CHICAGO — After over 200 matchups between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, fans of both teams were more than excited to continue the longest running rivalry in the NFL.
Daniel Villafuerte took the Amtrak train from Milwaukee to Chicago on Sunday morning for the Packers vs. Bears game.
He said this game meant a lot, and he wanted to see it in person.
“It would be great if we can get the win, get the first win of the season, especially against our biggest rival. It would be a great way to start the season,” said Villafuerte.
Outside Soldier Field, Michael Sleck was with two of his friends who are Bears fans.
He may be from Illinois, but since his family is from Appleton, he was raised a Packers fan.
“You have the Packers and the Bears, a very big rivalry,” said Sleck. “They have always hated each other with Green Bay having decades of good quarterbacks and the Bears not having so much good luck. That’s where the biggest rivalry started.”
Before this season, the Packers won eight straight games against the Bears.
Sleck said the reason for that is simple.
“What’s given the Packers the edge is having Aaron Rodgers as a quarterback and having the all-star receivers we have had and the Bears being the youngest team when it comes to playing the Packers.”
His friend, Amanda Wolf, who roots for the Bears, said that’s all in the past.
“It’s going to be a whole new world this season, I think. I’m looking forward to seeing the new blood we have.”
Jesse and Ian Clark are father and son from Virginia. They are on opposing sides of the Packers-Bears rivalry. Jesse said he tried to raise his son to be a Packers fan, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
“I actually have pictures of him in a Packers [outfit] when he was a toddler, but when the Bears went to the Super Bowl [in 2006] and Devin Hester had that big run back, that’s when he became a Bears fan,” said Jesse Clark.
Ian Clark said this is a game they had to be at together.
“A lot of storied teams, a lot of storied players, it’s hard not to love that about the game, so that’s why we wanted to come to this game in particular,” said Ian Clark.
While Wolf has watched her team lose to the Packers more than she would like, she said she always enjoys the games.
“It’s been a blast. It’s a great rivalry. It’s just good friends having a good time. Someone is going home in a very sad mood, but it’s going to be exciting,” said Wolf.
For Sleck, the newest version of this rivalry is just getting started.
“It’s an interesting matchup with two young teams,” said Sleck. “Jordan Love is coming into his first year as a starter and Justin Fields has played as a starter, so it will be interesting to see if he follows or not.”
No matter the outcome, both fan bases said they were just happy that football was back.