The NFL has been around since 1920 and over the years there have been countless rivalries. They have been forged due to two things: geography and competition. Most division rivals today have been playing each other for over forty years. In this segment of Top Guns, we attempt to name what we think are the best rivalries -- not only the best longtime division rivals but also the best short term rivalries. The short-term rivalries may be active and continuing to develop or they may be rivalries that were intense but short-lived and ultimately faded. We will start this week with the best long time rivalries:

These interstate rivals began playing in 1970 when the Cleveland Browns were moved from the NFL to the AFC in 1970. But this rivalry really began in 1961 when Art Modell purchased the Browns from long time owner Dave R. Jones. Paul Brown had been head coach of the Browns since their first season in 1946 and enjoyed tremendous success winning seven league championships. While his teams were always competitive, Brown was not the most loved coach by the players due to his strict rules. Such things as heavy fines for missing meetings and not wearing the proper attire on road trips infuriated the low paid Browns. By 1961 the players had grown tired of his old fashioned ways and future Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown led a revolt and demanded new owner Modell fire Brown. Modell did just that after the 1962 season.

When the AFL expanded in 1968 and added the Bengals, Paul Brown was head of the Cincinnati ownership group and its new head coach. Needless to say when these teams met on the field things got personal. With the teams competing in the AFC Central and playing twice a year their battles were intense, especially week nine in 1970 when the Bengals upset the heavily favored Browns and went on to win their first division title. During the game, there were 14 personal foul penalties. This rivalry has remained intense even after Paul Brown retired from coaching following 1975. In 1980 when the Browns clinched the division title in Cincinnati, the team bus taking them to the airport had its tires slashed. The Browns were eventually forced to take a bus back to Cleveland after a bomb threat was made to blow up their chartered airplane back to Cleveland. While these two teams remain mediocre to the rest of the league, Paul Brown’s son and current Bengals owner Mike Brown, still insists these are always the two biggest games of the year to them.

The Bills began play in the new AFL in 1960. The Dolphins were added as an expansion AFL team in 1966 and the defending champion Bills had their way with them in 1966, outscoring them 87-24 in their first two meetings. After 1966 the Bills began to fade into one of the worst teams in football and Don Shula made the Dolphins the best in the game in the early 1970’s. The Dolphins won 20 straight against the Bills from 1970 to 1979. The Bills became competitive again with OJ Simpson and a terrific offensive line but they could not beat the Dolphins. During the streak, games were close but always seemed to turn on a big play or a big penalty. Bills owner Ralph Wilson was fined five times by the league during the streak, accusing NFL officials of favoring Shula’s Dolphins because Shula was head of the NFL’s competition committee, the group which oversees rules and the league’s officials. The Bills often played second fiddle to the Dolphins until Marv Levy and Jim Kelly entered the picture. They beat the Dolphins in six straight from 1987 to 1989. The Bills defeated the Dolphins three times in the playoffs, including the 1992 AFC Championship game, keeping Dan Marino from getting back to the Super Bowl. After Shula retired the rivalry remained intense as new Dolphin coach Jimmy Johnson constantly insulted new Bills quarterback Doug Flutie saying in public Flutie was too small to compete in the NFL. After Johnson’s Dolphins defeated the Bills in the 1998 playoffs, Johnson poured a box of “Flutie Flakes” on the floor of the Dolphins locker room and had his players stomp on them. Classy move by Johnson -- this was the cereal Flutie endorsed with all proceeds intended for children with Autism. Flutie's own son suffers with Autism. When Flutie heard this, he publicly called Johnson an insensitive coward. Johnson responded with no comment but this incident just made the Bill –Dolphin match ups that much more special.

The New York Giants won the Eastern Division in 1933 and the expansion Eagles scored only 77 points that entire season. While the Giants were contenders every year and champions in 1934 and 1938, the early Eagles were one of the worst teams during this period along with the Steelers. In 1947, the Eagles won their first division championship and that same year the Giants had their first last place finish. The fortunes of these two teams always seemed to be opposite, if one team was having a good season the other was in the basement. They have met 142 times but a few of their games stand out. In 1960 the teams were tied for the division lead in early December when the Eagles visited New York. The Eagles led 17-10 with little time left as Giant halfback Frank Gifford caught a short pass. In what is considered the most vicious hit in NFL history, hall of fame linebacker Chuck Bednarik hit Gifford and knocked him out. Gifford fumbled and the Eagles went on to win the championship that season. But that play will be remembered most for Bednarik celebrating over the fallen Gifford. Gifford missed the entire 1961 season. When he returned in 1962, Gifford could no longer play running back and was forced to play flanker. The other most memorable game was played in 1978 with the Eagles fighting for the playoffs while the Giants were in last place. With the Giants protecting a three point lead and running out the clock, quarterback Joe Piscarcik mishandled a handoff to fullback Larry Csonka and Eagles defensive back Herman Edwards picked the ball up and scored. The Eagles went on to make the playoffs for the first time since 1960 and the Giants finished last. Giants head coach John McVay was fired the next day. With the two cities only being 90 miles apart and playing twice a year the fans have become just as big as the players in the rivalry. In 1986 in Philadelphia over 8,000 fans were arrested on disorderly conduct charges, this prompted the NFL to schedule their games for 1:00 starts instead of any 4:00 starts, to ensure the patrons had less tail gating time before kickoff. No matter if their games are for first place or to see who gets the first draft pick, this rivalry continues to be one of the best in the league.

