Why You Love Football...........?

[woodbuck27]

I grew up addicted to playing sports and as a result of that hanging with "the Boys" at the local store. While waiting for the girls to come chasing, we poked dimes/quarters into the juke box, ate treats and slammed one another over OUR favourite teams and personal Hero's.

Back then most "of the Boys" followed...baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. I was a Milwaukee Brave fan (HERO - Hammerin' Hank Aaron)and rooted for the Leafs and Frank ' the Big M ' Mahovlich as my HERO in Hockey.

The Braves had back to back World Series with "the hated Yankees" in 1957-58, and I discovered that there was this NFL team located in some obscure place named Green Bay, in the same State as the Milwaukee Braves called HOME.

The Packers wern't very good back then, but in 1959 it began to change.

Some fella named Vince Lombardi became the new HC and GM of " the Packers ". That name also attracted me, as in Saint John, New Brunswick,Canada... I loved to root for a local softball team named the Canada Packers (a meat processing Company sponsored team, in the Allied Industrial Softball League in " the Surf City ").

That was my root connection to " the Packers ", and their participation in the NFL. Well you all know of ( lump in my throat now) the Packers of the 1960's. What a ride !

I was hooked despite so so long a wait between Super Bowls I and II and for WOLF - Holmgren - Favre and then Reggie White (and his friend TE Keith Jackson who helped to seal the deal) along with so many more players, that GM RON WOLF acquired, to produce the Super Bowl XXXI Champion GREEN BAY PACKERS.

Finally OUR THIRD Championship. What a long long wait and I never stopped hoping and waiting until I saw Favre and I said to myself...YES! We have a real chance. Getting Reggie White really set that possibility up for (inside of) me.

So why am I " a Packer and NFL fan" of passion?

It suits me perfectly. I am still that boy back in the Old neighborhood. I still love my Packers and have my HERO and I'm so prowd to proclaim that is Brett Favre.

BRETT FAVRE. He is a magnificent HERO. The REAL SHIT.

From Henry Aaron to Frank Mahovlich (The Toronto Maple Leafs - Detroit Red Wings - The Montreal Canadians) and onto Guy Lafleur (the Montreal Canadians - les Habitant's or Habs). . .it was a dry spell for me to choose a HERO.

That choice became BRETT FAVRE.

Finally the Leader that my NFL Team "the Packers" had been waiting for, for two and a half decades since Bart Starr. Brett Favre, that wildly exciting and amazingly gifted of arm and desire and competitive spirit.. " boy to Man" as OUR QB.

He had finally arrived... ala Moses.

Not many things have ever drawn as much overwhelming passion from me as things Brett Favre. BRETT FAVRE is easily my choice as my ALL TIME SPORTS HERO. Look at who I compare him to, to get some proper perspective.

Aaron - Mahovlich - Lafleur all truly (unarguably) GREAT PRO Athletes.. compared to their peers ALL TIME.

ALL three of these MEN with TOP of the Class skills and talent. ALL three of these former HERO's make either First, Second or Third Team ALL STARS - ALL TIME in their discipline.

I hold Breet Favre above those three.

So BRETT FAVRE has made it really easy to get through the last 14-15 seasons as " a PACKER and NFL fan".

So what adds to the juice?

I've always been a Statistics junkey, having always particpated in hockey pools all my adult life. Continuing as a baseball and hockey fan. In BB it's always been "the Celtics" and well that is becoming a long wait as well. My last favourite player there was the incomparible and like Favre like competitor Larry Bird. Yet he never established HERO status inside of me.

I love Mathematics and Science and am analitical naturally. I've had an entire career based on my analytical, mathematical skills and troubleshooting skills and attention to being organized and detailed when it's absolutely necessary.

The NFL as a PRO Sport is really so analytical and statisticaly based in measurement to serve as a means of evaluation. Personality also plays a big part and what have we but some 1700-1800 NFL players making and coming on and off 53-man rosters.

This makes staying on top of the NFL incredibly challenging. Based in reading alot and absorbing it all to break it down and compare to make decisions and understand realities.

When I analyze I remove all emotion from the question.

When I have to deal with the Green Bay Packers and their marvelous and mature LEADER Brett Favre... the emotion overcomes me at times.Too many years a Packer fan.

