Bears week, or, I can't like Obama this week

Rationally, I understand the Packers are the Vikes biggest rival, due to proximity (St. Croix Showdown), Wisconsin and Minnesota being more similar than they like to admit, and the 49-47-1 (Pack) all time series.  But when I was achieving complete Vikings consciousness, in the early '80s, the Packers were bad, and the Bears, unfortunately, were awesome, with Walter Payton, Coach Ditka ("Is Ditka driving the bus?") and one of the great NFL defenses.  The 1985 game at the Metrodome is one of the early Vikes games burned into my memory; the Vikes were playing a great game, leading in the third quarter, when a slightly injured Jim McMahon came off the bench and threw touchdown passes on his first two pass attempts, eventually adding another as the Bears won easily.

Don't get me wrong, I respected the Bears 46/Buddy Ryan defense...it was clearly a dominant unit, led by, as many forget, Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael owning the middle, allowing Wilbur Marshall (Gators!), Richard Dent, Otis Wilson, and Mike Singletary to wreak havoc.  I even made my first cash bet on them, betting 5 bucks that the Bears would shut out the Patriots in the '86 Superbowl.  If the Patriots got a field goal, it was a wash...but their garbage TD beat me.

And then, the Bears always seemed to win games they shouldn't against the Vikes.  Wannestadt actually winning a playoff game?  Multiple returns for TDs? The Bears winning a shootout due to fumbled punts and such last year?

So, I despise the Bears.  I'm a huge Florida Gators fan, but when Peyton Manning (the Brett Favre equivalent for the Gators, before Favre became a Viking, you know what I mean) and the Colts played the Bears in Super Bowl XLI, with the Bears starting a bevy of great former Gators (Sexie Rexie 8 Ball Grossman, Alex Brown, Todd Johnson, Ian Scott--thanks for the assist Drew), I thought about maybe rooting for the Gators and keeping Peyton from ever beating the Gators OR winning a Superbowl--but when it came down to it, there was no way I was rooting for the Bears, or even mildly hoping they won.  I almost cheered when the Colts locked it up.

And then, throw in the whole Cutler controversey...are there any Vikings fans who aren't glad we ended up with the Ol' Gunslinger instead of "Red Zone" Cutler?  It all adds up to that I'm rooting big time for a Vikings blowout of the Bears--like I do every game--but this time, the Vikes have all the advantages.  I mean, the Vikes kicked their butts last year with Gusoline at QB.  Maybe this year, we'll get those two Bears beatdowns I hope for every year, but knowing how this series has gone, don't count on it.