How Did You Become a Packer Fan?

[pbmax]

So, you rooted for Clay Matthews, Jr. before rooting for CM3. Interesting, I didn't know that. Did you ever see a game at old Municipal Stadium? So, when the Packers beat the Ravens last year; was that doubly sweet for you?

I did, though I thought Chip Banks was better for a year or two Clay III's Dad didn't look like a pass rusher in 3-4 right away and I think he played 4-3 prior to Schottenheimer getting hired.

I don't really resent the Ravens, thought that leaving the team history behind was a pretty solid compromise. Bob Irsay made Art Modell look like a cherub.

Modell was in a bad position but some of it was of his own making. In trying to upgrade his position and the stadium, he got involved in the Board that ran Municipal Stadium (yes, I attended games there). That Board was a poor investment and from that point forward, Modell sought to make himself whole financially. That made negotiations problematic.

Now whether this was legit or he was playing one side of the equation against the other is the subject of a lot of debate. I think he still had a hand in the Stadium Board when the final nail went into the coffin. What is beyond debate is that when the Indians got a deal to build Jacobs Field, he found his position worse.

If he still owned a percentage, he stood to lose an important client, more money and had no momentum to get the football only stadium off the board. But even if he had divested himself of the Stadium deal, he was in a worse position coming in second to the Indians when it came time to get public money. It also became a very public pissing match.

[texaspackerbacker]

I was born in Janesville, WI in 1966 toward the tail-end of the Lombardi dynasty. I grew up surrounded by relatives who had the pleasure of living through that time in Packers history, and would tell stories of what it was like.

My earliest memory of anything Packers was 1975, which was during a very tough stretch in team history. It was Bart Starr's first year as a head coach, and the team had just survived the Dan Devine era, which started with promise and ended in misery. http://www.packershistory.net/1975PACKERS.html

The first game that I recall is being at my Uncle Bill's house near Fort Atkinson, WI at a family gathering. October 19, 1975 the now down-trodden Packers defeated the undefeated Dallas Cowboys in Texas Stadium 19-17. That was a happy day at Uncle Bill's house for sure, and I was a fan for life, but more dark times lay ahead for us Packer fans, with glimmers of hope in two different parts of the 1980's.

While I have toured Lambeau Field and the Packers HOF twice, the only time I attended a game was a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the dismal 2005 season.

I now live near Raleigh, NC and my 10 year son started following the Packers in 2010 when they won the Super Bowl. I told him about how different our experiences were starting out as Packer fans, and how fortunate he was to start following the team at such a great time in franchise history.

I'd love to hear from all the Packerrats as to how they got started as Packer fans, perhaps your first game memory, etc.

No shit? Janesville? I graduated from high school there in June 1965. Your weren't born in March of '66, were you? Your mother wasn't named ........... no it can't be ......... never mind.

[texaspackerbacker]

I remember pre-Lombardi days - I was about 7 years old and listening to the Packers on the radio - Tobin Rote at QB, Breezy Reid, Fred Cone, Bobby Dillon, Billy Howton, Bill Forrester, Dave Hanner before he was called "Hawg", etc. About the second year I was a fan, Madison got its CBS TV station, and I could actually SEE the Packers. Before that, the only games we could get were the Bears on the Rockford channel. Those were dark days, but I had the privilege of being in high school and college during the great years leading up to and including the first two Super Bowls.

[Carolina_Packer]

No shit? Janesville? I graduated from high school there in June 1965. Your weren't born in March of '66, were you? Your mother wasn't named ........... no it can't be ......... never mind.

Dad?! Nah, my Mom and Dad graduated from Fort Atkinson High School together in 1954, and by the time I came along, they already had 3 of their 5 kids and we were living in Edgerton. Long shot question, but I had an Uncle (Marvin Hauser) who taught in the Janesville school system. I can't recall if he was at Craig or not. Did you possibly know him? Great guy, now passed on. He was a tremendous Packer backer.

[Just Jeff]

You're from aurora? I use to live in batavia

Did i already know this?

And my dads side of the family is from mosinee. Go figure

I was a birther. Never knew anyting but being a packer fan

Marmion grad here. You?

[Cheesehead Craig]

Birther. Grew up in Burlington, WI.

[Guiness]

Being from Canada, I was introduced to the Packers relatively late in life! In the space of a few years, I made two trips to Wisconsin to install some equipment, on to Sargento cheese in Plymouth, another to a window manufacturer in Wasau. Both times was during football season, and the love for the team was infectious!

I was in Plymouth on 'Bear' week-end, and went to a little restaurant...there was a sign on the door that said "We reserve the right not to serve immigrants and FIBs". I asked the waitress, a girl that was maybe all of 18, what an FIB was. She answered with a straight face, no indication she was kidding at all! I though it was hilarious.

My first football love was the Edmonton Eskimos, during their amazing run of five straight Grey Cups led by Warren Moon.

[Patler]

I got interested when they drafted Russ Letlow.

[Zool]

Tomah

[pbmax]

I got interested when they drafted Russ Letlow.

Former hockey prodigy?

[QBME]

Raised in Waukesha County in the shadow of St. Vincent of Lombardi. Now reside in St. Charles, IL, just up the river from Batavia & Aurora.

Small world Packer fan story involving the picture of the little girl at training camp last week who is holding DuJuan Harris' hand while he carries her little pink bike with training wheels - turns out she is the 3 year old daughter of a bartender who works at a golf club in St. Charles I belong to. He was bursting with excitement when he showed me the photo and told me the story over the weekend.

[Joemailman]

I got interested when they drafted Russ Letlow.

First Packer draft pick ever. Curly should have traded up and drafted Joe Stydahar.

[denverYooper]

I was born and raised in Tilden Township. Some were Packers, some were Lions, and a few were Bears.

My parents just raised me right, even though I was born during the lean years.

[hoosier]

Grew up in Madison. After watching SB XII I was tempted by fate to become a Cowboys fan, but was soon set straight by those Packer teams of the early 80s, with Lynn Dickey, James Lofton, Paul Coffman and a whole lot of nothing on defense.

[Bossman641]

Parents both grew up in the Dells with my dad's side having tickets to the Milwaukee games. Think I went to my first game when I was 6 or 7.

Interesting to see all the ties to the western suburbs. I was born and raised in Rockford myself, but have been in Warrenville/Naperville for a few years now since moving here for my wife.