The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears don’t like one another. It’s been like that since the dawn of time, and it will never change.
However, for the most part, the head coaches have stayed on the margins of the rivalry. They’re politically correct about it. That’s clearly not the case with Ben Johnson, who took a shot at Packers head coach Matt LaFleur in his introductory news conference and has only added more fuel to the fire since.
That’s why, after a clip of him cursing out the Packers in the locker room went viral, Johnson made it loud and clear that he’s not going to apologize.
Ben Johnson admits he doesn’t like Packers
When asked about that, the first-year head coach admitted that he’s embraced this rivalry, adding that team owner George McCaskey has his back.
“There’s a rivalry that exists between these two teams, something I fully recognize and am a part of. I don’t like that team. George and I have talked and we’re on the same page,” Johnson said, per Pro Football Talk. “The opponent in and of itself, it means a lot to this city, the organization. We know how big it is when Chicago plays Green Bay.”
The Bears locker room is bought in with coach Johnson, and igniting this rivalry will be great for the league for years to come. Then again, there are certain ways a head coach should conduct himself when talking about an opponent, even if it’s just for PR purposes.
At the end of the day, whoever wins will hold bragging rights, so Johnson has the upper hand for now. He just has to be careful in case these words and actions come back to haunt him at some point.