Traits
Regarding fans of “Da Bears”, I have rarely seen a more blindingly optimistic group of fans for any team, in any sport. When Da Bears show a spark or two of hope, the fans are utterly convinced the team is destined to win the Superbowl. In Chicago in 1986, the question was not if the Bears will repeat, but how many Superbowls in a row the team will win. There is a lot of truth in the hilarious Saturday Night Live skits of overzealous and overly optimistic fans of Da Bears and Da Bulls. Bonus points – Bears fans were the recipients to one of the greatest (perhaps the greatest) NFL seasons of all time with the 1985 Bears.
Viking fans on the other hand have a fatalistic streak. I guess 4 Super Bowl losses, followed by 4 more losses in NFC Championship games can affect the collective psyche of a whole region. Somehow, almost every year, the Vikings field a competitive team. But no matter how well the team fares, Viking fans always expect the team to implode at the most crucial moment possible (see Gary Anderson, Denny “take a knee” Green, Brett Favre, Darrin Nelson, etc). While Bears fans are sure they will win, Viking fans know something bad will happen.
That brings us to Green Bay. The main trait of these fans is how “life and death” the games and the Packers are for them. These people wear giant fake slabs of cheese on their heads to show their loyalty for chrissakes! Most Green Bay fans are basically in NFL mode 12+ months out of the year, as frankly there really ain’t much else happening in Green Bay with the exception of a little College Hoops from time to time. A poor season will put Green Bay into a funk for the entire year, whereas in the Twin Cities and Chicago fans can move onto baseball and get excited get excited about baseball until the Yankees crush their hopes in the post season. Bonus points for Chicago for the 2010 Blackhawks!
Rivalries
When it comes to rivalries, the strongest in the NFC North must be BEARS vs PACKERS, the oldest one in the entire NFL dating back to 1921. The rivalry contains 48 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the most of any rivalry by far, including “Papa Bear” Halas, Vince Lombardi, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, Paul Hornung, Walter Payton and Brett Favre. The teams both still play outside in ancient yet refurbished stadiums, and game days have a feeling of a big time College game with lots of tailgating.
The next biggest rivalry is the VIKINGS vs PACKERS, which has always been intense, but has grown even more so over the last 2 years thanks to Brett (Judas) Favre’s move to purple. These teams (and fans) flat out hate each other. The states are just a river away and in there are numerous Packer fans in Minnesota and vice-versa. I have heard stories of engagements and even marriages being broken up when the spouses cheer for different teams. The Packers-Vikings rivalry is balanced. In the first 97 meetings, the total offensive yardage, points scored, wins, turnovers, and time of possession are all within 5% of each other.
BEARS vs VIKINGS is also intense, with a lot of key games and plays that have changed the teams fortunes and destinies over the years. The first meeting between the 2 teams took place in 1961 when the upstart Minnesota Vikings upset the dominant Chicago Bears 37-13 in the Vikings first game as a franchise causing Papa Bear Halas to fly into a rage. Jim McMahon throwing TD bombs in the Roller Dome in 1985 on Monday night against a very talented Vikings squad helped the Bears control the division and established that they were favorite to win the Superbowl, which they did.
LIONS vs THE REST OF THE DIVISION – There is not one good rivalry game here, why even bother watching these games be played? The Lions are pitiful and boring. The 2008 Detroit Lions became the only team in NFL history to lose all 16 regular season games and the franchise has won only one playoff game in the last 50 years. However they are starting to look stronger now, and could scare the other three teams going forward. Or, perhaps the Lions and the LA Clippers might just keep losing for another few decades. Boo hoo to the Cubs fans that cry they are long suffering, being a Lions fan must be much more painful than cheering for the Cubbies. The biggest rivalry should be the LIONS vs NFL DRAFT. The Lions will probably always be bad as long as the Ford family is calling the shots.
This season there are still two NFC North teams alive in the playoffs. The Bears vs. Packers in the NFC Championship game is a real probability, and would be pretty cool. The game would be played outside in January in Chicago and feature 2 of the NFL’s original teams and its oldest rivalry. At least Brett Favre won’t be throwing any interceptions in the last minute of regulation, as is usually the case in the NFC Championship game. Then, in the Super Bowl, the Patriots would whoop butt on either team 25 years after Superbowl XX when Da Bears whooped the Patriots by 46 – 10!
– Darren McKellin has lived 4 years in Wisconsin, 7 years in Minnesota, 16 years in Chicago and spent much time in the state of Michigan.