The GLORY yes. . .but Oh Oh Oh . . " THE PAIN " that will lead us back to... " THE GLORY ", as provisions and circumstances fit... as parameters meet.

I LOVE THE GREEN BAY PACKERS and BRETT FAVRE.

[woodbuck27]

Honestly, I don't know why I love professional football. It's annoyingly complicated with all of its crazy rules. It's a game where a few weak links can bring down a whole team. Its players are WAY overpaid for the level of entertainment they provide. The financial disparity between teams (the haves and have-nots) and egomaniacal personalities of those people who own teams can be irritating. It's overblown, overmarketed, overdone...

And its simply entertainment.

So why do I love it? Simply, the Green Bay Packers. If they did not exist-- with their history, their roots in small-town America and their ownership structure--I don't think I would've become so passionate. My love of the Packers has emboldened my love for football itself. The Packers may be "cheesy", but their classiness, integrity as an organization and down-to-Earth aura provide balance in a league overrun by flash, glam and mercenary players and owners.

No team is perfect. Hell, the Packers signing K-Rob has made many across the NFL and in the media go "Huh?" But desperate teams do desperate things in order to appease the masses. The Packers are no different. They want to win and BAD. I believe the GB environment--the virtual "Tundra-ness" of the locale and the city--reduces the ability of players to have a me-first attitude.

tyler

That's nice tyler.Thank YOU for your insight to the Packer Organization it's place in American Sports as unique, and your faith as a die hard Packer fan.

[AtlPackFan]

I grew up 15 miles from Lambeau field in the 60's. 'Nuff said.

[oregonpackfan]

Why do I follow pro football, which for me, means to follow the Green Bay Packers? There are a lot of reasons, some of them redundant to ideas other posters mentioned.

1. Family tradition. I can still remember the family gathering around the television to watch and cheer for the Packers. It was simply one of the unifying aspects of our family life. When we have our family reunions once every 2 years, the Packers remain one of the hot topics discussed.

2. Social tradition. Growing up in northern Wisconsin, it seemed like everyone in the town was unified in supporting the Packers. Main Street was truly empty during the Packer games.
During the Lombardi years, the start time of the games was changed so that it conflicted with the weekly noon Mass at the Catholic church. Noon Mass was eventually cancelled not only because it had few parishioners show up but because none of the 3 parish priests wanted to miss the game!

3. David vs. Goliath mindset. Someone brought up the topic of the public ownership of the team. Yes, that is a big part of it but so is the fact that Green Bay has a population of just 100,000 taking on teams from highly populated urban areas. People out here in Oregon are shocked when I tell them that not only is Portland is considerably larger than Green Bay but that Eugene and Salem have populations exceeding Green Bay's population.

4. Respect for one's geographical heritage. Though I now live 2,000 miles from my home state, I will never forget my Wisconsin roots and its deep ties with the Packers. As I have mentioned before, I have met many ex-Wisconsinites out here who remain loyal Packer fans. In fact, I have never met any ex-Wisconsinite who switched loyalties from being a Packer fan to a West Coast pro fan.

5. Love of the team approach to sport. I think MJZiggy elaborated very well on the teamwork aspect of football. Football has a special bonding element of teamwork not found in other team sports.

Yes, I am a Packer fan and damned proud of it!

OPF

[jack's smirking revenge]

Honestly, I don't know why I love professional football. It's annoyingly complicated with all of its crazy rules. It's a game where a few weak links can bring down a whole team. Its players are WAY overpaid for the level of entertainment they provide. The financial disparity between teams (the haves and have-nots) and egomaniacal personalities of those people who own teams can be irritating. It's overblown, overmarketed, overdone...

And its simply entertainment.

So why do I love it? Simply, the Green Bay Packers. If they did not exist-- with their history, their roots in small-town America and their ownership structure--I don't think I would've become so passionate. My love of the Packers has emboldened my love for football itself. The Packers may be "cheesy", but their classiness, integrity as an organization and down-to-Earth aura provide balance in a league overrun by flash, glam and mercenary players and owners.

No team is perfect. Hell, the Packers signing K-Rob has made many across the NFL and in the media go "Huh?" But desperate teams do desperate things in order to appease the masses. The Packers are no different. They want to win and BAD. I believe the GB environment--the virtual "Tundra-ness" of the locale and the city--reduces the ability of players to have a me-first attitude.

tyler

That's nice tyler.Thank YOU for your insight to the Packer Organization it's place in American Sports as unique, and your faith as a die hard Packer fan.

