In Baseball I have no hate, In football I have too much.

Wow I had some great posts lined up and but I forgot my flash drive at home so maybe I'll work something up later.  In the mean time this is something I've been thinking about for a while.  Actually it occurred to me while in Chicago watching the Cubs play at Wrigley.  Now I'm a Brewers fan and now the Brewers are in the same League and Division as the Cubs, so that would make them my enemy right?  And we went to the Shedd Aquarium that is in the same complex as the Field Museum and Soldier Field, did I want to take a tour of the Bears playing field? 

It got me thinking.  I really hate the Bears and Vikings.  Not the fans, just the teams.  I cannot fault anyone for rooting for a team based on their geography or whatnot.  I understand fandom and having your team.  But it got me thinking why I hate these teams so much in football and in baseball I really don't hate anyone.  Sitting in a great venue like Wrigley it's almost impossible not to root for the Cubs, and slightly dangerous.  I think it dates back to the start of my collecting days when I first started notice sports and paying attention.  I would watch baseball on TV and see all these great guys I had cards of.  Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Cal Ripken Jr., Robin Yount, Will Clark, Don Mattingly, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, and the list goes on.  But I was a Brewers fan, being from Wisconsin, but having grown up all over the place as a military brat I got to watch a lot of other teams play on TV as the Brewers were not overly popular and to be honest my folks were not huge Brewers fans.  But when you need a team of course you folks and family as well as your geography play a big part in the team you choose.  You can have more than one, there's no crime in that.  As a young card collector and having friends who were collectors we would trade and you knew who was popular, and so if the A's were on TV playing the Yankees, I wanted to see Ricky Henderson hit as much as Don Mattingly. 

But as a football fan, there was no doubt who my team was, who my families team was, and who we hated.  The Bears and Packers have the longest standing feud in the NFL, as you would expect for the two oldest teams.  Being so close and with so much history will do that.  Maybe it's just the nature of the games.  Baseball is a gentleman's sport played in the warm months of the year starting in spring when the icy grasp of winter has finally lifted. Football is just the opposite, played just as the summer is over and winter comes roaring back in. A brutal, physical game where violence is rewarded, where fans, depending where you are, brave the elements to cheer on their team. 

Maybe it the pacing.  Baseball tends to be slow, drawn out, and lazy and football tends to be short and dramatic.  But I find today, especially with fantasy football, I watch every game a little closer, waiting to see a big play, how is that rookie going to work out, who gets hurt.  I have teams I favor more than others, same as baseball, but I can't think of a baseball team I loath, and in football I can think of a few.

Anybody else out there got an opinion?

Bigger than the Super Bowl???

I get a chuckle out of some of the shit that gets put up over at the Shutdown Corner on Yahoo.  Why do I read it? Cuz that's all I can access at work, don't judge. 

So I'm reading this article Bears/Packers is the toughest ticket in Chicago sports history.  MJD doesn't do a bad job most of the time, but the article is silly, really it is.  But the best part are the comments people post.  And of course the longest running  NFL rivalry will cause much banter back and forth. Some of the comments just crack me up.  There as much  Go Pack and Bears Rule as there is Bears Suck and Pecker Heads.  Or course the best comments are aimed right at the writer who professes why he doesn't understand why this game is touted as the toughest ticket in Chicago sports history.   That may be up for debate, with inflation, fan base, ect, ect.  The fact that this match up will be more anticipated than the Super Bowl has some validity.

Now I'm biased for sure as a Packer fan,  but I'll admit after this game the Super Bowl will be a let down even if the Packers go, this game is the one to remember.  Of course if the Packers go and win it all it'll be a great lead in and would be one of the Packers greatest championships in modern history. Same for the Bears.  At least in my opinion.

With that said.  I geared up, my best Packer (and luckiest) sweatshirt is laundered, I've worn it for the last 4 games and we won so it's gotta be lucky, my favorite Packer hat is curved just right,  and my warm packer gloves will keep my hands nice and toasty on the way to the bar. 

