New Rivalries and Old Rivalries Renewed on One Day

Sports always seem to have a funny way of working things out. This weekend's NFL Championship Weekend is no different. We’re in the middle of a rivalry shift like we’ve never seen before. In one day and two games we will see the greatest debate of the past decade versus quite possibly the greatest debate of the next decade.

Let’s face it; unfortunately Tom Brady and Peyton Manning’s careers have reached their respective twilight. Manning comes into the championship game following the greatest season in QB history. Brady comes into the game as a “game manager” more so than the great QB we’ve always seen. Every great athlete plays a last game and this weekend there is a chance we will see the proverbial torch being passed to the new generation of great QB’s.

No one knows for sure if Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson will live up to the same rivalry that Brady and Manning have. Wilson and Kaepernick are very good QB’s but they probably will never be as good as either Manning or Brady. And that’s not a knock on either of them, the fact is Manning and Brady are two of the greatest ever. But there’s a great chance the competitive rivalry will be better between the younger QB’s.

Brady and Manning have played in 14 career games against each other, including three playoff matches, in the past 12 years. Now take this, in a year and a half Wilson and Kaepernick have already seen each other three times with their fourth this weekend. Spreading that out into 12 years we’re looking at 32 head to head matchups. A more conservative estimate would be 25 games.

While Brady and Manning’s rivalry stems from their incredible talent and the constant comparisons Wilson and Kaepernick might end up having a more resentful link. Because the Seahawks and 49ers play each other twice a year it builds a hostile environment between the teams and their fans. In doing so it creates a bitter rivalry between the teams and their QB’s. Manning and Brady never had to go through that. While it was built up in fan’s minds and in the media that it’s a huge rivalry truth is Brady and Manning are friends.

I’m not saying that friends can’t be rivals but wouldn’t friendship take something away from it? There seems to be more resentment towards Eli Manning than Peyton by Patriots fan, and rightfully so. Eli admitted that Brady doesn’t really like him. Of the last four times they’ve met, including two Super Bowls, Eli and the Giants beat the Patriots. Maybe the real Manning/Brady rivalry doesn’t involve Peyton. The animosity between Giants fans and Patriots fans exists because of those Super Bowls and the teams’ respective locations, the northeast.

Kaepernick and Wilson playing in the same division and the west coast help create hostility between fanbases. While players and teams create the rivalries, the fans are the ones that argue and fight for their favorite team. Rivalries don’t live without fans.

Obviously it remains to be seen if Kaepernick and Wilson will even play at high levels long enough to be bitter rivals but as of now they are lining up as the premier rivalry of the NFL. And while many believe it’s Kaepernick and Wilson’s time to shine they still have plenty of learning to do; and what two better guys to learn from than Manning and Brady?