The Packers will host the Bears on Sunday, two days after the passing of legendary coach Mike Ditka. And the Packers will be paying their respects to their former nemesis.
Via Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, the 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 embodied the toughness and passion that have made the rivalry one of the most storied in all of sports.
“While he was a formidable opponent, his contributions to the game and to a rivalry that has 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 head coach of the Bears. The two games in his first season of 1982 were lost to a players’ strike.
The Bears under Ditka swept the Packers in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1991.