Danica Patrick is a proud fan of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Her father, TJ, has been a Bears fan for over 50 years.
The Bears heated rivals, of course, are the Green Bay Packers. It’s the longest-running rivalry in the National Football League and generally, Bears fans hate the Packers and vice versa.
But last year, Patrick began dating Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and instantly became one of the sports’ worlds most famous couple. So, how does that change the dynamic of the Patricks and their loyalty to the Monsters of the Midway?
“I’m still a Bears fan,” TJ Patrick told Autoweek. “I’m always going to be a Bears fan. I can’t be a Packers fan. Danica is still a Bears fan, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be an Aaron Rodgers fan.”
When Danica brought Rodgers over to meet her parents, TJ had a ploy in mind. Not the first time he’s gone out of his way to make Rodgers his target. Interesting sense of humor on Danica’s father.
“Actually, the first time we met him I told the kids I was going to wear my Brian Urlacher jersey and tackle him,” TJ recalled to Autoweek, referring to the Bears linebacker who was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. “I couldn’t find it. He walked in and asked, ‘Where is your jersey?’ I told him I couldn’t find it. He said, ‘I would respect you a lot more if you had it on.’
“He’s good about it. He knows. He is very intelligent and still has a sense a humor.”
The Bears open the season against the Packers on Sunday Night Football on September 9. Will Danica remain loyal to her favorite football team and cheer for the Bears, or will love win out and will she cheer for her boyfriend?
“I don’t know, that’s a good question,” her father said. “We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?”
