Every team in the city of Chicago has its large share of diehard fans. People who are ready to pick a fight if you say the wrong thing about it. It’s true for the Bulls. It’s true for the Blackhawks, and it is definitely true for the Cubs and White Sox. However, there is also one other fundamental truth that all of those people accept. The Chicago Bears are the true rulers of this city. While they may love those other teams with deep fervor, the fact remains that this is a Bears town, and there was never a greater example than Saturday, May 16th.
The Cubs and White Sox were in the middle of their Crosstown Classic series. The Cubs had taken the first game 10-5, but it looked like the Sox were on course for some revenge with a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the 4th inning. It was here that the entire crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field, Cubs and White Sox fans alike, began loudly chanting “Green Bay Sucks” during a pause in the action. It was a glaring reminder that, for all the dislike the two fanbases had for each other, they do share one thing.
Hatred of the Packers.
The Chicago Bears have brought back the rivalry.
There was a period from 2011 through 2023 where things bottomed out for the Bears in their eternal blood feud with the Packers. They were 5-25 in that stretch, finding every way possible to lose. Green Bay grew so confident that they began to just assume the outcome would always end up the same. That started to change when quarterback Caleb Williams arrived in 2024. After almost beating them in the first game of the season series before a blocked field goal saved them, Green Bay tasted defeat for the first time in six years when the Bears took them down at Lambeau Field in the season finale.
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Things really took off the next season when Ben Johnson took over as head coach. One of his first declarations was his genuine dislike of the Packers and his personal delight in beating their head coach, Matt LaFleur. If people weren’t sure if the cold war had gone hot again, that was the first shot. The Packers held off a late Bears rally in the first matchup at Lambeau. Then magic happened. Chicago stunned them at Soldier Field in overtime with a Williams bomb to D.J. Moore for a touchdown. Then in the playoff opener, the Bears erased a 21-3 deficit to stun Green Bay 31-27 for the biggest victory in the rivalry in decades.
The city was vibing like never before after that game.
Fans finally felt like a metric ton boulder had fallen off their shoulders. At last, the Chicago Bears were out from under the shadow of the Packers. They’d vanquished the boogeyman in epic fashion. Months later, people are still talking about those games as if they happened yesterday. Cubs and White Sox fans are busy enjoying a fun season from both clubs, but even now, the Bears remain on their minds. People can’t wait for next season to start. They want to see where this thrill ride goes next.
Expectations are sky high. If they could go 11-6 and win the division with a team that was banged up for most of the year and a young quarterback still developing, there’s no telling what possibilities exist if both improve this season. One thing is certain. Those “Green Bay Sucks” chants will be way louder once football resumes in September. The Bears and Packers will meet on October 11th in the late afternoon window and then on Christmas Day. Cubs and White Sox fans won’t be wearing gear from their respective teams for those games. It will be a season of navy blue and orange.
