10 Reasons Why I Love the Green Bay Packers

Hello, sports fans! Welcome back!

Today I’m diving into a question I get asked a lot. If you follow the blog or any of my social media accounts, you probably know that I am a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan. But what you might not know is WHY I am such a fanatic when it comes to all things Packers.

Other than the obvious, that I was born in Wisconsin, and raised in Packer-loving family, there are 10 really good reasons that I continue to support my team, even though I’ve now lived outside of Wisconsin for more than 30 years.

There is something truly special about the Packers!

Reason #1 – Lambeau Field (aka the Frozen Tundra)

Those who say the happiest place on earth is Disney World have obviously never been to Lambeau Field on a cold day in December, when the snow is falling and the crowd is chanting “Go Pack Go.” It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been fortunate enough to be there, but just thinking about it gives me goosebumps, and not the kind caused by the cold! That is truly magical!

Lambeau Field is home of the famous Ice Bowl and many other great games, and is one of the biggest “bucket list” stadiums in the NFL. It was dedicated in 1957, and only two other professional sports venues have been in continuous use longer than Lambeau: Boston’s Fenway Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

And just how cold is that Frozen Tundra? There have been 13 games played when the temperature at kick-off was 10° or colder (not counting the wind chill factor)!

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Reason #2 – The Fans

Home games at Lambeau Field have been sold out since 1959, including years when the team did not have a winning record. Packer fans are TRUE sports fan, and support their team win, lose or draw!

The wait list for season tickets is currently over 100,000 names long, with an estimated wait time of about 30 years after putting your name on the list. Yes, 30 YEARS! Fans put their newborn babies on the list, hoping they’ll make the cut sometime in their lifetime!

And Packers fans really are everywhere. I have lived in the southeastern United States for more than 30 years, the last 20 in Atlanta, and I frequently bump into other Packer fans, who are easy to spot in their green and gold, and always greet each other with a “Go Pack Go!”

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Reason #3 – The Lambeau Leap

One of my favorite traditions is the Lambeau Leap, where players leap into the waiting arms of the crowd after scoring a touchdown! The crowd is always happy to help those who need a boost, and are thrilled to see their favorite players up close and personal!

The tradition started in 1993 with when defensive back LeRoy Butler scored a touchdown against the Los Angeles Raiders on Dec. 26, giving the Packers a fourth-quarter lead, en route to a 28-0 shutout that clinched a playoff berth that season.

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Reason #4 – The Owners

How amazing is it that the Packer fans actually own the team, the only community-owned franchise in American professional sports?

Yours truly is one of the more than 300,000 stockholders!

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Reason #5 – The Cheesehead

A cheesehead is a unique piece of team spirit wear that is instantly recognizable anywhere. But did you know that the nickname started because Wisconsin is known as the dairy state, and is famous for it’s cheese?

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Reason #6 – The Lombardi Trophy

The Super Bowl trophy is named after legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi, who led the Packers to 5 league Championships, including the first 2 Super Bowls.

And there is a giant replica of that trophy in the atrium of Lambeau Field!

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Reason #7 – Championships

The Packers have the most league championships in the NFL with 13. They have four Super Bowls (1^st, 2^nd, 31^st, and 45^th) but 13 titles in total when you include earlier NFL championships.

Green Bay also is the only NFL team to win three straight titles, having done it twice (1929-30-31 and 1965-66-67).

Green Bay IS the leader of the Pack!

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Reason #8 – The Brett Favre Trade and the Aaron Rodgers Draft Pick

The Packers won Super Bowls I and II … and then had a long string of poor seasons. That is until 1991 when General Manager Ron Wolf pulled off one of the greatest coups of all time when he snagged Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons. Favre became one of the best quarterbacks ever, with multiple Pro Bowl appearances and MVP Awards, and winning Super Bowl XXXI.

And when Favre was ready to retire, Aaron Rodgers was waiting in the wings. The Packers didn’t need a quarterback in the 2005 draft, but snapped up Rodgers when he dropped down the draft board to No. 24 overall.

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Reason #9 – The Rivalries

The rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears is one of the Five Oldest Rivalries In Sports. The two clubs have  won a combined total of 22 NFL championships (13 for Green Bay and 9 for Chicago), including five Super Bowl championships (four for Green Bay and one for Chicago)!

It started in 1921, and the teams have now met 200 times! The Packers lead the series, 99–95–6

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Reason #10 – Shoveling snow at Lambeau

Packers fans answer the call to shovel snow off the Lambeau Field bleachers, when the team needs help clearing the stands for an upcoming game. The Packers provide the shovels and the fans, in turn, provide the muscle and  get paid $10 per hour for their efforts.

I wish I lived closer to Green Bay, because shoveling snow at Lambeau is on my bucket list!

What do you think? Are you ready to become a Packers fan, too?

Until next week,

Carrie