The Bears and Packers first met way back in 1921, when the Bears were known as the Decatur Staleys. Tonight, they’ll square off for the 195th time, including a pair of postseason games.
Barring a tie (which has happened six priors times between them), the winner will secure the distinction of leading the series by one game, at least until they play again on November 12.
The series stands at 94-94-6. And as Chris Simms and yours truly suggested early this morning on PFT Live (and as NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart echoed during a subsequent media briefing), there should be a trophy connected to the series, with either the all-time leader or the most recent winner possessing it.
Really, plenty of NFL rivalries should have a trophy like this, in the same way plenty of collegiate rivalries already do. In an era when, as Jerry Seinfeld reprises in his new Netflix special, we’re just rooting for laundry anyway, a trophy would give the laundry a little extra meaning for everyone involved, including the players who are temporarily wearing it.
Feel free to suggest names for the trophy in the comments. Serious and sarcastic suggestions will be accepted, with the latter being preferred.