In the aftermath of the Chicago Bears' Wild Card victory over the Green Bay Packers, there was a shout heard across the entire Midwest.
When head coach Ben Johnson shouted "F*** the Packers!" in the Bears' locker room, it didn't take long for reactions to come in around the football world. But the reactions from Packer fans were especially one-sided, as you'd imagine.
It won't take long to search social media and find plenty of angry Packer fans. And, to be frank, I would probably be mad too if I were them. Having lost a game, in that fashion, and of that magnitude, has to be pretty gutting -- but the Bears have been there. And for that reason, I don't feel bad.
You know who else doesn't feel bad for Packer fans? NFL legend J.J. Watt doesn't feel bad at all. In fact, he loved it. As stated on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Watt had this to say:
"Also, love what he did in the locker room. Can't stand people that are like, 'why is he saying that? That's classless.' I'm like, dude, this is what we gotta get back to ... let's go back to being in the locker room saying how much you hate the other team. This is good."
J.J. Watt said what every Bears fan was thinking after Ben Johnson's parting words to the Packers
I could not agree with Watt's sentiments more. After witnessing several Packers voices, writers, and fans complaining on social media, I had the very same reaction as Watt.
"The Cardiac Bears, whatever you want to call them ... it is fantastic to watch. I'd love to watch the Bears-Packers rivalry every week. This is cinema," he went on.
How did Bears fans feel about Aaron Rodgers' snarky attitude and shouts of "I own you!" aimed directly at them in the stands at Soldier Field? Surely, we were all quite annoyed.
But, to think it crossed some type of unspoken line is just flat-out wrong. It's silly.
This is a rivalry, folks. Do we have any semblance of sanity left, or have we gone too soft?
This is not just a rivalry; it is the oldest in the sport. This is Bears-Packers. This is bigger than Red Sox-Yankees or Lakers-Celtics.
For the past two decades-plus, Bears fans have not had a whole lot to say to Packer fans. That's just the reality. Chicago has been the butt of countless jokes for way too long, and Bears fans have just had to take it.
Shoot, we even saw Packers media trying to smack-talk the Bears badly at halftime last Saturday night, which of course came back to bite them.
Moral of the story: Packer fans have mercilessly and relentlessly jabbed at the Bears and their fan base for years on end.
What else could you say in response?
"Well, something something 1985 something..."
No, of course not. We had nothing. There was no justifiable response to any Packer fan trolling.
And now that the tables are turned? It's time to take it on the chin, Packer fans. Now, maybe, just maybe, you understand a taste of what Bears fans have gone through for far too long.
Read more: Ben Johnson gives a blunt 9-word response to Bears facing Rams in Divisional Round
Hash tag "sorry not sorry," or something like that.
Thanks, J.J.