Hoge's Bears Things: A sudden spark in the Bears-Packers rivalry

Sometimes something gets said in a press conference we immediately know will go viral. Typically, the comment is quickly followed by the sound of many keys being pushed on the keyboards owned by reporters inside that press conference. 

That’s exactly what happened Tuesday when Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones very clearly stated…

“(Packers) fans are really shitty.”

And…

“Half of them don’t even know football.”

Of course, that’s not all Jones said. Those comments were part of a longer answer about wishing Aaron Rodgers was still on the Packers. In short, Jones wanted Rodgers to be there when they (presumably) beat Green Bay this year. 

“I’m just ready to get back out there and play and I want to go out there and I want to beat the hell out of them on their field and I want to hear the boos then. That’s what I look forward to,” Jones said.

Consider the rivalry back on. Packers fans (not surprisingly) objected to Jones’ comments. Bears fans loved it. 

Jones will have to wait until Week 18 to get a chance to win at Lambeau Field, but he won’t have to wait long to play them at Soldier Field. Thanks to the NFL’s schedule makers, the Bears and Packers play in Week 1.

My take? I love it. The reality is that this rivalry hasn’t really been a rivalry for most my 13 years covering the bears. It’s been incredibly one-sided.

You can bet Jones’ comments will resonate in Green Bay. The Bears are actually -2.5 point favorites in Week 1, and suddenly there’s some extra juice to a matchup that will no longer include Rodgers. 

ICYMI: Cole Kmet joined me for a conversation on the CHGO Bears Podcast yesterday. You can watch the full interview here, as well as our recap episode of Day 1 of Bears minicamp here.

Up Next: Mandatory veteran minicamp continues Wednesday and we’ll once again have you covered on social media throughout the day and with a recap show at 4 p.m. CT. Looking forward to talking to you all then.