What are the Packers?

[Tarlam!]

It's all about being associated with the team of choice, sport of choice. The word fan stems from fanatic.

I believe it goes back to our prehistoric days of when homo sapiens still lived in clans and tribes. These days we get to choose our clan, our tribe. Instead of fighting for hunting grounds our "fight" has become theoretical and our "clansmen" do combat on Sunday's.

Why we chose the Pack is irrelevant.

[oregonpackfan]

Besides being a football sports team they represent these things to me:

1. My family heritage--We all supported the Packers as a family.

2. My geographical heritage--Though I haven't lived in Wisconsin for 18 years, Wisconsin will always be my home. The Packers are a vital part of my home state loyalty.

3. The Packers are the "David" in the Pro Football world of "Goliaths." The city only has just 100,000 people. Most pro football teams come from cities with populations of half a million or more. Going back to the geographical heritage theme, the Packers are just as much a "state" team as they are a "Green Bay" team.

4. The Packers are not owned by a self-absorbed, meddling, multi-billionaire. They are the only publicly owned team in the country.

[texaspackerbacker]

It's the whole picture, but primarily, it's the team--and more specifically, the team winning.

To illustrate, there was a year in the 80s I think, when the NFL players were on strike. The league played its games with "scab" players--lower grade strike breaking players. As luck or good GMing would have it, the Packers had a pretty good scab team. I, and probably a distinct minority of fans, really got in to rooting for that scab team. Then the strike ended, and the real Packers came back. They were pretty crappy in comparison to the league, and didn't win like the scabs had. I wished the strike would have gone on all season--because THE PACKERS were winning--MY TEAM--never mind who in the hell the players actually were.

BTW, good question, gex.

[digitaldean]

It's the whole picture, but primarily, it's the team--and more specifically, the team winning.

To illustrate, there was a year in the 80s I think, when the NFL players were on strike. The league played its games with "scab" players--lower grade strike breaking players. As luck or good GMing would have it, the Packers had a pretty good scab team. I, and probably a distinct minority of fans, really got in to rooting for that scab team. Then the strike ended, and the real Packers came back. They were pretty crappy in comparison to the league, and didn't win like the scabs had. I wished the strike would have gone on all season--because THE PACKERS were winning--MY TEAM--never mind who in the hell the players actually were.

BTW, good question, gex.

I was at the last "replacement" player game (had Zendejas, Alan Risher at QB, etc.) These guys weren't terribly talented, but they won. I remember the crowd chanting "B Team!" at the end of the game. It was a nice respite from the losing wasteland that was the 80's.

[CaptainKickass]

I believe it goes back to our prehistoric days of when homo sapiens still lived in clans and tribes. These days we get to choose our clan, our tribe. Instead of fighting for hunting grounds our "fight" has become theoretical and our "clansmen" do combat on Sunday's.

BAM!


It's the entertainment equivalent of being in a gang. It's very tribal. As humans it's instinctual. It's the psychological pacifier for an instinct to protect "yours".

Man would not be man without it.

.

[gex]

Great responses. anymore/anyone.

[MOBB DEEP]

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