What happens if they win? I will lose my shit. What happens if they lose? I will lose my shit. I watched the Packers-Bears playoff game in the living room of a Bears fan. And to say I lost my shit is an understatement. I was bright red, I was clenching my hands together, I was shaking, and I was holding my breath. I know I freaked a few people out, but these were people who weren't big football fans and had never experienced Packer fandom. Sure, sure... All teams have their fanatics, but I don't care what others say--no one tops a Packers fan when it comes to devotion.
I found a few articles that made me feel better, or at least hoped they would prove to people around here that I was not a freak. First example: the first episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour after the Packers-Bears game. Stephen Thompson--who is from one of the small Wisconsin towns I lived in, (I've met him, and I know his mom)--described his reaction to the Packers win over the Bears: He fell to his knees and said (I'm paraphrasing): Oh My [expletive] God! We're going to the [expletive] Super Bowl!! That's close to what I did, except I threw my hands in the air, shrieked, turned to the Bears fan and said, We're going to the Super Bowl, Motherfucker! And then I screamed and yelled some more. And then went on to say things like, "Suck it, Bears" and whatnot. Prior to this, I was getting text messages from friends in Wisconsin that consisted of random swear words strung together or phrases like, "I think I might throw up." Now I 'm getting messages from a friend in Green Bay that simply say, "I'm SO EXCITED." And I love getting the messages, because SO AM I.
This article, The Green Bay Packers Need to Win, sums up the Packers fan mentality. This is our team. Even if you aren't a shareholder, it is still your team. It is my team. The affection and tie I have to this team is almost impossible to explain. This isn't just a game, it's Packer Football. There's a difference.
The line in the article about how Packers fans need to watch the game with other Packer fans is so very true. I was invited several places to watch the game. But I know one reason was because I would be part of the entertainment, and I don't want that. Plus, people talk. I want to watch the game. It's kind of like when Frenchie would throw an Oscar party for us and then leave the room to watch the show in solitude. She couldn't stand it when people would talk during the show. I want to focus on the game. I talk to myself and the TV during the game. I yell and swear, too. There would be kids at the gatherings I was invited to. I'm not kid friendly during Packer football.
Sure, another invite would be a room full of football fans, but not Packer fans. They'd be pulling for the Packers, but they wouldn't be Packer fans. That makes a difference, too. Yesterday, I was sitting in my office (I have the Packer G logo in my office window) when a student tapped on my door, and I heard, "I have a dumb question." She stuck her head in my office and said: "I'm from Wisconsin. Do you know where we can watch the game with Packer fans?" My heart melted. Packer fandom is gender neutral (this is not a football town, but most football fans you find here are men). I told her there wasn't much for sports bars around here and not one Packer bar. But, I said, there are several Packer fans on campus. I know because a few of them studying outside my office. She and I talked a bit; she grew up not far from where I used to live, so we shared some stories. I almost invited her to my place to watch it, but thought that might be kind of weird. And a little creepy.
What else can I say? The Packers are America's team. Screw that stupid idea that the Cowboys are America's team. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Packers. No question.
On the scale of Packer fandom, I am in the lower end of obsessiveness. In Wisconsin, I'm pretty calm. Outside of this context? I'm a freak. An absolute freak.
So, my point to all this? I'm watching the game alone. Some people think it's sad. I don't. I can be as happy, as dorky, as freaked out, and as psychotic as I want without others thinking I am a freak. I have no problem with it. Plus, I'm superstitious. I watched the 1997 Super Bowl (against the Patriots) by myself, in my PJs. And they won. I watched the 1998 Super Bowl in a bar in Green Bay. And the lost. I'm sticking with what works.
Yeah. maybe I am a little bit of a freak.
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