Crosstown rivalry

In sports, a crosstown rivalry is a rivalry between two teams in the same metropolitan area. It is a term primarily used in the United States and Canada. They are called "crosstown rivalries" because in most cases, they are held in large cities or metropolitan areas where each team represents a different part of the city or area (i.e., the other team is "across town"). The term regional rivalry is used to describe rivalries within a particular region but outside the boundaries of a particular metro area (this is particularly the case in Canada, where no metro areas have more than one team and the population is more sparse); likewise, intrastate rivals (also in-state rivals, or provincial rivals in Canada) describes rivalries that, while not in the same metro area, are within the same state or province.
Compared to other parts of the world, true "local derbies" are rare in the United States. Even those rivalries that can be considered "local derbies" due to geographic proximity often feature teams that primarily draw supporters from distinct geographic communities, largely because professional sports teams do not want to have to draw from the same people, so that each person has more money to spend on their team instead of dividing it among multiple teams. This is especially true for rivalries in the greater New York City area; while some local rivals may play home games less than 10 miles (16 km) apart, they represent distinct geographical communities. Two examples are the three-way rivalry between the New York Rangers (representing New York City), New York Islanders (representing Long Island), the New Jersey Devils, and formerly the Hartford Whalers (Connecticut) in the National Hockey League, and the former New York Knicks-New Jersey Nets rivalry in the National Basketball Association. The Knicks-Nets contest may develop into a full derby since the current Brooklyn Nets play in the New York borough of Brooklyn, an area also within the Knicks' fan base. A similar situation exists in the San Francisco Bay Area for baseball and American football; while the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics are based in very close proximity, as are the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, their supporter bases are somewhat geographically distinct, separated by San Francisco Bay. Additionally, in Los Angeles, there are rivalries such as the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the Los Angeles Angels, based in Anaheim, in Major League Baseball.
Below is a list of "crosstown" rivalries in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, as well as major colleges. Minor leagues, being regional by their nature, feature numerous regional rivalries, some of which (e.g. the Staten Island Yankees vs. the Brooklyn Cyclones) are true crosstown rivalries.
Professional
Baseball
*Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox —The "Windy City Series" The Sox bested the Cubs in the 1906 World Series, the only all-Chicago series to date. From 1903 until the adoption of interleague play in 1997, the two teams met annually for an unofficial charity/exhibition game.
*New York Mets vs. New York Yankees — The "Subway Series" was contested during the 2000 World Series. "Subway Series" is also the name of the regular season interleague matches between the two teams, which started in 1997.
*Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants — The "Bay Bridge Series," as the two cities are connected by the Bay Bridge. The teams contested the famous 1989 World Series, interrupted by the Loma Prieta Earthquake.
*Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — The "Freeway Series", as both teams are located within a 30-minute drive of one another.
*Washington Nationals-Baltimore Orioles — The "Beltway Series"
Former
*New York Giants vs. Brooklyn Dodgers — 1890-1957, contested 22 times annually from 1903 until both teams moved to the west coast after the 1957 season, though the Giants and Dodgers remain bitter rivals.
*Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Yankees and New York Giants vs. New York Yankees - 1903-1956. The original "Subway Series" had the Yankees of the American League facing off against the Giants or Dodgers of the National League in numerous World Series matchups. The Giants and Yankees participated in the 1921, 1922, 1923, 1936, 1937 and 1951 World Series; the Dodgers and Yankees participated in the 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956 World Series.
*St. Louis Cardinals v St. Louis Browns - 1902-53, contested in the "Trolley or Streetcar Series"1944 World Series
*Philadelphia Athletics vs. Philadelphia Phillies - 1903-54, they met 240 times. Many were termed “City Series Games” as the two teams played exhibitions before, during or after their respective seasons.
*Boston Red Sox v Boston Braves - 1901-53
Basketball
* Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks — Starting in 2012, the Knicks and Nets both play in New York City, with the Knicks based in the borough of Manhattan, and the Nets based in the borough of Brooklyn. The two teams have met in the playoffs three times, all while the Nets were playing in New Jersey, with the Knicks winning in 1983 and 1994, and the Nets winning in 2004.
* Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers — Unlike most crosstown rivalries, the Lakers and Clippers share a home court at the Staples Center. Due to the Lakers' successes over the years, and the Clippers' lack of playoff experience, this crosstown rivalry has never materialized to full potential.
The modern American Basketball Association has adopted a policy of placing multiple teams in one market, often choosing local high schools as home arenas.
American football
* New York Giants v New York Jets — contrary to their names, both have shared the same stadium in New Jersey since 1984, in the now-demolished Giants Stadium, and, since 2010, in MetLife Stadium, which was jointly built by both teams. In addition, both teams have their headquarters in New Jersey. However, this rivalry is rarely contested in the regular season (and has yet to be contested in the postseason), as both clubs are in different conferences, but it is played annually during the preseason. Under the current scheduling formula, they are guaranteed to meet every four years in the regular season (such a benefit did not exist from 1970-2001), with each team taking turns as the designated home team (the Jets will be the home team in 2011, and the game will be locally televised by WNYW, as part of the NFL on Fox package, as Fox owns the rights to the road games of the NFC, which the Giants are in; this was despite speculation that the game would be played on September 11 on NBC Sunday Night Football to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks).
*Oakland Raiders v San Francisco 49ers
*Washington Redskins v Baltimore Ravens
Intrastate rivalries
*Battle of Ohio — Cleveland Browns v Cincinnati Bengals
* — Kansas City Chiefs vs. St. Louis Rams
* — Dallas Cowboys vs. Houston Texans and formerly Houston Oilers
*Pennsylvania rivalries: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
*California rivalries: Oakland Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers. The Raiders and Chargers are division rivals and Raiders and 49ers crosstown rivals.
*Florida rivalries: Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
*Maryland rivalries: Washington Redskins vs. Baltimore Ravens. Since 1997, the Redskins have played not in Washington, D.C. but at FedExField in Landover, Maryland; ironically, Landover is actually closer to Baltimore than it is to Ashburn, Virginia, where the team is headquartered. (Note: The Redskins' prior rivalry with the Baltimore Colts would not count toward this, since during that time, the Redskins played at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, which was indeed in the District of Columbia and not in Maryland.)
*New York rivalries: The rivalry between the Jets and/or Giants and Buffalo Bills is an intrastate rivalry in name only, as both the Jets and Giants do not play in New York anymore but in New Jersey (though all three currently have training camp in the upstate New York region); as a result, when the Bills and Giants met in Super Bowl XXV, New York Governor Mario Cuomo—a native of New York City—publicly supported Buffalo. However, when the Jets played in Shea Stadium, and for the three years where the Bills were in the NFL and the Giants played in Yankee Stadium, those were intrastate rivalries.
Former
* New York Giants v Brooklyn Lions/Horsemen (1926), New York Yankees (1927-28), Orange/Newark Tornadoes (1929-30), Staten Island Stapletons (1929-1932), Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers (1930-1944), New York Bulldogs/Yanks (1945, 1949-1951)
* Brooklyn Horsemen v New York Yankees and Newark Bears (AFLI, 1926—Brooklyn and the Yankees are the same teams as the Giants' rivals listed above)
* New York Yankees v Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC, 1946-1948)
* Chicago Cardinals v Chicago Boosters (pre-1920), Chicago Tigers (1920), Hammond Pros (1920-26), Kenosha Maroons (1924), Chicago Staleys/Bears (1921-1959)
* Los Angeles Rams v Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1994)
* Massillon Tigers v Canton Bulldogs
Hockey
* New Jersey Devils v New York Rangers — This one takes place in the Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut). Fuel was added into the fire when in 1994 the Rangers came back from a 3-2 deficit to make it to the Stanley Cup. Both teams have an intense playoff history. They play each other 6 times a year since they are both in the same division. The Rangers and Devils play less than 15 minutes apart from one another, as the Rangers play in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, and the Devils play at Prudential Center in nearby Newark, New Jersey.