The Cleveland Browns entered the NFL in 1950 after winning the All America Football Conference championship from 1946 to 1949. The Pittsburgh Steelers began play in the NFL in 1933 and had made only one playoff appearance up to that time, a 21-0 loss in 1947 to the Eagles in a divisional playoff game. When the Browns and Steelers began playing in 1950, the games were not that competitive. Between 1950 and 1969 the Browns beat the Steelers 31 out of 40 games, while winning four championships. During this time, the Steelers did not make one playoff appearance. The Steelers at the time where not only the worst team in the league, they also had the lowest season ticket sales in the league. The only sellout during these seasons occurred when the Steelers hosted the Browns, thanks to the visiting Browns' fans.

Then came Chuck Noll, the former Browns player who turned the Steelers around and when both the Browns and Steelers were moved from the NFL to the AFC in 1970 they began to play each other evenly. The teams split the season series from 1970 to 1973. Than the Steel Curtain took over and the Steelers won fifteen of the next seventeen, while winning their four Super Bowls. One of most memorable games in the series was played in Cleveland in 1976. Brown defensive end Joe Jones picked up Steeler quarterback Terry Bradshaw after a play and slammed him on his head. The injury forced Bradshaw to miss ten games that season. Bradshaw returned and the Steelers still made the playoffs but lost in the AFC championship game. Noll blamed the loss and their chance at winning three Super Bowls in a row on the cheap shot by Jones. He claimed it threw Bradshaw’s timing off and the Steeler offense was not the same. In 1989 the Browns beat the Steelers 51-0 on opening day, which was the Steelers worst home defeat ever. The interesting aspect of that game was the Browns kept starting quarterback Bernie Kosar in the entire game, including having him throw a touchdown pass with four minutes remaining. Both cities and teams still consider each other their main rival despite the Browns interstate relationship with the Bengals and Steelers and Ravens disdain for each other.

When the Redskins began play in the NFL in 1932, they were located in Boston and known as the Braves. In 1933 the name was changed to the Redskins and in 1937 the team moved to Washington when it won its first championship. The Dallas Cowboys entered the NFL in 1960 as an expansion team and went 0-11-1 their first season. The Redskins won only one game in 1960, against the Cowboys. From 1960 to 1965 both teams finished below .500, except for Dallas in 1965 they were 7-7. This rivalry drew small crowds and both teams suffered at the gate during this time. The only aspect that made this rivalry interesting at this time was Cowboy quarterback Eddie LeBaron. The 5’7” LeBaron was the smallest quarterback in football had been the Redskins quarterback from 1952 to 1959. However, the Redskins put LeBaron in the expansion draft and the Cowboys grabbed him. He shared the quarterbacking job with rookie Don Meredith until he retired after the 1963 season. He took the games personally and beat the Redskins twice during that period.

As coach Tom Landry made the Cowboys contenders, the Redskins remained below average although they had future hall of fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen. While the Cowboys were winning division championships in 60’s and the Redskins were below .500, Jurgensen always beat the Cowboys at least once during the season and his passing duels with Meredith became legendary. Jurgensen always said the Cowboy secondary was one of the main reasons he made the Hall of Fame. When George Allen became coach of the Redskins in 1971, Washington made the playoffs for the first time since 1945 and this rivalry really took off. Every year during the seventies and into the eighties their games decided the NFC East. Cowboys v. Redskins week became do or die for both teams and even when each team fell on hard times their games have always been tightly contested. When the 1989 Cowboys were 1-15, their one win was against the Redskins in Washington. They have met twice for the NFC championship. In 1972 the Redskins went to their first Super Bowl after beating the defending champion Cowboys 26-3. In 1982 the Redskins won again in the championship game 31-17. When Joe Gibbs made the Redskins champions and the Cowboys began to fade the intensity did not let up. Then Jimmy Johnson turned the Cowboys around and after Gibbs left the Redskins fell on hard times. No matter the records, these games are wars.

