Rival Hires Guy Fired Over Packers Tie

Boss sends John Stone packing, cites Bears-related advertising

(NEWSER) - A Chicago man who wore a Green Bay Packers tie to work yesterday was sacked for it, the Tribune reports. John Stone, a salesman at a Chevrolet dealership, says he donned the tie in honor of his grandmother, a Packers fan who was buried on Friday. His boss told him if he didn’t remove it, he’d lose his job; Stone took it as a joke, he says. More»

The 21-14 win means Green Bay will face New York or Pittsburgh

(AP) - Aaron Rodgers ran for a touchdown and made a saving tackle, BJ Raji returned an interception for a score and Sam Shields had two interceptions to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears in today's NFC championship game. The victory sends the Packers to the Super Bowl in Dallas to meet the winner of the New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers AFC title game later today. More»

Local-team upsets match to an 8% upswing in abuse

(NEWSER) - Losses by local NFL teams may trigger episodes of domestic violence among their fans, a new study suggests. Researchers examined domestic violence reports in 1995-2006 and found that upsets of home teams matched up with an 8% bump in incidents of domestic violence. The surge in violence almost doubled when traditional rivals, such the Bears and Packers, squared off. More»

Lions have worst record at 0-16

(NEWSER) - The Detroit Lions today achieved the perfect record that last season eluded the New England Patriots—only perfectly losing at 0-16, reports the AP. In other NFL games:

• The Minnesota Vikings secured their place in the playoffs as a walk-off field goal from Ryan Longwell put them 20-19 over the Giants.
• A year after finishing 1-15, Miami clinched the AFC East title with a 24-17 win over Brett Favre and the Jets.
• Philly clinched an improbable playoff berth, plowing over Dallas 44-6.

Jets beat Rams 47-3 in record-setting rout

(NEWSER) - The Tennessee Titans secured a stunning 9-0 record today and the Indianapolis Colts stole a much-needed win in NFL action:

• The Titans overcame a franchise-low 20-yard rushing game to beat the Chicago Bears 21-14 and stay undefeated, the AP reports.
• Peyton Manning tossed three TD passes in a 24-20 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers—the last with 3:04 to go, after Ben Roethlisberger's second interception, USA Today reports.