The Packers will host the Bears on Sunday, two days after the passing of legendary coach Mike Ditka. And the Packers will pay their respects to their former nemesis.
By Jason Lieser of Chicago Sun-Timesthe Packers will honor Ditka with a moment of silence.
“One of the fiercest competitors in NFL history, Mike helped define the intensity and tradition of the Packers-Bears rivalry, the oldest in professional football,” the Packers said in a statement. “He instilled the toughness and passion that made the rivalry one of the most enduring in all of sports.
“While he was a formidable opponent, his contributions to the game and to a rivalry that meant so much to both franchises will always be respected and remembered by the Green Bay Packers.”
Ditka had a 15-5 record against the Packers during his eleven years as the Bears’ head coach. Two games into his first season of 1982 were lost on a players’ strike.
The Bears under Ditka swept the Packers in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1991.