AFC North Rivalries?

• johngrizzly

  Who is each team in the AFC North's main Rival?
  
  Cincinnati? Is it Cleveland?
  
  Cleveland? Is it Pittsburgh?
  
  Baltimore? Is it Pittsburgh?
  
  Pittsburgh? Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati?
  
  It seems there is much hatred in this division.
• Automatik

  

  Baltimore is Pittsburgh's main rivalry for now. I can see Cincy taking that spot if they stick around and continue on their current path.
• rock_knutne

  They're all rivalries for Pittsburgh with Cleveland being the oldest and most hated. Although, I agree with Auto, the Ravens have been a bigger rival lately for the Steelers, they've played some down right nastly and physical games the last several years.
• gerb131

  

  Cinci vs Cleve used to be the best rivalry but now I'd have to say its Pissburgh for the Bengals.
• bigdaddy2003

  

  Ravens/Steelers
• Little Danny

  

  I think all of the AFC North Teams consider the Steelers their biggest rival. However, the Steelers do not necessarily consider them their biggest rival. I think the Steelers recognize the Browns rivalry has existed forever, but have owned the series for so long it is not even something to get to worked up about honestly. I think Steeler fans are recognizing the rivalries with Cincinnati and Baltimore have surpassed the Browns series.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  Yes, the Steelers have "owned" an expansion team. Bully for them.
  
  If I were them, I'd think about erecting statues and hanging banners for such an accomplishment.
• KR1245

  

  I still think that it has to be the Browns and the Steelers. Its the oldest rivalry. Think they have played eachother more than any other two AFC teams. I know the Steelers have dominated lately but I think they only have like a 4 game lead in the all-time series. I still consider Michiagn to be OSU's biggest rival and that series has be one-sided over the past decade as well.
• GoPens

  

  For the Steeler players, it's probably Baltimore. For the Steeler fans, it's Cleveland...at least for me.
• HitsRus

  

  That's probably a really good way to put it.^^^^ When you think of rivalry...it goes beyond records. In the NFL, the players change all the time...much more frequently than the old days. It really is the fans that keep a rivalry going.
• rock_knutne

  Writerbuckeye;458737 wrote:Yes, the Steelers have "owned" an expansion team. Bully for them.
  
  If I were them, I'd think about erecting statues and hanging banners for such an accomplishment.

  
  
  Too bad they don't offer an award on here for posts like that.:rolleyes:
• Little Danny

  

  GoPens;458809 wrote:For the Steeler players, it's probably Baltimore. For the Steeler fans, it's Cleveland...at least for me.

  
  Like Hits said, that is a good way to say it. To be truthful, I bet if you polled the Steelers players they might say Jacksonville or TN.
• hoops23

  

  It will always be Pittsburgh vs Cleveland as the biggest most hated rivalry. Browns fans still considered Pittsburgh their rival when the Steelers were in the shitter.
  
  People seem to forget that the Steelers used to suck ass.
• Terry_Tate

  

  hoops23;459286 wrote:It will always be Pittsburgh vs Cleveland as the biggest most hated rivalry. Browns fans still considered Pittsburgh their rival when the Steelers were in the shitter.
  
  People seem to forget that the Steelers used to suck ass.

  
  Considering the Steelers have had roughly 7 years below .500 since 1972 I'd say most of us weren't around when they sucked ass.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Steelers v. Ravens.
  
  Ravens v. Steelers.
  
  Browns v. Steelers.
  
  Bengals v. Cleveland.
• Automatik

  

  I don't get excited when Pittsburgh beats Cleveland.
  
  I do when they beat Baltimore. That is their biggest rival. Both teams plays balls out when they play....do you need anymore proof? Cleveland usually rolls over, but I do hope that rivalry get more heated like it once was.
• Heretic

  

  Automatik;459330 wrote:I don't get excited when Pittsburgh beats Cleveland.
  
