Pete Carroll on rivalry with Jim Harbaugh: We love beating him

The Seahawks went 2-1 against the 49ers last season, including a victory in the NFC title game. (Ted S. Warren/AP)

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have unquestionably built the best rivalry in the NFL right now, maybe in all of sports. The franchises are led by Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh, respectively, whose rivalry dates all the way back to their days in the collegiate ranks with USC and Stanford.

That's part of what makes the yearly battles between the two so intense; it doesn't just stop with the 22 players on the field, it extends to the two men on the sideline leading the charge.

Recently during a town hall discussion, the Seahawks coach was asked about the rivalry with Harbaugh, and in typical Carroll fashion, he provided a simple, yet great quote about how much joy it brings him to top Harbaugh.

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Via the Seattle Times: 

Finally, Carroll was asked about the rivalry with the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh. He gave a lengthy answer in which he repeated his oft-stated philosophy about every week being a “championship opportunity” and how the team can’t afford to make one game any bigger than the other. But he ended with an applause line in saying that Harbaugh is “a great coach and we love beating him.”