IRVING, Texas - Back in the '70's and '80's, the rivalry between the Cowboys and Redskins was hard to beat. Even today, because of the history of those two teams and the epic battles played between them, it's still considered one of the NFL's best rivalries.
In the '90s, the Cowboys couldn't be the team of the decade until they finally exorcised those demons in Philadelphia. And it still hasn't changed much either. Ask the fans and most of them will say they hate the Eagles more than any other team. And it's a good bet the feeling is mutual, if not tripled, up in Philly.
But ask this current group of Cowboys players what team is their biggest rivalry and the answers are the same, especially this week.
Maybe the answer will change later in the season when the Cowboys play their other division enemies, but for this week, it's all about that Giants.
Well, maybe not all about the Giants. The new stadium and the Giants.
But because of the recent history between the two teams, including the 2007 Divisional Playoff loss to the Giants after a 13-3 regular season, the Cowboys aren't seeing another team that has been more of an adversary here in the last few seasons.
"It's a rival game, especially now," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "I know the old guys and the ex-players like to say the Redskins were their biggest rivals. And when we play the Redskins it'll be a rivalry, too. But since I've been here we've developed a rivalry with the Giants."
While the Cowboys' playoff loss two years ago heated up the rivalry for sure, it seems the amount of trash talk is elevated when these two teams meet.
Both sides have an instigator, including the Giants' running back Brandon Jacobs, who routinely pokes the fire when it comes to the Cowboys. His latest dig was actually aimed more at the Lions, when he suggested the NFL should've scheduled Detroit - losers of 18 straight games - to open up the new stadium instead of his Giants. Jacobs has also been quoted as simply stating, "I hate the Cowboys."
But if Jacobs is the ringleader for the Giants' trash talk, Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton has done his share in the last few years and didn't exactly back down from comments on Thursday.
But because of the not-so friendly commentary that has gone back and forth, Crayton said it has intensified the rivalry past any other team the Cowboys face. With that, he calls Giants the Cowboys' biggest rivals.
"It's starting to be that way a little bit because there's not as much chitter-chatter between us and the Eagles. It's a respect there." Crayton said. "But we kind of don't respect the Giants. We respect what they do on the field. But the chitter-chatter is a little bulletin-board material. They're a good team. They're going to chatter, they're going to hit and they're going to make plays. And we're going to do the same."
In a conference call with the Dallas media on Thursday, Jacobs was actually rather complimentary of the Cowboys and playing in the new stadium.
"To be the openers in the new stadium, I think that's tremendous. I'm glad we could be the first team to get an opportunity to go down there and see the big, beautiful empire," Jacobs said. "I've heard a lot about it, and I've seen it on TV. I want to be inside it."
But respectful comments from Jacobs hasn't always been the trend both before and after games with the Cowboys.
Before the 2007 season opener in Dallas, Jacobs said beforehand, "I think we are going to go to Dallas this Sunday and whup their ass." The Cowboys won that game 45-35.
After the Cowboys then beat the Giants in the rematch that season, Crayton referred to beating a team on the road as a form of "invasion." He added, "We're like big dogs who come in, urinate a little bit and mark our territory."
Jacobs responded by saying Crayton "sucks" and made a point to emphasize Crayton's dropped pass in the 2007 playoff game.
After that game, former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan was quoted with, "We hope T.O. has his popcorn ready. Maybe him and Crayton can sit in his home theatre and watch us next week."
Last year, Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said before the first game in Dallas, "We hate them. They hate us."
Tuck also said the Cowboys were not the better team after beating the Giants 20-8. That was in reference to Wade Phillips' similar comments after losing to the Giants in the playoffs the year before.
While talking is fun for some players, there are others who deem it overrated.
"I don't think it matters a lot when the game starts," said tight end Jason Witten. "Our guys on defense know what Jacobs says. He says something every year it seems. We have enough motivation to win, so I don't think it matters much."
Whether or not the trash talking adds anything to the rivalry is debatable, but even the new guys to this team already know this week is different.
"You can already tell the atmosphere is different," said backup quarterback Jon Kitna, who said rivalries are intensified when two teams are both highly competitive. "Any time two teams are good, it helps. If one of the team keeps getting beat by the other, then you don't have much of a rivalry."
Considering this series is tied 5-5 in the last 10 meetings, not to mention the constant trash talk between the two teams, this isn't just a rivalry, but possibly one of the hottest in the league.
And Sunday, it goes to the biggest stage the NFL has ever seen.
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Nick Eatman - 