* New York Islanders v New York Rangers — the Islanders are based in Uniondale, New York, on Long Island, about a half-hour commuting distance from Manhattan, where the Rangers are based. Both teams are division rivals in the NHL's Atlantic Division. The Islanders will be moving to Brooklyn and the Barclays Center in 2015.
* Buffalo Sabres v Toronto Maple Leafs — In the broadest sense, these two cities are occasionally considered one giant metropolitan area stretching from Toronto across Hamilton and Buffalo to Rochester (the Buffalo Bills currently have home stadiums in both Toronto and Buffalo and hold training camp in Rochester, and at one time a fast ferry connected Toronto and Rochester). Like the Devils, Islanders and Rangers, the Sabres and Leafs are division rivals and play each other numerous times each year.
* Anaheim Ducks v Los Angeles Kings — This crosstown hockey rivalry takes place in Southern California, between the adjacent cities of Los Angeles, California, and Anaheim, California, which lies in nearby Orange County. Both teams share a television market as well. Los Angeles and Anaheim are only a half-hour apart, and both cities are connected by the California freeway system. The rivalry is intense and often fight-filled. As of 2007, the rivalry was named the "Freeway Face-Off" in a fan contest held by Southern California sports networks, FSN West and FSN Prime Ticket.
* Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers - This cross-state rivalry is one of the stronger sports rivalries between the two largest cities in Pennsylvania.
* Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators - This cross-province rivalry has been active since the second incarnation of the Ottawa Senators entered the league in 1992. The rivalry is frequently referred to as the "Battle of Ontario".
Soccer
Major League Soccer has attempted to bolster interest in its league by encouraging the creation of special trophies for matches between nearby franchises, to foment local rivalries. In Los Angeles, a true derby existed between the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA until the latter team folded at the end of the 2014 season. The Galaxy moved into the stadium now known as StubHub Center when the venue opened in 2003, while Chivas played at that stadium throughout the team's history. At the time of its demise, that match was named the "Honda SuperClasico." In 2015, the New York City area will get its own local derby when New York City FC joins the league, creating a rivalry with the New Jersey-based New York Red Bulls. A new Los Angeles rivalry will be created in 2017 when the expansion team currently known as Los Angeles FC joins the league.
Intrastate rivalries
*California Clasico: LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes.
*Maryland Derby: Crystal Palace Baltimore vs. Real Maryland Monarchs when both were in the USL Second Division. No longer active (except for preseason friendlies and possible future Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches), as Baltimore is planning to join the new NASL and Real has self-relegated to the USL Premier Development League (PDL).
*Florida Derby: Miami FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies — A rivalry in the current NASL that started when both teams were in the USL First Division. Part of the Ponce De Leon Cup
*Milwaukee Cup: Marquette University vs. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
*North Carolina Derby: Charlotte Eagles vs. Wilmington Hammerheads; as of 2011, both teams play in USL Pro, and had previously played in the USL Second Division. Theoretically if either team were to face the Carolina RailHawks or Carolina Dynamo, or indeed those two were to face each other, in the U.S. Open Cup that would be considered a North Carolina derby as well.
*Ohio Derby: Columbus Crew (MLS) vs. Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro) or Cincinnati Kings/Cleveland Internationals (PDL). Included Cleveland City Stars (USL D1) before that team folded after the 2009 season.
*Pennsylvania Derby: Harrisburg City Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds, USL Pro. Could also include the Pennsylvania Stoners as well.
*Texas Derby: FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo, as with the North Carolina Derby, if either team were to face the Austin Aztex in Cup play that too could be considered a derby.
*Utah Derby: vs. Ogden Outlaws, both in the Southwest Division of the PDL. A Cup match between either team and Real Salt Lake (MLS) can also be considered a Utah derby.
Interstate rivalries
*Cascadia Cup Derby: Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps.
Lacrosse
*Buffalo Bandits vs. Rochester Knighthawks - This National Lacrosse League rivalry is one of the few rivalries that pits these two Western New York cities, separated by approximately 60 miles, against each other. Broadening to the wider Lake Ontario ring, the Toronto Rock can also be included in a three-way rivalry.
