C9 - TSM never really had "banter" sure some players might not have liked each other, and C9 was really the first team to really put TSM's face in the dirt for 2 splits in a row and challenged them to 4 straight NA Finals in a row. To me C9 v TSM was never had any " personal banter or long history behind it" Still a rivalry maybe more so for Championships etc and maybe a " I need to be better than him" and often pushing each other to the limit and always outdoing the other with rosters etc.
However the Regi and Hotshott was a large part in the rivalry, Yes, its been like 3-4 years since they've played but overall the product is still there, the name, the talk and gossip, the history.
D-Lift is pretty much the catalyst to this rivalry just as much as Regi and Hotshot are now, since he played on CLG and now TSM.
- Not the greatest point or quote etc but " The Sins of the father" to be pretty much handed down to generation to generation of the players that put on either the TSM or CLG jersey tend to get caught up in the rivalry. Paul Pierce once Boston Celtic loved and admired the Lakers when he was younger, he becomes a Celtic in draft and he too got caught up in the LAL v BOS rivalry even if he was new to the scene because of the history behind it.
Long story short
Is CLG and TSM still rivals - YES. Is the CLG and TSM rivalry a better one than say TSM and C9 ? - Maybe, personal opinion, but CLG and TSM are still a strong rivalry in my eyes.
If it's any constellation prize for C9 v TSM - The NA hype video was pretty much aimed towards Jensen in his last teamfight against TSM during the Finals and having been beaten by TSM in two Finals in a row and in the first round.
So while CLG v TSM may get the "hype" for a week or so the main story line is on Cloud 9 and Jensen if they can finally beat TSM again since it's going on 7 or so splits since C9 last beat TSM in the Playoffs and TSM have beaten C9
2014 Summer Finals, 2015 Spring Finals, 2016 Spring 1st Round, 2016 Summer Finals and 2017 Spring Finals
