Today’s announcement by the NFL that the Packers and Bears will kick off the league’s Sunday night showcase at Lambeau Field shows the power of the team’s fans. Not only did the Packers get the opening Sunday night contest they also will play at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day for the second time in three years. The rest of the national TV schedule has not been announced but I could see the Packers getting at least a road Monday night game and a couple of 3:15s.
Yes, the Bears are certainly part of the draw, and the rivalry is one of the NFL’s best, but bottom line is other than Hester and Urlacher, the Bears don’t have much star power. The Packers aren’t the Patriots but do have Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Charles Woodson, A.J. Hawk, and Nick Barnett. Not to mention Lambeau Field, which is why once again the Packers will be at home on opening day. One thing you can always be sure of is the Packers will open at home. Every few years the league has to throw the rest of the league a bone and put the Packers on the road, but normally they are few and far between. That is a credit to the organization for making sure Lambeau Field remains the mecca of NFL fans. You still haven’t been to a game if you haven’t been to a game at Lambeau.
I think the Packers are primed for a turnaround from last year’s 6-10 record and the networks might be thinking the same way. I would like to say a win over the Bears would be the catalyst for a good season, but I thought that would happen last year after the Packers whipped the Vikings on opening day in Rodgers’ first start. We all saw what happened after that. The defense became a sieve and Rodgers went through his growing pains and result was what it was. The fact that the Bears are also part of the opening weekend package for the second straight year like the Packers is pretty funny. What happened to the division champion Vikings? They were no where to be found in the opening announcements. I love it. My guess is they get the maximum three Monday night games and probably a pair of Sunday night games.
The thing is, the Vikings are and always will be third fiddle in the NFC North. The Packers and Bears will always be the better draws. The Vikings haven’t meant a thing since Bud Grant left and his only claim to fame is losing four Super Bowls. Adrian Peterson is their only draw now. At least they do have Peterson, last I heard the league was trying to remove Detroit from the TV schedule completely.
I don’t know about you, but the news today was good for me. I think it shows confidence in the organization as a whole, and as an owner, I will be there that Sunday night supporting my team. I will make my prediction right now, Packers 31, Bears 13.