Over the summer I will be posting some articles on the top five things that were great about the SNFL. Today we’re looking at the best rivalries in the SNFL and what made the some great. There were a lot of combinations to choose from team v. team, conference v. conference, team v. a certain group, etc. This article will be focused on the owner v. owner rivalry. Without further ado, the Top 5 Rivalries of the SNFL.
5. Team Canuckistan (Berthiaume) v. Core Protection (Varn):
- Series Record: Regular (1-1)
- Biggest Game: Week 4, 2010 (Team Canuckistan 115.10 over Core Protection 100.35)
- Worst Game: None
Analysis: Blog post on each others homosexuality, claims of possible retardation, unnecessary boasting, and wanting to run the league in their own vision… this is the Team Canuckistan-Core Protection rivalry. A matchup of two of the most outspoken member of the league, you’re sure to hear some crude remarks from these two clubs following the outcome of the game. Then a day later it’s like the game never happened and they’re back to smack talking their opponent. Yet, don’t let their love to crush the spirit of their competition with harsh banter blind you from the seriousness of these two rivals. They want to defeat one another, and they want, no, need the bragging rights. This was only magnified by their week 13 matchup. Core Protection, desperate to make the playoffs, needed a huge win against the SFC’s number one team. Team Canuckistan was in a grudge match with the Mud Eaters to win the Commissioners trophy and blank Core Protection in the season series. In an upset, Core Protection beat Team Canuckistan and dashed their dreams of being the overall number one team.
Clearly, this game is played on the field as well as the message board. It’s always fun to see what fun names these two are going to call each other. The one thing missing from this rivalry is the big time game. They’ve only played two games, and both of them aren’t headline worthy. A big time playoff game and this rivalry could be in the top three.
4. The Ox (R. Oxendine) v. The DAWGS (T. Oxendine):
- Series Record: Regular (5-2), Post Season (1-0)
- Biggest Game: 2009 SNFL Championship Game (The Ox 130.78 over The TRONS 122.04)
- Worst Game: Week 5, 2010 (The Ox 137.85 over The DAWGS 95.15)
Analysis: Anytime two Original Four franchises meet up your're sure to get a great game. This historic blood rivalry pits the only relatives in the SNFL against each other every year. After the end of the Yahoosports league and The Ox victory over The TRONS in the Championship game, many questioned whether the rivalry could continue. The four team league allowed these teams to compete five times in a season, the new format only allowed for two matchups. However, after the completion of the 2010 season, it is clear that the rivalry has lost none of its luster.
The Brother Bowl has it all; it’s like Peyton v. Eli… almost exactly like Peyton v. Eli. Sadly, what’s keeping this matchup from being in the top three is the lack of performance by The DAWGS. Unlike Peyton v. Eli, the older brother can’t find a break. Their greatest victory came in their second meeting where they won their first game of the season in 2009. More production from The DAWGS, and we’re looking at the greatest rivalry in the league.
3. Core Protection (Varn) v. Eleven’s Chosen Ones (Robertson):
· Series Record: Regular (2-0), Post Season (0-1)
· Biggest Game: 2010 SNFL Playoffs Round 1 (Eleven’s Chosen Ones 131.15 over Core Protection 125.95)
· Worst Game: Week 1, 2010 (Core Protection 98.45 over Eleven’s Chosen Ones 52.90)
Analysis: Week 1, only 52 points scored?! Are you serious?! That’s how this rivalry started, with every team looking at Eleven’s Chosen Ones as the worst team in the league. Yet, that may dwarf the six game loss streak that Core Protection endured in the middle of the season. At one point Eleven’s Chosen Ones was 3-5 and Core Protection was 2-6. What happened after that morphed this series into a matchup of the hottest teams in the league, in a fight for the last two spots in the SFC playoff bracket. A crucial moment in this rivalry came in week 10 when the 3-6 Core Protection met the 3-6 Eleven’s Chosen Ones. Both teams needed a win to stay in the race, and with 123.75 Core Protection got the win. After that game, everyone expected Eleven’s Chosen Ones to crash and burn, 4 games later Eleven’s Chosen Ones got a rematch with Core Protection… in the playoffs. Infamously named VJaxgate, the game was extremely close, however, after it was deemed Core Protection started Vincent Jackson after the rosters were locked, Eleven’s Chosen Ones got its win, stirring controversy in this up and coming rivalry.
