steelers fan by birth, packers fan by choice
For reasons I won't bore you with, I'm unreasonably cranky today. But I promised to tell you why I [heart] the Packers, and I haven't posted since last week. So here we are.
Has this ever happened to you? You're sitting in front of the television on your couch or futon or barstool, enjoying a playoff game for your favorite professional team sport. Then, the director of the network telecast makes the unforgivable move of cutting to camera B, marring your viewing pleasure with the sudden on-screen appearance of the team owner. You know, the guy who looks like a 1920s movie caricature of a bloated, evil, greedy factory owner. He's the only guy in the stadium wearing one of those blue dress shirts with a white collar and French cuffs. And he just looks so ... rich. And privileged. And Republican. And oogie. (Redundant? Sorry.)
Seeing The Owner jostles you out of your willing suspension of disbelief (The players are loyal to the team, the city, and the fans! The obscene salaries and ticket prices haven't ruined the sport! It's ok that some of the mascots and rally cries are grossly offensive to Native Americans!) and reminds you that you're not just watching some fun, dumb sport, that instead you're watching exactly what is wrong with this country. You start thinking that our particular brand of you-can't-be-too-rich-or-too-selfish capitalism is ruining the planet and that when The Revolution starts.... Well, maybe that last part only happens to me. But you get the idea.
So, have you ever noticed that the television networks never cut to the oogie cuff-linked guy in a luxury box in Lambeau Field? That's because the Green Bay Packers have 111,507 owners. The team is a publicly owned, non-profit corporation. The owners = the stockholders = the fans. It's as close to Communism as you'll get in the NFL. That also explains how tiny Green Bay, Wisconsin, a city of 100,000, has been able to remain the home of the Packers while other teams have jumped from city to city looking for the highest bidder, the sweetest deal, the newest stadium. Good for you, Green Bay!
Another reason I [heart] the Packers? Apparently it's a training camp tradition for little kids to take their bikes to Lambeau Field in hopes of getting a player to ride it. Instead of walking to the practice field, some of the players will hop on a young fan's bike, with the kid riding double or happily trotting alongside. How cute it that? I have to admit that I'd probably still have my yellow banana-seated 1976 girly bike if Lynn Swan or Franco Harris had once pedaled it to practice.
Unfortunately, the Packers lost to the Vikings today (no, that's not why I'm cranky), so I'll just have to wait until next season to contemplate becoming a true Packer Backer by purchasing stock and wearing one of those ridiculous cheese wedges on my head during games.
Has this ever happened to you? You're sitting in front of the television on your couch or futon or barstool, enjoying a playoff game for your favorite professional team sport. Then, the director of the network telecast makes the unforgivable move of cutting to camera B, marring your viewing pleasure with the sudden on-screen appearance of the team owner. You know, the guy who looks like a 1920s movie caricature of a bloated, evil, greedy factory owner. He's the only guy in the stadium wearing one of those blue dress shirts with a white collar and French cuffs. And he just looks so ... rich. And privileged. And Republican. And oogie. (Redundant? Sorry.)
Seeing The Owner jostles you out of your willing suspension of disbelief (The players are loyal to the team, the city, and the fans! The obscene salaries and ticket prices haven't ruined the sport! It's ok that some of the mascots and rally cries are grossly offensive to Native Americans!) and reminds you that you're not just watching some fun, dumb sport, that instead you're watching exactly what is wrong with this country. You start thinking that our particular brand of you-can't-be-too-rich-or-too-selfish capitalism is ruining the planet and that when The Revolution starts.... Well, maybe that last part only happens to me. But you get the idea.
So, have you ever noticed that the television networks never cut to the oogie cuff-linked guy in a luxury box in Lambeau Field? That's because the Green Bay Packers have 111,507 owners. The team is a publicly owned, non-profit corporation. The owners = the stockholders = the fans. It's as close to Communism as you'll get in the NFL. That also explains how tiny Green Bay, Wisconsin, a city of 100,000, has been able to remain the home of the Packers while other teams have jumped from city to city looking for the highest bidder, the sweetest deal, the newest stadium. Good for you, Green Bay!
Another reason I [heart] the Packers? Apparently it's a training camp tradition for little kids to take their bikes to Lambeau Field in hopes of getting a player to ride it. Instead of walking to the practice field, some of the players will hop on a young fan's bike, with the kid riding double or happily trotting alongside. How cute it that? I have to admit that I'd probably still have my yellow banana-seated 1976 girly bike if Lynn Swan or Franco Harris had once pedaled it to practice.
Unfortunately, the Packers lost to the Vikings today (no, that's not why I'm cranky), so I'll just have to wait until next season to contemplate becoming a true Packer Backer by purchasing stock and wearing one of those ridiculous cheese wedges on my head during games.
posted by D of D&K at 10:06 PM
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