Gary Seymour, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Speaking in hushed tones, an acquaintance from Chicago once committed interstate sports heresy, admitting to have attended a game at Lambeau Field that didn’t involve the Bears and enjoying it to a point where he wanted to go back.
You could almost see the navy blue and orange draining from the face of his buddy, who suggested to the quisling that perhaps he’d just gotten ahold of some bad Gruyere across the state line and fell into some sort of cheese-induced blackout.
The Second City traitor explained that he hadn’t converted to the dark side. He was still a Bears fan. But there was a vibe in the parking lot, the halls and the stands at Green Bay that led him to a shameful conclusion. The Packers have better fans.
“They’re just … more into it,” he said.
His view didn’t go over well with the group, but if he needs to illustrate that idea, he can point to a couple of news stories last week, starting with the Wisconsin resident who filed a suit against the Bears for violating his free speech rights.
The Bears reward season ticket holders by allowing them on the sidelines of the field during warm-ups before selected games. The Packer fan, who owns Bears season tickets, was turned away before last December’s game at Soldier Field because he was wearing Packers gear.
He had been allowed on the field in the previous two seasons, but the Bears had since changed their policy to exclude anyone wearing apparel of opposing teams.
The fan, who had also dyed his beard green for that game – as one does – took his argument to the U.S. district court, where he will fight for his right to stick out like a proud, sore thumb.
Give him credit for having the guts to venture out in enemy territory like that. But he may be up against it. In a case like this involving an organization’s house rules – trifling though they may be – the courts typically rule in favor of the house.
The other newsmaker fan was the groom who flipped the traditional script and took the surname of his betrothed. In a joyous ceremony held in Chicago, Ryan Holtan-Murphy married his fiancée, Dr. Marie Packer, and dumped his last name to become Mr. Packer.
Mr. Packer broke out an outfit fit for the occasion, turning up at the reception in a gold and green sports coat dappled with the Packers logo.
Both of those gents solidified their Packer bona fides, representing the more extreme end of the devoted fan base that the Chicago Judas spoke of.
Radical, they are – but still maybe not as dedicated as the woman who competed in the “Big Fan” television show last winter.
“Big Fan” is a program where contestants answer trivia questions to determine whether they know more about their celebrity idol than the idol knows about him or herself.
The celebrity on one episode was Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was up against a Wisconsin woman who, among other things, knew Rodgers’ SAT score but had forgotten her own.
Contestants were selected based on a video they submitted describing their knowledge of and dedication to the celebrity. The video sent by the finalist was a series of hyperventilating, gleeful bursts that included her holding a cutout photo of Rodgers on a wooden handle, and slobbering her tongue all over his cardboard face.
Rodgers, who handled it all with aplomb and wit, embraced the fan and her youthful exuberance. He also beat her in the contest, which included the question of which is the only team in the NFL that he hasn’t beaten in his 12-year career. The answer: the Cincinnati Bengals.
In a happy coincidence, Week 3 of the upcoming season brings the Bengals to Lambeau Field, where Rodgers and the Packers will try to close that unfinished circle.
The phrase “upcoming season” may not impel everyone to dye their beard green or smooch a piece of cardboard, but for Packer fans everywhere it always has a nice ring.