re: Where do you rank the Iron Bowl among the greatest rivalries in sports?

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I really don't see why the national relevance of a rivalry has to do with how great the rivalry is. Was the fact that the Hatfields and the McCoys didn't have statewide or national consequences make it not a great rivalry? You look at it on how each of the fanbases react to someone. A guy from LA is not going to give a frick if someone is from Boston. A guy from Columbus is going to have some strong prejudices against a guy from Ann Arbor though.

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So what is the difference in hate between the Egg Bowl and the Iron Bowl? Or Packers/Vikings? National relevance makes a rivalry great because it brings in people to the rivalry that don't have the intense local reasons, and they are still on board anyway. I've traveled plenty of places all over this country, and people HATE the Dallas Cowboys. fricking hate us. Is it as intense as some Iron Bowl hate? No, but they haven't even stepped foot inside the Lone Star State sometimes, and they hate our fricking guts anyway. It's easy to hate something when it's obnoxiously in your face all the time, but that is not all that makes a rivalry.