Cheeseheads: The Packers Die Hard Fans

Growing up an Indianapolis Colts fan, I never was able to see what a faithful and loyal fan base was until the Peyton-era. When you are winning, following a team is easy, fun, enjoyable. When things start to spiral it’s easy to switch alliances. I have always been a hometown team fan. If I am going to live somewhere, I feel the civic duty to follow the local teams. I can’t follow the local teams without really jumping all-in. So, when I moved to South Florida in 2014, I immediately jumped on the Dolphins bandwagon, bought season tickets, and started this journey as a fan. I still take crap from my family and friends. However, when the Green Bay Packers would come to town, whether in frigid cold Indianapolis, or to sunny South Florida, the Cheeseheads would start rolling in, and the Packers faithful would fill as much of the visiting stadium as possible. When Peyton was going for the TD passing record in the 2004 season, season ticket holders for the Colts were told to NOT sell their tickets through a third party as there was no way to control the massive amounts of Packers fans who would infiltrate Peyton’s special day in NFL history. Being at that game, the Packers faithful still filled the entire upper-deck creating somewhat of a Bowl Championship atmosphere like we see in college.

I was lucky enough to take the pilgrimage to Lambeau Field in 2018. It snowed the night before the Dolphins game. Their fan base is the best fan base in all of football. Cars line up to tailgate starting at 8am for a 8pm prime time game. If tailgating is not your scene, most locals gather in crowded bars to drink beer, eat cheese curds, and create a table gating scene that is unrivaled across the NFL. Need a hotel nearby on game day? Forget it, those are booked well in advanced. If you are lucky enough to stay at one of the houses across the street from Lambeau (Airbnb or Vrbo), be ready to spend thousands of dollars a night. The Cheeseheads control the entire city. Lambeau Field’s “capacity” is 81,441 people and the entire city of Green Bay, WI has a population of around 104,000 people. It is rumored that the entire population of Green Bay could fit into the stadium on game day, and I do not doubt it, and given the opportunity, the Cheeseheads would make it happen.

That’s why this year has been especially hard watching the Packers on this historic run. In the back of my mind all I can think about are the empty seats in the stadium, the empty houses across the street, empty tailgate lots, empty local bars/restaurants, etc. The economic impact of no fans at Lambeau Field has to be unfathomable. The only time this season where a fan truly felt like the game was different from the couch was a prime time football game at Lambeau Field. Cheeseheads are the heartbeat of the city, and anything without a heartbeat is DEAD!

The Packers continued to play superior football throughout the entire Covid-19 pandemic, and although they had multiple scares, they have seemed to be the most resilient franchise this season. Playing in front of zero fans in 2020, Rodgers, LaFleur and company have given the Cheeseheads everything they could dream of to start 2021. The Packers rolled through the NFC to secure the #1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. There’s no home-field advantage greater than home field advantage for the Cheeseheads. On top of that, 6,000 fans were able to attend the Divisional round, and 6,000 fans are expected to be in attendance this afternoon for the NFC Championship, Rodgers’ first home NFC Championship, nonetheless.

There is nothing more nostalgic than seeing the falling snow under the Lambeau Field Stadium lights during a home playoff game for the Packers. Now, it is time to see how Rodgers and the Pack will finish this historic, unprecedented season. For the Cheeseheads.

#GoPackGo

photcred: Madison.com