University
* vs. Colorado College - Schools located in Colorado Springs. Although the two schools are members of different NCAA divisions—Air Force is Division I, and Colorado College is Division III—they have active rivalries in two sports in which Colorado College fields Division I teams. In men's ice hockey, the two schools play an annual non-conference game. In women's soccer, both are members of the Mountain West Conference.
* Battle for the Hornet's Nest Trophy - Charlotte 49ers vs. Davidson Wildcats (basketball) - aptly named due to Mecklenburg County, where the two schools are located, referred to as a "Hornet's Nest of Rebellion" prior to the Revolutionary War.
*The Beanpot — An annual hockey tournament involving Boston University, Northeastern University, Boston College, and Harvard, all located in and around Boston. BU and BC specifically have an intense rivalry, and the games locally are known as the "Battle of for the common road that connects the two. Boston University and Northeastern also share an intense rivalry in sports other than ice hockey.
* Bradley University vs. Illinois State University — "The War on 74" (basketball)
* University of California, Berkeley v Stanford University — The Big Game, San Francisco Bay Area
* University of California, Davis v — The Causeway Classic (named after the Yolo Causeway, the long bridge on Interstate 80 over the Yolo Bypass that connects the two schools' homes of Davis and Sacramento)
* Canisius College vs. Niagara University, and St. Bonaventure University — "Big 4" (basketball). Excluding UB, the rivalry is known as the "Little 3," a term that dates at least to 1946, when the three schools had their own athletic conference by the same name.
* vs. — Primarily a men's basketball rivalry between public and Catholic schools located about 3 miles (5 km) apart in Cincinnati. The schools' annual basketball game was historically known as the Crosstown Shootout, but officially renamed the Crosstown Classic after the 2011 matchup was marred by a bench-clearing brawl.
* Duke University vs. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — "The Battle of Tobacco Road". Duke and UNC, both located in The Triangle region of North Carolina, are only 8 miles (13 km) apart. Tobacco Road battles also include North Carolina State University, also located in The Triangle, and Wake Forest University, formerly located in The Triangle before its 1956 move to the area now known as the Piedmont Triad.
* Furman University vs. Wofford College — A Southern Conference rivalry between schools located in Upstate South Carolina, the state's largest metropolitan area.
* George Mason University vs. George Washington University — A new Atlantic 10 Conference rivalry in the Washington, D.C. area created by conference realignment in 2013, when Mason joined GW in the A10.
* vs. — The men's lacrosse rivalry between these Baltimore schools is heated, though historically lopsided in Hopkins' favor (47-5 through the 2014 season). Hopkins fans refer to the rivalry as the "Charles Street Massacre", with Loyola fans preferring "Battle of Charles Street". Both nicknames reference a major north-south artery that connects the two campuses.
* Lafayette College vs. Lehigh University — A rivalry between schools in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania that currently plays out in the Patriot League. The schools' football rivalry is the most-played (149 games) and longest continuous rivalry (since 1897) in college football history.
* and St. Francis College, separated by less than a mile, are Northeast Conference rivals. One of the two annual men's basketball games between the two schools is known as the Battle of Brooklyn.
* Loyola University Chicago and the were Horizon League rivals for nearly 20 years before Loyola's 2013 move to the Missouri Valley Conference.
* Marquette University vs. — Milwaukee Cup (men's soccer), "Battle For The Keg" (club football)
* Nashville rivalries:
** Belmont University vs. Lipscomb University — The Battle of the Boulevard in basketball. The rivalry between private schools separated by less than 3 miles (5 km) played out in the NAIA for decades, and intensified when both became members of the NCAA's Atlantic Sun Conference. Although the two are no longer in the same conference after Belmont moved to the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2012, the schools are continuing their basketball rivalry with home-and-home games each season, unusual among non-conference matchups.
** Belmont vs. Tennessee State University — Belmont's move to the OVC, joining Tennessee State, created a new crosstown rivalry.
