The Chicago Bears: Left In The Dust Of a Heated Packers/Vikings Rivalry

     With the draft only a few days away, as a Packers fan, I find myself paying attention to two teams, the Packers (obviously) and the Vikings. The reason to follow the Vikings? To hopefully watch them ruin themselves with a horrible draft, but that may just be wishful thinking.

     But that got me to thinking, why am I not interested in what the Bears are going to do? Now I know they don't have a pick until the seventeenth round or something, but why are they not even in the back of my head? That is because, like it or not, the Bears have become an irrelevant third wheel in the NFC North.

     Its not their fault, I mean, who can compete with the ol', hero gone to the dark side story? Conversly, how could they step back into relevency? What would it take for the Packers and Vikings to notice the Bears again?

     Truthfully, in my eyes, the Bears winning the Super Bowl next year wouldn't be enough. It would just be, "at least the Vikings didn't make it". As sad as that may sound, that is just how heated the Pack/Vike rivalry has truly become, at least for now.

     A few years ago, I would have told you differently. The Bears and Vikings were both hated equally. What about the Lions, you say? Oh ya, forgot they were there. But now, I don't know if my hatred for Vikings has just far surpassed that of the Bears, or actually mended my relationship with them.

     So can the oldest rivalry in the NFL be renewed? Or has the unthinkable betrayal of a certain someone made the blood that runs between the green and purple too thick? Maybe with time the wounds can be healed and the old fire could reignite. But right now, I don't think anything could put the Bears in between this flame.

     Tell me what you think, can the Bears come back?