Justin Fields' jab about not much to do in Green Bay was all in good Packers-Bears week fun, but seriously, let's talk about that

Ahhh, the Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears rivalry. More than a century in, and it’s still the gift that keeps on giving.

We’re not even talking about what happens on the field. It’s the spirited back-and-forth in the week leading up to the game that really gets the juices flowing.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields went with an oldie but a goodie Wednesday when he took a swipe at Green Bay the NFL city, not Green Bay the NFL team, during a press conference ahead of Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.

“I know their fans are gonna be loud, cause there is not much else to do in Green Bay except watch football,” he told reporters. Judging by the laughter in the room, he killed it with that joke.

But if he was looking to get Green Bay folks all riled up, it’ll likely take more than that. Mostly, because we’ve heard that one before — a lot. It comes with the territory when you live in the smallest market in the NFL.

Of course, it generated some of the typical football trash talking you would expect from fans on both sides on social media. All good fun. There was also a tit-for-tat thread that if one city has not much to do, then the other city has nothing but crime. Obviously, neither is true. Sweeping generalizations seldom are.

A few people pointed out that Fields’ comment was rich coming from someone in a city that counts “a giant metal bean” — the 110-ton elliptical sculpture “Cloud Gate” sculpture, affectionately known as “The Bean” — among its most popular attractions.

For the record, Green Bay is home to the world’s biggest hex nut (10 feet!), courtesy of, yep, Packer Fastener.

At least one person on X humorously took the bait in stride: “I actually like to grill and drink beer while watching football, so that’s two more things right there.” Touché.

What people didn’t do is flood social media with examples of all the great things there are to do in Green Bay, not like they did when Olympic gymnast Simone Biles asked for local recommendations after her husband, safety Jonathan Owens, signed with the Packers last year. Maybe because her approach was a little kinder and gentler, or maybe people who live in Green Bay don’t feel the need to get offended by something they know isn’t true. That would make us look, well, kind of small town, right?

Do we have endless five-star restaurants, touring shows and museums, a Magnificent Mile of shopping, bunches of live music choices every night of every week? No, we do not.

But we have the Titletown District across from Lambeau Field. It’s one of the most magical places of winter with its skating rink, snow tubing hill and more than a half-million white lights.

We have the Resch Center, which recently hosted sold-out concerts by Luke Bryan and Hardy with Lainey Wilson. Chicago metal band Disturbed plays there later this month, and comedian Charlie Berens, who Bears fans might be familiar with (wink wink), is there in April.

We have the largest children’s garden in the state and one of the biggest in the Upper Midwest, with the opening of the Carol & Bruce Bell Children’s Garden at Green Bay Botanical Garden last spring.

We have the new $100 million Mulva Cultural Center, a state-of-the-art facility that opened last month in De Pere and will host major traveling exhibits residents would otherwise have to drive to Chicago or Minneapolis to see.

The Polar Express Train Ride at the National Railroad Museum that has has been selling out 12,000-plus tickets for 40 performances each Christmas season for years is the only such licensed event in Wisconsin. The next closest one is at — wait for it — Union Station in Chicago.

We have independent record stores and bookstores, wine bars, farmers markets, food trucks, art galleries, breweries (including one with rentable cocoons), orchestras, local and Broadway theater, ethnic restaurants, boutiques, bowling alleys (fight us), a cigar lounge, yada, yada, yada ... (Speaking of, Jerry Seinfeld is playing a sold-out show at The Weidner in April. It's not two nights at the United Center with Jim Gaffigan last November, but it's intimate and cozy.)

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Now if we’re also being 100% honest, Fields isn’t entirely wrong. Sometimes there isn’t a heckuva lot to do, or at least it feels that way, especially this time of year. To say the events calendar can be a little thin in January is an understatement, but hey, Mania The ABBA Tribute just had the disco ball twirling and a sold-out crowd giddily singing along to “Does Your Mother Know” at the Meyer Theatre on Wednesday. Make fun if you must.

Maybe you have to live in Green Bay to totally understand, but for many of us, we don’t necessarily need all the flashy amenities that come with living in a larger city. Maybe for everyone everywhere, their idea of things to do is relative to where they call home.

Ask around and people might tell you a cold Old Style at Lenny’s Tap, a walk with your dog on the Fox River State Trail, Friday fish at Maricque's week after week, cartoon brunch or a night of jazz at The Tarlton Theatre, taking the kids to see Tootie and Al at the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park, a game of cribbage at your favorite neighborhood bar, feeding the ducks at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary or being able to fire up the grill in your own backyard on a 30-degree January day all count as stuff to do.

But yes, on game weekends, watching football tends to steal the spotlight in Green Bay, and especially when it’s the Bears vs. Packers for the final game of the season with the playoffs on the line. No apologies for that — and no hard feelings, Justin.

Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 orkmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on X@KendraMeinert.