Poll Results: Who is the Arch Rival of the Tennessee Titans? Good Question
Sep 16, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts fans have a sign that supports both Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Minnesota 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Who is the Arch Rival of the Tennessee Titans?
On July 22, Titan Sized contributor Carlos Beard gave his top three nominees for that honor: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts. Beard polled his readers and asked for their opinions on the subject. Along with his three choices, readers had the option of choosing the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and “other.”
Joshua Huffman, article from Carlos Beard
It was a simple—yet surprisingly popular—poll. With 217 respondents, four of the six teams received between 42-61 votes. When broken down into percentages, that’s anywhere from 19.35 to 28.11 percent. Leading vote-getters were the Colts (61), Steelers (56), Ravens (47) and Texans (42). Rounding out the list were the Jaguars (8) and “other” (3).
Sixteen teams make up the AFC. At least four of them are considered as key rivals to the Houston Oilers / Tennessee Titans franchise. Not bad. And if the Jaguars fielded a better team, maybe they’d get a little more respect from the voters.
Beard didn’t cover the hatred that brews between Nashville and Houston. Why do these teams hate each other? Simply put: Titans owner Bud Adams moved this franchise from Houston to Nashville. But if you’d like first-hand perspective from a mega-fan, then read how Music City Miracles media and radio personality Dan Ariks reacts whenever these teams are preparing for a regular season showdown.
As an enthusiast of the Green Bay Packers and Titans, I see a lot of similarities between the NFC North and AFC South rivalries. Just like every AFC South team wants to claim the Titans as their arch rival, every NFC North team wants to claim the Packers as their arch rival.
There’s the “respect” rivalry (Chicago Bears vs. Packers, Titans vs. Colts). There’s the “DIAF” rivalry (Minnesota Vikings vs. Packers, Titans vs. Texans). There’s the “pussy cat” rivalry (Detroit Lions vs. Packers, Jaguars vs. Titans). The pussy cat rivalry includes one team that hates the other—but the other team pities them because for whatever reason, they’re just plain awful.
Have to give some credit to the Jaguars though. For the last couple of seasons, they’ve taken advantage of their emotional advantage and beaten some Titans teams who had absolutely no excuse for losing at Jacksonville. That 0-2 road mark is a stain on Mike Munchak‘s early resume as a head coach.
Do you agree with these poll findings? If you answered, “other,” then who were you considering as the arch rival? The Cleveland Browns, perhaps?