gustavratzenhofer wrote:Bill, you're looking at the world through green and gold glasses.
I most certainly am! Literally, on game day if I'm there and the sun is shining.
gustavratzenhofer wrote:Why in the hell do all Packer fans think they are the world's greatest fans? That'sanother reason I despise the organization ... the fans.
Thank you so much for asking that question. That one I love to answer, so here you go: :wink:
1) Green Bay Packer Fans have sold out every single seat at Lambeau Field in every single game since Eisenhower was President. There are currently more than 57,000 people on the waiting list to get tickets, which means there are more seats wanted, that can't be had, than there are seats! It is estimated that it will take 30 years for your name to come up if you sign up today. This, despite the fact that that Lambeau Field;
a) consists of mostly aluminum bleachers; not those comfortable seats I sit in at most other Stadiums.
b) is an outdoor stadium in one of the coldest market areas.
c) is located in a city with little more than 100,000 residents
the smallest market area of any NFL team.
2) Despite being in the NFL's smallest market area, Green Bay;
a) Packer Fans bought more than 65,000 copies of NFL Films' Packers highlights video in its first five days, making it the fastest-selling sports video ever.
b) Packer Fans in 1997 bought 50,000 5-inch squares of sod from Lambeau Field's frozen tundra for $10 apiece.
c) Packer Fans consistently purchase a disproportionate share of all NFL merchandise sold.
3) The number of Green Bay Packer Fan's attending "away" games has got to put them in contention with the most traveled fans in the NFL. In 1996 I attended a game in Tampa, Fl (I do every year, but this one was special :wink: ). Packer Fans numbering in the tens of thousands showed up to support the team. 5 minutes after kickoff; all you could hear was "Go Pack Go"
. We effectively took over their "home field advantage" for the rest of the game. So upset were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that I thought some of the players were going cry on nation-wide television after the game
. The following off-season the Buccaneers changed their ticket purchasing rules, making it so when the tickets first go on sale you have to be in Tampa to purchase them
If you watched the telecast of last week's game against the Chargers; you would have clearly heard the chant "Go Pack Go" in the background there as well
. If they played a game on mars; there would no doubt be hordes of Packer faithful in Green and Gold spacesuits. :wink:
4) In 1997 myself and 106,000 of my closest friends, from every state in the union, purchased $24 million worth of stock to help renovate Lambeau Field. Each share of stock cost over $200, has a par value of a fraction of a cent, and is considered priceless to us all. The stock pays no dividends, can only be transferred to family and no single person was allowed to purchase more than 200 shares. These restrictions make it impossible for any person or corporation to ever wrestle away control of the team from the fans. Hence, the Green Bay Packers will always reside in Green Bay with no chance of the team being sold or moved to another city. That sale marked the 4rth time in the Packer's unrivaled 84 year history that the fans came to the financial rescue, rather than letting private ownership take over (like every other NFL team's fans have
).
5) Courtesy;I actually flew to Green Bay to attend the first share holders meeting. I thought it might be fun to hear how the business end works, and was told that Share Holders would have a right to ask questions of management at meetings. Despite the fact that no football was being played, 18,707 Shareholders and their guests showed up, from all around the globe, for the meeting, making it the largest shareholder meeting in history (I think
). I was flat out amazed when I got in the longest (roughly) single file line I have ever seen, with virtually no line jumpers, despite an almost total lack of security. This speaks volumes about just how courteous the vast majority of Packer Fans are. After the touchdown that represented the final nail in the coffin for Tampa one year; my best friend couldn't contain himself and he threw his Cheese up into air like it was a graduation cap, seemingly never to be seen again. About 20 minutes later, when all were gone but the Green Bay faithful as we were descending from our nose-bleed seats; a faint voice in the distance got progressively clearer; "Who lost there cheeeese?
I found your cheeeeeeese!
who lost there cheeeeeeeese?" What a marvelous human being! You also don't see all the fights at Lambeau Field that I find so frequent and deplorable in some stadiums. If any of you A2Kers are either Tampa or Green Bay Fans planning to attend our next game there I'll happily demonstrate our courtesy myself. :wink:
gustavratzenhofer wrote:Raider fans, Bears fans, Viking fans, Chief fans.... those are true fans.
I'll party with them over a bunch of cheeseheads any day of the week.
I can't say I know any Chief fans, but I have good friends who are Viking and Bear fans and frankly; raider fans scare the hell out of me
. I do love the way they gear up for game day though. I'll party with fans of any team. As dedicated of a Packer Fan as I am, I am still a Football Fan first and a Packer Fan Second.
So you see; the reason Packer Fans think they are "the worlds greatest fans" is because we have done more to insure our team will remain our team than any other fans in the country. Now let me here say it; Gooooooooooooooooooo Pack!
(Well, more precisely, my mom -- it was a VERY appreciated Christmas present from her to me.)
