Sometimes I feel a little foolish about it. I am sixty six years old and I have a hero who isn't even half my age.All of us that bleed the green and gold (or as I like to call it, more accurately color-wise: the spinach and the mustard) feel the same way about this man. We just plain love him unconditionally.
Oh, he's not perfect. In his younger days as a Packer he was one hell raiser. Remember "The Three Amigos"? Brett, his center and good pal "Bag of Donuts", and the man who ultimately lost his job because of his poor judgement around underage girls, Mark Chmura, would burn like a meteor across the north woods of Wisconsin during deer hunting season.
Tales abound of their taking over a Hayward tavern, Brett playing bartender, Chmura playing customer. Brett supposedly would pour himself a stiff shot, quaff it down in one fell swoop and then fire the empty shot glass at Mark, who would one-hand it at the far end of the bar.
His battle with vicodin is well documented. No. He is far from perfect.
He survived an auto accident durng his college days that would have killed most. He has lost relatives to accidents, and his dad, Irv, to a heart attack. His beautiful wife, Diana, has battled breast cancer
I don't think any of us from Wisconsin will ever forget the miraculous game he and the team played at Oakland the following night of his dad's death.
Through it all, we see a man of talent, strength, and character.
That is why I am just ssssssso excited about seeing him play twice this coming season. I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend Tom Johnson of New York City (via Superior, Wisconsin) who first talked me into going to one home game annually sarting in October of 2000.
We watched The Packers lose a close one to the Bears.
The following season, the country was still in shock from 9/11 when we attended a Monday night game against the Washington Redskins.
We continued to attend a game annually until the Packer/Giants game of October 3, 2004. Then "things" started getting in the way.
But we're back, baby! and because I am almost certain that this is Brett's final season, I am going over to the MECCA of football, The Frozen Tundra, the monument of monuments to the tradition of the National Football League, LAMBEAU FIELD, not once, but twice.
Kim and I toured the facility this past month. Shortly after that I ordered tickets for the Green Bay/Washington game of October 14. I am already excited about it!
As it is impossible to get a hotel in Green Bay on game day, I do a lot of scouting on the internet with nearby communities. Kim and I will be staying at a Ramada Inn in Oconto Falls, about 30 miles from the stadium.
I will be returning to Green Bay on November 18 with the guy that started it all, Mr. Tom Johnson, and I am bringing with me an infidel, Jay Moore, Carolina born and bred, who is, understandably, a Panther fan.
I consider it a sacred duty to take someone I like and has never even consider going to Lambeau, because, as Coach Madden once said: "Everybody should go to a game at Lambeau field at least once in their life." Oh well, Moore will have to do.
This trip we will be terrorizing the Fox Cities the night before. Yep. Terrorizing. For that old fart Jay Moore and me, that means having two beers with our pizza at Sammy's in Appleton and going back to the room to pass terminal gas.
Do you know how excited I am to be taking someone to a game that has never been there before??? I hope that sunday, November 18, dawns gray and snowy.
Jay Moore pay attention. Remember this word: LAYERING. Here's required dress for Lambeau after November 1st: 1. regular fruit of the loom cotton underwear 2. long underwear top, long underwear bottoms 3. cotton turtle neck in complimentary color to 4. authentic game jersey. green with white numerals for Packer fans; white with black-edged powder blue numerals for the Panther fan 5. blue jeans (we'd look pretty silly without pants!) 6. Choice of hoody sweat shirt in team colors, or team "letter" jacket 7. cap, or stocking cap w/ team colors 8. two pair socks. first pair snug, second pair comfortably loose
9. work boots, snow boots, or tennies if yer tough 10. Two piece rain suit (just in case)
This is proper attire for a "fan" as far as I am concerned. If you paint your face, I will handcuff you to the bar at The Stadium View!
Woooooooo-eeeeeeee! I am pumped!!!
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