© 2011 Aaron Atkinson

Go Pack Go

A single green and yellow jersey hangs in a lonely corner of my closet. It was a present from my parents the year that No. 4 retired, for the first time.

I was eleven when I turned on the TV one Sunday after church and saw the Green Bay Packers playing. Over the course of the next couple of hours I was inducted into Packer fandom, and furthermore into theĀ Brett Favre fan club. Until that day I’d never followed football much, but after that first Lambeau Leap I was hooked. We still lived in Ontario at the time where the football of my homeland is a strange hybrid where a mere three downs creates a game akin to soccer with helmets.

When Favre un-retired for the first time I applauded his passion, his toughness, his consecutive starts streak. For a season I was both a Packers fan and a Favre fan. But his second un-retirement as a rivaled Minnesota Viking nailed the Favre coffin shut. My monogamous relationship with Green Bay was rekindled.

This season while I watched Green Bay play, ghosts of Lombardi stomped down the sideline. Injuries and close losses nearly closed the door on a playoff birth, but with their backs to the wall, the boys came to life. And this weekend, having beaten the rival Eagles, the streaking Falcons and the hated Bears, The Pack will represent their division in the Superbowl as the first NFC team to ever make it to the big game as a sixth seed. It’s going to be a night to remember when Green Bay steals the Superbowl victory and sends Pittsburgh and Roethlisberger home packing.

But win or lose, it’s safe to say thatĀ Aaron Rodgers has successfully sent the ghosts of Favre to join Lombardi as not-so-distant memories. And that in itself holds significant significance.

3 Comments

  1. Aaron Atkinson
    Posted February 4, 2011 at 5:11 pm | #

    Quote for the weekend: Think only of three things – your God, your family, and the Green Bay Packers — in that order. — Vince Lombardi

  2. Jimmy Jimmy
    Posted February 4, 2011 at 7:49 pm | #

    Aaron,
    I started rooting for Packers when I was 10 or 11 myself. The first book that I read cover to cover was “Instant Replay” by Jerry Kramer, the guard that Bart Starr went over to beat the Dallas Cowboys. It was called the “Million dollar block”. Then he picked up Vince Lombardi on his shoulders and carried him off the field. He would also become known for leading the famous “Packer sweep”. The last time the Packers won the SB, I listened to the game in the car travelling from your parents home to Canada in snow storm. So, my Cheeze head is ready and I’ll be cheering along with the many die hard supporters. Go PACK.

  3. Aaron Atkinson
    Posted February 7, 2011 at 4:33 am | #

    Whooo hooo! Superbowl 45 champions!!!! Go Pack go!

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