Chiefs vs. Raiders: Is This One Of The Best Rivalries In Sports?

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Nine out of ten members of the media would tell you that the legendary rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees is the best in all of sports. You might find a couple of people here and there that would throw the Cards and the Cubs into that mix, too. The Celtics and the Lakers have built a history of hate in basketball, and in hockey, match-ups including original six teams and/or east coast teams get most of the hype.

In football, the first rivalry someone might try to force-feed you as “the best” is the long-standing Green Bay/Chicago tilt. Next, you’d probably get a heavy dose of all things NFC East. The Colts and the Patriots had a few epic clashes in the 2000’s, but with Peyton gone, the fire has subsided. Then, of course, there are the Chiefs and the Raiders.

To answer the question posed in the title of this article bluntly: yes. The Chiefs/Raiders rivalry is one of the best in all of sports. It’s been heated, nasty, and competitive now since 1960. The cast of characters has changed over the years, but for some reason the special feeling of Raider week has lingered.

This week, the Chiefs are looking to go 6-0 and keep pace with division juggernaut Denver. While Kansas City is riding high, and looks to be a better team than Oakland, the Raiders would love nothing more than to knock KC off of their high horse. Kansas City will get Oakland’s best game on Sunday, and the game should prove as nasty as ever.

Here are some fun numbers to think about while watching the game this Sunday:

• Kansas City leads the 108-game series by four games  (55-51-2)
• The Chiefs are one of only two teams with more than 10 games played against the Raiders that lead their respective all-time series.
• Before the merger, KC won 3 AFL championships, to Oakland’s 1. Since the merger, Oakland has won 3 Super Bowls, and Kansas City has only won 1.
• The Raiders only beat the Chiefs 3 times in the 90’s.
• Conversely, in this decade, Kansas City has only 1 victory vs. Oakland (28-0 in Oakland).

SIDE NOTE: For those of you attending the game, please scream so loud the foundation crumbles. I want to see the network cameras shaking, and I want to see Terrelle Pryor rendered completely useless. I want to see the Raiders screw up the silent snap count, and I want Dennis Allen to cry. Kansas City fans need to reclaim the Arrowhead mystique this weekend, break Seattle’s record, and make a statement to the rest of the league that you don’t waltz into Arrowhead and win anymore.