  I do when they beat Baltimore. That is their biggest rival. Both teams plays balls out when they play....do you need anymore proof? Cleveland usually rolls over, but I do hope that rivalry get more heated like it once was.

  
  I'd agree with that. If you take the last 30 or so years, there's been so few years when both teams have been good at the same time. Both teams were in the playoffs during Cleveland's last AFC Championship game appearance with Pittsburgh losing to Denver the week before Cleveland. There were the two years where Pittsburgh went 3-0 vs. Cleveland with the third win coming in the playoffs. And the recent season where Cleveland came close to making the playoffs (10-6, wasn't it, which is a record that USUALLY suffices).
  
  While Cleveland didn't have a team, Tennessee (who was in the same division at that time) probably would have been the big rival. Recently, Baltimore's probably been the biggest rivalry. I'd guess that if Cleveland would turn it around and be consistently competitive, they'd supplant Baltimore in the blink of an eye.
• Heretic

  

  Writerbuckeye;458737 wrote:Yes, the Steelers have "owned" an expansion team. Bully for them.
  
  If I were them, I'd think about erecting statues and hanging banners for such an accomplishment.

  
  The "expansion" argument died in 2002 when the team made the playoffs. Hell, I'd go as far to say it died in 2001, as they were a competitive 7-9 that season.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  The ignorance and arrogance on here is amazing -- then again, it's Shitzburg fans so why am I surprised.
  
  Let me put this as delicately as I can...
  
  THE SERIES BETWEEN THE BROWNS AND STEELERS WAS PRETTY CLOSE (CLEVELAND LED BY ABOUT 12 GAMES) UNTIL MODELL RIPPED THE TEAM OUT OF CLEVELAND AND YOU FEASTED ON AN EXPANSION TEAM MOST OF THE YEARS SINCE.
  
  If you are going to HONESTLY evaluate the series between these two teams, you can't ignore the fact that Cleveland had to start from scratch and do so with one arm tied behind its back because of how the NFL forced them to stock their team with players those first years.
  
  For those of us who are long-time (old time?) Browns fans, this team isn't the REAL Cleveland Browns. That franchise ceased to exist when it was moved to Baltimore. This is an entirely new franchise that bears the names and colors, but has little else in common historically with the real team that preceded it.
  
  Now, do I root for the Browns that are in Cleveland now? Yep. But I can honestly say my passion for Browns football pretty much died when the team was moved. I'm a fan of this team, but not nearly as emotionally invested as I was before. I doubt I ever will be, even if they end up winning a Super Bowl.
  
  It still won't be the same as it was -- and I'm betting most long-time Browns fans feel the same way I do.
  
  What the NFL should have done is ended all the series as they existed with the old Browns and simply closed the record books on them. Then began new tallies with this version of the team. It would be more honest when looking at overall won-lost records.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  Heretic;459490 wrote:The "expansion" argument died in 2002 when the team made the playoffs. Hell, I'd go as far to say it died in 2001, as they were a competitive 7-9 that season.

  
  That doesn't work because of how the team was stocked. The Browns were forced to use something like 75 percent of its cap space starting in 1999 on old veterans. They were not given the option of keeping their cap low and then using most of the funds on established free agents or draft choices. The team that made the playoffs had to be dismantled after that because of its growing age and diminishing skills. It forced yet another "do over" because of how the NFL played this.
• Automatik

  

  Writerbuckeye;459496 wrote:The ignorance and arrogance on here is amazing -- then again, it's Shitzburg fans so why am I surprised.
  
  Let me put this as delicately as I can...
  
  THE SERIES BETWEEN THE BROWNS AND STEELERS WAS PRETTY CLOSE (CLEVELAND LED BY ABOUT 12 GAMES) UNTIL MODELL RIPPED THE TEAM OUT OF CLEVELAND AND YOU FEASTED ON AN EXPANSION TEAM MOST OF THE YEARS SINCE.
  
  If you are going to HONESTLY evaluate the series between these two teams, you can't ignore the fact that Cleveland had to start from scratch and do so with one arm tied behind its back because of how the NFL forced them to stock their team with players those first years.
  
