Rivalries

One topic that is frequently discussed on all sports media is rivalries. Which rivalry is the best in college football? Is the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry the best in baseball? And these questions go on and on and on. They go over every sport and even compare rivalries in different sports against each other. Why are rivalries so important? There is an extra burden placed on rivalry games. I’ve always found this to be interesting. Fans get up for the game more than any other, and the teams usually respond to that feeling.

To start, we need to know what makes a rival become a rival. Sometimes it is location. Other times it is because the teams are in the same division. A lot of the times, those two criteria are put together, as in the Penguins-Flyers rivalry in the NHL. These teams absolutely hate each other. They are in the same state and in the same division. There is nothing greater than reminding your rivals that you are better than them. Ask any Flyer fan how they feel when you remind them of the last time they won Lord Stanley’s Cup. I will give you a hint, they will either hang their head in shame or they might punch you in the face (remember, Philly fans are violent). The rarest would probably be the rivalries that come from historic meetings, like the Lakers-Celtics in the NBA.

The main topic I want to discuss is an interesting dilemma that popped up in my mind the other day:

If you could remove your rival from your league, would you?

I found this so interesting when I thought of it. At first, I was like “Hell yeah! Kick them out!” If I could get rid of a team I hated, then my team would never lose to them again. I would never have to deal with their idiotic fanbase. I would  be free and clear of ever hearing people talk smack about how my most hated team beat my team.

But, then I really thought about it. I would be removing some of my favorite games to watch. There is nothing quite like watching the Cy-Hawk football game in the fall for me. I’m on edge the entire time. I feel nervous and excited, like nothing you can feel outside of sports. Isn't that kind of emotion the reason we watch sports to begin with? The feeling of losing to your rival is a kick to the groin like nothing else. However, when you beat your rival, the euphoric feeling is better than anything you can experience.

Sports provide such a large range of emotion, and I think rivalries are some of the best parts. Yes, it would be nice for probably a year to get rid of a team like Manchester United, but in the end I don’t think it would be worth it. I want those feelings of euphoria, and to get those I will need to start doing coke experience some of those heartbreaking lows.

NHL Uniform Rankings 2013

Yes, I'm back. After coming out to a hot start, I quickly cooled down and quit writing for an extended period of time. I'm sorry!

As long as I can remember, I have been very critical of jerseys, logos, and everything like that. Ok, ok, I'm a little obsessed with them! So, to get us started back up, I'm going to rank the jerseys in the NHL (not of all time or we all know the Northstars would win). This is purely my opinion, and yes I know I am biased *cough*Flyers suck*cough*.

These rankings will be done from worst to first, so here we go:

30. Detroit (just kidding, their jersey's are not that bad, I just hate the wings)
30. Anaheim Ducks

The color scheme is bad, but the main reason these jerseys rank dead last is the atrocious logo. Look at that thing, it is horrible! And just think, they used to use this one:


29. Columbus Blue Jackets

This is another casualty of a bad logo. They almost save it by having that alternate jersey, which has a great logo on it. However, their primary logo is so bad I am penalizing them for it. Seriously, just make the alternate jersey the primary one already!

28. Nashville Predators

This is a collision of bad color scheme meets bad logo. The yellow jersey's are just bad, however the white ones have promise

27. Florida Panthers

In case you haven't picked up on the theme yet, a bad logo hurts you in these rankings. And ladies and gents, this logo is bad (although their secondary logo is even worse!).

26. Washington Capitals

I fully admit this one might be lower due to my bias against the Caps. However, I hate so much about these jerseys. Both logos, the team, and Ovechkin.

25. Colorado Avalanche

Maroon is an ugly color. Can we all agree to just get rid of it? Their logos do not help their cause. The alternate jersey has promise, but it's not quite there.

24. Ottawa Senators

This is where it gets a little tougher. There is a large group of jerseys in the NHL I consider in the "meh" category. This is the first of those. The two primary jerseys are decent, and I have little issue with the logo. My biggest concern here is the horrible alternate jersey. Dear Senators, please never wear those... ever.

23. Winnipeg Jets

This one has me confused. I love these jerseys, I really do, but that logo bothers me. Mainly because it could have been this:


22. New York Islanders

21. Edmonton Oilers

I paired these two together because they are basically the same. They both have horrible color schemes with decent logos. I'm not going to remove orange like I did maroon, but can there at least be an application process? It rarely works out well for anyone. The edge here goes to the Oilers because their alternate jersey is better.