I'll leave you with a good post from the article one  from both sides of the fence.

The packer side.

51. Posted by Liberals have a mental disorder Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:49 pm EST Report Abuse


A Bear's fan, a Seahawk's fan, And a Packer's fan are climbing a mountain, arguing who loves his team more. The Seahawk's fan insists he is the most loyal fan. "This is for the Seahawks!" he screams and jumps off the side of the mountain. Not to be out done, the Packer's fan is the next to profess his love for his team, and yells, "This is for the Packers!" and pushes the Bears fan off the mountain. Yes, duh bears still suck.


And the Bear's side.

56. Posted by Myndez Notcheron Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:52 pm EST Report Abuse


Our Papa, Who art a Bear, Halas be thy name. Thy championship come, thy play be run, at home as it is away. Give us this day our Sunday win, and forgive us our turnovers, though we pounce on those who turnover against us, and lead us not into fourth and long, but deliver us from Rodgers. In the name of Ditka, Butkus & the Holy Payton. As it was in 1985, so shall it be in 2011, reign without end, Amen.

That Out Papa Prayer is great I had to turn it to the gold side of the force let try it as a Packer prayer.

Our trophy, who is a Packer, Lombardi be thy name.  Thy championship come, the play be run, at home as it is away.  Give us this day our Sunday win, and forgive us our turnovers, though we pounce on those who turnover against us, and lead us not into fourth and long, but deliver us from Urlacher and Peppers.  In the name of Starr, Nitschke, and the Holy Lambeau.  As it was in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1941, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1996, so shall it be in 2011, reign without end, Amen.

To be fair the writer didn't include the 8 Bears NFL championships in his prayer but I think it sounds better with all them in there.

Sorry don't mean to sound like a pompous ass.

I'm just saying this is going to be one hell of a game, at least I hope it is.  This is what this sport is all about.

Go Pack!!

Oh boy Oh boy Oh boy Oh boy

oh boy I hope we score!!!!

Ah man this week has drug on and on.  I'm glad it was a short one.  That being said.  It's almost time for some football.  Only 3 more weeks of it.  3 games that really mean anything.  Does anyone even care about the Pro Bowl?  I get why they moved it.  I guess it gives us something to watch for that week before the Superbowl.  I mean it's nice and all, but that means if anyone who made it to the Pro Bowl is on a Superbowl team they won't be there so it kinda makes it slightly less of a spectacle. 

That being said I think I've come up with a sweet bonus prize for Almost the Easiest Superbowl Contest on the Web.  I'll post it tomorrow or Sunday after the games.  That being said just a reminder there are only 5 people still in the running for the contest.  As long as the Jets don't win someone will probably win out right right now.  Nobody picked the Jets to even make it so they could be the spoiler and if that happens well we'll have to see. 

Out of the 5 still in it we have 3 teams that have opponents still in it and 2 that have winners but not losers.  Like I said if the Jets make it in it could be a spoiler but that just means we go to the score.  See that's why I had you pick all that stupid stuff and why this wasn't the easiest Super Bowl contest on the Web.

Here are the 5.

Adam E: STEELERS over Bears 17-6

Mark: PACKERS over Patriots 24-17
mike: BEARS over Steelers 20-14
Colby (Flywheels): STEELERS over Falcons 24-17
Kev2380: BEARS over Patriots 24-20

And a reminder of what your all playing for....

I keep getting Late Notifications from Topps about shipping these cards.  I think we are up to week 4 now that they are behind now.  I'll assume that they're printing all these at once, and I'll hope that they start sending them out before the expiration date.  And as I look over at my counter I notice that we are getting dangerously close to 10,000 hits.  yeaaaaaaaa.  And I've hit 50 followers and I'm at about 218 posts so that means I'm due for a celebratory contest of one or all of these great blogging milestones.  I'm sure it will involve cards, and random acts of drunkenness, and possibly bacon.  No promises on the cards though.

Alright dudes and dudettes I better get back to work.