I remembered a few rough hits between the Bears and Packers during that ’85 season, like Walter Payton getting ridden out of bounds and over the bench and Matt Suhey getting popped with a late hit just for standing around but I had no idea of the backdrop for these plays.  I had no frame of reference.

Back then, I didn’t really know about the Bears-Packers rivalry.  My parents were immigrants so I didn’t have the advantage of being taught about the rivalry from birth.  I had to learn about the rivalry firsthand.  Then this play in 1986 happened and my hatred for all things green and gold was emblazoned in my forever.

Yes, it’s the Charles Martin body slam of Jim McMahon that ended Jimmy Mac’s 1986 season and effectively ended the Bears’ hopes of a repeat trip to the Super Bowl.

Martin wore his hit list on a towel that included the Bears players he wanted to take a run at.  No, seriously.  Check it out.

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They grow up so fast, don't they?

The Bears and Packers renew their rivalry as they open the season in prime time Sunday night.  It’s the 178th meeting of these two charter franchises.   Wikipedia does an awesome job chronicling the rivalry that’s been going on almost as long as the Cubs’ World Series drought.  Damn, that’s a long time.

Through the better part of the 90′s and early 2000′s, the Packers pretty much owned the Bears.  No coincidence that coincides with Brett Favre’s run with the Packers.  Lovie Smith made it his priority to beat the Packers and has done a pretty good job keeping his work, sporting a 7-3 record against the Pack under his leadership.

If you need to get any more fired up for the game, check out the video after the jump.

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