UMFan83

oh and hopefully for our sake, someone else is using the town's computer later so he can't get on here and talk about it Yeah, I'm probably gonna be pretty insufferable if the Packers win. Even moreso than usual. Dammit you just made me question whether I actually want the Bears to win now. Bears Super Bowl or erik's probable banning? Tough one. One directly affects my quality of life.

I'm sorry but this is absurd. You are arbitrarily deciding that the only game that can match it is another Bears/Packers game. Yes I am because that's what makes it so important! Bears/Packers in the NFC title game is the absolute pinnacle of sporting games in Chicago and no other non-championship game can match it. The fact that it's the NFC title game is the reason it's so big. The rivaly only adds to the story, but it does not add anymore than when it was for their first trip to the Super Bowl. And that's the basis of our argument. To you, the fact that it would be our first appearance in a super bowl and first appearance in a championship game in 22 years puts it at a higher importance. To me the fact that we can extend our rivals 13 year championship and 12 year super bowl drought while getting us to our 3rd ever super bowl makes it more important. You do realize that our championship drought is longer now than it was in 85 when we finally won right? I don't let the fact that we made a super bowl and lost 4 years ago stand in the way of this game being of extreme importance.

Have you met White Sox fans? See and I thought about that and almost changed my mind, but now I am thinking about it and you might have a point. While only half the city (or 60-70%) likes the Cubs, pretty much the entire rest of the city wanted us to lose so badly, it definitely becomes a bigger deal in the city and raises the importance. At the time the Cubs and Sox were in a cold war to see who could actually win, or even make, a World series, so it was so important for the Sox fans to not see us get there.

When jersey argues a point it usually comes down to that. No disrespect jersey, I love arguing with you and get excited when you pick out a post of mine to disagree with. But I can imagine a lot of those arguments look pretty dumb when the they aren't involved.

Clay Matthews. Oh yeah, I went there. Yeah I'm sure he's a redneck's wet dream. I'm sure you just love Jared Allen too right?

Except that it's not. Name 1 game in the last 27 years, that can match the importance of this game (semi-finals of a major sport playoffs), where the teams playing match the rivalry and hatred of Bears and Packers fans, and the team and event was big enough to impact the entire city, from people who barely follow sports all the way down to the diest of the die hards. You can't 2003 NLCS game 6-7: Far bigger importance, rivalry not on same level, team and event big enough to impact the entire country, let alone the city. People who never followed baseball were keyed on those games. 2006 NFC Championship: First conference championship appearance in 20 years, first home conference championship in 21 years, everyone in the city thought the team actually had a chance. Situation bigger, rivalry smaller 1990/1991 NBA Eastern Conference finals vs. Detroit - Game 6 1990 in particular, looking to finally get over the hump against the "Bad Boys" Detroit team that had owned the East the past few years. Rivalry probably about the same, except this was 3-4 years straight that they played each other in the playoffs. 1986 NFC Championship: First real shot at a championship at home in over 20 years, against a team with one of the best RBs in history, and a city full of doubt that they were ever going to get a championship. Like Tillman and Urlacher have said: sure, it's the Packers, but it's just another game. They don't have a playoff history against each other like the Niners and Cowboys had in the 90's, or even the Bears and Redskins in the 80's. Sure, it's the most played rivalry in football, but the added playoff rivalry starts this week. Half of the entire city didn't care at all about the Cubs series. The 06 game was huge, but the the stakes of losing weren't just ending a disapointing season short of where we wanted it to, we are also playing to prevent our rivals from getting to and possibly winning the super bowl. That's the single thing in my mind that makes this game so important. The fact that we haven't won a super bowl in 25 years is of big importance as well and this game takes us a step away. I guess I follow sports differently than some. Championships are the most important things, but stuff like rivalries and getting the one up on the other team are right behind it in importance. That's what makes sports fun to me other than winning.

I'm sorry but this is absurd. You are arbitrarily deciding that the only game that can match it is another Bears/Packers game. Yes I am because that's what makes it so important! Bears/Packers in the NFC title game is the absolute pinnacle of sporting games in Chicago and no other non-championship game can match it.

Except that it's not. Name 1 game in the last 27 years, that can match the importance of this game (semi-finals of a major sport playoffs), where the teams playing match the rivalry and hatred of Bears and Packers fans, and the team and event was big enough to impact the entire city, from people who barely follow sports all the way down to the diest of the die hards. You can't I don't have to match your arbitrary parameters. Then there's no point in arguing then because your not disagreeing with my statement. This is the biggest non-championship game in my life time, due to the game matching 3 factors, the importance of the game, the mutual, fierce and historic rivalry between the participants, and the importance of that team and sport to the city. You present a very worthy game, but due to the fact that either we simultaneously reach the super bowl while stopping our fiercest rivals from reaching the game, or vice versa, there is a crapload at stake here and it is very important to the city and fanbase that we win this game. I can't accept any other argument of the contrary.

