Who Do I Cheer For??

This is always a difficult time of the year for Bears fans that have to decide who to cheer for in the playoffs.  The NFC Central usually produces a good enough team to compete in the playoffs, which is holding up true again with the Green Bay Packers.  Here is the debate that comes to my mind:  Do you cheer for your hated rival to lose, or do you hope for teams from your division to beat the rest of the league?

There is a certain hatred that develops when you play a team year in and year out.  You develope a growing desire to see your team kick their ass and shut up the fans that make the trip to your stadium just to act like idiots.  However, there is also the idea that you want other teams in the NFL to respect your division.  If any given team from a divison can go to the NFC championship game then it reflects well on the rest of teams in the division.  Even though the remaining teams didn’t make the playoffs, it reflects back upon them that their division is that much tougher and competitive.

I’m a big respect guy, I think a big part of the game of football is making the 11 players on the other side of the ball respect you.  The Seattle Seahawks make the playoffs every year but don’t get any respect from the league when they are not playing at home with their fan base that needs to be tested for rabies.  Getting to play the Rams, Cardinals, and 49ers twice every year is the type of schedule that makes teams turn their nose up a little.  If the NFL switched the Seahawks with the scrappy Buffalo Bills or Houston Texans and there is no way the Seahawks make the playoffs.  The Texans have to compete with the Colts, Jaguars, and Titans, all playoff teams that play great football.  Houston still managed an 8-8 record.  I doubt you could say the same if Seattle had to play that trio twice a season. 

So there is something to be said for respect of the division.  I may not like seeing the Packers win, but if the Packers can step in where the Bears left off than there leaves little doubt where the strength of teh NFC plays its football on Sunday.  Not to mention, real men know how to play in the elements.  If the NFl really wants to have a fun super bowl they need to quit scheduling panzy domes and southern stadiums and put a Super Bowl at Soldier Field or Lambeau and see what team can battle on the football field in February.  Now that’s a football team. 

That being said, I still don’t think I can stomach rooting for the Packers.  Right now I’m going to go be a Jaguars fan for a couple hours and see if they can knock off Tom Brady so he can hurry back to spreading his seed with random women. 

Oh, and when did taking your girlfriend to Mexico for vacation become more scandalous than getting a girl pregnant, breaking up with her, and dating a supermodel?  Just wondering.