Green Bay’s identity is it’s home to widely popular National Football Team the Packers.  There is nowhere else in the world where you have such a low populated area around 100,000 with such a large Stadium capacity fitting over 80,000 people.  It is the only football team that is publicly owned and non profit.  It is also one of the oldest franchises in the NFL, 98 years since it was first established.  In its long tenure the Packers have had many years of success earning Green Bay the nickname Titletown USA.  A league high 13 championships in its history.   The teams stadium Lambeau Field was established in 1957.  In a time when many stadiums are being torn down and new ones are built;  Lambeau remains on the same ground with upgrades and additions.  It is located in a residential housing neighborhood.  When parking is needed on game days many of these homes sell areas of their lawns and driveways to visitors.  The Packers are the pulse of the community.

At many workplaces on Monday mornings the small talk revolves around the Packer games.  A loss can bring a somber mood.  Growing up, 2 hours south of Green Bay, I wore my faded Brett Favre jersey, that had seen many trips to the laundry room, as much as I could to school.  I went to my first Green Bay Packers game when I was in 2nd grade.  The year was 1998 coming off a loss in the Super Bowl the previous season.  I can still remember getting pulled out of school early and the jealousy of my teacher as my family headed north.  Watching the players warm up in real life was a dream come true.  The game itself was a bust as a young Randy Moss helped lead the Vikings to the upset.  My family was sitting up in Box Seating with all you could food available.  I will be the first to say I was spoiled at my first visit.  You could see in the windows to the box next to us.  I distinctly remember a most likely inebriated Vikings fan pounding a small football at us every time the Vikings scored.  By the end of the game I can definitely recall my mom flipping the bird at this fan.  Great childhood memories.

One of the coolest things that is unique to the Packers organization is that their training camp is open for the public to view.  One of the traditions is, as players head from morning meetings at the stadium to the practice fields, is to ride a lucky child’s bicycle with them.  Hundreds of fan,s even on weekdays, gather to glimpse their favorite players getting pictures and autographs.  My favorite autograph that I received was from Green Bay’s wide receiver Donald Driver, a fan favorite.  I highly suggest not only coming to watch a practice, but to do a stadium and Packer Hall of Fame tour.  The last time I did the stadium tour was in 2015.  It’s a great behind the scenes tour with access to the famous tunnel that leads to the field the players run out on.  Many of the others people on the tour were not even Packer or football fans, just those fascinated with the history.

Packer  history began when the Indian Packing Company gave Curly Lambeau 500 dollars in 1919 for uniforms and equipment.  The name Packers has stuck with ever since.  One of the most talked about games you will hear from old Packers fans in Wisconsin is the “Ice Bowl”  the 1967 NFL Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys.  One of the most famous games in NFL history was played in cold weather conditions at Lambeau field.  The coils that heat the surface under the field broke making for icy conditions in the -15 degrees fahrenheit.  Due to other cold games throughout the years the Stadium has been nicknamed the Frozen Tundra.  I was able to attend a cold playoff game in 2017 with my wife as we watched the Packers play the Giants.  Normally it is incredibly hard to get playoff tickets.  The wait list for season tickets is over 30  years.  The odds however were not in the Packers favor, and early week weather predictions kept regular fans away, so we bought them online directly. The conditions turned out to be in the single digits, warm for Green Bay in January! If you are attending a cold weather game you need to take precautions.  One of the best pieces of advice for cold weather games was given to me by my Uncle Jack.  Bring cardboard to stand and sit on.  The cold bleachers will sneak through your clothes and you need a barrier.  A fortunate plus to this game was the Packers giving away free hot chocolate.  The game itself was the best sporting experience of my entire life as Green Bay upset the Giants due to an amazing and career game by Aaron Rodgers.  In September of 2017 my wife and I  were able to experience a game in completely different weather conditions.   The warmest Packer game ever at 89 degrees fahrenheit.  Green Bay came back to win the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime.  This was a much better condition to eat cheese curds and brat sausages, Green Bay food staples.

Green Bay is becoming a year round destination, not just during the NFL season.  In May of 2015, I was able to complete my first half marathon, which provided a great running route through the city of Green Bay and finish line inside Lambeau field itself.  Events like this are increasing in variety throughout the year.   As I write this blog the construction and updates of the new 65 million dollar Titletown District has been completed.   The district features a skating rink, tubing down a hill, and plenty of playgrounds for kids.  Other buildings are in completion like a new hotel lodge and more places to eat even a brewery.The Stadium View Bar and Grill is a great spot to eat I ate there when the Packers were away playing on the road.  Make sure you get there early to get a good spot.  Green Bay should be on any football fans must visit list.