re: This is what "not-a-rivalry" really looks like.

Post by John K » Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:21 am

iaafan wrote:
Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:38 am
John K wrote:
Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:41 pm
TomCat88 wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:15 pm
Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. That used to be the biggest rivalry in the NFL and one of the biggest in all of sports, but talk about a meaningless game. Especially Washington. The Cowboys usually land somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7 every year. When both teams aren't good, it's not a rivalry. More so than when one team dominates the other team.
I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one Tom, at least in the case of college rivalries. In a really good college rivalry, it doesn't really matter if both teams are really bad. Would Cat-Griz be any less meaningful, if both teams were 0-10 or 1-9 going into the game? Maybe that would be true for the rest of the world, but not to Cat or Griz fans. However, I do agree that rivalries are diminished somewhat, if they become too lopsided over the course of several years, especially for the team that has the upper hand. I'm sure that Cat-Griz became slightly less meaningful for Griz fans, as "the streak" grew longer and longer, but not for Cat fans. I guarantee you that Cat-Griz has become more important than ever to Griz fans, now that we've won four in a row. Your premise might be more applicable to pro rivalries, than it is to college rivalries. I'm a Lakers fan, and when both the Lakers and Celtics are title contenders, that might be the best rivalry in all of professional sports. When either or both teams are bad though, it certainly loses a bit of its luster.
Uhh, this IS the Professional Sports section. Nonetheless your assertion that the Cat-Griz game would be just as big if the teams were 0-11 and 1-10 isn’t true at all. Your heart is clouding your judgement. It would still be a big game, but a lot of people would be looking on laughingly. It would be referred to as a pillow fight.
Oops...my bad. You're right...I guess I sorta missed that this was in Pro Sports, so obviously Tom was referring to pro rivalries. And you're also right to some extent that Cat-Griz wouldn't mean as much to non Cat or Griz fans, if neither team was very good. Isn't that part of the very nature of rivalries though? Even when both teams are good, rivalry games mean far more to fans of the two rival teams, than they do to anyone else. Cat-Griz for example doesn't get any national attention, regardless of whether the teams are good or bad. The game is still very meaningful to Cat and Griz fans though, and most people in Montana, even if they aren't necessarily avid fans of either team or alumni of either school, no matter the records of the two teams.



ilovethecats
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Re: This is what "not-a-rivalry" really looks like.

Post by ilovethecats » Sun Jan 12, 2020 1:07 pm

John K wrote:
Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:21 am
iaafan wrote:
Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:38 am
John K wrote:
Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:41 pm
TomCat88 wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:15 pm
Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. That used to be the biggest rivalry in the NFL and one of the biggest in all of sports, but talk about a meaningless game. Especially Washington. The Cowboys usually land somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7 every year. When both teams aren't good, it's not a rivalry. More so than when one team dominates the other team.
I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one Tom, at least in the case of college rivalries. In a really good college rivalry, it doesn't really matter if both teams are really bad. Would Cat-Griz be any less meaningful, if both teams were 0-10 or 1-9 going into the game? Maybe that would be true for the rest of the world, but not to Cat or Griz fans. However, I do agree that rivalries are diminished somewhat, if they become too lopsided over the course of several years, especially for the team that has the upper hand. I'm sure that Cat-Griz became slightly less meaningful for Griz fans, as "the streak" grew longer and longer, but not for Cat fans. I guarantee you that Cat-Griz has become more important than ever to Griz fans, now that we've won four in a row. Your premise might be more applicable to pro rivalries, than it is to college rivalries. I'm a Lakers fan, and when both the Lakers and Celtics are title contenders, that might be the best rivalry in all of professional sports. When either or both teams are bad though, it certainly loses a bit of its luster.
Uhh, this IS the Professional Sports section. Nonetheless your assertion that the Cat-Griz game would be just as big if the teams were 0-11 and 1-10 isn’t true at all. Your heart is clouding your judgement. It would still be a big game, but a lot of people would be looking on laughingly. It would be referred to as a pillow fight.
Oops...my bad. You're right...I guess I sorta missed that this was in Pro Sports, so obviously Tom was referring to pro rivalries. And you're also right to some extent that Cat-Griz wouldn't mean as much to non Cat or Griz fans, if neither team was very good. Isn't that part of the very nature of rivalries though? Even when both teams are good, rivalry games mean far more to fans of the two rival teams, than they do to anyone else. Cat-Griz for example doesn't get any national attention, regardless of whether the teams are good or bad. The game is still very meaningful to Cat and Griz fans though, and most people in Montana, even if they aren't necessarily avid fans of either team or alumni of either school, no matter the records of the two teams.
I concur. I hope to never see it, but my opinion is both these teams could be 0-10 going into the Brawl and it would still be a standing-room-only sellout. This will never be proven one way or another because it will never happen. But I truly believe this is one of the best rivalries in the country and records truly don't matter.



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