In case you haven’t noticed, the rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers has once again reached a fever pitch. For years, the Cheeseheads had dominated, crushing the Bears in almost every matchup for the better part of 17 years. It was a miserable existence for Chicago fans, forced to endure constant humiliation. Well, things took a sharp turn over the past year. Since the end of the 2024 season, the Bears have won three of their last four meetings against the Packers, including a decisive blow in the wild card round of the playoffs, which involved a comeback from down 21-3.
Green Bay fans suddenly felt that same nausea Bears fans had for years. They didn’t know how to respond, lashing out at their hated enemy with excuses and insults. Chicago didn’t exactly win with grace. They reveled in the misery of their longtime foes, taking every opportunity to remind them of that epic choke job in January. It hasn’t stopped, either. As the 4th of July celebrations took place across the country, some bold Bears fans decided to ruin a parade in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. It sits about an hour northeast of Green Bay. The true heart of Packers country.
They decked out a massive pickup truck with an inflated Bears helmet while kids in navy blue jerseys fired Super Soakers into the watching crowd, who chanted ‘Go, Pack, Go!’ at them.
Say this for Chicago Bears fans: they aren’t scared.
Simply wearing Bears gear up north is dicey. It could get you harassed in plenty of areas of the state. Building up an entire parade float just to rub it in their faces? That takes guts. Kudos to those Packer fans for not starting a riot. As heated as the rivalry is now, it’s important that people try to remember this is still just a game. There is a difference between being passionate and being belligerent. Besides, it’s not like they are innocent of pulling similar shenanigans. One fan even used a season ticket perk at Soldier Field to roam the sidelines in his Packers gear for every home game. He was eventually banned, going so far as to sue the Bears for violating his First Amendment rights.
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So Green Bay fans should be careful complaining too loudly about stunts like this one at the parade. As antics go, it is PG-13 at best. If nothing else, it should help keep the heat between the two fanbases fresh in the quietest part of the NFL calendar. It is only going to get more venomous once the actual games start getting played. One can imagine the Packers are desperate for revenge after what happened in December and January.
Both matchups carry tons of weight.
The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will meet for the first time on October 11th at Lambeau Field. While that should give the Cheeseheads an advantage, there is a crucial storyline that won’t help matters. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL last season, stated he likely won’t return until midseason. That means getting back by week five is pretty much not happening. That means their defense, which really struggled to stop the Bears without Parsons, could be in trouble.
Then the rematch will take place at Soldier Field on Christmas Day. It will be only the third time in their long history that the two teams have met on the holiday. Chicago won the first matchup in 2005, while Green Bay took the second in 2011. There is a strong possibility this third one could be by far the most important if both are still in the playoff hunt by then.
