*The Best DSFL Rivalry

**Aleris**

It was a cold, windy, rainy Chicago afternoon when in a smoke filled room high up in the Sears Tower that the Blues fate was sealed. Team execs and league execs shook on it and the team would be packing their bags and headed to sunny Palm Beach, Florida. Chicago fans were devastated. The DSFL had only just begun and Chicago loved their team. Not only would they be moving across the country. They would be put into a head-on collision with a team and it would shape the DSFL to come.

The Early Years (S5-S15)
By the end of the S5 DSFL regular season, Tijuana and then Palm Beach had only faced each other 8 times. Tijuana held a slight lead over Palm Beach in overall record at 4-3-1. But the Solar Bears tied up that overall record at 4-4-1 with a big playoffs win over the Luchadores on their way to winning the franchises first Ultimini. That victory would be short lived. It was however, the catalyst for the flames that would devour the DSFL (not really). While both beach town oriented fan bases hated each other. The rivalry would be anything by fair. After Palm Beach's Ultimini winning season. Tijuana would go on an absolute tear. In the wild west days of the DSFL, these teams played each other 4 times a season. In the next 9 seasons, Tijuana would take 3 or more games off of Palm Beach. Ending the S15 with an overall record of 35 - 11 - 1 over Palm Beach. Tijuana also went on to win 4 Ultimini's in 6 of those seasons, to rub salt in the wound. It didn't help though, as these fervent fans would often travel to these matches and its the first games where a police presence of required at matches. Fans would throw flares at each other and riot even if their team won. Tempers settled a bit when the league started playing the games with no fans behind closed doors during the S11 season.

League Dominance (S15-S22)
At the end of the regular season of S15, it was safe to say that Tijuana had Palm Beach's number (beating Palm Beach 4 times that season). But when the 7-6-1 Solar Bears came to town and upset Tijuana on their way to an Ultimini win, the fans were devastated. It is known in Tijuana has "La Noche de los Ríos" as it is said the streets of Tijuana flooded full with the tears of Luchadore fans. Well, like before Tijuana bounced back. From S16 to S18, Tijuana did not let Palm Beach win a game, going 10-0 against them. It's rumored that the Palm Beach fans got so fed up with losing to their rivals that the owners were dragged into the street and tarred and feathered and ran out of town to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where the team started S18. Things looks up for "Beach" franchise. After the move they went 6-2 against Luchadores, but lost in S19 playoffs to Tijuana (this would start a trend). But a 4-0 record against Tijuana in S20 seemed to help spirits. Myrtle Beach even went on to win the first Ultimini in what is now the "modern" DSFL in S21. But did not have to go through the Luchas to get there. Of course, in classy Tijuana fashion. They had to respond. Beating Myrtle Beach twice in S22 and winning the Ultimini themselves. They rivalry was back on.

The Modern Years (S22-S41)
After S22, Tijuana would continue dominance over Myrtle Beach in the regular season. It really came to a head when in S25 despite Myrtle Beach finally winning both regular season games for the first time since S20, the 6-8 Luchas upset the 11-3 Buccaneers in the playoffs. And like Palm Beach, fans rioted so hard that the stadium burnt down and the owners and team had to not move across the country, but move across the entire planet to Bondi Beach in Australia for the start of the S26. And like before, relocation seem to invigorate the team who went on to win the S26 Ultimini. Now of course, you would expect Tijuana to respond with one of their own, and they did. S27 Tijuana went 2-0 against the now Bondi Beach Buccaneers, and made it to the playoffs by one game over Bondi Beach. That trend would continue with the Luchas winning 2-0 over Bondi in S28-S30, and in S30 making the playoffs by 2 games over Bondi (obviously those loses coming into play).

From S31-S41 the rivalry has quieted down a bit. The history is still there, older fans tend to hate each other more than the younger fans. In those ten seasons, Tijuana has a 15-9 lead over Bondi Beach, still winning most of the time, but not nearly as egregious as before. A notable win for Bondi Beach is beating the monstrosity that was the 12-2 Luchadores in the regular season of S36. Weeks later that Luchadores team would throw the monkey off their back over Bondi Beach in the playoffs as well, on their way to the historic S36 Ultimini and probably the best DSFL team ever assembled. Since S39, the TIJ vs BBB record has been even at 3-3. However last year (S40), Bondi Beach went on a tear to win their 5th Ultimini.

And now, for the first time since S36 these two teams will face each other in the playoffs. Since moving from Palm Beach, the Buccaneers have yet to beat the Luchadores in the playoffs, we're talking S15 was the last playoff win over Tijuana. And earlier this year, Tijuana at 5-0 suffered a devastating loss to Bondi Beach, who was 0-5, in an incredible 31-30 comeback for the Bucs. Overall, since the start of the DSFL, Tijuana holds a 79-32-1 over Bondi Beach (and previous teams). While there aren't flares being thrown in the stands, or mass assault riots happening in the streets. This years match-up still the weight of history upon it. Will Bondi Beach get rid of the curse from S25s massive choke, or will Tijuana continue history by (usually) winning the Ultimini after Bondi does?