It may not be breaking any new ground to reveal I love sports. I think that is pretty evident. Nor is my love for the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago Cubs. Well we will be talking about those teams later on. Its Sunday and I am feeling kind of Sunday. In four months, football is BACK!
Spoiler alert. . . I am a Green Bay Packer fan. A big fan. All of my favorite teams were settled pretty much by the age of 2 or 3. I am asked often how a guy whose parents were from the south side of Chicagoland can like all Chicago teams except in football. Short answer, I was born into it.
On my Dad's side of the family-- Great Grandfather Utech settled the family into the states up in Wisconsin. My Grandfather went to Wisconsin Whitewater in the late 30s and became a Packer fan. My Dad was born into it. He went to College at St. Norbert's in DePere, Wi, a suburb of Green Bay. He was a Peanut vendor for The Packers on Sundays while going to college. My Great Uncle was the clock operator for the Pack at that time. So, I was born into being a Packer fan.
The 70s were not a great time to be a Packer fan. All of the guys in elementary were mainly Cowboy fans since they were always on tv, or Steeler fans since they were racking up super bowls. Green Bay was racking up losses. They did have a playoff season in '72 but otherwise nothing. 1978 I was pretty pumped, but a second half of the season collapse was climaxed by a damn tie to Fran Tarkenton and the Vikings. I was TICKED. no play-offs as the Vikings won the tiebreaker going 8-7-1. As a kid I really rode the highs and lows. mainly lows. Any glimpse of success, like the big trade for John Jefferson made me excited. I would play football int he backyard and try to emulate John Jefferson, James Lofton or my all-time favorite Packer, #24 Johnnie Gray.
In 1980, a story I have told before, but one of my favs was the Chester Marcol game. Packers-Bears wasn't on Tv, so we had to try to tune in WTMJ. . . a tough task in Newton Iowa. We listened to a staticy broadcast and in between crackles, the game went to Overtime and the packers were setting up for a field goal. I was practically groping the speaker in the living room trying to hear the outcome. That groping became a full on dry hump as it turned out that Alan Page had blocked the kick, but Chester got the rebound and raced to a game winning touchdown.
Funny how I cherish Packer Bear moments but in 1989 Majik Man to Sterling Sharpe in the instant replay game was great. The Packers went 10-6 that year but they lost a couple games they shouldve won and missed the play-offs.
Things were pretty bleak until Mike Holmgren and Ron Wolf started running things, and pieces such as Reggie White and Brett Favre came into the fold.
My one and only Packer game at Lambeau was in 2005. They lost to the Steelers, but seeing Brett Favre and having a moment walking out to the seats like rudy's dad in "rudy" was priceless. The Packer HOF is awesome and I recommend that to any fan of football. They got one touchdown (thanks Samkon Gado) and getting to hear Todd Rundgren was super.
When Suzy and I got together, she couldve chosen to be a fan of any team but admittedly, I am glad she chose the green and gold and her favorite player of Clay Matthews. A big selling point in getting Suzy to go to Hawaii with me to the Pro Bowl was to see Clay in person. Of course, as fate would have it, Green Bay made the super bowl and those players didn't travel to Oahu. Oh well we still proudly supported the Pack. Suzy got to see them in person for the first time this year against KC ( I can really pick em). But we had a blast.
The Packers have nabbed a couple trophies in my lifetime. I hope they have a couple more in them, but football is changing. Its becoming more like Arena football and the CFL. I hope Packer management rolls with it.
I hope everyone has a passion in their life that they can attach to. For me its sports. I will ride those waves of emotion and continue to cheer loud. Go Pack Go!
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