What A Game!
This has been a pretty special year so far, being a Packer Fan. On Tuesday, virtually everyone I came into contact with looked tired, with dark circles under their eyes. As we’re engaged in meetings or other conversations, there’s very little that needs to be said about our exhaustion. We were all up late watching our beloved Packers pull it out in OT, watching Brett Favre tease us with the greatness he displays periodically.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve always been an over-the-top Packer Fan. Ask anyone and they will tell you about my (sometimes) unhealthy allegiance to the green and gold. In college, my Sundays would be ruined if they lost. I was in a foul mood which probably, among other reasons, contributed to my single status throughout my college years. Luckily, the losses didn’t happen much back then.
In fact, one weekend in college, I was so upset about missing a game to go to a work function, I snuck in a walkman and got busted when I couldn’t keep it to myself when Sean Jones ran back a Viking fumble to break the game open. True story; and that situation came up during a reference check for a future job (albeit in a tongue-in-cheek manner).
I’ve grown since then, and hopefully grown up. The losses drip away more quickly now, and I’ve realized I can’t take my frustrations out on the family like I could roommates and other acquaintances. But, there’s always the Monday (or Tuesday!) morning quarterbacking sessions, dissecting where things went wrong or right. There’s a certain camaraderie that goes with being a fan, being present in the moment, agonizing over the losses or celebrating the wins.
In a world where we struggle to find common ground (just look at the Daily Herald message boards) it’s nice to know that you can strike up a conversation with virtually anyone regarding “the game” and for that fleeting moment, we’re all just fans, unbound by any hang-ups or preconceived notions (or post-conceived notions, I guess).
What other things (local or otherwise) draw people together like that? I’m interested to hear what you think.
Dino Corvino said:
I think that even more uniting is high school sports. Man you got to an everest football game, and its parents of kids and the buy in is insane.
I mean, one of the greatest joys for me watching pro football, and honestly I do not watch a lot, but when Brett threw that first touch down in the superbowl. That was an awesome display of joy.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:41 am #
stevek said:
The right live music at the right small venue can really bring people together like nothing else. I recall dancing like there was no tomorrow at the Pub when Tony Brown was in town. and I am NOT a dancer! I’m sure the absurd amount of spotted cow that I drank may have played a roll, but the whole place was sharing that great fun vibe. Good times.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:41 pm #
Melissa Sullivan said:
I don’t know if the Packers are always a uniting force. For the past couple of years, I’ve been on the wrong side of the ‘Brett Favre Is Over-rated’ argument. Much like my closeted Republican tendencies on some issues, it is something I am afraid to bring up in public for fear of inciting a mob.
Of course, this year I’m glad to have kept my mouth shut so often, because I’m pretty much looking like an idiot. (About Brett Favre, not politics).
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:35 am #
Barry Liss said:
Some of my favorite people have Republican tendencies! Some are even Packer fans!!
Barry
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:07 am #
danhunsanger said:
Go Pack!!!
What a great time to live in Wisconsin if you like football. The comradre that is present during a Packer game really is like nothing else you can experience around this part of the country. The only thing that can really ignite that same passion is when the Vikings or Bears are on and they are getting beat. I have gone places and said I am from Wisconsin and many people associate the Packers with this region. Let us not forget our state quarter almost had a big “G” on the back.
If you have not been to Lambeau for a game you are really missing something, even if you do not like football.
November 5th, 2007 at 6:41 am #
adamdonner said:
I am 18 years old right now and in college and I totally feel the same way you did while you were in college. If I miss one game or if the Packers or any Wisconsin sports team lose I get pretty bummed. I have to take off work every Sunday just so I don’t miss packer games. Not good. Anyways, I believe that just about all sports can bring people together. The NFL, or the Packers in particular, are a perfect example of this unity. Turn on your T.V. on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll see 75,000+ people crammed into Lambeau field. It’s amazing how much power the the Packers have on the entire state of Wisconsin. In every state and in just about every country in the world people come together to watch sports.
November 7th, 2007 at 3:18 pm #