Rivals. That’s what the best competitions are about, especially those of the sports variety. And when it comes to being a sports fan and enthusiast, those competitive juices flowing are even better-seen one-on-one, player to player. That was the case for Carolina Panther quarterback Cam Newton and his former teammate, Buffalo Bill wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.

In an awkward moment on the field, Newton and Benjamin met for a kind of face-off. Let’s just say the meeting between the former teammates was anything but friendly —  as a matter of fact, it was downright confrontational.

The background story for Newton and Benjamin’s exchange stems from some less than flattering words by the Bills’ new wide receiver, Benjamin. As reported by CBS Sports, Kelvin Benjamin literally blames his self-perceived two bad seasons on not having a good enough quarterback in Cam Newton. Benjamin said, “...if you put me with any other quarterback, let’s be real, you know what I’m saying?”

RELATED: KELVIN BENJAMIN BLAMES HIS LACK OF SUCCESS WITH PANTHERS ON CAM NEWTON

Newton didn’t "know" what he was saying, or at least, the star Carolina Panther quarterback didn’t like what Benjamin was saying and confronted him during a practice session on the field before Thursday night’s preseason showdown. However, the result of that confrontation was almost as bemusing as the prerequisite of it — Newton wading over to Kelvin Benjamin, obviously irritated about the comments, and the receiver unmoved, brushing the quarterback off, quite flippanNewtonewron didn’t stop, however. Benjamin’s lack of response and obvious apathy towards his former quarterback and the moment only seemed to anger and annoy Newton more. This made him appear even more insistent in somehow resolving the issue.

What we are left with is a moment in time that is both humorous and exciting. It is a literal face-off between two players—former teammates—who are at odds with one another. One of them—Newton—more affected than the other, enough to show his emotions, while the other, apathetic towards the former, but more than willing to oust and berate his former quarterback and his abilities: Thus, a rivalry is born and as the new NFL Season revs up to start, Newton and Benjamin’s confrontation gives us something to talk about and look forward to in terms of competition and potential seasonal drama.

RELATED: THE WORST RECEIVERS CAM NEWTON EVER HAD