Rank the Fire's rivals

La
Ny
Sj
Ny
Ne
Dallas
Dc
Columbus
Colorado

 

1. LA
2. Dallas
3. Metrostars
4. N.E
5. San Jose
6. K.C.
7. D.C.
8. Colorado
9. Columbus

 

1. LA
2. Metros
3. Dallas
4. SJ
5. NE
6. KC
7. DC
8. Colorado
9. Jabolteh
10. Columbus

 

There's always the 'Which Team do you Hate' vs. 'Which team do you love to beat' debate.

 

1. Metros
2. LA
3. KC
4. NE
5. Dal
6. SJ
7. DC
8. Colorado
9. Real Madrid/Celtic/other crap teams
10. Columbus

 

1. LA
2. Dallas
3. Metrostars
4. N.E
5. D.C.
6. K.C.
7. San Jose
8. Colorado
9. Columbus

 

Love to beat 'em all.

 

1. Dallas
2. New York/New Jersey
3. San Jose
4. LA
5. New England
6. KC
7. DC
8. Colorado
8.5 Chicago Magic
9. Milwaukee Wave United
10. Chivas USA
11. Real(y sucks) Madrid
12. Cleveland Steamers
13. Fire Youth Teams
14. AYSO Region 418 U-10 Girls
15. Chicago MISL Team
16. Lakefront Soccer
17. Euro Soccer Club
18. Rangers
19. Manchester United
20. "The Urkel of MLS"

 

As much as I love to hate Dallas, there is just too much to hate L.A. for; Luisa, Open Cup 2002, LALAS!, MLS Semis 2002, Bo, you name it. Dallas is just sad and happens to hold the cup that should be righfully ours. But when we play LA it's bad blood, pure and simple.

 

1) El Pescadito (and LA)
2) New England
3) New Jersey
5) DC (Washington)
6) Dallas
7) 'Zards
8) San Jose
9) Fulham Utd.
10) Milwaukee Wave
11) Rochester (aka "the Ring injury town")
12) University of Chicago Women's Team (Div. III's finest)
13) The nation of Botswana
14) (tie) Netherlands and Portugal nats.
15) The team with the Costa Rican Greg Loughanis

end of story.

 

Hm. Voted before I read the bit about "rivals" vs "love to hate." I hate New York so much that I can't really see past that. I know a lot of you feel that Dallas is our biggest rival, but I just can't get up for their games. They have a stupid name, similar colors to us (though much uglier), have a crap mascot, come from a crap state and by default a crap city, and other than one painful playoff series, are pretty much a crap team. I try not to think much about crap. For me the whole rivlary thing is about bragging rights. No one out there will ever care about Dallas much. So as long as we consistently beat New York and LA (and DC) and remain one of the best teams in the league, I can brag to my friends in Spain (and England, and Germany, and...) that we have the best right here in Chicago. So I guess for me, with my priorities it goes something like

1)any foreign team
2)NY
3)LA
4)DC
5)NE
6)Columbus (only because they're driving distance and it would be far too embarrassing to ever lose to them)
7... everybody else

 

hmm.. you must have started following the team around 2002 if you think there is more bad blood between LA and Chicago, either that you have ADD.

I know I know those stupid OZ comments from 98... but that is more of a joke then true bad blood.

OC 02

everytime we meet the burnt in OC competition it seems to hold some record for red cards or something.

I mean you had broken bones, Life Bans, and real animosity between these two teams.
I can rememebr who said it (Marsch?) but a few years back a Fire player commented how much the Fire players really disliked the Burn players .
this wasnt just a casual pregame comment.. it was one that was pretty nasty and barbed .. anyone rememebr the comment and who said it?

 

I'll grant that every time we play Dallas or LA, fur will fly. Similarly with New England. The teams do not like each other. That said, we barely fouled Dallas the last time we played (though the reverse was not true). And yes, this physicality plays into the whole rivalry, just like Bear-Packers.

As for the similar colors thing--I just find their color of red butt-ugly. Nothing to do with the rivalry, but it gives me less to respect. That said, LA's colors aren't beautiful, but they are an opponent I have the highest respect for. They seem to have a well run organization and there is no team who I feel better about beating than them. It always feel like we've accomplished something worthy. And that's part of a rivalry--respecting your opponent. Few here respect Columbus, so they aren't our rivals. But ever since the Bradley-Zambrano exchange, and the year they stopped us from the US Open Cup and the MLS Cup championship, I've really hated that team.

 

I don't think Columbus can be last because they're in our division. For me, Colorado is Chicago's least rival...I mean, who do they have or what have they ever done that could've possibly caused hatred. Even their potential biggest villan at any point, Carlos Valderamma, was just laziness personified.

 

columbus isn't a rival...rivalry games cant be boring

 

I thought this whole rivalry-thread bit had gotten out of control, but now there are two rivalry threads on the forum front page! For Chrissake people, give me some new material to work with!

That said, I'm going to cave in and throw out my 2 cents. Columbus is the one team I absolutely HATE. And its not the team so much, since they'repathetic, but the entity in general. It probably has something to do with the whole press-charges-for-ripping-their-paper/getting-tossed-for-being-punched/vomiting-McDonald's-on-they-way-home stuff that has stemmed from games with them.

 

I think the split between the pre 2001 fans and the post 2001 fans is pretty clear - maybe the newer fans just aren't as familiar with our history with Dallas as the ones who were on board in 98 and 99. not that it makes either better but it's an interesting split

That said, even with the dallas rivalry in a watered down state compared to past years, well over 50 percent of you still rank them as our biggest rival and that's got to mean something.