Not a Motivational Tape

The Bears and the Packers have been playing each other since 1921 in the NFL’s oldest rivalry.

With the teams scheduled to meet again this week, Green Bay Coach Mike Sherman, hoping to inspire his players, pulled out some old tapes of classic previous meetings between the teams.

Green Bay receiver Antonio Freeman got the message by watching some of the grainy black-and-white images.

“It looked like the Little Rascals when they played football,” Freeman said. “I guess that goes to show how deep the tradition goes.”

The Little Rascals? Whatever works.

Cade McNown, the former UCLA quarterback who is just 2-8 as a starter for the Bears, has been in a war with the hometown fans. They have blasted him and he blasted them before apologizing.

But they are not going to get their wish by seeing him replaced.

Not yet.

Bear Coach Dick Jauron said he gave the quarterback situation “a lot of thought” before deciding not to make a switch.

Translation: If Chicago loses again this week, the fans will probably get their wish after all.

Minnesota’s John Randle and Detroit’s Robert Porcher are still looking for their first sacks. The Vikings’ Cris Carter hasn’t scored a touchdown, and neither has the Lions’ Herman Moore.

Yet the two teams, who meet this week, are a combined 6-1.

“I guess we have something in common,” Detroit defensive back Ron Rice said. “We’re not really happy with how we’ve been playing, but the bottom line is our wins and losses. But I don’t think you will hear either one of us complaining too much about how things are going.”