Both teams were charter members of the AFL in 1960, but both started in other cities. The Chiefs began in Dallas and were known as the Texans. The Raiders franchise was awarded to the city of Minneapolis. One week after Minneapolis was given an AFL team, the NFL announced they were expanding to Minnesota and of course named the team the Vikings. The Raiders owners knew they could not compete with the NFL and quickly found a new home in Oakland. The only problem was there was no stadium. The Raiders played their first couple of years across the bay in San Francisco at Kezar Stadium.

In the early sixties the Texans were competitive and won the league championship in 1962 before moving to Kansas City for 1963. The Raiders on the other hand were 1-13 that year. Changes were on the way though as San Diego assistant coach Al Davis was offered the Raiders head coaching job for 1963. Davis always being one to seize an opportunity agreed to take the job but only if he were made part owner. As one might say the rest is history. The Raiders improved to 10-4 that year and missed the playoffs by one game. The Chiefs continued to dominate the series and won the AFL title again in 1966 but one of their losses was to the Raiders, a game in which a late hit on Chief quarterback Len Dawson forced him to miss most of the game. Ben Davidson, the Raider lineman who was penalized on the play later was said to have collected several hundred dollars from a bounty pool which Davis had set up. Davis had moved to the front office but still ran the team for puppet coach John Rauch. Word had it that any Raider player who knocked the opposing quarterback out of the game was rewarded. After the game Chief coach Hank Stram who heard the story from the Oakland media challenged Davis to meet him in the parking lot of Municipal stadium to discuss the matter. Davis did not show for the "discussion" but the Chiefs-Raider rivalry was then truly born.

In 1967 the Raiders went 13-1 and won their first AFL championship, the Chiefs came in second. From 1966 to 1976 either the Chiefs or Raiders won the AFC West and their games decided the division title. In 1969 the Raiders won the division, the Chiefs finished second, but both won their first round playoff game. The next week the Chiefs beat the Raiders 17-7 to win the AFL championship and then the Super Bowl to become the first Wildcard to win a championship. As the years went on both teams accused the other of bugging the visitor’s locker room and meeting rooms in the hotels where each stayed when on the road. The Raiders refused to allow the Chiefs to practice at the Los Angeles Coliseum the day before games during the years the Raiders were in Los Angeles. When Stram was still with the Chiefs, he would have Municipal Stadium watered down the morning of Raider games to make the field a little slower to help stop the Oakland vertical passing game. Again no matter what the record or what city they represented, the Chiefs and Raiders continue to despise each other.

The Bears began playing in 1920, known as the Staleys for 1920 and 1921. They were owned by the Staley Starch Company of Decatur, Illinois. The Packers were born in 1921 and were owned by the Acme Meat Packing Company of Green Bay. These two franchises formed the core of the NFL. If it were not for these two franchises professional football as we know it today may not exist. Between the two teams they have won 22 league championships and have 46 Hall of Famers. The founders of each of these teams, Curly Lambeau of the Packers invented the pro passing game. George Halas of the Chicago Bears invented the T formation, the formation which every NFL team still uses as its base offensive set.

Their games have always produced an intensity that most football fans do not understand. Each franchise truly believes that they are the cornerstone of the league and the other is an imposter. Halas coached the Bears from 1920 to 1967. Meanwhile the Packers boast arguably the best coach of all time, Vince Lombardi. These franchises have also had their share of down years, sometimes simultaneously. From 1968 to 1977 neither team made a playoff appearance. That never tempered this rivalry. Their games have produced some of most memorable moments in football history, from Red Grange’s first professional touchdown to Refrigerator Perry burying Packer linebacker George Cumby on a one yard touchdown run on Monday night football sixty two years later.

With this rivalry come not only great players and coaches but also great fans. In a world today where opposing fans who visit the opposition’s stadium are subjected to verbal and sometimes physical abuse as witnessed countless times at Ravens v. Steelers games, the Bears and Packers fans have a friendly kinship. Some of their fans have formed lifelong friendships based on the love of professional football and the passion each has for its team. Mutual respect by these cities is akin to an unwritten code of ethics.

The most humorous aspect of this rivalry involves the teams traveling to one another’s stadium. Both teams take a bus instead of flying due to closeness of the two cities. The teams travel around lake Michigan on Route 94. The teams normally travel on a Saturday morning for a Sunday game. The Packers tradition begins on the Wisconsin side of Route 94. There during Bears v. Packers week, hundreds of stuffed bears are hung in the trees for the Bears team bus to see. Just like at a child's birthday party, young Packer fans are taught to beat the stuffed toys like a piñata until they break open, all hoping the Bears bus team will be traveling by at the right moment.

In a world of free agency and fans abusing each other at NFL games, we still have the best rivalry in not only pro football but in all of pro sports. The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers -- everyone likes to talk about old school, but these teams and fans live it!