** These are the only two pairs of Nashville schools that have active rivalries. The city's most prominent school, Vanderbilt University, does not regularly play any of the other Nashville schools in most sports. Lipscomb and Tennessee State also do not regularly play one another.
* Philadelphia Big 5 — An annual men's basketball series involving the following schools in Philadelphia and vicinity:
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::Notable rivalries within the Big 5 include:
::* The (St. Joseph's v Villanova)
::* St. Joe's-Temple rivalry
::* Battle of 33rd Street — ( v Penn)
:::While Drexel is not included in the Big 5, they are a member of the Philadelphia City 6, which consists of the Big 5 teams and Drexel. The Drexel v Penn basketball rivalry is known for being the closest geographical collegiate rivalry in all of sports; the two campuses are directly adjacent to one another, and their home arenas are three blocks apart (about 0.3 miles/500 m).
* University of Houston v Rice University — two most prominent universities have an active rivalry in all sports. The annual football game between the two is known as the Bayou Bucket Classic.
* University of Pittsburgh v Duquesne University — The City Game in men's and women's basketball; the term is also used occasionally in other sports.
* v — Black & Blue Classic
* University of San Diego v San Diego State University v University of California, San Diego
* v
* v - The two most nationally prominent schools, though not the largest, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex have a long-standing rivalry in all sports. The annual football game between the two is called the Battle for the Iron Skillet.
* The Liberty Cup — The first football game of the year between the Columbia Lions and the Fordham Rams. On odd years, the game is played at Fordham University in The Bronx and on even years played at Columbia University in Manhattan.
* Hampton University v. Norfolk State University — The Battle of The Bay, involving the two historically black universities located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Each school is located in one of the two major subregions of that area—Hampton on the Virginia Peninsula (locally "the Peninsula") and Norfolk State in South Hampton Roads (locally "the Southside"). A further contrast is that Hampton is a private institution, while Norfolk State is public.
* University of Tulsa v Oral Roberts University
* The Battle of I-10 - New Mexico State v University of Texas at El Paso
* Idaho v Washington State — Although not technically a crosstown rivalry, it is geographically closer than many "true" crosstown rivalries; the two campuses are only about 8 miles (13 km) apart on the Palouse.
Canada
Note: These rivalries may not be crosstown, rather they may be across large geographical regions instead (usually within a province or two adjacent provinces), due to a lack of actual local derbies in Canada because of its large area with a small population base that is mainly scattered.
* National Hockey League rivalries — (hockey)
** Battle of Alberta: Calgary Flames v Edmonton Oilers
** Battle of Ontario: Toronto Maple Leafs v Ottawa Senators
** Historically, the city of Montreal (and by extension the province of Quebec) has had two teams, which sparked a rivalry that ranged from regional to a true crosstown derby. The Montreal Canadiens variously had rivalries with the Montreal Wanderers and Montreal Maroons; the Canadiens targeted the French-language speakers of Montreal while the Wanderers and the Maroons catered to the English speakers. Montreal also had a rivalry with the Quebec Athletics of Quebec City during their only year in the league, and the Battle of Quebec rivalry, a particularly intense one, pitted the Canadiens against the Quebec Nordiques in somewhat of a role reversal: the Nordiques were more liked by the French-speaking, separatist vein of Quebec while the Canadiens were favored by the more traditional and English speaking fans.
* Labour Day Classic — Canadian Football League
** Battle of Alberta — Edmonton Eskimos at Calgary Stampeders (the two teams typically play at Edmonton the following weekend)
** Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (as in the Battle of Alberta, the two teams also play the following weekend, this time at Toronto)
** Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders (these two teams in adjacent provinces play the following weekend in the Banjo Bowl)
** Montreal Alouettes vs. Ottawa Redblacks — The Redblacks' 2014 arrival in the CFL renewed the traditional Montreal-Ottawa rivalry. During Ottawa's most recent absence from the CFL (2007 to 2013), the Alouettes played the BC Lions on Labour Day.
* Major League Soccer
** Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC
* Canadian Soccer League
** Serbian White Eagles v Toronto Croatia
* General
** Toronto-Montreal rivalry

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