How can I update a blog, centered in Wisconsin without discussing the current euphoria that infects everyone here since the six-seeded Green Bay Packers beat the number one seeded Atlanta Falcons this last Saturday night. For any of my readers from outside the United States, I should explain that we are now passing through the so-called playoffs in American style football. The Green Bay Packers are a privately owned football team, owned by stockholders in Green Bay, Wisconsin, located on Lake Michigan about 2 hours north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My husband and I have had Season Tickets to the Packer games in Green Bay for about 15 years. These tickets are very much in demand; someone has to die so that packets of Season Tickets become available. They can't be sold, but can only be passed on to family in a will. Some members of the family attend at least a couple of these games each year up in Green Bay at the famous Lambeau Field. Well, anyway that is all anyone can talk about. The Packers played beautifully, both the offense and defense clicking precisely together. The opposing team was unable to mount much of an offense at all. It was one of the few games this year that was not a nailbiter. We viewers actually could relax knowing that the Packers had it in the bag.
Here are my three men, all hard core Packer fans, no matter where they live. In the background is the very famous Lambeau Field. My family is tailgating -- grilled tenderloin sandwichs which is the only way we ever go. (To explain to the out-of-country readers, everyone tailgates. That is we take various picnic fare and grill out, and eat and drink in the parking lot of Lambeau field and in multiple parking lots, and home yards that border the stadium.) For me this time of anticipation and socialization before the game is the most fun of the whole "football game" event.
Inside the famous Lambeau Field stuffed to the foundation with screaming Packer fans.
Next are scenes from inside Lambeau during a game with the Dallas Cowboys. We have seats on the 30 yard line, behind the opposing teams bench. Our seats are very good "heckle" seats. Our youngest son likes to heckle the opposing team members, but he is never mean about it, and often one of the team members will turn around and laugh at what my son says to them.
Well, now comes this exciting week. Our next opponent is the Chicago Bears, a team that being so close geographically to Green Bay has always been a strong rival to the Packers. These two teams have met 182 times over the years in regular season play. Many of the years one team is much better than the other and the games have not been so well played. Thus, over the last 10 years or so, that rivalry had become somewhat subdued. Then when our old quarterback, Brett Favre, ended up playing for the Minnesota Vikings, that team had become more of a rival. But now with the Bears seeded number one in our division and the Packers playing at their peak, the Bears/Packers rivalry is again in full swing. The two teams have only faced each other once before in post season play. That took place in 1941, just 2 weeks after Pearl Harbor. The Bears won. But that was 70 years ago and football was an entirely different game back then So I don't think there is any feeling of getting revenge for that game in the sports enthusiast's mind this time round. It is just our proximity and the fact that both teams are good that has everyone on both sides fired up. We are hearing today that the Las Vegas line has the Packers a 3 point favorite. I don't know why, but we'll take it. Today a radio talk show was playing on my car radio and a Chicago fan called in and wanted to know why "Da' Bears" were favored like that. The local talk host said, "Aw, here that. Those Bear fans are already whining." I say the guy had a lot of guts to call into a Packer backer radio station.
Well, everyone is clearing their schedules for next Sunday for the game. Grocery stores stock up on party fare, and liquor stores stock up on all the necessary beverages and ice. Restaurants and bars are setting up parties and organizing reservations. Other stores probably might as well shut down. (In fact I heard on the news today that Colders' Furniture Stores will all be closed next Sunday; the staff asked if they could be off for the game. I'll bet most stores cut their staff down during the hours of the game. A lot of people hold parties in their home; others just want to be at home in their own living room where they can watch the game with total attention and not be disturbed by others comments. Every one has his own preferences for enjoying the football games. The winner of this Green Bay/Chicago Bears rivalry will go on to the SuperBowl against the winner between the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Super Bowl will be played on February 5, 2011. Wow, it doesn't seem possible that our Green Bay Packers have a good chance of being in Dallas for the Super Bowl in Feb. Go Pack!
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