Bears-Packers game is big deal for Eastern Iowa fans

Iowa, a state without a professional football team of its own, is a melting pot of professional football allegiances.

A majority of Eastern Iowans pledge their allegiances to the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers or the Minnesota Vikings.

So Sunday's NFC Championship game, which pits the Bears against the Packers for a shot to compete in Super Bowl XLV, has Eastern Iowa buzzing. For some fans, this game is even bigger than the Super Bowl itself.

“For a Bears or Packers fan, it is way more important,” said 21-year-old University of Iowa student Shaun Hudson. “Being able to say we beat our divisional rivals is just as meaningful as saying we won the Super Bowl.”

These two teams are the NFL's oldest rivalry. The Bears and Packers first squared off on Nov. 27, 1921, and have played one another a total of 181 times, with the Bears leading the series 92-83, along with six ties.

Sunday's game is special because it is the first time the rivals have competed against one another in the postseason since Dec. 14, 1941 - one week after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and two decades before the Super Bowl was created.

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In that 1941 game, the Bears bested the Packers, 33-14, in a game played at Chicago's Wrigley Field. The Bears would go on to win their second straight NFL Championship with a 37-9 win over the New York Giants.

What's more, the winner of the NFC Championship game receives the George Halas Trophy, named after the longtime head coach and owner of the Bears. The winner of the Super Bowl receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the legendary Packers coach who led the Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls.

In Iowa City, fans of both teams can be found everywhere. In the fall semester, there were 6,115 students enrolled from Illinois and 556 students from Wisconsin at the University of Iowa.

Iowa junior Alex French from Whitefish Bay, Wis., said the rivalry is present within his immediate family.

“My dad grew up in Rockford, Ill., so he is a Bears fan, and my older brother and younger brother are Bears fans as well. My mom and I are the only two Packers fans in the house,” he said. “It's getting very intense and heated back home. I've had a hard time concentrating on classes all week because of the game this weekend.”

Iowa student Michael LaFrenier, 21, of Iowa City, believes the game might not be as significant as the Super Bowl, but for fans in the Midwest, the buildup to the game has surpassed that of the Super Bowl.

“That doesn't go to say the Super Bowl isn't a more important game for the lucky team, but the number of Bears and Packers fans clashing in the area and Midwest is obviously significant,” LaFrenier said. “The Super Bowl in previous years has just been an excuse for a party and tends to be a relatively boring game.”

Local restaurants and bars are taking advantage of the historical event, advertising specials for the game. The Summit in downtown Iowa City will offer orange-colored drinks for Bears fans and green-colored drinks for Packers fans during the game.

Of course, trash-talking has infiltrated many conversations in recent days.

“It's been as simple as Facebook comments, posts and pictures, and as competitive as secretly decorating another's apartment with Packers or Bears signs,” said Iowa student Jessica Bleck from Hartland, Wis. “We all plan to watch the game together on Sunday with never-ending bragging rights on the line.”