Rivalries are a great thing

Since I grew up in Grand Forks, ND I've been privy to a few rivalries in my day:

Sibling: My brother and his friends used to play smear the queer (also known as the kickoff game) where my brother and his buddies (usually 1-2) would stand in the neighbors yard and throw the football to me standing in our driveway. The object of this great game for me was to somehow make it past my big brother and his big friends. (IF I ever made it, it was sweet glory, and something I loved trying to prove to the older kids on the block.) My brothers objective: Simply try and make as ridiculous, and painfully looking tackles as possible, BUT also they had to watch my face, as whenever contact to my brittle nose was made GAME OFF, Brett would start to tear up, and my brother and friends would tell me to, "DON'T WAIT TO FEEL THE PAIN!" and proceed to stuff cold snow on it.. Hoping to return to this glorious game of them laughing and high-fiving each other after every throw..(rarely if ever did I make it to the touchdown aka the imaginary line between the neighbors trees.)

GF Elementary School All-City Track meet:
Is it just me, or when you came back the next day to school after the track meet, our P.E. teacher Mr. Palmoscino would tell us the great news that our school did indeed win the All-City track meet! (Every year the Ben Franklin Road Runners won the All-City track meet, weird.. I know... no double dipping, thanks Dr. Randklev)

Red River vs Central:
Any sport every sport, it's going to be a battle..

Sioux vs Gophers:
Having one of the nicest Hockey Facilities in North America, it truly is a spectacle

My newest rivalry I've experienced was of the Professional sorts:

St Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks:

My 1st experience was on Oct. 18th. The setting was sort of surreal. Former Sioux Capt. Chris Porter puts the Blues on the board 1st. Then former Sioux Jonny Toews puts up a goal for Chicago. Later in the 3rd period we witness a huge scuffle going on in the nose bleeds, and all of a sudden shirts and clothes are flying from the upper deck down to the lower deck. Turns out the on ice fights translated into the stands! (Ahh yes, reminded me of college days.) The game goes into OT at 4-4. Still no one scores pushing the game into a SHOOTOUT! A Blue scores, and then Jonny T goes out and ties it up. Then on the 3rd round Tj Oshie scores the Game Winner! It was his 1st career NHL Goal that wouldn't count. Needless to say it was an intense game, one I'll never forget as to whom I was with that night, and the partying that ensued surely was a great night! The Blues went on to play the Hawks on Nov. 14th and again the Blues Andy Macdonald put in the game winner in OT.

Tale of the Tape JT vs TJ part 2:
It's no secret the former line mates will do battle tonight in what hopefully will be a battle of who will showcase the most. The captain of the Hawks since the new year is riding a Point/Game over the last 8 games. His career over a 106 game span he's averaging .86 points/game.

On the other side TJ Oshie after having come back from his ankle injury is averaging a Point/Game in his last 7 games. Though Tj's career has been short, he's played in 19 games, and scoring at a rate of .23 pts/game. Although his last game he put up 1 goal and 2 assists against the Av's a night ago. Here's his celebration:Let the rivalries begin.....