Simone Biles is no stranger to online bullying as she received immense criticism for Tokyo Olympics ‘twisties’ in 2021. However, despite redeeming herself in Paris with three gold and a silver, the 27-year-old faced backlash again. On Aug just 17, the gymnastics GOAT rolled up Chicago Bears fans during a pre-season game. Why? Because the Olympian wore a jacket with Green Bay Packers motifs.

While the Bears backers came at the Olympian, she didn’t mean to offend the fans of her husband’s team. Jonathan Ownes played for the Packers last season. A closer inspection of the jacket revealed that the motifs were images of Owens in his no. 34 jersey. However, the eleven-time Olympic medalist told TMZ she won’t be walking into a Bears game wearing Packers’ merch.

“Yes, I have plenty [of Bears gear] now… So, don’t you worry, guys!” Simone Biles told TMZ Sports. However, the fact that the Olympic legend once again faced questions about the Bears-Packers jersey drama didn’t sit well with fans. Many were surprised how the online Chicago Bears fanbase ignored that what she wore was a tribute to Jonathan Ownes.

“Damn. Leave her alone!!!!” commented an X user. The user was surprised that the Olympic gold medalist still had to justify her wardrobe choices to avoid bullying. The fact that Biles had to address the question right after leaving the Global Summit on Women’s Mental Health only added a layer of irony to the situation. Yet, why did such a seemly trivial thing become so serious?

Many might struggle to see why Simone Biles wearing another team’s jersey to a pre-season game might cause such uproar. However, wearing the Green Bay Packers colors to a Chicago Bears stadium was nothing but trivial to the fans of either NFL team. In fact, starting in 1921, the Bears vs. Packers rivalry is generations old and among the deepest rivalries in NFL history.

The Green Bay Packers have dominated their rivals since the early 1990s. In January Forbes reported that in these three decades, the Packers have won 50 games against their arch-rivals, while the Bears only managed to win 15. So it’s not surprising why Simone Biles wearing the jacket upset the entire Monsters of the Midway fanbase. However, that doesn’t mean Biles’ supporters didn’t take offense.

Simone Biles fans stood beside their icon

Jonathan Owens took time out of his schedule to cheer for his wife at Paris 2024. Ownes and Biles are incredibly supportive of one another as a couple who strive to achieve greatness in their respective sports. The 27-year-old attends her husband’s games and after his gesture in Paris, she wanted to be there at the pre-season game.

However, the world champion had very little time between the Olympics ending and the Owens game on August 17th. Hence, Simone Biles may not have found enough time to pick up any Chicago Bears merch. So the fans defended her wardrobe choice. “Leave Simone alone, she can wear whatever she wants. Real Talk.” commented one X-user

The fact that she has already remedied the situation only reinforces the fact that her choice was not intentional. Meanwhile, one fan couldn’t wrap their head around why it was such a big deal. The netizen presented their argument using the nationwide fan following of a popular NBA team. “Do they really have to police everything?” asked the individual.

“How many Lakers fans are there in the country with cities that have a home team?” the fan asked trying to understand why Simen Biles faced such harsh backlash. Meanwhile, another fan hoped to explain the intensity of the rivalry between the two teams and their passionate fanbase. “That’s one rivalry you don’t mess with.” said the X-user.

“I’m surprised these 2 neighboring states haven’t gone to war over it.” said the fan. While the two fan bases may not physically brawl with one another, after a century of rivalry, they do not shy away from waring with words. Unfortunately, Simone Biles got caught in the crossfire. That’s why some fans thought that the gymnastics GOAT “started off on the wrong feet in Chicago.”

However, despite the initial backlash, the thirty-time world championship medalist medalist didn’t seem to take it to heart. Instead of lashing out at her critics, the Olympian simply chose to respect the sentiment of the Chicago Bears fans. After all, the preseason game was the first of many that the gymnast will attend to cheer for her husband.