The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have a historic rivalry that’s more than 100 years old.
There’s not much good blood between the organizations. So much so that Aaron Rodgers is still taking shots at the Bears even though he’s now on the New York Jets.
It’s worth noting that at least this week, in the lead-up to a clash versus the 8-8 Packers and 7-9 Bears, there hasn’t been much smack talk from the Green Bay side of things (Rodgers notwithstanding). The Packers are in a win-and-get-in scenario for the playoffs, and one gets the sense that they’re focused on avoiding a repeat of last season — when they lost to the Detroit Lions at home in a similar scenario.
Perhaps it was Rodgers taking shots at the Bears or just the constant heat of the rivalry, but the silence from the Packers’ side didn’t stop Chicago quarterback Justin Fields from taking a shot at Green Bay.
It wasn’t massive “bulletin-board material” but Fields was certainly taking a shot at Green Bay with his remarks.
The problem?
Frankly, nobody in Green Bay, nor any Packers fan anywhere, would take that as a dis.
Green Bay fans take pride in the fact that the city revolves around the Packers. Packers football is the main attraction in Green Bay. Sure, there are restaurants, bars, businesses and neighborhoods — but Green Bay is a football town 24/7.
Everything is Packers-themed. The city and the Packers fan base live and die based on the results every weekend.
“There’s not much to do in Green Bay except watch football” is not a dis; it’s a point of pride. Heck, it’s the only organization in sports where the fans can actually own a part of the team.
There are bigger cities out there with plenty of attractions, and Chicago is one of them. No amount of skyscrapers can make up for the passion Packers fans and the city of Green Bay has for the team, though.
Green Bay having the smallest media market in sports is not a bug. It’s the feature.
