I Love the Smell of Butane on Game Day

See that? Game 1

For the third year in the row I went to a Packers game. But this one was different. Not only was it against a division rival, it was the season opener. In Lambeau. At night. Televised. And it was awesome.

The game didn't start until after 7:00 pm, but we got there earlier in the afternoon to soak up the atmosphere, because there is nowhere, and I mean nowhere, like Lambeau Field. We parked in a strip mall down the street from Lambeau, right in front of a Moe's (Welcome to Moe's!) and down from a group of people arguing about who was the best Packer in the history of Packerdom. We stood by the car, had a beer, and then wandered down the street to Lambeau.

Tailgaters parked down from us

Lambeau from across the street. Excuse the crappy shot. I think my camera is dying.

The last time I went to Lambeau with LJ we tailgated and we made it to out seats mere seconds before kickoff. It was October and raining and we were all packed in there pretty tight. And the people around us were boring. Many of them knew each other--it was obvious they had season tickets and went regularly.

This time we had time to wander the parking lot (for people watching), we stood by the fence to watch the players arrive. Although, with a new batch of players and not being in Wisconsin, I could only recognize one of the players: AJ Hawk.

Early tailgaters in the Lambeau parking lot. This is what tailgating is to me. You would be hard pressed to find a party dress and high heels in this bunch.

We then wandered the atrium doing some more people watching and drinking some more beer. This is when I saw the two guys in the kilts. I was going to sneak a photo when I decided to just ask them. They were more than happy to pose for a snapshot. These guys? Awesome.

I loved these guys

We got to our seats early, watched the warm-ups, and then met the people around us. Again, most people knew each other--brothers, couples, fathers and sons... It's a family event. And because it was the Packers-Bears, there were lots of mixed couples (Packer-Bears mixed). We had some Bears fans around us, but they were cool and fun and not totally obnoxious.

Pregame warm-ups.

The guy next to me wanted to make sure I had plenty of room. He called me "dear" all night, and flagged down the drink guy when I needed water. Yes, I went to Lambeau and drank water during the game. Why? Because it was effing hot in Lambeau. It was the warmest weather they had had all summer. Jesus.

So, how was the game? Well, the Packers' defense kicked some serious ass. And lucky for us the Bears' quarterback liked throwing passes to the Packers' defense more than his own receivers.

Packers' offense

The Packers offense? Ugh. I didn't see any of the preseason games since I am nowhere near Wisconsin, but I guess the offense looked great. But Sunday night? Not so much. But, thank god, Rodgers decided to show up during the last few minutes, threw for a touchdown, and scored a two-point conversion. The Bears had a chance to win it in the last two minutes, but, again, Cutler showed his preference for Packers' defense and threw another interception.

Packers win!

Was it a GREAT game? Probably not. Was it a fun game? Was it exhilarating? Did it turn into a nail biter? Did I have an absolute blast? Hell, yeah! The game was fun, the people around us were fun. They didn't mind my swearing or me being on my feet, screaming at the top of my lungs. The guy behind us kept cracking jokes. The guy in front of us would high-five everyone around him--including us--when we scored. And his girlfriend didn't get upset when I clocked her in the head during my post-touchdown celebration. And he didn't mind when LJ did the same to him.

Postgame celebration

Lots of "Go Pack Go" chants and almost as many "The Bears Still Suck" chants.

Other observations: a few Favre jerseys, but not many. I saw a few "Judas Favre" tshirts. I feel these are the people who would wear my I Hate You Motherfucker tshirt. (Actually a friend took an unofficial poll of my tshirt idea and the majority said they would wear it. Cottage industry!)

As we were leaving Lambeau, I said, "I love this place." And I do. For anyone who watches or likes pro football, Lambeau is the special. For Packers' fans, its sacred.

The next morning I woke up sore with no voice. We met an old friend for lunch and ended up spending the entire day hanging out. No matter where we were, people asked us about the game. We were wearing Packers tshirts, so it started with, "Did you see that game?" And then an in-depth conversation about the offense, the defense, was the preseason a fluke, etc. But you know who we had these conversations with? The people at the hippie coffee shop, the women at the yarn store... these are the people you would never think would watch football. But this is Green Bay, Wisconsin. Packer football is what you do on Sunday. Pastors and priests know better than to keep people late on Sunday. The street really are empty during a game. The Packers are Green Bay and they love them.

This is what football is supposed to be about. This is what football is. And that is why I love the Packers and why Lambeau is the only place to truly watch football.