NFL next great rivalry

Seahawks Niners were classics!

More importantly Pete Carroll vs Jim Harbaugh

I remember every time these teams played, even non Seahawks Niners fans, enjoyed watching these games!

What's next?

Seahawks Panthers?

Seahawks Panthers don't really seem to hate each other. Other what Shaq Thompson said but that's another story.

Only thing that would make it better is the coaches wanted to one up each other.

I want to hate another team the same way I hated the Niners!

What's the NFL next hated rivalry?

I wanted it to be Seahawks Patriots number 1.

Seahawks Panthers 2.

If the Seahawks were in the AFC, I'd say Seahawks / Pats could have some life for a few years. It's a huge clash of cultures, plus the revenge angle for Pete.

In the NFC, I'll let you know if I see anything. The Cards and Packers are too mellow. The Panthers stopped being fake tough guys around 10-0 or so, the weight and attention of being at the top of the league changed them much like it did for Seattle. The Vikings are a hipster team, like Fisher's Rams minus the dirty play. The Cowboys have only had one good season in ages. The Redskins had some fire, but went out with a whimper. I see a lot of teams around this league that are just happy to be in the playoffs, and not good enough to push their chests and talk shit.

Nothing stands out. I think inside the division, the Cards and Rams have knocked the Seahawks around so they surely will enter games in the future feeling they fear no one. 9ers will depend on what Kelly does.

I think fans like physical games such as the Steelers/Ravens back in the day. Or teams with glamour QBs so opponents with both would be must see TV.

Probably Steelers Bangels is the biggest example of 2 teams that hate each other right now.

Carroll vs. Harbaugh is not repeatable.

Pac-10 dominance to NFC West dominance. Two best teams. Polar opposite personalities.

Each having the other's number at one time or the other. Personal dislike. Handshake drama.

Elite coaching. Physical games. Championships at stake. Respect.

All these elements will never come together like this again.

Maybe the Rams if they manage to become a play-off team. I hate them the most of any team. They play ugly football, have no personality and are the most cocky of all non play-off teams (besides maybe the cowgirls).

It wouldn't really be a great rivalry though, it would just be the entire league hoping we beat those overconfident sheep.

I'm not sure we'll ever be involved in a rivalry as grand as the one we had with the 49ers.

This is exactly why I want the Panthers to win the Superb Owl. Panthers-Seahawks becomes a Sunday Night heavyweight showdown instead of a 10am start.

(Also the reason I'm 100% on board with the Rams to LA move.)

Overseasfan":2ofug4vf said:

Maybe the Rams if they manage to become a play-off team. I hate them the most of any team. They play ugly football, have no personality and are the most cocky of all non play-off teams (besides maybe the cowgirls).

It wouldn't really be a great rivalry though, it would just be the entire league hoping we beat those overconfident sheep.

I'm not sure we'll ever be involved in a rivalry as grand as the one we had with the 49ers.

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Absolutely this. I can hear it now at the Clink:

Beat LA Beat LA....

DavidSeven":1cbx6itm said:

Carroll vs. Harbaugh is not repeatable.

Pac-10 dominance to NFC West dominance. Two best teams. Polar opposite personalities.

Each having the other's number at one time or the other. Personal dislike. Handshake drama.

Elite coaching. Physical games. Championships at stake. Respect.

All these elements will never come together like this again.

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Those were such good games. I both feared, and anticipated those games. And then to have them in a playoff game?

The NFL is crying right now and hates Baalke.

Packers. Sort of. Panthers. Sort of. Meh. Part of it is geography..Seattle has few natural rivals. If Vancouver BC had an NFL team, in the NFC and was good.. THAT would heat up.

jdemps":1240y5n6 said:

This is exactly why I want the Panthers to win the Superb Owl. Panthers-Seahawks becomes a Sunday Night heavyweight showdown instead of a 10am start.

(Also the reason I'm 100% on board with the Rams to LA move.)

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This is some good stuff, and it'll happen for the most part maybe once a year average, counting playoffs. Don't worry about that Panthers' Superb Owl; they'll smash the Broncos like the Seahawks did in SBXLVIII.

The Rams rivalry has some real potential. We've had an off-and-on-again rivalry with them for years. Started really in 2004 when they beat us three times, including in the playoffs. Ouch. Of course we came back and rattled off something like ten wins in a row against them. Those years were glorious every time we played the Rams. And having them in L.A. will be that much better. They have the occasional wins against us, but not the record to face us when it really counts to turn it into a real rivalry like we had with SF. That may come in time. Well, post-Fisher.

Don't sleep on the Rams. If they ever find a QB they could be dangerous. Factor in them being the Los Angeles Rams now that has all the making to be a big time rival for the Seahawks.

But I agree. Russell Wilson vs. Cam Newton will be battling each other their whole careers.

