The Birth of a True Rivalry...Finally

[Spitball]

The Reds may have stumbled badly this past series against the Cardinals, but perhaps something good came from from it all. In the big picture, the Reds may have finally given birth to a great rivalry. A rivalry that will sell out the ballpark, attract fan attention, and create national attention. The Reds have had more exposure on ESPN in the last 24 hours than they have had in the last eight to ten years. It may not have been all good exposure, but we got to see the Reds featured at the top of every hour.

They have not had a true rivalry since the 1970s when they regularly fought it out with the Dodgers. But those days are long gone. The Reds are no longer even in the same division with the Dodgers who represent just another opponent now. The Reds now have the birth of something to build on.

Yankees-Red Sox, Ohio State-Michigan, Lakers-Celtics, Ali-Frazier...serious rivalries are good for the fans. They generate excitement and passion. I hope the Reds have finally built a real rivalry.

I can't wait until the September series in St. Louis. I hope it is still meanigful in the standings, but I know it will be meaningful to the fans of both teams no matter their team's record. There will be more excitement and passion.

[dsmith421]

A hammer and a nail do not have a rivalry.

[Joseph]

A hammer and a nail do not have a rivalry.

+1

[MattyHo4Life]

Yep...this could be a huge rivalry. BP and Cueto have emerged as two of the most unpopular players to Cardinals fans...now that Cueto injured one of our players.

[KronoRed]

Hmm, all I see is a broom and some fans who think a pushing and shoving fight proves something.

[Brutus]

A hammer and a nail do not have a rivalry.

[westofyou]

Yep...this could be a huge rivalry. BP and Cueto have emerged as two of the most unpopular players to Cardinals fans...now that Cueto injured one of our players.

yeah imagine the outrage if it was guy who actually played

[MattyHo4Life]

yeah imagine the outrage if it was guy who actually played

lol well he was going to play today.

[Spitball]

A hammer and a nail do not have a rivalry.

I think it is more about the emotion evoked by the contest between two rivals as the measure of a true rivalry and not the outcome of one series. I can remember some one sided series when the faithful fans stayed loyal to their teams. The Red Sox I believe won the first ten games with the Yankees last year and no one declared the end of the rivalry. The Yankees were the winners in the last eight games and again no one declared the rivalry dead. It is about the emotion more than the outcome.

In fact, the Red Sox have been the nail to the Yankee hammer for most of the past 80 years. Their fans stayed emotionally involved with their team despite the Yankee's dominance. The rivalry has survived and has grown.

[TheNext44]

I think it is more about the emotion evoked by the contest between two rivals as the measure of a true rivalry and not the outcome of one series. I can remember some one sided series when the faithful fans stayed loyal to their teams. The Red Sox I believe won the first ten games with the Yankees last year and no one declared the end of the rivalry. The Yankees were the winners in the last eight games and again no one declared the rivalry dead. It is about the emotion more than the outcome.

In fact, the Red Sox have been the nail to the Yankee hammer for most of the past 80 years. Their fans stayed emotionally involved with their team despite the Yankee's dominance. The rivalry has survived and has grown.

Well stated.

And furthermore, the Reds played pretty well most of the series. It wasn't like they looked like the Bad News Bears and the Cardinals the Big Red Machine. A few balls find holes for the Reds, a few don't for the Cardinals, and the Reds could have swept the series.

[TheNext44]

Yep...this could be a huge rivalry. BP and Cueto have emerged as two of the most unpopular players to Cardinals fans...now that Cueto injured one of our players.

Only he really didn't.

There are many pics and video of the game that show LaRue unmarked in the face, laughing and perfectly fine in the dugout. If he really got a concussion, he would have been in the trainers room the whole game, or sent to an emergency room.

He may have been kicked in the face, hard to tell on the video, but I am calling standard Cardinal crybaby BS on the whole concussion story. They love to make themselves the victim.

[Spitball]

They love to make themselves the victim.

Exactly, and if LaRue doesn't put himself in the middle of the melee, he doesn't get himself hurt.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Gotta start splitting with the Cards at the very least for this to be a true rivalry. The Hammer/nail thing was good.

[The Operator]

Yea, LaRue seemed A-OK in the dugout last night and his face seemed just fine other than the fact that he's an ugly dude.

This whole "concussion" thing is nothing more than Abner DUIbleday Larussa trying to by a few more games of possible suspension for Cueto. That's it.

[dman]

Well, if the Reds are going to do this and be all in, then I say bring up Chapman and have him plunk Pujols to really make a statement. Yeah, he could plunk Molina, Carpenter, and maybe somebody else, but if he went out there on the mound, in Busch Stadium and plunked Pujols with a 102 MPH fastball, that would be making a statement.