6 Reasons why Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens is the best rivalry in the NFL
By Daniel
Nov 28, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Officials try to hold back Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) during a fight with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ryan Clark during a NFL football game on Thanksgiving at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
6. Proximity
Some rivalries exist in the NFL despite great distances between the respective cities of the two embattled franchises. The Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins are a great example of this. Those two teams are definitely intense rivals but sit 1,330 miles from each other. Their fans rarely intersect in every day life. Unlike the fans from Pittsburgh and Baltimore who bump into one another often because the cities are only 245 miles from each other. These franchises are from the same region of the country and share similar cultures in many ways. As the old idiom goes, ‘familiarity breeds contempt.’ This occurs even between fans out in the community and even in the offseason. True geographic rivalries seem to be the rivalries that stand the test of time.
Not to mention, these two divisional foes often battle it out for the AFC North division championship. Familiarity breeds even more contempt when a playoff spot is on the line. Pittsburgh used to have an incredibly strong rivalry with the Oakland Raiders franchise, but 2,570 miles has lessoned the venom between these two teams over the years. Don’t expect the rivalry between the Ravens and Steelers to waiver anytime soon — they’re too close for that to ever happen.