I had the opportunity of a lifetime this weekend. I went and watched a football game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay…
Saturday, January 5, 2008 I had just arrived home from the Seahawks game. It was a great game. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs. I had planned to nestle down at home the following weekend and watch Seattle take on the Green Bay Packers and all-pro Brett Favre.
At 8:30 pm my phone rang. “Pastor Jeff, Aaron here, I just bought 4 tickets to the game in Green Bay, want to go?” I was stunned, shocked and excited, only one problem. I was getting ready to launch a brand new series of messages on that same weekend, being a minister; I was really excited about the new series. Aaron held off while I searched for red-eye flights back from Green Bay Saturday night, none were available.
Aaron called back, “Jeff there are only 5 seats left on the plane, we got to decide right now.” I said, “Yes” with some hesitation. We made the plans that night.
The following day I announced to our leadership team at the church I was headed to Lambeau for the game. Elated they assured me service would be fantastic, which I had no doubts.
I awoke at 3:30 am Friday morning to catch a United flight to Chicago and onto Milwaukee. We rented a car and drove the rest of the way to the town of Appleton where we stayed. Arriving at the hotel I fielded email, made some calls and got ready for our dinner reservations at Lombardi’s at 7.
Lombardi’s is a steak house named after the famous coach of the Packers. Inside the place is filled with pictures of Vince Lombardi with other people, Super Bowl trophies and all the rest, it is old school football, historical. The cool part is Lombardi’s Steak House is in the same hotel where the visiting team stays.
Walking into the restaurant at 7 we saw dozens of Seahawk players and their families eating dinner together. All the coaches, color television commentators filled the tables. It was like we were dining with the Seahawks before the big game. The whole dinner was nothing short of very cool.
We turned in that night and awoke the next morning to head to the field. After picking up some last minute stay-warm clothes at the sporting goods store we were off. While driving down the highway I had my 12th Man Flag hanging out the window at every Green Bay Packer fan I saw. It was fun to watch the reactions of GB fans, lots of laughs. I think one guy gave me the finger, but he was wearing mittens so I couldn’t tell. We parked and walked the half mile to the stadium.
Walking up to such a majestic, historical stadium was a powerful experience. Usually stadiums are built in densely populated areas with a lot of industry, retail and corporate atmosphere surrounding. Stadiums and teams are built in major metropolitan cities, but not Lambeau. Houses lined the streets right up to the parking lots. People cleared the snow from their lawns and were selling parking spots to those who wanted close proximity.
In Wisconsin professional sports is a part of the culture with teams like the Bucs, Basketball; Brewers, Baseball; Milwaukee Mile, NASCAR and minor league teams throughout. All the major teams are located in a more densely populated city, Milwaukee. Yet, the football greats of Green Bay reside in a place of history and right in the middle of those who own them, the people. The people own the Packers, there is no mega-rich owner. There is so much pride in the team from the locals.
As I walked along sidewalks etched with the GB logo I was daunted by the foundation of this great franchise. Here this stadium, in all its glory, resides in the middle of an urban area that doesn’t look anything like the area where my home team plays, Qwest field. Right then, I knew I was in for something special.
We walked the distance to the entrance with our Seahawks Jerseys, hats and flags proudly displayed. We were ribbed and ridiculed as we paced, all in good fun. I even had a pass thrown to me by some wild Packer fan playing catch in the parking lot. The tailgaters were everywhere. Green Bay loves their Packers.
We took pictures in front of statues of the famous coach Lombardi, went into the Atrium and Pro shop. I kept telling people, “Packer apparel will be on clearance after the game, don’t buy it now” in hopes of a Seahawk win. Some laughed, others sighed, but most just shook their heads like, “We’re gonna pound your team into the end of the season.” We grabbed some food and then the gates opened to our seats.
Walking through the tunnel my anticipation grew. I remember listening to my Grandpa Thoemke tell stories about the Packers growing up. Seemed he knew key stories about players and games from the past. I had heard about the “frozen tundra,” the historical atmosphere and the bleacher seating. I’ve watched Brett Favre do his thing on that field many times on television throughout the years. But all that said, “Nothing I’d seen about GB compared to laying my own eyes on the field.”
