Wisconsin is giddy with anticipation for Sunday's NFC Championship game against the New York Giants. If you know anything about Wisconsin, you know we love our Packers; today is the adult equivalent of waiting for Santa. Tomorrow, we will watch grey-haired Brett Favre (oldest quarterback in the NFL but with the spirit of an 8-year-old) lead his "kids" to victory at Lambeau. Whether or not Favre leaves any championship "gifts" though, he has already given us the gift of unity. This place is crazy these days; crazy with Packers fever.On any given day, we love the Green and Gold, but this week has been something else. At work, everyone is happy. Everywhere you go, people are talking about the game, speculating the price of tickets, sharing emails that idolize Brett, planning where they will watch the game. Tailgate parties, cookouts, family gatherings...the Packers bring us together as community like nothing else does. For better or for worse, Lambeau Field is the church that unites everyone in this area (and that unity extends beyond the football season.)
Today's Green Bay Press Gazette has a complete section devoted to the game tomorrow, and I read it cover-to-cover. Did you know that only five players on the team have ever played in a division championship game? These kids are PUMPED! I, too, am "amped," partly because I will not be at the stadium (I encouraged Mr.4444 to take The Boy, instead). It's going to be a maximum of four degrees (Farenheit) with a potential wind chill of 20 below zero; third coldest game in our 50 year history. (Perfect time to be unselfish about my ticket.) Mr.4444 plans to wear the following: underwear(duh), 2 pairs of long (thermal) underwear, sweatpants, and Carhart overalls. (He told me to write that he also plans to tie a string to his you-know-what, so that when he has to pee, he can find it through all the layers!HAHA)
Other random facts about tomorrow's game:
*This week, the Packers put out it's sixth call this season for snow shovelers. For $8.00 an hour, eager fans (including The Boy) lined up to shovel snow from the bleacher seats inside the stadium. (The Boy ended up leaving without a chance (they planned for 300 people, and he was apparently number 340).
*Brett is 3-0 in temps below zero, but these guys are planning to go bare-armed!
*The team practiced with frozen footballs this week (seriously; they had a freezer full of footballs at practice!)
*You may not take a large purse inside the stadium, but you will be allowed to bring blankets.
*The media has warned that consuming alcohol decreases the body's ability to stay warm. Guess this means some people will be going to the hospital tomorrow, and others will be experiencing their first sober game in years! I'm thinking this means we can NOT expect to see THIS tomorrow:
I'm so excited, I could SCREAM! :)
Well actually I have only been a fan for NCAA football, never the NFL, I mean sure I will go to the super bowl parties...only to partake in the delicious grub, and to watch the commercials...sorry I know...I am a disgrace! But tomorrow I will root on the Packers. I really enjoyed your post..it showed alot of excitement!!! Very nice of you to be unselfish, during such a big game for ya'll! That Mr 4444, very funny...now he must take in consideration the length of the string, he must not make it too short that would make him mumble in the bathroom "'now where is that string, just one little tug should do the trick" this will make people stare...If the string is too long, well he could trip over it, or catch it on someone's stadium seat...that will yank him about three steps backwards...and again people will stare...LOL tie a string to it...TOO FUNNY!
ReplyDeleteOur pre-game party starts at noon!
ReplyDeleteI'll be chipped and dipped to death!