Some rivalries speak for themselves. Whether it’s the Red Sox vs. Yankees, Celtics vs. Lakers, or Bruins vs. Canadiens, each has its own unique history. Going back to the late 1970’s when Bucky bleepin’ Dent ended the Red Sox hopes in the postseason, this rivalry has been nothing short of pure hatred between the two storied franchises since. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird carried the Celtics and Lakers rivalry well into the 1980’s until the Celtics, who were always a championship contender, fell into the abyss of the NBA cellar dwellers, only to renew the rivalry a few years ago. How about the Bruins and Canadiens? These two franchises seem to sprinkle a little hockey amid the 60 minute boxing match. But there’s another rivalry in Beantown now. It’s not between two franchises who hate each other either. Rather, the rivalry is between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Two guys who respect each other and remain friends off the field, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning wrote a 13th chapter on Sunday afternoon. Was it the last chapter? Probably not. Let’s hope not.
As a Bostononian, I should probably hate Peyton Manning. But I don’t. The guy’s a pretty good quarterback and makes, meh, a halfway decent commercial. But people in this town will tell you, you HAVE to hate Peyton Manning. Why? Because he’s not Tom Brady. Arguably, Brady has had more success with three Superbowl victories to Manning’s one. Head to head Brady is 9-4 against Manning. But are these the only measuring sticks for who the better quarterback is? I say no, they’re just mere drivers that continue to fuel the debate and the rivalry itself.
We probably won’t be able to answer this question for a few years. In the meantime, I am looking forward to Chapter 14.
The Penalty Box 