I came through the tunnel and felt the brisk cold air hit my face. My eyes went to midfield and the GB logo was etched perfectly in the grass. The field looked like precision. My eyes gazed back and forth at a few players stretching and warming up. Then it hit me, it didn’t feel like a professional stadium, not like Qwest, in any way. It felt more like High School, the aluminum bleachers without back support; college, the closeness of the seating; the black spray paint, used to number the seats; and the lack of fancy billboards, advertising and the glitter of other stadiums. I was in a professional football stadium per se, but it felt very different; it felt like history. There were still ads, TV commercials on the Diamond Vision, but as I sat there I got his overwhelming sense that Green Bay fans could care less about all the hype; they want to see their Packers win.
Around the stadium some of the greatest players to ever play the game have their names listed with the years they played. There is this list of years where the Packers won the world championships.
The field itself seems smaller than others, there are no huge tunnels to drive monster trucks through, Lambeau is for football. There are not multiple exits from all four corners for the marching bands and half-time entertainment. It is more like a bull ring than a football stadium. Where is lacks in entertainment and show it makes up for in football mystique.
Throughout the afternoon players were coming in and out warming up and getting ready for the game. The normal boo’s for the opposing team (my Seahawks) and the celebratory cheers for the home team.
I look up, the clock is counting down on the score board, it read 5 minutes. It’s almost game time.
Now I’ve been to dozens of Seahawks games at Qwest field and with 5 minutes to go the pageantry is amping up. The pyrotechnics, flags, music and cheerleaders are all moving into position for the introduction. Lambeau lacks in comparison.
Where Qwest field is like Dolby Digital Sound, Lambeau is like a boom box playing in only one ear. Where Qwest is like a rock concert, Lambeau is like a county fair. Where Qwest has folding chairs, cup holders and seats with enough room for your shoulders, Lambeau has none of that. Lambeau is about football, not entertainment or comfort.
To be a season ticket holder at Lambeau you have to love your neighbor, because you will definitely meet them in a personal way: shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg and nearly on each others lap. By the start of the game I figured out how they fit 72,000 people in a stadium that, by comparison to Qwest, looks like it would only seat 45,000; they pack them in like sardines.
As I’m considering all these thoughts the Seahawks run out of the tunnel to tens of thousands of boos. Not different than last year when the Packers ran out at Qwest Field and were booed. Then things get quiet. The announcer brings out the Packers. The place goes nutty. They line the field with people in yellow sports jackets and big GB flags. There are no pyros, no bumping music, no cheerleaders I’d be embarrassed for a 12 year old boy to see. It’s not about that at Lambeau: It’s about football.
Finally, Brett Favre runs out and the place is pandemonium. I turn to our host, who is a Packer fan and ask, “Is this the loudest it gets?” He says, “Yes, this is pretty jumping.” I thought, the fact that you can hear me tells me this isn’t very loud. At Qwest you can’t hear yourself talk when they intro the home team. They may be loud at Lambeau, but at Qwest the 12th man is ear piercing.
The game started and it was good for us at the beginning. The natives were a little restless and soon began yelling at me to sit down and close my mouth. When it was 14-0 Seahawks it started turning hostile. Being from the visiting team at any stadium is a take-your-life-in-your-own-hands experience if you’re wearing the colors of your team. When we were ahead I thought, if we win this game, I’m staying here until the stadium is closed and they force me to leave. Hopefully, by then, the tailgaters would be gone or passed out by the time I had to walk the ½ mile to our car..
We know it didn’t turn out like that. Brett Favre and his team played nearly perfect for the 55 minutes and in the end the Seahawks lost 42-20. We left with 8 minutes to go in the game because the locals were getting drunk and starting to threaten us a bit. Last thing I wanted was to be punched in the face.
Leaving the stadium I put a Packer towel over my head and walked to the car. I certainly was disappointed because I wanted a road win for the Hawks, but we didn’t play very good. It wasn’t meant to be.
Walking to our car I had snowballs thrown at me, but mostly people just said, “Thanks for coming, hope you enjoyed the game.”
I sum it up like this, “If your team has to lose, there is no place/team in the country better.” The nostalgia of Lambeau field is something I will recommend every football fan I know experience.
I’m back now. Pictures, memories, still got my #8 jersey, lost my cell phone, met some nice people on the airplane and enjoyed the company of Aaron and his dad Jerry and made a new friend, Chris, our Wisconsin host.
I thank the Lord for allowing me to go. I really do. I truly believe life is given to us by the Lord and we can either make the most of, or just get by. I want to be someone who always makes the most of my opportunities. I give glory to God for this opportunity to go to football history. It has left me asking, “How can I impact Snohomish and N King Counties, like the Packers have impacted Green Bay, with the gospel of Jesus Christ?”
This post is written in 2008, but was published in 2007 in order to make a link to a shorter post.