  For those of us who are long-time (old time?) Browns fans, this team isn't the REAL Cleveland Browns. That franchise ceased to exist when it was moved to Baltimore. This is an entirely new franchise that bears the names and colors, but has little else in common historically with the real team that preceded it.
  
  Now, do I root for the Browns that are in Cleveland now? Yep. But I can honestly say my passion for Browns football pretty much died when the team was moved. I'm a fan of this team, but not nearly as emotionally invested as I was before. I doubt I ever will be, even if they end up winning a Super Bowl.
  
  It still won't be the same as it was -- and I'm betting most long-time Browns fans feel the same way I do.
  
  What the NFL should have done is ended all the series as they existed with the old Browns and simply closed the record books on them. Then began new tallies with this version of the team. It would be more honest when looking at overall won-lost records.

  
  I fail to see the "ignorance" or "arrogance" in this thread. Sorry I don't see Cleveland as Pittsburgh's main rival.......deal with it.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  I wouldn't expect you to understand or see it. Look who you root for. Your fan base is the very definition of bandwagon.
  
  I'm old enough to remember when the Steelers were AWFUL. Not just bad...AWFUL. Each year, every year. Hell, it took them almost 40 years to even win their first division title.
  
  Then that group of roided up players from the 70s starts winning titles, and all of a sudden there are Steelers fans everywhere. Before that, you couldn't find one if you advertised free marriages for first cousins in downtown Pittsburgh.
  
  On the other hand, I grew up in a family where everything stopped on Sunday afternoons to either watch or listen to the Browns. Three generations of fans in the same room, all raised to be Browns fans because we were from Ohio and it was our state's only professional football team.
  
  Oh, and I honestly don't care if you consider Cleveland Shitzburg's primary rival or not. If you root for a team that wears uniforms colored black and piss, your views are pretty much irrelevant.
• Heretic

  

  Writerbuckeye;459496 wrote:The ignorance and arrogance on here is amazing

  
  This statement is getting more self-referential with each of your posts.
  

  I wouldn't expect you to understand or see it. Look who you root for. Your fan base is the very definition of bandwagon.

  If you root for a team that wears uniforms colored black and piss, your views are pretty much irrelevant.

  Yeah...no ignorance or arrogance there. LOL.
• Automatik

  

  Writerbuckeye;459571 wrote:I wouldn't expect you to understand or see it. Look who you root for. Your fan base is the very definition of bandwagon.
  
  I'm old enough to remember when the Steelers were AWFUL. Not just bad...AWFUL. Each year, every year. Hell, it took them almost 40 years to even win their first division title.
  
  Then that group of roided up players from the 70s starts winning titles, and all of a sudden there are Steelers fans everywhere. Before that, you couldn't find one if you advertised free marriages for first cousins in downtown Pittsburgh.
  
  On the other hand, I grew up in a family where everything stopped on Sunday afternoons to either watch or listen to the Browns. Three generations of fans in the same room, all raised to be Browns fans because we were from Ohio and it was our state's only professional football team.
  
  Oh, and I honestly don't care if you consider Cleveland Shitzburg's primary rival or not. If you root for a team that wears uniforms colored black and piss, your views are pretty much irrelevant.

  
  Sounds like you are just old and bitter. Bandwagon? I don't follow. My grandpa told me of the days when Pittsburgh was terrible. As for fans increasing in the 70s.....NO SHIT! With winning comes popularity. Umm Cleveland Cavs? Talk about a hypocrite. Also....nice dig at the colors....you're team is called the BROWNS.
  
  lmao....Angry old men crack me up!
• Writerbuckeye

  

  Heretic;459581 wrote:This statement is getting more self-referential with each of your posts.
  
  
  
  Yeah...no ignorance or arrogance there. LOL.

  Whatever, guy. Think what you will. Trash talk between these two fan bases has been far worse than this over the years.