This is defiantly one of those rivalry games you should mark on your calendar, though these two teams aren’t without their faults. There is absolutely no smack talk between these two teams. Core Protections owner claims there is some, but I got to see it to believe it. Also, it would appear Core Protection has too many rivalries to call this one the legit number one. A little more smack talk, and a few big games and this matchup could move up fast.
2. El Cid (Lee) v. Las Tortugas Negras (Wilson):
· Series Record: (1-1)
· Biggest Game: Week 1, 2010 (El Cid 79.25 over Las Tortugas Negras 78.95)
· Worst Game: None
Analysis: Where to begin… In what could be called the greatest single week in SNFL history, the league got introduced to one of the greatest and closest games in league history. With time running out, Las Tortugas Negras only needed a few receiving yards from Antonio Gates. Down to the Chiefs, San Diego was set up to get the game winning TD. This was it; a TD would win it… Phillip Rivers drops back… he looks… AND… nothing. In a heartbreaker El Cid crushed the spirit of Las Tortugas Negras, who started the season 0-3. Both teams would later come close to making the playoffs; however they could not hold back the comebacks of Core Protection and Eleven’s Chosen One’s. Yet, this rivalry is more notable for it offseason developments. Both owners are members of the organization known as the Ethic Super Friends (ESF), and had decided to watch the Carolina-Clemson game at Wild Wings together. However, a sudden dance came up and Wilson chose to attend it, having agreed to attend it months before without knowing the date. In a controversial move, Lee kicked Wilson out of ESF. This development has fueled the already momentous blaze of a rivalry we saw in 2010. Next year should be very entertaining.
Like the rivalries it beats out, this one has smack talk, general dislike during game time, close games, and big games. Some will debate how big their game are, but when their first matchup was at one point the close game in SNFL history, and their second was for playoff positioning, I’ll count those games a big. Once again, the added controversy should make their games even bigger.
1. The DAWGS (T. Oxendine) v. Mud Eaters (O’Leary):
· Series Record: (2-0)
· Best Game: Week 3, 2010 (The DAWGS 95.30 over Mud Eaters 93.10)
· Worst Game: None
Analysis: Imagine for a second the Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland Browns and Shitsburgh Steelers have been rivals a long time, and even today the rivalry is fierce. The last time the Cleveland Browns swept the Steelers was in 1988. Imagine if the 2010 Browns swept the 2010 Steelers… embarrassing? That’s exactly what happened in 2010 SNFL season. The Mud Eaters finished the season 12-2, The DAWGS 6-8. The Mud Eaters went to the Championship game; The DAWGS didn’t make the playoffs. The Mud Eaters made trades with The DAWGS that resulted in the Mud Eaters getting Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers and The DAWGS getting Ryan Grant and Michael Clayton, both went on IR. On the message board, they fought vicious battles on how to run their teams and wavier wire pick ups. O’Leary, the fantasy guru v. T. Oxendine, the football fanatic. When the two teams met in week 3, sparks were already flying. T. Oxendine had already reveled to a close confidant that his top priority for the season was to sweep the Mud Eaters. It didn’t help when the O’Leary decided to change his team photo to a gratuitous image of the New England Patriots’ flying elvis. That was the last straw. In a game decided by the Monday Night game, Packers v. Bears, Aaron Rodgers would face his former team. Late, with the Bears up by more than a field goal, Rodgers had the ball only needing 30 passing yards to surpass The DAWGS score. On a pass to James Jones, Brian Urlacher stripped the ball from Jones, the ball just missing going out of bounds, and the Bears recovered the fumble. From that day on, The DAWGS and Mud Eaters rivalry grew into the greatest rivalry in the SNFL. In week 11 they met again, and in shocking fashion The DAWGS dominated the Mud Eaters, sweeping them for the regular season, and having the distinction as the only team to beat the Mud Eaters in the regular season.
The only knock this rivalry has against it is that the two teams are on different levels. Yet, when the worst team is the one that sweeps the best team, you got a matchup you never really see in sports. Not to mention, this coming up season, you better believe that the Mud Eaters are going to come out with the determination to shut up The DAWGS and get that first win in the series. If they fall 0-4 to The DAWGS, well there’s nothing to say but… embarrassing.
There you go; my top rivalries of the SNFL. Feel free to debate this list in the comment or on the SNFL Facebook page. Some things to note about the list: all the rivalries are conference rivalries, only the Core Protection-Eleven’s Chosen Ones rivalry had a playoff game against one another this year, and The Ox-The DAWGS rivalry is the only one from the Original Four.
Missed the Cut: Team Canuckistan v. Carnegie PantyRaiders, Team Canuckistan v. The DAWGS.
-Taylor