You're definitely welcome. Anytime! Thank you for your undying support from up nort!

tyler

[Cheesehead Craig]

Why do I love football? It's better than a football loving me.

[ahaha]

The fact that my Dad traveled 48 weeks out of the year but was home on weekends and we would go to Eau Galle Wisconsin to watch The Majik Man and Lynn and Dillwig and Woodside. I loved those days


Oday, I was in high school in Durand at that time. I wasn't old enough to have a beer at "The Polecat Den", but I did have a girlfriend in Eau Galle at the time. Small World.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Good stuff, woody.

I pretty much like all sports, but football is superior for a couple of reasons.

1) The game itself. 11 men vs. 11 men. All almost equally important. It's an exciting and physical sport.
2) The social aspect and tradition. Since I was young, this was the sport that people around me liked most. I grew up a Packer fan at the same time as a football fan. If there were no Green Bay Packers, I'd still love it most. However, the Packers make it infinitely better.

The salary cap to level the playing field and the fact that the Packers are publicly owned from a small town with a rich history are added bonuses.

[Tony Oday]

The fact that my Dad traveled 48 weeks out of the year but was home on weekends and we would go to Eau Galle Wisconsin to watch The Majik Man and Lynn and Dillwig and Woodside. I loved those days


Oday, I was in high school in Durand at that time. I wasn't old enough to have a beer at "The Polecat Den", but I did have a girlfriend in Eau Galle at the time. Small World.

lol Pole Cats burned down My Grand Parents owned that bar a long time ago they built it

Thats my dad's home town.

*edit for content*

To those who dont know this IS a small world Eau Galle is a whopiing 315 people in its hey day! I would imagine 150-200 now only a 1 bar town not a 2 bar town anymore

[pacfan]

I like football because I played it when I was younger. My dad really pushed us to go out for organized sports and football was an excellent outlet for some teenage angst. Being able to clobber somebody without getting trouble was a thrill for me, then.

I'm a Packer fan for all the same reasons that were posted, grew-up watching games with my dad, identified with the players, etc.... My brothers and I would use the player's jersey numbers from the current roster to encrypt phone numbers or other numeric messages (Lofton=80, Koch=68, etc...).

Don't say it...we know we're geeks.

[GrnBay007]

Hey some really great responses here! It's funny how football brings out such emotion in people. I don't see that nearly as much with other sports. Some people cheer for this team or that team and truely just watch for entertainment purposes. I don't know...just seems like football fans are so much more passionate than others. Who knows, maybe it's more about the NFL being so much more popular than many sports. .........but anyway, we love it, and just wanted to know why my fellow Rats love the game.

For me, as a young kid it was all about the fun of it. I come from a pretty big family and it may sound a bit strange, but many of my neices and nephews were around my age. We would always have family gatherings and my brother would alway organize a family football game. Great times!

Of course I went to every one of my brother's football games....he was my idol because of his dedication and talent as QB. He was like the Brett of our city. It was fun getting all that attention just because I was his lil sis. ha ha.

Then came the Packer years. My brothers and cousins would all go to games and I was still pretty young ...plus it was always a guy trip, so I would know they would be there and always watch the games. From there watching and cheering for the Packers became an addiction! Eventually I was able to get to a couple Packer games with my brothers and several other relatives...Great times...and hopefully more to come!

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Brett Favre

Good answer, but what happens when he's gone? (It's inevitable.)

tyler

Well I'll have to............um.....um.................wait I could always..............no that want work.....................SHIT! I don't know.

[esoxx]

lately, I've enjoyed watching college games more than pros. The college game is a little more wide open. The pro defenders are so damn fast, it is hard to really have any spectacular running plays.

Very astute observation really. Breakin' off long, zig-zagging runs shown on highlight films from the 60's & 70's doesn't happen with much frequency anymore. The RB was typically fast (at least somewhat) and the LB's from those days were slowww plodders so it made for quite the display.

Nowadays, with the type of skills in the NFL from the D, it's really hard to make those types of runs. Different game today. Way more skilled, almost can't compare to what it was.