20. Carolina Hurricanes

The logo here is the problem. And to solve that problem, they came up with an even worse secondary logo. Not to mention, they are hoarding all the Staal's so I hold some resentment.

19. Phoenix Coyotes

The idea here is getting better than what they used to be. I still don't like the logo, but I don't hate it. However, I do hate their new alternate jersey logo.

18. Minnesota Wild

I'm sorry to all my friends from the State of Hockey. I tried to hold off as long as I could. Let's break this one down jersey by jersey. The first jersey is solid. Love the circle logo idea, however that stupid Wild logo is still in the middle. Second jersey is okay at best. Seriously, stop it with that logo. Hire a better graphic designer. Finally, the alternate jersey. If Minnesota doesn't just switch to this next year, they are dumb. Nothing but love for that alternate jersey.

17. Dallas Stars

These jerseys are not really that bad, just not that good. The switch away from their primary logo on the front was a great decision. Only problem is they still have that garbage logo. Can they just trade the Stars name to Minnesota??? We all just want this back:


18. St. Louis Blues

These are pretty decent jerseys. I really do like how they use the yellow. Yellow can be a difficult color to use right (see Nashville for how to use it wrong), and they do it well.

15. Los Angeles Kings

I don't know what it is about their primary jerseys, but I am a huge fan. I cannot even explain it. However, their alternates are just bad. On to the alternate jersey. I hate everything about it. I hate the chest logo. I hate the use of purple. I hate the Los Angeles on the midsection. I just hate it.

14. Vancouver Canucks

It's getting to the point where I have to get picky. I like a lot of this jersey, but love nothing on it. The weird Orca/C logo is just weird to me. I like the other logo better, but don't love it.

13. San Jose Sharks

When I was a kid, I loved the Sharks jerseys. I loved the use of teal and black and the cool shark biting the stick. But then I grew up. Time to grow up Sharks.

12. Philadelphia Flyers

****BIAS ALERT*** I can't even talk much about these. I hate the color orange, but most people think these are one of the best. I hate these cheaters too much to allow them any higher up my list. If you have a problem with this, feel free to punch yourself in the face.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning

Another example of how I'm starting to get picky. The logo is not bad, but it's not as good as some of the others. I love the white and blue jerseys though. So much potential with those. Not a fan of the "Bolts" jersey. If they didn't have that one, they could have come so close. Maybe next year Tampa!

10. Detroit Red Wings

As much as I hate the Wings, I couldn't leave them out of the top ten. One of the classics. But, I couldn't let them be any higher. Seems to me they resemble something else I hate:


9. Calgary Flames

Seriously, having to nitpick a lot now. The logo is a little weird, but I still like it. Biggest criticism is that the alternate jersey is not their primary one. Love that jersey. Their best choice would be to drop the primary red jersey completely and make the alternate their primary.

8. Buffalo Sabres

Their logo used to be so bad, but they fixed that problem. I'm a big fan of most things with these jerseys. They hit on almost every level, especially with the use of a buffalo. Get rid of some of the piping and we are talking top 5 potential!

7. Chicago Blackhawks

Classic jersey with little to complain about. love the use of the black in these jerseys. Too many teams with black in their arsenal try to overuse it when it is isn't necessary. Only thing I don't like is their logo. I know it's traditional, and I give it props for that, but too many colors are in it. I understand why they are there, but I have never liked it.

6. New Jersey Devils

Simple, but they just work. Seems that red, white, and black just work well with hockey jerseys. I gave them the edge over the Blackhawks simply because their logo is simpler. Just a little on the cartoony side, but simple. I like simplicity.

5. Boston Bruins

Probably the most difficult ranking in the whole league. Their primary jerseys are almost perfect. They are classic in every way. So what is holding them back? That alternate jersey logo is just weird. I don't hate it, it just has a awkward feel about it.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

So simple, except the socks. Why would they put all those stripes on there? It confuses a simple jersey so much. I guess you cannot ask that much of Canada, eh?

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

I know any of you that know me expected me to put the Pens at number one. I wanted to, I really did, but I couldn't do it. I tried to take some bias out of it. Out of all the non-original teams, this logo is the best. I'm also a sucker for those blue alternates.

2. Montreal Canadiens

One of the most classic looks in any sport. I have no complaints about this jersey, except that they're from Canada.

1. New York Rangers

Very close to the Canadiens jerseys, but just a little better. Love the diagonal writing. Love the red, white, and blue. Just the best uniforms in the NHL. As close as the NHL gets to having my favorite jersey of all time:


Well that's my list. Feel free to offer up your thoughts on where I went wrong. Again, this is my personal ranking.