I think the better rivalries are those that play each other with more frequency and are after the same goal. So for me teams within the same division are the most likely to become great rivals. That's the exact reason Jerry Jones wanted to be be in the NFC East. He did not want to give up the rivalries the Cowboys had with Washington, NY and Philly. Our problem was that the Hawks dominated, for the most part, the NFC West for the last 5 years and that kinda dilutes the enthusiasm of opposing fan bases. With Arizona coming back a bit and Chip Kelly in San Fran maybe we can fire up a couple of rivalries. And now that the Rams will be a big market team again maybe we'll get a solid rivalry there also. The next few years will be interesting.

DavidSeven":3e3dpxrf said:

Carroll vs. Harbaugh is not repeatable.

Pac-10 dominance to NFC West dominance. Two best teams. Polar opposite personalities.

Each having the other's number at one time or the other. Personal dislike. Handshake drama.

Elite coaching. Physical games. Championships at stake. Respect.

All these elements will never come together like this again.

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Exactly. Reminded me a ton of the bulls Knicks back in the 90s. Luckily, good guys won both times.

Steve2222":18p9sd7s said:

Don't sleep on the Rams. If they ever find a QB they could be dangerous. Factor in them being the Los Angeles Rams now that has all the making to be a big time rival for the Seahawks.

But I agree. Russell Wilson vs. Cam Newton will be battling each other their whole careers.

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I don't see the Rams yet. They get up for their game against us, and play dirty and cheap, but it seems like the Seahawks just don't take them seriously. They don't get fired up about getting cheap shotted, and don't seem to care too much about losing to them consistently. It's almost like their our little brother; they get us once in a while, but we win all the time in the end.

Great question.

It's sort of difficult to have a true rivalry outside of division, although that pats/colts rivalry with manning and Brady was great.

That's why I'd say the Panthers, especially if they win this Sunday.

In the division, I think the Cardinals could be that team to really test us the next couple years as long as Carson Palmer stays healthy. The are the defending division champions afterall

DavidSeven":1bp3u98o said:

Carroll vs. Harbaugh is not repeatable.

Pac-10 dominance to NFC West dominance. Two best teams. Polar opposite personalities.

Each having the other's number at one time or the other. Personal dislike. Handshake drama.

Elite coaching. Physical games. Championships at stake. Respect.

All these elements will never come together like this again.

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Truly beautiful post. Not a word I normally even think of in this context.
Add in the Baldwin+Sherman dislike towards Harbaugh from the Stanford years for good measure.
Stealing players from each other's practice squads. B.J. Daniels. Ricardo Lockettte. Tukuafu.
We can actually thank Harbaugh for Sherman, for the WR to CB conversion in college.
It was a truly unique rivalry and time, never to be repeated. 2012, going 11-5 and playoffs as a wildcard while SF took the division and rode home field to the Super Bowl. 2013, "the tip" on the way to the Owl. Not only that, but the key play against Harbaugh made by *Sherman*.

Sunday and Monday night games on TV at the bar with lots of guys in SF jerseys in hostile territory.
Great times, great rivalry.

MY THOUGHTS

49ers with Harbaugh will live for a long time in my mind almost like old AFC Raiders/Chiefs.

It was when we arrived on 02/02/2014; Ground Hogs Day is not about Phil back in PA it is about 43 to 8 over what was a wannabe rivalry in old AFC West

Long time 12's will treasure those days forever.

49ERS

With Kelly and the changes in SF appears they are light years away form the old Walsh, Debartalo, Montana, Rice, Lott culture of the past.

CARDINALS

Cardinals as much as I respect Fitzgerald and get the Palmer/Carroll takeaway.

Palmer/Fitzgerald window is closing fast, their defense while very good are not marketable like LOB.

Arians is a jerk who gets way more respect from media than he deserves IMHO.

RAMS

They are on West coast; one less trip East; one less 10AM start; one more game on a good playing surface.

If Arians is a jerk Fisher is a scum bag with Greg Williams(how he does not have lifetime ban for his stunts in NOLA is beyond me)

Analogy of them being little brother fits.

How Fisher with losing record keeps his job is beyond me, one analyst either posted or said on TV it is like Fisher has pictures of Kroenke.

Combine a young defense add a QB with desire to imitate Russell on and off the field in LA market with a respectable coach has potential for a good long run as rivals.

Go Hawks

Hard to keep rivalries going when there is such parity. Once Palmer is finished, the Cards become also-rans again. I'm still not sold that Newton can be the man, season after season. If he can, then Wilson-Newton supplants Wilson-Rodgers as the best must see QB rivalry.

I think if Panthers and Seahawks both get the 1 & 2 seeds next year, we are set up for a rivalry. Meeting in NFC championships was what set up the great Cowboy-Niner rivalries, Pats-Colts rivalries and Cowboy-Packer rivalries of yore.

DavidSeven":2s340cy8 said:

Carroll vs. Harbaugh is not repeatable.

Pac-10 dominance to NFC West dominance. Two best teams. Polar opposite personalities.

Each having the other's number at one time or the other. Personal dislike. Handshake drama.

Elite coaching. Physical games. Championships at stake. Respect.

All these elements will never come together like this again.

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What's your deal?