I'm not saying he's wrong, but try not to let your emotions get the best of you old man. Everyone knows you and Urlacher have a feud and you don't like him.

Except that it's not. Name 1 game in the last 27 years, that can match the importance of this game (semi-finals of a major sport playoffs), where the teams playing match the rivalry and hatred of Bears and Packers fans, and the team and event was big enough to impact the entire city, from people who barely follow sports all the way down to the diest of the die hards. You can't

I respect your suggestion, but there is no way that game was even close. The hype for this game dwarfed the hype for this game. The Packers and Bears are one of the best rivlaries in sports, and we've played games against them in so many different scenarios, in 10 different decades, in rain, snow, wind, ice, heat waves, when the packers were good and the bears sucked, when the bears were good and the packers sucked, when both teams were good. But one place this rivalry hasn't played out besides once, is in the playoffs. This is huge. The Bulls are maybe the 4th biggest team in Chicago. The Bears are the unquestioned number 1. You never hear people talking about Bulls offseason in June like they do the Bears all year long. And with the Bulls, I remember my exact feelings going into that game. You know what they were? "I wonder how many games it will take us to win the finals". You know what they were when we were down going into the 4th? "This is an awesome way for the Bulls to pull it out". At that point, I wouldnt have believed the Bulls were going to lose until they actually lost. And they didn't. And I know I'm not the only one that thought that way. The Bears and Packers fans both want this so badly. For for the chance to get to a game that each team has only gotten to a couple of times in the last 45 years, for the chance to get the ultimate one up on the fan base that it despises, etc. No one was thinking "oh man I cant wait to one up the stupid pacers fans when we win this", nor were any pacers fans looking to rub it in our faces (or if they did we'd jsut say "yawn we were bored of winning titles every year"). It's really completely different than any other sort of game a Chicago team has ever played, based on the importance of the game, the build up to the game, and the history of the 2 teams. No other game that wasn't a championship game has been able to claim all 3 of those things. That's why its the biggest non-championship game in Chicago history in my lifetime.

On a related note, this might just be the golden era of Chicago sports. The baseball teams are still mostly unsuccessful, but they no longer go more than 3-4 years without making the playoffs, and the Sox actually brought a World Series to the city. The Bears have been to the NFC title game twice in the last 5 years, and potentially could be going to 2 super bowls in that time. The Bulls have one of the best and most likable young stars in the NBA, who is Chicago raised and has enormous pride for the team and city, and are now starting to get into that range of possible contenders. And the Hawks won the Stanley Cup last year and has a dynamic core that is poised to contend for the next decade. It's not a stretch to say that all 5 Chicago teams have a chance to win a title in the next decade, although almost surely some will not.

I read an article the other day in the Trib which was basically an interview of Wayne Larivee, who did Bears games in 85 and he said the entire city was nervous wrecks during the playoffs in 85. He said you could walk around the city and almost feel the tension. It wasn't until the first or second touchdown of the NFC title game until people relaxed again. A collective sigh of relief was had. From what I read, the playoffs were absolutely no formality for the fans of this city. On a side note, talking about how the Chicago area was title starved, the 1970's must have been the most depressing time ever to be a Chicago sports fan. The Cubs and Sox didn't make the playoffs once the entire decade, the Bears were awful for a good part of the 70's and were never real contenders the entire decade. The Hawks lost a couple stanley cups earlier in the decade but were a non-factor the rest of the time. The Bulls of the mid-to-late 70's were probably Chicago's best hope for a title, coming within 1 game of the NBA finals once, and making another Western Conference Finals another year, but for the most part the general Chicago public couldnt give 2 shits about them, and even still the team really didn't stand a chance against the Eastern powers like Boston.

I still do think that this is the biggest non-championship round game in modern Chicago sports history. I guess since I can't quantify things that I wasn't around to experience, I'll say in my lifetime. Here is what it has going for it: -Arguably the biggest rivalry in Chicago (only Hawks/Wings, Cubs/Sox and Cubs/Cards are in the discussion) -The most historical rivalry in the NFL, and frequently mentioned among the top 5-10 rivalries in sports. -The 2nd most important game you can play, and the deepest round this rivalry can possibly occur in without teams switching conferences -Chicago's most popular of the 5 sports teams -Rivalry is among fanbases in close proximity with each other and interact on a daily basis all year long. -Both teams have 15+ year championship droughts, so both teams very badly need this game for validation and bragging rights. I just can't see how another pre-championship round game could be bigger when you combine hype, importance and historical factors.

