Shortly after her triumph at the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles arrived at the August 17 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears stadium to support her husband Jonathan Owens. However, she made the grave mistake of wearing Owens’ former team’s Green Bay Packers jacket to the game. After her move enraged Bears fans, Biles has corrected her course, as evidenced by her latest snaps.
Rally cyclist Skyler Windmiller’s wife Chelsea uploaded a series of images where Biles and Jonathan Owens appeared. In one of the snaps the couple took inside the Chicago Bears’ home stadium, Soldier Field, Biles didn’t make the same mistake. The seven-time Olympic gold medalist sported the team’s colors in the group photo.
In fact, the Chicago Bears player’s wife didn’t just wear the right jacket. Simone Biles wore a white and orange Bears jacket with matching white pants and black boots. However, the No. 36 jersey she wore underneath the jacket was a direct homage to her husband. Instead of wearing a generic Chicago Bears jersey with the jacket, Biles paid tribute to the safety, wearing his numbers.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
It seemed the eleven-time Olympic medalist wasn’t kidding when she admitted to buying “plenty of Bears gear,” after the mishap. “Don’t you worry, guys!” the defending world champion said in October. The intense backlash she received from the fans must have come as a shock. However, there’s good reason behind the impassioned response Biles received from the fans.
View this post on Instagram
The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have been rivals since 1921, and throughout the following century, that rivalry has only become more intense. Out of the 204 regular season games between the two sides, it’s the Packers who have the lead on their rivals, with 107 wins compared to Chicago’s 95.
While Simone Biles had already rectified her mistake by September, the custom 36 jersey may have taken a little longer to acquire. It’s only fitting considering how Jonathan Owens came to his wife’s defense during the backlash.
What’s your perspective on:
Is wearing a rival team's gear at a game a sports sin or just a fashion statement?
Have an interesting take?
How Jonathan Owens stood up for Simone Biles
The 30-time World Championship medalist wearing the Packer’s jacket became such a huge deal that the Bears’ YouTube channel host Lauren Screeden discussed the topic. “Can I get her a new jacket?” Screeden casually asked Jonathan Owens during an interview. So the former Green Bay Packers player took the opportunity to reveal the details.
“It was a last-second decision…” the 29-year-old told the host. Simone Biles had just returned from Paris, so she decided to attend the game on a whim. However, the three-time gold medalist at Paris 2024 didn’t have anything custom-made for the occasion other than the Packer’s jacket. “She’s like ‘Oh let me grab this it has his face all over’…” explained Owens.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“It wasn’t like intentional,” added the NFL safety. While getting generic merch wasn’t much of a hurdle, Biles wanted something that had a special touch. The Green Bay Pacers jacket had motifs of Owen’s printed all over it. However, little did she know that it would brew up a storm.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Thankfully, the Olympian won’t face that dilemma again, as she’s had plenty of time to get some custom-made Bears’ gear like the one she wore in the pictures. What did you make of Simone Biles’ Chicago Bears-inspired get-up? Write our views in the comments.
Have something to say?
Let the world know your perspective.
Debate
Is wearing a rival team's gear at a game a sports sin or just a fashion statement?