Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell knows what it’s like to be hated in Wisconsin, but he also doesn’t think that Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is right there with him when it comes to the level of hate from sports fans in the state.
Asked who would get louder boos in Wisconsin between him and Johnson, Counsell said, “He’s catching up, isn’t he?”
The 55-year-old Counsell was joking of course. However, it’s no secret that many in Wisconsin did not like his decision to take his managerial talents to Milwaukee’s hated rivals in the National League Central Division, the Cubs, after serving that role for the Brewers for several years.
https://twitter.com/thescorechicago/status/2012294082769420700
Ex-Brewers skipper Counsell has thoughts on Bears’ Johnson
Johnson has further annoyed Green Bay’s fanbase with his shenanigans following the Bears’ 31-27 win over Jordan Love and company in the NFC Wild Card Round at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Counsell managed the Brew Crew for nine seasons from 2015 to 2023, and during that time, Milwaukee reached the MLB playoffs seven times and went as far as the National League Championship Series once (in 2018).
In 2023, Counsell signed a five-year contract with the Cubs, who won 83 games and missed the postseason in his first year on the job. But in 2025, Chicago recorded a total of 83 games and made the playoffs. However, the Brewers eliminated them in the NL Divisional Series. As for Milwaukee, it got swept in the NLCS by the eventual World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
