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Alabama vs. Clemson III: Where it ranks among the greatest sports rivalries
By Joe Cox
Published:
After two consecutive seasons of CFP title matchups between Alabama and Clemson, New Year’s Day 2018 brings Round 3, this time in the CFP semifinals. If the third game lives up to the standard of the first two (and there’s every reason to think it will), the trilogy has to rank near the top of the greatest rapid-reload sports rivalries in history.
What are the other great sports rivalries it will compete against? We considered both a high level of play and repeat frequency over a short span of time. Here are our picks.
New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-1956)
And you thought Bama and Clemson was a culture war? The Yankees and Dodgers, separated by a bridge and a few miles, faced each other in six World Series in a 10-year span. The Yankees won five of the six Series matchups, but the real winner was baseball, with four of the six battles going to a decisive seventh game.
Boston Celtics vs. L.A. Lakers (1962-1969)
In eight years, the NBA’s two most iconic franchises met six times for championship hardware. While Bill Russell’s Celtics managed to win all six series, the Lakers never gave in easily, three times pushing the series to seven games.
Ali vs. Frazier (1971-1975)
Three times in a 5-year span, the two greatest boxers of their era — indeed, two of the greatest boxers of any era — faced off in legendary battles. The first and third fights were title bouts, but each of the three was preceded by terrific hype, which each fighter somehow matched. Frazier won the first matchup in 1971, but Ali claimed the latter two in ’74 and ’75.
Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers (1993-1995)
There are old-timey NFL people who would doubtlessly pick out other rivalries. I’m 37, so sue me. In this era, when the AFC had no chance at winning a Super Bowl, Dallas and San Fran met three consecutive years in NFC title games that were the de facto Super Bowl.
They would have met a fourth time but for Green Bay upsetting San Francisco in 1996. Dallas won the first two matchups and the Niners nabbed the third. They each easily won the ensuing Super Bowls, which were complete anti-climaxes.
Boston Celtics vs. L.A. Lakers (1984-1987)
Both franchises were dominant over a longer period, but in a four-year span during the heyday of Bird, Magic and the other stars, the teams faced each other three times for the NBA title. Had the Houston Rockets not upset L.A. in the conference finals in 1986, it would have been four consecutive Finals matchups. The Lakers won the title in ’85 and ’87, with the Celtics claiming it in ’84.
Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-?)
They’ve met in the past three Finals. And sure, Golden State reacted to its loss in 2016 by acquiring the next best player on the planet and then crushing Cleveland in 2017. But there’s legitimate greatness here. LeBron’s bid to become the GOAT, Curry making a claim as a legend, Durant finally arriving as a winner … and we might not be finished.
Jeff Gordon vs. Dale Earnhardt (1995-2000)
Sure, I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest NASCAR fan. But for a sport that by its nature is more man-versus-the-field than man-versus-man, the tough old guy vs. the cocky young kid was the story of NASCAR’s heyday. Gordon reached his prime in 1995, winning the Winston Cup Series, which he won again in 1997 and 1998. Earnhardt had won in 1993 and 1994, and fell no further back than eighth, even finishing second in 2000, before his tragic death ended a rivalry that may have had many more chapters to come.
Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer (2005-present)
These two legends have played 38 times times in an era when they were clearly the two best tennis players in the world. The biggest, continuing argument is which one deserves to be called the greatest ever.
Federer has won a record 19 Grand Slam titles, but just three came in the final against Nadal.
Nadal has won 16 Grand Slam titles, and eight came in the final against Federer.
Federer has never beaten Nadal at the French Open, but Nadal took out Federer on his best surface to win the 2008 Wimbledon crown.
They’re not slowing down, either. Each won two more majors in 2017.
Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees (1976-1980)
Four times in five years, the Royals and Yankees met for the American League pennant. These teams hated each other — remember the George Brett pine tar bat? — and they were as likely to end up in a fight as a decisive game. The Yankees won three of the four head-to-head battles, and twice went on to win the World Series.
Clemson-Bama (2015-?)
Because why not? And who is to say that it doesn’t end up near the top of this list?
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
