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Steelerfreak

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Better Rivalry Steelers Raiders of the 70s or Steelers Ravens of the 05-15 window?

I was a kid for the 70s and had a different view of the game then. Obviously I have more vivid memories of those Baltimore clashes.


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Easily Steelers versus Raiders. Those tams were stacked with HOFers on both sides of the ball, they hated each other with a zeal never seen in the NFL before or since and the games were usually for the right to go to the Super Bowl or at least get to the AFC Championship game.
 
Chuck Noll vs. John Madden. Some of the best NFL matchups ever. Heck, I think more highly of Steelers v Browns of that era than I do of Rats.
 
Seems like the Raiders rivalry of the 70s was more intense, and the games more significant to Super Bowl runs. Probably a lot had to do with the rules of the era. A more violent game back then and both teams had violent talent. Also, I don't recall a lot of talk about mutual respect in that rivalry.
 
Charles is right. Definitely more intense. Game was played significantly different back then. More importantly, while Dan and Al Davis respected each other, they definitely did not see eye to eye on a great many things.


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Steelers12 said:
Easily Steelers versus Raiders. Those tams were stacked with HOFers on both sides of the ball, they hated each other with a zeal never seen in the NFL before or since and the games were usually for the right to go to the Super Bowl or at least get to the AFC Championship game.
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Many of those can be said for Steelers Ravens. I could see a half dozen hall of famers from pit/bal. (Bettis*,Ben, Hines, Troy, That guy Amos Zeroue ran over*, that guy Hines Ward KTFO on Monday night football, perhaps Harrison, or that Thug linebacker)

There were also playoff clashes in 2001,2008,2011,2015 and the right to go to the super bowl. In addition being in the same division, they were guaranteed to play twice each year, 3x in playoff years. That didn't happen with Oakland.

Perhaps your point about being first to this level of hate is the tiebreaker.


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Raiders easily. That hate was real. No buddy buddy bullshit after games either. Those guys genuinely tried to hurt each other during those matchups. The closeline on Lynn Swann that knocked him out led Chuck Noll to call them the criminal element. He went to court in a lawsuit over that ****. Yes ,they actually went to court. Noll was forced to admit that some Steeler players like Blount would be part of that element as well.

Still hate the raiders and John big mouth madden. The cowboys came next on that list. Noll 2-0 vs fedora hat man in the big show.
 
The answer to the question could come down to what type of football you prefer to watch. 1970's rules or the version of football allowed today.


The Steelers beat the Raiders twice in AFC championship game and lost once. We also stuck it to them in the playoffs ( 1972 ) with the immaculate reception, losing in the AFC championship game to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. I've never been able to figure out why that game was played at Three Rivers as Miami had the better record. Anway you could say we pretty much owned the Raiders when it matters most.


We only meet the Ravens once in the AFC championship game and beat them. But we play them more often as they are a hated divisional foe.
 
Raiders for sure. It may be just nostalgia, but those games nearly always involved the playoffs, thus the stakes much higher.

With the Rats, we play them twice a year regardless. And I understand the safety concern, mostly, but 70's football was a better product.
 
IMO easily Steelers Ravens. Meet 2 x a year and once in playoffs usually during that time. The hate is palpable.

Steelers raiders was a rivalry in the playoffs usually. It wasn't as prominent like the rat birds. Both of those teams in ****** cities, the raiders had a rep for dirty play.
 
The rules of the NFL today would require the refs to stop the game, if the play of the Ravens-Steelers had any resemblance to the play of the Raiders-Steelers 70's and early 80's rivalry did.

Definitely both tip-top NFL all-time rivalries...

Maybe the 2 best ever.
 
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Black & Gold Bleeder said:
IMO easily Steelers Ravens. Meet 2 x a year and once in playoffs usually during that time. The hate is palpable.

Steelers raiders was a rivalry in the playoffs usually. It wasn't as prominent like the rat birds. Both of those teams in ****** cities, the raiders had a rep for dirty play.
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Pittsburgh was a ****** city? **** you too.
 
I’m 50 and I remember the hate with the Raiders, but we didn’t play them as much as we do the Ravens. The games with the Oilers back in the day were pretty good also. I think it’s a tie, they are both the best rivalries of there time.
 
Raiders games were dirtier. Both sides wanted to end the season of the people they hit. **** wouldn't fly in today's kinder/gentler NFL. Sure I hated the Raiders, but we ******* owned them in the 70s. They were supposed to be the best team of the decade, and it took both Steeler RBs to be injured to give them a chance to play for a title under the Steeler rule.

The reason why I'd side with the Ravens, is they are the division opponent. It was the single greatest rivalry in football those years, and each team won 2 SBs during that time, with the Steelers making it to a 3rd SB. I remember more vivid instances, where the matchup decided the division or the advancement in the playoffs.

Charlie Batch come from behind win, Holmes jumping toward the ball at the goal line, Polamalu jumping the snap count for the sack fumble. Pola with the game clinching Int return TD in the AFCC, Ngata breaking Ben's nose, Suggs blowing up Ben on that sack. Reed blowing up Heath Miller, forcing a fumble, game winner to Jimmy Smith in Pit on the last play.

This is a real rivalry. Doesn't matter how bad the teams are, they get up for this matchup and great football is expected. Their 4 win season, 2 came against the Steelers!

Takes me back to the old Browns/Steelers rivalries as well, but there is just so much great talent on both sides, and they matched up so well, that I don't think I can ever imagine a better rivalry.

Oh, and both years the Ravens won the Superbowl, guess who their last loss was to?
 
Lest us not furget....

SAN FRANCISCO, July 21—George Atkinson's libel suit against Chuck Noll and the Pittsburgh Steelers will go to She six‐person jury tomorrow morning, as attorneys for both sides completed their final arguments today.

At the same time, a countersuit by the Steelers, alleging that Atkinson had tried to deliberately injure Lynn Swann in last Septembers National Football League game between the Steelers and Oakland Raiders, was dropped and dismissed with prejudice.

The day after Atkinson's violent hit, which left Swann with a concussion, Noll, the Steeler coach, referred to the Raiders’ defensive back as part of a “criminal element” in the N.F.L. Subsequently. Atkinson was fined $1,500 by Pete Rozelle, commissioner of the N.F.L. for the play, which was shown repeatedly on television. Noll was fined $1,000 for making his remarks.

Atkinson, however, considered being labeled as a “criminal” to be libelous, and brought this suit, which asks for up to $2 million in damages, including punitive damages.

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/07/22/archives/atkinsons-case-goes-to-the-jury.html

th
 
I think you need to make it 50+. A 45 year-old was only 6 in 1979 and likely doesn’t remember **** about the Steelers of the 70s.
 
COULD be either BUT Remeber, you are talking about the two BIGGEST rivalries in NFL of two different era's. The CONSTANT here are the PITTSBURGH STEELERS, how cool is that. Greatness abound and being 1/2 of the two best rivalries ever and NO other team can make that extinction. I'll take our boys in BLACK & GOLD, enough said






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Troglodyte said:
I think you need to make it 50+. A 45 year-old was only 6 in 1979 and likely doesn’t remember **** about the Steelers of the 70s.
Click to expand...

iM 51. I remember each year during that time,, only thinking about the raiders come playoffs. There was no city connection or conference connection like with the ravens.
 
I’m 49 and don’t remember much about the 70’s Raiders rivalry, I vividly remember the Houston playoff games of the late 70’s. It seems the Jim Plunkett Raiders of the 80’s owned the Steelers and always played on them on Monday night.
 
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