DS9 can be seen as "competiton" I suppose, because of the similarity. However, I tend to view it more as a companion piece, mostly because of those same similarities. Consider them to be quarterbacks for two different football teams. THey each have their own philosophy, uniforms, etc.... but in the end their jobs are much alike. Consequently, they have a common frame of reference making for good discussions.
And chalk me up as another who liked the "root beer / scotch" quote. :thumbsup: