Rivals that tantalized New Yorkers hearts.

 

Reggie Miller (Knicks):

In game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals Reggie Miller singlehandedly dismantled and humiliated the Knicks on their home court. The Knicks led by 12 at the end of 3 quarters and appeared to cruise to a 3-2 series lead. Reggie Miller hit 3 after 3, scored 39 points (25 in the fourth quarter) in a 93-86 Pacers win at Madison Square Garden, engaged in an animated verbal jousting match with superfan Spike Lee while sitting at his landmark courtside location, and ignited the choke sign to taunt the Garden faithful; a trademark that lives infamously in Knicks lore. The Knicks ended up beating the Pacers in 7 games, but a sneering adversary was born. The following year in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals game 1 at MSG, New York led by 6 with 18 seconds left. Miller nailed a clutch trey, made a steal, and scorched another behind the arc to tie it with 13 seconds to go. After Patrick Ewing fanned a bucket Miller nabbed the rebound and was fouled with 7.5 left. He notched both free throws then guarded Greg Anthony in the final seconds who stumbled and fell on the court and the Pacers won game one 107-105 then won the series in 7. Miller scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds in another catastrophic Knicks home court collapse.

Unhonorable mentions: Dennis Rodman, Tyrese Haliburton, Victor Wembanyama.

* Michael Jordan is not a Knicks villain; he is an opponent. There is a bold line between the two. Everyone respected that MJ was the GOAT whether jealousy played a factor or not (which it did) but the Garden faithful respected that Jordan was the greatest player to ever step on the court.

Chase Utley (Mets):

Chase Utley of the archrival Phillies was an integral role in leading the Phils to back-to-back NL East crowns in back-to-back NL East Division collapses at the hands of the Mets in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the Mets led the division since May then lost 12 out of their last 17 and the following season suffered an eerily similar fate as the Phillies went on the win the World Series in 2008. Chase Utley batted .281 with 197 hits in 194 games with 39 home runs and 116 RBIs and scored 116 runs in his career vs. the Mets. A moment that quantified much antagonism Mets fans had for the second baseman was in game 2 of the 2015 NLDS; Mets vs. Dodgers in LA. Utley, a Dodger at the time was running to second when he smacked into Ruben Tejada on a bush league slide attempting to break up a double play but what was more appalling is that it was an intent to injure to Tejada, while Utley specifically committed the unjust play to a fellow infielder. Tejada broke his right fibula and he never fully recovered from the injury in his Major League career.

Unhonorable mentions: John Rocker, Chipper Jones, Jimmy Rollins, Roger Clemens, Bryce Harper.

Pedro Martinez (Yankees):

Pedro Martinez was 11-11 with a 3.20 ERA and 261 strikeouts lifetime against the Yankees and the Yanks got the better of the Hall of Fame starting pitcher in the majority of their bouts against the longtime foe but it was the integrity and lack of wholesome actions especially his pompous media proclamations that turned Pedro into an instant fiend and it helped that he wore a Red Sox uniform. In the 2000’s the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was at boiling points. During a July 2003 afternoon game at Yankee Stadium, Martinez jammed the leadoff batter Alfonso Soriano on the hand on an inside pitch then wailed Derek Jeter; the next batter on a high heater inside on the hand. Both were in the first inning and both had to leave the game. During game 3 of the 2003 ALCS in Boston, Pedro came inches from nailing Karim Garcia in the head in the top of the 4th then pointed at the Yankees dugout inciting the Bombers, then in the bottom of the 4th after a benches clearing brawl ensued, Martinez unvicariously threw 72-year-old Don Zimmer to his face on the ground. The Yankees got revenge in game 7 when Grady Little kept Pedro in the game for too long after he surrendered the lead in the 8th inning after he was lifted after 123 pitches and a 5-5 game. Upon exiting the game, he was greeted with unsurmountable cold faced with a serenade of boos from the New York faithful then the Yankees won game 7. They fell to Boston a year later in 7 games and even though Pedro struggled in many of those postseason games he got the last laugh after he was part of a Red Sox team that made history by coming back down 3 games to none in the 2004 ALCS and helped Boston win their first World Series in 86 years. 5 years later in Martinez’s final MLB season while with the Phillies he took the loss in games 2 and 6 of the 2009 World Series while yielding 4 earned runs in game 6 to Hideki Matsui as the Yankees defeated the Phillies 4 games to 2.

Unhonorable mentions: Manny Ramirez, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Jason Varitek, Curt Schilling.

Ben Davidson (Jets):

The 6’ 8” 275-pound grizzly pass rusher was notorious for cheap shots more often than not smothering the quarterback whereas today he would be flagged for roughing the passer. Jets offensive tackle Winston Hill referred to Davidson as the “No. 1 cheap-shot artist in the league.” December 17, 1967, Ben Davidson delivered a thrashing blow to pummel a defenseless Joe Namath to the ground and knock his helmet off albeit today that play would result in ejection, suspension, and a fine. The Raiders beat the Jets in that late season contest in ’67, 38-29 and went to Super Bowl II but fell to Green Bay. Oakland beat New York in “The Heidi Game” in November 1968 while the Jets defeated the Raiders in the AFL Championship Game December of the same year as that era saw the Jets and Raiders duke it out frequently as acrimonious AFL adversaries with Ben Davidson front and center of constant unscrupulous strikes on his opponent.

Unhonorable mentions: Billy Cannon, A.J. Duhe, Dan Marino.

*Tom Brady is not on this list for the same reason Michael Jordan is not. He is a respected competitor or opponent, not a villain who ranks among the most iconic greats for good reason.

DeSean Jackson (Giants):

The wide receiver spent 11 of his 15 NFL seasons as an NFC East nemesis (8 with the Eagles, 3 with the Redskins.) In 20 career games against the Giants, Jackson scored 9 touchdowns and had 73 catches for 1,149 yards. His receiving yards ranks 7th all-time vs. Big Blue behind Bobby Mitchell and the wideout’s receptions ranks 13th behind Herschel Walker. The notorious deep threat receiver’s best games against the New York Football Giants came in 2009 when he had 6 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown and in 2013 when he caught 7 passes accumulating 132 yards and scored a touchdown. The Giant Killer made 4 catches for 81 yards in an Eagles 23-11 rout of New York at Giants Stadium in the 2008 NFC Divisional playoff game. The most unfond moment that New Yorkers recall facing DeSean Jackson is The Miracle at the Meadowlands II in December 2010. In an epic 21-point fourth quarter collapse, with the game tied with 14 seconds left, Matt Dodge kicked a line drive right to DeSean Jackson who bobbled the ball, recovered from his own 34, ran up the middle, got a block near the NFL logo at midfield, was off to the races down the sideline, hopped around in front of the end zone to make sure there was zero seconds left on the clock then waltzed into the end zone for a 38-31 Eagles victory in the New York cold. The Giants won one more game the rest of the way after the “Giant collapse” to miss the playoffs as both teams finished 10-6 but Philadelphia won the 2010 NFC East crown.

Unhonorable mentions: Chuck Bednarik, Donovan McNabb, David Akers.