Here's what Bill Simmons said today on Sport Nation about the best under the radar rivalry:
"The best under-the-radar rivalry is Dodgers-Giants. I had no idea how deep that one was until I moved to California... that one goes waaaaaaaaay back and both sides absolutely detest each other. Fights in the stands, fights in the parking lot, the whole thing. It's every bit as bitter as Yankees-Red Sox without nearly the same hype." (Bill Simmons)
It's about time this crazy rivalry gets some attention! Too many Giants have gone to the Dodgers (including Juan Uribe this season after winning a ring with the Giants) with little national attention about the significance. Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon made national headlines moving from Boston to NY. We may have been happy to see some go (there was some mistrust with Jeff Kent after he lied about an injury, claiming he fell off his truck while washing it, but he's since regained favor in S.F.) but I think it's safe to say we're still bitter when players choose L.A. over any other team in the league - including players like Schmidt and Uribe. Schmidt never came back to hurt us and I hope Uribe doesn't this season. The chant we use to yell when he came to the plate, the chant that people always thought sounds like a boo ("UUUU-RIBE"), will most definitely resemble more of a boo this season.
I just can't believe Simmons recognized our rivalry! The first Giants - Dodgers rivalry game I can remember attending was at Candlestick park with my older brother and his friend. We were sitting next to a group of Dodger fans, 4 guys, quite a few years older than us (I think I was a freshman in high school - it's hard to believe that was the first rivalry game I can remember). We were yelled at the entire game! The fighting and yelling began when we sat down and didn't end until we were in our car after the game. I think I paid more attention to the action in the stands than I did on the field.
The only game I remember going to in L.A. at Dodger Stadium was a few years later while I was a freshman in college. My Dad came down to UCSB to visit my sister and I for the weekend. On Sunday, my sister's boyfriend, my sister, my Dad and I all went to a Dodgers v. Pittsburg game since I hadn't been to Dodger Stadium since I was a tiny tot. My Dad, a short, scrawny guy with coke bottle lens glasses and a life long Giants fan wore his Giants hat to the game. We had awful seats up in the second deck and didn't experience too much heckling during the game. It was after the game while we were walking to our car in the parking lot that some random Dodger fan came up to my Dad, yelled in his face and shoved him. It completely took my Dad by surprise and scared the daylights out of me because my Dad did not stand a chance against this guy. Being the geeky stat guy he was, my Dad listed off some stats about how much better the Giants were than the Dodgers. This guy yelled obscenities at my Dad as we walked away to our car. It was the scariest baseball experience of my life!
Bill Simmons is right - we detest each other! BEAT LA!
It's about time this crazy rivalry gets some attention! Too many Giants have gone to the Dodgers (including Juan Uribe this season after winning a ring with the Giants) with little national attention about the significance. Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon made national headlines moving from Boston to NY. We may have been happy to see some go (there was some mistrust with Jeff Kent after he lied about an injury, claiming he fell off his truck while washing it, but he's since regained favor in S.F.) but I think it's safe to say we're still bitter when players choose L.A. over any other team in the league - including players like Schmidt and Uribe. Schmidt never came back to hurt us and I hope Uribe doesn't this season. The chant we use to yell when he came to the plate, the chant that people always thought sounds like a boo ("UUUU-RIBE"), will most definitely resemble more of a boo this season.
I just can't believe Simmons recognized our rivalry! The first Giants - Dodgers rivalry game I can remember attending was at Candlestick park with my older brother and his friend. We were sitting next to a group of Dodger fans, 4 guys, quite a few years older than us (I think I was a freshman in high school - it's hard to believe that was the first rivalry game I can remember). We were yelled at the entire game! The fighting and yelling began when we sat down and didn't end until we were in our car after the game. I think I paid more attention to the action in the stands than I did on the field.
The only game I remember going to in L.A. at Dodger Stadium was a few years later while I was a freshman in college. My Dad came down to UCSB to visit my sister and I for the weekend. On Sunday, my sister's boyfriend, my sister, my Dad and I all went to a Dodgers v. Pittsburg game since I hadn't been to Dodger Stadium since I was a tiny tot. My Dad, a short, scrawny guy with coke bottle lens glasses and a life long Giants fan wore his Giants hat to the game. We had awful seats up in the second deck and didn't experience too much heckling during the game. It was after the game while we were walking to our car in the parking lot that some random Dodger fan came up to my Dad, yelled in his face and shoved him. It completely took my Dad by surprise and scared the daylights out of me because my Dad did not stand a chance against this guy. Being the geeky stat guy he was, my Dad listed off some stats about how much better the Giants were than the Dodgers. This guy yelled obscenities at my Dad as we walked away to our car. It was the scariest baseball experience of my life!
Bill Simmons is right - we detest each other! BEAT LA!
