My First Packers

The smell of breakfast cooking awakened me the day I would go to my first Packers game. It was a cool, overcast October morning when my Father and I would make the drive from Davenport, Iowa to Green Bay, Wisconsin to watch our beloved Packers play the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings had a familiar player on their roster, Brett Farve, who would end up playing his final game in Lambaeau Field that night. The Packers were moving on from the Farve era, finding talent in their young quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers would lead the Packers to a Super Bowl win later that season. With the sound of the radio airing the pregame show, my Father and I were on the road at last. The four-hour drive felt more like six, as my legs felt increasingly sorer

as each hour passed. Despite the soreness, I ate my over salted french fires from a fast food restaurant eagerly anticipating the game.
We Finally arrived in Green Bay. As we pulled in front of Lambeau, the sea of green and gold tents filled with tailgaters made me fill with excitement. As we got out of our car, you could smell the brats and hot dogs being cooked on grills in the parking lot of the stadium. Walking around the parking lot, the tailgating is an event in itself, with everyone enjoying themselves prior to the game. I remember going to the locker room entrance, where the players enter the stadium for the game. I recall some players pulling up in luxury vehicles, while others were dropped off by their wives. Only being in sixth grade, it was cool to only be a few feet from some of your favorite football players, and is still one of my favorite memories of the game today. As the sun began to set, it was time to enter the stadium.
It may be because I was younger, but Lambeau field looked much bigger in person than on television.

The bright stadium lights shined down on the players as they warmed up. The players looked tiny compared to their surroundings. The stadium was gradually beginning to fill, which added to the anticipation of kick off. At last, the teams ran out of their tunnels for the start of the game. Brett Favre was greeted with a thunderous chant of boos, as the fans did not like that he had chosen to play for a rival team after retiring for the second time. The boos turned to cheers as the Packers were introduced. Ironically, my Dad and I were surrounded by Vikings fans. Despite cheering for the rival team, they were very friendly and even took a picture of my Dad and me. The first quarter had begun, and the fun was just beginning.
The game was neck and neck, as the first quarter ended in a tie. I remember the crowd going dead silent when Aaron Rodgers and the offense were out on the field, and getting very loud when the Packers defense took the field. Whenever the Vikings were on third down, they would play the famous “go pack go” chant over the P.A. system. This increased my already over-the-top excitement. Going into halftime, the Vikings scored a field goal to take the lead by three. Everyone, including myself felt tense. But knowing there was still a whole half to go, the Packers could easily come

back.
The third quarter went back and forth yet again. The Packers scored initially, however the Vikings answered. The Packers answered right back as the game went into the fourth quarter. In the final minute of the game, the Vikings had an opportunity to win it all. Brett Farve threw a touchdown pass to the back of the end zone, but his receiver only had one foot in bounds. I recall the sigh of relief I had, knowing that the Packers holding them meant we won the game. As we exited the stadium, I remember chanting “go pack go” with hundreds of other Packers fans. There was nothing better than the feeling of seeing the Packers win your first time seeing them in person. We didn’t get back to Davenport until about five in the morning, so my parents let me skip school the following day. With a bag full of souvenirs, I went up to my bedroom and went to sleep knowing I just had the greatest experience of my life.