Rivalry. It is an integral aspect to any competitive sport. No sport can really grab the imagination if there are no rivalries between teams / players. Because when there is a rivalry, the tension is palpable, the skill level a notch higher, and the effort that little bit more to win against your rival. And it's not just the players, but even the crowds that will get sucked up into the spirit of the moment and for that short period of time become a part of the game itself.
American football has rivalries - Packers vs Bears, Buccaneers vs Panthers, Colts vs Titans, Rams vs Seahawks, Ravens vs Steelers, and ofcourse, 'skins vs 'boys! Baseball has Yankees vs Red Sox, Yankees vs Mets, Cubs vs Cardinals, Cubs vs Whitesox, etc. And of course, cricket has it's share of rivalries - England vs Ozzies, All Blacks vs Ozzies, India vs Pakistan, South Africa vs Ozzies, and then the individual ones - Tendulkar vs McGrath, Tendulkar vs Shane Warne, Donald vs Dravid, Lara vs McGrath, Flintoff vs Ponting, Atherton vs Donald, Richards vs Botham, etc. This list is endless.
So, in our small world of the MCC, what are the big rivalries? Wildcats vs MUCC? Satha vs Rup? Pak Gym vs Muslim Gym? Madison vs AAA? Asif Mahmood vs Shahid Munir? Challengers vs Phoenix? Ok, so the last one might be a stretch, but from what I hear and see, it could build up into one. I'd love to read and hear about the rivalries from the opinion of memebers and bloggers. Individual, or team - whatever they are.
If nothing else, it'll spice up some of the games this season. Rivalries. Gotta love them......
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14 comments:
Excellent article dude.
There definitely are some healthy rivalries in this league. I remember the Cats Vs Pak final two years ago. It was an awesome game with Munir and Hasan scoring centuries, followed by an inspired reply by the cats with Vikram and Satish leading the way. Both supporters were taunting each other, but never crossed the line.
Aditya,
Good stuff!
I'd love to be your blogging rival, but you seem much better at this than I am, keep it coming.
romeen
I will have to say Evanston vs Illinois from what I have heard. And they had a great game last season...
Illinois vs AAA has grown into one.
Aditya,
Very creative...!
Now, there is something worth blogging about.
I like the "Challengers Vs. Phoenix rivalry", but it looks like its going to be "Challengers-Phoenix Vs. Rain God" rivalry..
But one of the most anticipated rivalries this year would be "Satha Vs Shahid Munir"....I think that definitely got some meat..
Rivalries are so good for cricket.
I think the league should try their best to see that each team has a rivalry game on schedule. If they can't determine the can ask for help from outsiders. It's so much fun.
EG: ICC VS Evanston. For some reason it bring out the best of both teams. 2005 ICC scored 194, taught we had it in the bag cause Evanston was Avg Like 100 per game. Evanston were 118 for 8 and the won it in the last over by 1 wkt. 2006 ICC went full strength for revenge. We only got 224 it looked simple with Evanston struggling again to score Runs. Again 130 for 7 and it came down to get 30 runs off 4 overs 2 wickets in hand. the got 196 if I am right. In my books i take Satha for a lot of the quicks don't do much with the ball than speed and if Satha plays full time he will score a loTTTTTTT of runs.
All this because of Rivalary. Brings the best out of ya!!!!
We need more of this.
On the note: We will all like to see Satha agains the quicks of Div 1.
any news on the Phoenix vs challengers game?
Phoenix lost a close one. Challengers scored 250 in 45. We lost by 8 runs. Athreya scored a century (109 runs). One of us will do a quick write up later on.
"American football has rivalries - Packers vs Bears, Buccaneers vs Panthers, Colts vs Titans, Rams vs Seahawks, Ravens vs Steelers, and ofcourse, 'skins vs 'boys! Baseball has Yankees vs Red Sox, Yankees vs Mets, Cubs vs Cardinals, Cubs vs Whitesox, etc. And of course, cricket has it's share of rivalries - England vs Ozzies, All Blacks vs Ozzies, India vs Pakistan, South Africa vs Ozzies, and then the individual ones - Tendulkar vs McGrath, Tendulkar vs Shane Warne, Donald vs Dravid, Lara vs McGrath, Flintoff vs Ponting, Atherton vs Donald, Richards vs Botham, etc."
Out of all these, the only real rivalries are Yankees vs Red Sox and India vs Pakistan. The rest were just created by the media to boost ratings.
No one cares about the Skins vs Boys anymore. England vs Australia is a joke. Colts vs Titans, Buccs vs Panthers, Rams vs Seahawks were never rivals to begin with.
But our league does has some good rivalries, Evanston vs ICC for one, Pak vs Muslim Gymkhana is another good one.
Still, we shouldn't be forcing rivalries upon teams just for fun.
