While the well-hyped Aaron Rodgers/Brett Favre showdown nears, the media have forgotten another rivalry.  The rivalry between Mike McCarthy and Brad Childress.  Often described as professional, their relationship is in reality a strong dislike of each other.  This rivalry goes all the way back to when the Vikings and the Packers hired their respective coaches.  The story goes that Childress was interviewed in Minnesota and afterwards was supposed to go to Green Bay to interview there.  The Vikings owner, Zygi Wilf, was so impressed that he kept Childress in Minnesota another day so we could sign him before Childress could even be interviewed by the Packers.  Six days later, the Packers hired Mike McCarthy as head coach of the Packers.

Later on, Childress would say that he could have been the Packers head coach but took the Vikings job instead.  The Packers organization would later refute this and state that Childress was never offered the job.  This helped increase the intensity of the hatred between these coaches and organizations.  Then, in 2008, the Packers filed tampering charges against Childress for illegally courting Brett Favre.  The Vikings were eventually determined to have not been guilty of tampering, but the accusation added more fuel to the fire.

Worse still, after the Packer victory in Lambeau last year, Childress refused to shake hands with McCarthy.  Childress would later claim that he was trying to console Tarvaris Jackson for his late interception.  Childress’ excuse seemed flimsy at best.   Is Jackson an adult professional athlete or a six-year-old who struck out in tee ball?  Now that Childress has signed Favre and has pitted him against the Packers, the dislike is sure to increase.  Look for a lot of passion from both coaches this week in what is clearly more that “just another divisional game.”

Predicted score – Packers 31 Vikings 27.   Go Pack Go.