If there’s one thing Bears fans hate to hear, it’s that Green Bay is better than Chicago. So Chicagoans were likely saying "wtf" to their computer screens when U.S. News & World Report released new rankings that say Green Bay is No. 1 city to live in the United States. But when we consider the timing of the report, things become a little more understandable.
U.S. News & World Report declared Green Bay the best city to live in not even one month after Aaron Rodgers was traded to the Jets, meaning he’d be leaving Wisconsin for New York.
Coincidence? I think not.
When you look into the reasons U.S. News and World Report listed for ranking Green Bay above the rest, the correlation between Rodgers' absence and Green Bay's new claim to fame becomes clear.
“This city boasts a thriving entertainment and arts scene, revitalized downtown, and two college campuses, creating an energy that may appeal to young families as well as retirees,” said the report.
Let’s key in on “thriving entertainment and arts scene,” first. As entertaining as it is to read about Rodgers’ darkness retreats for outsiders, it was likely a source of great stress for Packers fans. After all they had to worry that the fate of their franchise may depend on a man looking for answers in a Hobbit Hole. Further, while Aaron Rodgers racked up regular season wins, postseason victories were harder to come by. I’m sure no Green Bay resident would say there was anything “entertaining” about Rodgers’ uninspiring performance against the 49ers in the team’s 13-10 loss in the Divisional Round last season. Now that Jordan Love is running the show, hope abounds and Packers fans can entertain themselves endlessly imagining a new future with a new QB.
Then, there’s the mention of the “revitalized downtown” area. This clearly points to Rodgers absence, as well. When you don’t have a guy running around showing his toes to anyone who will look, things generally get better.
Finally, we have the “energy that may appeal to young families.” Rodgers is old. He’s still very talented, but undoubtedly old. In the real world, a 39-year-old like Rodgers is someone still in the prime of their life. But this is the NFL where running backs a day over 30 are deemed “washed” and time catches up with everyone not named Tom Brady. So for our purposes, Rodgers’ departure lent Green Bay a much more youthful exuberance.
We also have to look at the timing of Green Bay’s ascension. In 2020, when Rodgers-Packers drama was at an all-time high, vibes in Green Bay were at an all-time low. Accordingly, Green Bay didn’t even crack the top 10 of U.S. News & World Report’s list. But last year, when it became clearer and clearer that Rodgers was on his way out of Wisconsin, Green Bay jumped all the way to No. 3! Now that he's officially gone, the folks at U.S. News & World Report finally had the green light to bump the city into the top slot.
NFL
Luckily for New Yorkers, there’s lots to do to distract themselves when Rodgers inevitably becomes a distraction for the Jets. Hell, there’s even another football team to watch instead! In a much smaller town, however, one man clearly makes a big difference. So congrats Green Bay on moving forward without Rodgers, into a new frontier as a top-tier city in the nation.