Everyone probably has a few exciting stories to tell from break, but since I have the privilege of writing this column, I get to tell mine. Jan. 4, three of my childhood friends joined me for a trip to a local bar/restaurant near my home outside of Milwaukee. One of my friends in the group had to return to school the next day, and it was the last all of us could see of each other for a while.
A special event was also happening that afternoon. Hero-turned-villain Mike Holmgren brought his Seattle Seahawks to face the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the National Football League playoffs, and we certainly could not miss that. We shared stories and enjoyed the game, screaming one moment and cheering the next.
After a missed field goal, we sat on the edge of our seats as overtime began, our stomachs churning from the drama of the game and the 10-cent buffalo wings we consumed earlier. Then, once again, the football gods smiled as Packer cornerback Al Harris returned an interception 52 yards to pay dirt, winning the game. In case any of us needed a reminder that it was just another Sunday afternoon in Wisconsin, the first snowstorm of the season began as we said our goodbyes and drove off.
That was the highlight of my break.
OK, I’ll admit it — I live a rather boring life. Engineering school has a way of doing that to a person after awhile. But regardless of my personal life, one must admit that the Packers have a special place in the hearts of many Wisconsinites.
I never fully appreciated how much the Packers mean to this state until I had the opportunity to spend several months in Green Bay on an internship. On my last day in town, I finally attended my first game, a preseason game on Monday night. As I left the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Oneida Street, I fought traffic all the way back to the freeway, and as I entered downtown Milwaukee well past midnight, very few cars had disappeared. Sure enough, I found myself in a mini traffic jam. Only in Wisconsin could preseason football games cause midnight traffic jams more than 100 miles away.
Even more amazing is the fact that an NFL team so rich in history and greatness calls Green Bay, Wis., home. As a town with half the population of Madison and a few paper mills to make up its skyline, Green Bay undoubtedly holds a unique place in the world of professional sports.
The Packers’ greatness started in the ’30s as a few thousand fans watched Don Hutson and team founder/head coach Curly Lambeau literally reinvent the game at City Stadium on the east side. In the ’60s, including the famous “Ice Bowl” in December 1967, fans watched Vince Lombardi resurrect the team to greatness at Lambeau Field on the west side.
Today, thousands of fans in Green Bay, and many more on television, watch Brett Favre dominate the game. Favre, whom fans will undoubtedly remember as one of the most important players in Packer history, second only perhaps to Hutson, leads or ranks highly in virtually every NFL lifetime statistic list for quarterbacks.
However, Favre also serves as a microcosm of what has made the Packers great. He has overcome many personal struggles and weaknesses, including alcohol and drug addictions, to achieve success. Two simple things motivate him: doing the right thing and the desire for greatness.
“The players love playing for a guy like him,” former Packer Paul Hornung said in an interview with ESPN Classic’s SportsCentury. “He’s the consummate leader with the toughness to go with the talent.”
The fans love him, too. Take a poll among casual Packer fans, and in most cases, they will quickly name Brett Favre as their reason for following the team. In fact, even among football fans in general, Favre enjoys enormous levels of respect, as became quite clear when the Packers faced the Oakland Raiders and their notoriously hostile crowd.
Everyone has different reasons for watching Brett Favre and the Packers. Some fans enjoy the refreshing sportsmanlike attitude sometimes missing on other teams. For other Packer backers, the present team is a reminder of the Packers’ greatness in the recent past and hope for greatness to come. For others, it means quality time with family and friends. For my friends and me that Sunday afternoon, it was exactly that.
Mark Baumgardner ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in engineering.
