My First Packers

The smell of breakfast cooking awakened me the day I would go to my first Packers game. It was a cool, overcast October morning when my Father and I would make the drive from Davenport, Iowa to Green Bay, Wisconsin to watch our beloved Packers play the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings had a familiar player on their roster, Brett Farve, who would end up playing his final game in Lambaeau Field that night. The Packers were moving on from the Farve era, finding talent in their young quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers would lead the Packers to a Super Bowl win later that season. With the sound of the radio airing the pregame show, my Father and I were on the road at last. The four-hour drive felt more like six, as my legs felt increasingly sorer

The bright stadium lights shined down on the players as they warmed up. The players looked tiny compared to their surroundings. The stadium was gradually beginning to fill, which added to the anticipation of kick off. At last, the teams ran out of their tunnels for the start of the game. Brett Favre was greeted with a thunderous chant of boos, as the fans did not like that he had chosen to play for a rival team after retiring for the second time. The boos turned to cheers as the Packers were introduced. Ironically, my Dad and I were surrounded by Vikings fans. Despite cheering for the rival team, they were very friendly and even took a picture of my Dad and me. The first quarter had begun, and the fun was just beginning. The game was neck and neck, as the first quarter ended in a tie. I remember the crowd going dead silent when Aaron Rodgers and the offense were out on the field, and getting very loud when the Packers defense took the field. Whenever the Vikings were on third down, they would play the famous “go pack go” chant over the P.A. system. This increased my already over-the-top excitement. Going into halftime, the Vikings scored a field goal to take the lead by three. Everyone, including myself felt tense. But knowing there was still a whole half to go, the Packers could easily come