Perspective on the Angels/Dodgers Rivalry

..or as this usenet poster suggests the non-rivalry.

I saw this post on usenet today and there is clearly a jealousy issue here.

Here's an excerpt:
"First, somehow, somewhere (most likely on the east coast), somebody
has decided the Dodgers and Angels are rivals, almost mortal enemies.
I hear it in the stands, feel it with every peanut that hits my jersey
(your aim is getting better, but you're still not breaking through).
We are not rivals.  That position, at least in the minds of Dodger
fans, was filled long before we travelled west and certainly long
before Gene Autry brought American League ball west.  We had a fierce
rivalry between boroughs in New York and when the O'Malley family
heard the call (hopefully not from the Village People) to Go West,
they called on the Giants to come along for the ride.  Baseball needed
the Giants/Dodgers as a package deal as much as they needed the "No,
No Nanette" rivalry out east.  Fueled by Juan Marichal's not-so-civil
war with Johnny Roseboro, Bobby Thompson's "Shot Heard Around the
World," Mike Marshall (II) and his finger, to as recently as Steve
Finley's Grand Slam in 2004, the Dodgers and Giants always found each
other standing in the way of something they want.  What do the Angels
have that the Dodgers would want?  Personally, I'd say the list begins
and ends with Mike Scioscia, but the team had a chance to get him and
passed it up. "  

Besides this poster obviously being delusional (i.e. only Angels fans think much of the rivalry) and taking a very one-sided persepctive on the issue, it does raise some questions that normally come up everytime the local teams play.  

My opinion is that it is natural for these teams to be rivals.  I don't care if the Angels have never played the Dodgers in a World Series, or in an important game for that matter.  They are the old guard and we are the new guard.  The fact is the Angels are everything the Dodgers want to become (or recapture).  Remember when Dodger Stadium was devoid of much advertising, or when they only played Nancy Hefley's organ music?  Don't you think the success of the Angels has had an impact in changing the atmosphere over there to a more "hip" situation?