Raj,
Rivalries are not just made up for fun. It is something that builds over time and whether it be an indiviual or team no one wants to loose. If you loose it follows you till you can redeeem yourself and this is why you will always see the extra effort in the game played compared to other games.
I love rivalries and the s*** talk cause it motivates me at my age to go out and compete hard and hope at days end I win.
If i loose then let get the beers out and party..not to say we don't do this when we win!!
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Raj said...
"American football has rivalries - Packers vs Bears, Buccaneers vs Panthers, Colts vs Titans, Rams vs Seahawks, Ravens vs Steelers, and ofcourse, 'skins vs 'boys! Baseball has Yankees vs Red Sox, Yankees vs Mets, Cubs vs Cardinals, Cubs vs Whitesox, etc. And of course, cricket has it's share of rivalries - England vs Ozzies, All Blacks vs Ozzies, India vs Pakistan, South Africa vs Ozzies, and then the individual ones - Tendulkar vs McGrath, Tendulkar vs Shane Warne, Donald vs Dravid, Lara vs McGrath, Flintoff vs Ponting, Atherton vs Donald, Richards vs Botham, etc."
Out of all these, the only real rivalries are Yankees vs Red Sox and India vs Pakistan. The rest were just created by the media to boost ratings.
No one cares about the Skins vs Boys anymore. England vs Australia is a joke. Colts vs Titans, Buccs vs Panthers, Rams vs Seahawks were never rivals to begin with.
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Completely and utterly disagree :-)
If you think nobody cares about the Boys and the Skins anymore, you cant have talked to any of their fans lately - its still huge, and always will be, to their fans. Just as the Bears and Packers are huge to their fans even if both teams suck (I watched one Bears game in a bar in Wisconsin last season - it was clear everyone there, all Packer fans, cared very very deeply about the Bears result even though their own team wasnt playing :-) There are still Boys-Skins parties held every year, with cookouts and all - that doesnt happen with those fans for most of their other games.
As for England vs Australia being a joke - did you watch Ashes 05? Was watching the DVD again only a couple days ago, easily the best and hardest fought series in years. The Ashes are almost more relevant now than they ever were - in real cricket (ie test cricket) those two teams are actually still ranked #1 and #2 at the moment, arent they?
Oh, and as a fervent Cubs-fan myself, I can assure you that a Cubs-Cards and Cubs-WHiteSux rivalry isnt just media created, it matters a great deal to most of us, and always has :-) Most of us are revelling in the miserable start to the season that the Cards are having so far, for example, on field at least.
This is my first year in MCC. Im playing for division II team. aka
jolly rovers. Pretty excited to play
-
Harish Krishnakumar
Raj and Cricketwallah,
you are both rite to some extent. Its true that Boys-Redskins rivalry is no longer what it was before. The players treat it as just another game. Most professional players these days swear allegiances to Benjamin and Thomas Jefferson. The team is always secondary.
The real rivalries are in College sports. Duke-North Carolina, Ohio St-Michigan, and my personal favorite, Auburn-Alabama are great rivalries.
England-Australia is truly a joke. Other than the 2005 'FLUKE', England have lost nine straight Ashes series. My understanding of a rivalry is when both teams step up their games, and give each other hell. And even though one team has to lose, it always goes down fighting. Since 1989, Australia have won 34 matches in the Ashes series, England have won 9. England have hardly put up a fight. Can't really call it a rivalry if one team doesn't break a sweat and completely destroys the other team.
Ask Rup how Evanston players somehow become Superhuman when they play against ICC. Even though Evanston are completely out-matched by a far more talented ICC team, they always seem to give ICC a tough time. Same goes with Muslim Gymkhana and Pak Gymkhana. Those are real rivalries.
Sadiq bhai please rent the 2005 Ashes DVD to Tango ;). How can you dismiss the oldest rivalry in cricket (possibly sport) and go on and on about College A vs College B in U.S.? Just see the first day of the first test at Lords - the intensity and expressions of players and fans alike. See when Harmison splits Ponting's cheek open and not one England player goes over to ask if he's ok. Australia winning most of the time is because they're just better than everyone for the last 10 years or so. How many other teams have beaten Aus during this time?
Raheel and the other guy who still love the rivalries in cricket..kudos to you all.
The reson why we can't get much of those in MCC is because of our love for the game.
As you can see some of these bloggers are so much into American sports and thats why we see little memories or love left for cricket. every one of them can see American sorts rivalries but can't see it the same in Cricket??. I don't think anyone of them even plays Amrericam sports at a high level.
The love for a sport is what will drive the intensity to perform and win which can only develop strong competitons as we know to call rivalries.
I know they will want to light me up on this but I'm good cause I love to watch all american sports. Hope the Cubs can win and Sox loose. Can't wait for DA BEARS. But nothing excites me more when it hits April and I am going to get to play cricket again, put an A** whooping on some teams, especiall my fellow WI's.
Now that's what I'm talking about.
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