In the history of sports, most of the great players and teams show their best performance during rivalries. Rivalries often create a lot of buzz and make games more exciting for fans. If it weren’t for the rivalries, some sports would not have their best moment and individual performances. We could never compare the difference of the Manning brothers games. Rivalries make winning traditions so much sweeter than just playing a team you have no history with.
Here are two of the recently formed rivalries that you should be aware of.
The rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots
Although the rivalry of these two great teams was not always known by NFL fans, it was not until the beginning of the previous decade. The rivalry stemmed from comparing their two great quarterbacks on the Patriot and Colts roster at the time. The Patriots drew first blood when they were victorious in the 2003 AFC Championship Game and the 2004 AFC Divisional Game.
The Colts came back by winning the 2006 AFC Championship in their campaign to win the Super Bowl in the same year. After that, the next two matchups were split and there was only a small difference in the final score. The last game was claimed by the Patriots, who were almost stolen again by the Colts. This rivalry is sure to have fans keeping an eye on the game schedule for both the Patriots and Colts.
Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
One of the most recent rivalries in the NBA is the one between the Heat and the Celtics. The Heat don’t have as rich a history as the Boston Celtics, but they suddenly became a fitting opponent in the Eastern Conference when they acquired their Big Three two seasons ago. At this point, the Celtics already had their own aging big three in Kevin Garnet, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and an emerging point guard in Rajon Rondo.
In Games That Matter or the NBA playoffs, Miami finished the Boston Celtics’ season two years in a row. The Miami Heat proceeded to be title contenders and claimed the NBA title on their second chance. The game’s most recent rivalry was made even more interesting by the fact that one of Boston’s championship members lined up four seasons ago; Ray Allen signed with the Heat for another shot at the title. If they meet again this season in the playoffs, the series is sure to be intense.