Speaking of superlatives, can we finally agree guys? This is the biggest Bears game since Super Bowl XLI.

Steelers & Packer fans are the same in that regard, IMO. Steeler fans probably even more so than Packer fans. I've heard many comments coming from both camps -- they feel like the championship games are a foregone conclusion. I think NE fans thought the same. That place was a morgue. Those people obviously had never even considered that the Jets might win the game. Just for the record, this Packers fan doesn't feel like anything is locked up. I think we CAN win the game, and I do think the Packers have the overall better team, but the Bears will be at home with everything on the line, and they have a very very tough D. The Bears could easily win this game. I'm not taking anything for granted here. I'm picking up a contradition here. You said that if the Bears win this weekend, you will accept that they are the better team. But here you are saying that the Packers are the better team but the Bears still might win despite this. Do I feel that the Packers are the better team? Yes. But the whole "any given sunday" thing, etc. The Bears are also a good team, as they've proven. Do I think the Packers can win? Yes. Should they? Yes. Is it a guarantee? No. The only 3 things guaranteed in this life are death, taxes, and the Cubs not playing in the World Series. Damn, some of you people are hard to please. I give the Bears credit and you still jump all over me for it. So if the Bears beat the Packers 2 out of the 3 times they played, and the one game they lost the Bears had nothing on the line and the Packers needed to win to save their season and it was still a 7 point game, you wouldnt be able to accept the Bears are better? Actually, don't bother answering, I don't want to derail this thread with Bears Packers talk

I never really thought about comparing Jay Cutler and Ben Roethlisberger. That's weird but I guess his points make sense. I think Jay has a better arm though and relies on it.

Is it camo?

Anyone else's work having a Bears dress code? Our work is letting people dress in Bears gear for free, but if you want to dress in Packers gear you have to pay $5 (put into a party fund). I love it

I didn't realize that this is only the 4th time that a number 1 seed won't make the Super Bowl since 1990.

+1 I don't know how many people I have seen/heard already counting their 7th SB. Not a single one of them thought they could beat NE. Steelers & Packer fans are the same in that regard, IMO. Steeler fans probably even more so than Packer fans. I've heard many comments coming from both camps -- they feel like the championship games are a foregone conclusion. I think NE fans thought the same. That place was a morgue. Those people obviously had never even considered that the Jets might win the game. Just for the record, this Packers fan doesn't feel like anything is locked up. I think we CAN win the game, and I do think the Packers have the overall better team, but the Bears will be at home with everything on the line, and they have a very very tough D. The Bears could easily win this game. I'm not taking anything for granted here. I'm picking up a contradition here. You said that if the Bears win this weekend, you will accept that they are the better team. But here you are saying that the Packers are the better team but the Bears still might win despite this.

The Bears national imprint is very large. They might not have a Sal Palentonio, who is a Philly guy because he's from Philly, but they will always attract one of the largest audiences in primetime. They are one of the biggest draws in Vegas as well. They were more or less a non-entity for 1.5 decades and when they splashed on the scene 4 years ago it was with defense, and very short lived. If Chicago turns into a consistent contender with offense, they will be as marketable as any team in American sports. Its really bizarre. As soon as the Bears are good they pull enormous numbers on primetime games (Eagles game, the Patriots game), yet they still don't really have a dedicated reporter from ESPN. Theres Michael Smith...sometimes. Both Packers and Bears fans should be pissed the NFL Live spent more time commiserating about the Patriots losing than on pregame for this game. I'm really not sure why you're watching NFL Live in the first place. I love the sentiment that you can't watch a show because it comes on ESPN. NFL Live isn't a good show, but it's still football. Plus, it comes on at a time when there ain't [expletive] else to watch. Almost always when NFL live is on, there is a similar show but better on the NFL network

No reason to even play the game now. Also, when I started watching football, one of my favorite players was John Jurkovich. He was on WTMJ this morning and picked the Bears to win. He's now dead to me. At least I still have Bryce Paup. Of course he did. He's a Chicago radio personality.

Wow, the Packers signed Antonio Robinson to their practice squad today. Robinson spent part of training camp with the Bears and was released August 13th.

lol Luis Montanez. I expect Hee Seop Choi to be next.