The Chicago Bears are one of several sports franchises in the city. All are beloved by its residents. However, don't get it twisted. Chicago is a football town. It has been for the past century. That hasn't changed even as the franchise has struggled in recent years. If you're looking for evidence of this, look no further than a game between the Blackhawks and Predators. It was a big rivalry game. One would think all of the attention would be on the action on the ice, especially since it was 3-2 in the 3rd period.
However, after the Bears closed out their incredible upset of the Philadelphia Eagles, a chant broke out at the United Center. Except it wasn't one you'd expect. Not "Let's go Bears" or anything like that. It was something much more deeply-rooted.
Hatred of the Green Bay Packers is ingrained within every Bears fan. Everyone in that building was aware of the situation. Following their win in Philadelphia, the Bears will travel to Lambeau Field for their first matchup against the Packers. The two teams will meet twice over the next three weeks. That stretch will likely decide the fate of the NFC North.
The Chicago Bears won't arrive passive.
Yes, the Packers are still the cream of the crop and have been for a long time. It doesn't change the fact that this Chicago Bears team has been groomed to be unintimidated by anybody. Head coach Ben Johnson has built a mentality of toughness, violence, and physicality. He wants to own the line of scrimmage and bust you in the mouth. Green Bay is a talented, well-coached team. They've been playing some of their best football lately—no doubt they're expecting to humble the Bears in that game.
One thing is clear. Fans will be ready for war. This is a game everybody had circled on the calendar for months. Green Bay is desperate to reassert control of the rivalry. They have a more balanced team on paper. Will that make the difference? The Bears are eager to test that theory.
