As those of you who follow this blog probably know, I am not a Packer fan even though I have lived in Wisconsin my entire life. Last night, one of my friends asked me "Why don't you like the Packers?" My immediate response was "Honestly, it's because of their fans." After reading his expression I felt the need to clarify that my comment was not directed at him. I articulated that I just get sick of how obsessed people in Wisconsin get about the Packers. Watching some of these fans represent the state of Wisconsin on the national news is embarrassing because they provide the rest of the nation with a glimpse of what people from Wisconsin are like. I do not want to be connected to the stereotypes that Packer fans create for the rest of us.
Point in case; this week, the city of Milwaukee experienced the worst blizzard it has seen in over 25 years. Of course, the storm was backpage news in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel which featured a photo shopped picture of Aaron Rodgers next to the Lombardi trophy on the cover. After flipping through four different Milwaukee television newscasts which all featured reporters broadcasting live from Dallas, I had to resort to the internet to find weather updates. Only after watching the weather forecast for the Superbowl was I able to find an update on the snow forecast for Milwaukee. This is the dark side of the culture that is Packer nation. Fans get so obsessed with their team that they forget or ignore everything else happening in the world around them.
On the flip side, these loyal fans are the reason there are NFL games played in Green Bay, WI when other cities of similar size and stature have lost NFL franchises. Even much larger cities such as Los Angeles, CA, which boasts a population roughly 13.5 times larger than that of Green Bay, has lost several NFL franchises.
The Packers franchise reciprocates the love the Green Bay community shows it by drafting and signing players who are also quality people and who embrace the community and get involved in it. Although other professional sports franchises encourage their players to get involved in a similar fashion in their respective communities, volunteer efforts and community involvement reaches a deeper level in Green Bay.
Many of these athletes are excellent role models for citizenship and hard work and Packer fans take advantage of pointing out these players to their children. I do not believe that this is a bad thing as long as it is kept in perspective. Positive role models that provide great examples of behavior for our children are tremendous assets for any community.
Teaching children the value of hard work and dedication to a team and a cause at an early age is a wonderful thing. Teaching them that there is more to life than Packer football, even when Packer football involves the Superbowl, is where I feel far too many Packer fans fall short.
