There was a time when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens didn’t just dislike one another, they hated each other. The days when Joey Porter went onto the Ravens’ team bus to go after Ray Lewis. When Hines Ward de-cleated Ed Reed with a crack back block. And when Haloti Ngata broke Ben Roethlisberger’s nose on prime time.
However, since players like Lewis, Reed, Porter and Ward have all since retired, the rivalry has changed with it. You don’t hear the same vitriol when players talk about the upcoming opponent, more just about the respect the two rivals have for one another.