Tasser: Weekend full of thrilling sports rivalries

No matter what the sport, city or team, every fanbase’s heart rate spikes at the mere mention… No matter what the sport, city or team, every fanbase’s heart rate spikes at the mere mention of its rival. There is no bigger thrill than stomping on your rival and nothing more humbling than when your team is the one getting peeled off the ground like a Looney Tunes character.

That being said, here are the best rivalry games from all over the world of sports in the next few days.

Honorable Mention

NFL: New England vs. Pittsburgh

Sunday, Oct. 30, 4:15 p.m.

CBS

My Pittsburgh bias caused me to throw this borderline rivalry game in as an honorable mention. Although this match-up isn’t on the same level as the Steelers-Ravens or Patriots-Jets rivalries, it’s no secret that there is little love between the two teams. Tom Brady has always been a pain for the Pittsburgh defense and its fans. I personally detest the guy. These two teams have been the stalwarts of the AFC and are the closest thing to a dynasty in pro football since the Troy Aikman-led Cowboys of the 1990s. The Pats have been to four Super Bowls over the past 10 years, winning three, and the Steelers have been to three, winning two. The Patriots are favored, but with a suspect defense, the Steelers might be able to squeak one out — but they’ll need to score at least 30 points.

5. College Football: Stanford vs. USC

Saturday, Oct. 29, 8:00 p.m.

ABC

The Stanford Cardinal and Southern California Trojans have been going at it since 1905, making it the oldest rivalry on the West Coast. While the Cardinal dominated early, USC took back control in the later decades, numbing the dislike over time. But with the resurgence of the Cardinal under former coach Jim Harbaugh and current star quarterback Andrew Luck, the hate has returned. Last year, Stanford needed overtime to dispatch an inconsistent USC team. Stanford is favored again this year, but if USC limits mistakes at home in the Rose Bowl, the Trojans could hand Stanford’s new coach, David Shaw, his first loss in the Cardinal and White.

4. Barclays: Chelsea vs. Arsenal

Saturday, Oct. 29, 7:30 a.m.

ESPN2

Now I know not many of you red-blooded Americans watch the patsy English game of “soccer,” but I urge you to tune into this Barclays Premier League match between two of the leagues’ traditional powerhouses. Although not geographical rivals in recent years, their respective fanbases have voted each other their most hated rival. Arsenal is having a down year, entering the game with four wins, four losses and a draw, but the team features Robin van Persie, who is fourth in Premier League in goals with seven. Chelsea, on the other hand, is sitting in third place with six wins, two losses and a draw and is an undefeated 4-0 at home. Now I’m sure I convinced you to get up at 7:30 a.m. to watch.

3. NHL: Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

Thursday, Oct. 27, 7:00 p.m.

NHLNET

Saturday, Oct. 29, 7:00 p.m.

NHLNET

Many consider this rivalry to be the greatest in the NHL, and the hockey version of the infamous Yankees-Red Sox contests. Their series includes a lot of “mosts,” as in the most games played between two teams (702), the most playoff series played between two teams (33) and the most Game Sevens in any series history (eight). The Bruins, the current defending Stanley Cup Champions, had to use all seven games to defeat the Habs in the playoffs last year, capping off a year full of violent games between the teams. In early February, an 8-6 Boston win saw six fights, a goalie fight between All-Stars Carey Price and Tim Thomas and 187 total penalty minutes. About a month later, mammoth Bruin defenseman Zdeno Chara brutally checked Montreal’s Max Pacioretty into the glass between the bench areas, knocking Pacioretty unconscious and ending his season. The teams play two games over the next several days: tonight in Boston and Saturday night in Montreal.

2. NFL: Dallas at Philadelphia

Sunday, Oct. 30, 8:20 p.m.

NBC

Although both teams have had their struggles this season, this game is still one of the NFL’s premier rivalries. These two teams have combined to win eight out of the last 10 NFC East Division titles, Philadelphia with six and the Cowboys with two. However, playoff woes have struck both teams. Come Sunday night, both teams are going to be desperate and hungry for a win after bad starts to their seasons, which means good things for football fans. After all, what’s better than a rivalry game? A rivalry game when both teams need to prove something.

1. NBA: Players vs. Owners

Message to both sides: Hold strong. No NBA means I don’t have to sit through boring NBA highlights to get to the sick hockey plays on ESPN’s Top 10.