Great Sporting Rivals

They excite and inspire us, frustrate and disappoint us - when great sporting rivals meet, we live each moment with them as their fortunes fluctuate. During the past few decades, we have witnessed many superbly matched opponents in a wide range of sports. Who can forget the marathon matches played by John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, the nail-biting ...

Rivals! The Ten Greatest American Sports Rivalries of the 20th Century presents the most memorable rivalries in over a hundred years of American sports history. Examines ten of the greatest American sports rivalries of the past century, relating them to their broader historical context Includes the rivalries between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, Duke and North Carolina, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, and more Draws upon the most recent works of sport historians, as well as hundreds of books, articles, and newspaper accounts Reveals a deep understanding of American sports history and American popular culture Features 30 images that bring the rivalries vividly to life

This erudite and entertaining book explores the greatest rivalries in the history of sport. From Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier to Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, 15 chapters cover the titanic clashes between the individuals and teams that have made the sporting headlines over the last 150 years. Re-live the finest moments from the fiercest Ashes contests, the epic duels between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, and the nail-biting climaxes to the Ryder Cup. Experience the brutal hits from State of Origin rugby league, and marvel at the careers of NBA giants Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Andrew O'Brien and Liam McCann's first collaboration takes the reader into the heat of battle and serves up endless ammunition for debate, whether it be in the pub or the locker room. (With contributions from former England No.8 Dean Richards, current Toro Rosso Formula 1 drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo, former Arsenal and England striker Alan Smith, former Zimbabwean cricketer Andy Whittall, current England rugby player Maggie Alphonsi, former Scotland and British Lions prop Tom Smith, and England's top off-road triathlete, Sam Gardner.)

Any sport is at its most glorious when two fierce and equal rivals face off against each other. It is the never ending drive of two rivals to outdo each other that often helps raise the bar of excellence in that sport. There are some sports rivalries that everyone knows about, like the Federer Nadal rivalry or the Real Madrid Barcelona rivalry. Great rivalries in sports are not restricted to only tennis or football. Every sport has the story of a great rivalry to tell. Do you know what the greatest rivalry in Formula 1 is or Basketball? What about Rugby? Besides the aforementioned 'Fedal' and 'El Classico' rivalries, the book also tells the story of the greatest rivalry from each of the globally popular sports. How did these rivalries come into being? What are the high points of these rivalries, key matches and statistics? Read about how a dictator was responsible for the start of the 'El Classico' rivalry, how a rugby rivalry drove New Zealand to the brink of a civil war, a tennis rivalry as great as Federer-Nadal rivalry that tennis has almost forgotten, a cricket rivalry that predates even the Ashes, a chess world championship match between two of the greatest chess players that lasted 5 months and lots more.

The sixteen original essays in this collection cover influential and famous rivalries from a variety of sports, including track and field, golf, boxing, basketball, tennis, ice skating, baseball, football, soccer, and more. The essays are diverse, but together they illustrate what is common to any rivalry: equally matched opponents that often have decidedly different backgrounds, styles, and personalities. These differences may center on race and culture, political and societal ideologies, personality, geography, or religion—a mix intensified by fans and the media. From highly publicized and emotionally charged individual competitions to bitterly fought team contests, Rivals illuminates what one-of-a-kind opponents and the passion they inspire tell us about ourselves and our society.

What Sports' Greatest Rivalries Teach Us About Loving Our Enemies... In his first book, the best-selling God & Football: Faith and Fanaticism in the SEC, humorist Chad Gibbs explored his own struggles to balance faith in God with passion for pigskin. Now Gibbs is back asking how Christian fans can love their enemies, when we can't even love rival fans. From the cross-country culture war of Lakers vs Celtics, to the cross-state hate-fest of Alabama vs Auburn, Gibbs spent one year attending the most intense rivalry games in sports (Yankees vs Red Sox, Duke vs Carolina, and many more), observing the darker side of fan culture, and pondering the problems rivalry games present to the Christian fan. The result... Love Thy Rival, an enlightening, laugh-a-minute look at what sports' greatest rivalries teach us about one of Jesus' most difficult commands: Love your enemies.

"Big Games provides readers with an in-depth look at ten of college football's biggest rivalries and what puts them in such rare company"--Page 2 of cover

Red Sox vs. Yankees -- United States vs. USSR -- Army vs. Navy -- Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier -- Ohio State vs. Michigan -- Duke vs. UNC -- Alabama vs. Auburn -- USC vs. Notre Dame -- Dodgers vs. Giants -- Harvard vs. Yale -- Bears vs. Packers -- Richard Petty vs. David Pearson -- Affirmed vs. Alydar -- Lakers vs. Celtics -- Chris Everet vs. Marina Navratilova -- Lance Armstrong vs. Jan Ullrich -- Cubs vs. Cardinals -- Rangers vs. Islanders -- Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer -- Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe -- Redskins vs. Cowboys -- Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral -- The ice wars : Debi Thomas vs. Katarina Witt & Michelle Kwan vs. Irina Slutskaya -- Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield -- Jeff Gordon vs. Dale Earnhart, Sr. & Jr.