Packers vs. Bears: A Celebration of the Old NFL Western Conference

Back in the day, when George Halas held the reins of the Bears, and Vince Lombardi ran the Packers, the 14-game season was made up of 12 home-and-home in conference games and two against a couple of other teams that didn't really matter.

Imagine that, playing six teams twice a season. Those games were battles, for the most part, and Sunday's NFC Championship game was a throwback to the time when teams didn't need video replays and tendency charts; they knew each other so well that the games were more about a will to win than any set of tactics.

The Packers and the Bears played each other three times this season, and it showed Sunday. Aaron Rodgers, a dominant player against the Falcons, was happy to get out alive against the Bears. Defense was the key, just as it used to be in the time before defensive backs could not touch a player beyond five yards of the line of scrimmage. And there were no trick plays, as demonstrated by the weak attempt at an end-around in a crucial last-minute third down for the Bears.

And what would Vince have said about a QB who rode an exercise bike on the sidelines, but couldn't come back into the game? Besides banning exercise bikes from the field, I think he would have been working on a trade as soon as the game was over.

Which brings us to Super Bowl 45, a very intriguing matchup. Outside of the NFC North, the Packers are a very fleet team, almost made to play on turf, as they will in Cowboys Stadium. Unlike the Favre run, this Packer team seems to thrive in domes and we were struck by Aaron Rodgers contention that he looked forward to playing in the Georgia Dome, despite losing against them in the regular season. He proved to be right—he played one of the best games ever, shredding the Falcons and making the concept of a bye week look like a liability.

So, when they line up against the Steelers, they will be meeting a mirror image, blue collar, strong QB and solid defense. The speed of the team will be very interesting to watch, especially with the Packer secondary playing so strongly and with such quickness.

Lastly, watch out for the stock market. A win by an old NFL team has triggered a bull market in 33 of the last 41 seasons and both the Pack and the Steelers are representatives of that historic league. No matter who wins, we all could win, as long as we have had the stomach—or the resources—to hold on to any stock.

This Super Bowl has the makings of another classic, not matter who wins. And, for one snowy Sunday in an old-school winter, it looked like the 60s all over again.