What made you a Packers fan?

Tom Stark

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What made you a Packers fan? Were you raised in a family that are fans? Is it because of your location? Do you personally know the players?

I became a Packer fan at the age of 7 or6 or 7 when we moved to Milwaukee. I remember we would go to my grandmother’s house to watch Packer games on Sundays. She had one of the first big screen color TVs ever manufactured .Large, Front projection red/ green/ blue cathode ray to movie screen. This was 1965 so not all of you are going to know what I am talking about but it was big and fuzzy and in color. We watched the first three Super bowls on that TV.
It was there that I learned how my family was somewhat connected to the Packers. My grandfather, Russ Winnie had died the year before I was born. He was however, the first radio broadcaster to call packer games.
Starting in 1929 he called packer games for WTMJ for 18 years. The very first games were not live, but were animated as he got a ticker tape feed from the games. Eventually WTMJ bought the contract to be the official packer broadcast network and Russ became the Voice of the Packers
My grand mother was also involved. Being his wife, she would also go to the packer games with him. With a pair of binoculars she would be the spotter and, in her deep gravelly voice , she would give Russ the players involved as play happened on the field .. I’m told he would say “thank you George” as women weren’t really supposed to be in the broadcast booth.
I remember the walls of her house were filled with black and white photos of everything packer related. I didn’t really have a choice , I was kind of born a Packer fan.
 

PWT

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I remember when I was youngster growing up on east side of Green Bay listening to Russ Winne doing Packer games in the mid 1940's on WTMJ. In 1946, WJPG in Green Bay (Green Bay Press-Gazette Radio Station ) began to carry Green Bay Packer games via new Green Bay Packer network.
 
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I was born in LaCrosse in the Lombardi era. You could say it's in my blood. On the other hand, I have tons of aunts, uncles and cousins in LaCrosse. If I became a fan of another team they'd never let me back in their homes. Ever!

In Ely, I'm surrounded by frustrated Vikings fans, but I don't care. I wear my Packers apparel and let them all pule and whine. :D
 

PackerFlatLander

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Born and raised in Rockford, IL, moved to Chicago area for college and still live there. Rockford is only an hour from Milwaukee, and ten minutes from the border, so it's typically always been half Packers, half Bears fans. My parents weren't into sports teams, but my Mom took me to get a new winter jacket in 1982, when I was ten. Told me to pick out any coat I wanted. Not sure why, but I saw that Packers helmet and just fell in love with it. I dunno ... it's the same color as the sun, which brightens everything! Got the coat, been a fan ever since and that was it.
 

Naoise Waldron

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Hi guys!! First post here from an Irish Packer fan... To be honest I became a Packer fan at the age of 12 (We had just installed the channel that shows NFL games) That was when I first saw Brett Favre play. I was hooked!! That's about 12 years ago now. I've been there for the ups and downs in that period and my support never lessened.

I love the Packers and everything about them. I'm moving to the US in early August and hope to do a tour of Lambeau and maybe even attend a practice session!!

I am an Irish Cheesehead
 

fanindaup

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You fill my green and gold heart with joy Naoise. I'd love to be there for your first time at Lambeau. Wait till they take you out to the field through the players tunnel.
 

grignon

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I feel like I'm one of the chosen. I first grew aware of football (about 6 years old) living in Green Bay during the Lombardi run. So the Packers kicking everyone's butt was normal for me. I just thought that was the natural order of things. NOT winning the championship was the aberration. We'd see players out and around town-no big deal-Green Bay was smaller then. I marched in 10 or so halftime programs during high school, drum corps and college. The on field seating gave a sensation and perspective that would probably convert a Bears fan.

Even though I moved away from Green Bay half a lifetime ago, I've never found any reason to change my allegiance.
I suppose it's the way many people feel about their religion- It's the way it is.
The parallel is not lost on me.
 

Naoise Waldron

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You fill my green and gold heart with joy Naoise. I'd love to be there for your first time at Lambeau. Wait till they take you out to the field through the players tunnel.

I honestly can't wait now!! I've been trying to save up to do the trip for a few years but something always comes up. This time with the job opportunity I have a few days to travel from Chicago to Montana so I am buzzing that I finally get to visit Lambeau.
 
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I honestly can't wait now!! I've been trying to save up to do the trip for a few years but something always comes up. This time with the job opportunity I have a few days to travel from Chicago to Montana so I am buzzing that I finally get to visit Lambeau.
I know I felt like I was standing in front somewhere out of this world when I first saw Lambeau. I think I actually teared up standing in the players tunnel. It STILL makes the hairs on my arms stand up.
 

Prebs

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Living in Norway, the only chance I usually got to watch football was the super bowl. Before XLV I read about Steelers and Packers and instantly fell in love with the Packers because of its history, fans and the fact that the team was owned by the community. Becoming a Packers fan just felt right for me, as it was the team I could relate the most to.
 

LeoInShawano

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4th generation packer fan. Gramps told me stories about his dad taking him to old City Stadium to see "Curley & the boys". He knew many of the players, so much so that he met & married Fuzzy Thurston's cousin. My fondest memory of gramps is him taking me & my brothers to Menominee, MI to watch the Ice Bowl (At that time, ALL HOME GAMES were blacked out in WI. )
 

GoPGo

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My great-grandfather was George Calhoun's wife's cousin. So it was kinda inevitable.
 

echizen20

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I live in Wisconsin, I am in my late 20s and I became a packer fan when I was a kid. I don't remember exactly how I got into football, I know my dad watched football back in the day but he wasn't all that hardcore into it but I know I watched the 95-96 packer season where Favre took us to the superbowl and won it all. I became a HUGE Favre fan after that, I would say I probably started out more of a Favre fan than a Packer fan. I am still a huge favre fan right now but I'm also a big packer fan. Last year I went to my first packer game on their opener against the 49ers. I also went to the jacksonville game and the playoff game vs the vikings. This year I plan to go to the opener vs the Redskins. I've got two boys age 7 and 4 and I plan on turning them into packer fans as well! GO PACK GO!
 

Naoise Waldron

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Just spent the Day at Lambeau... Best day ever!! Saw them practice in the morning and did the Legends tour... Walking through the tunnel was nuts!! Spoke to Mr. Murphy for a minute and Alex Gillett.. Few other highlights too but what a day!!
 

El Guapo

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Congrats Naoise. Now you've got to come watch a game in mid-October when it's cold enough to require gloves and a a hat but warm enough that your beer won't freeze in your cup!
 

English Packer

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I think my rationale behind becoming a Packers fan, maybe a little more obscure that most!

I'm an English guy who moved to the US about 8 years ago. Not long after moving to Chicago, of all places, I made friends with a guy and we made a sports deal. He would support my English Premier League team (which means going to the bar every Saturday at 9am!) if I would support his NFL team. I had no real allegiance to a team, and therefore agreed to the deal. Little did I know that I lived in a city who are their main rivals!

However, I fully embrace my Packer Status, and try to go to at least 1 road game, and 1 Lambeau game per season. I wear my Packers t-shirts with pride in the city, and even have a local Packers bar in my neighbourhood!

I look forward to going to Cincinnati this weekend!
 

CTPackers08

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The initial love for the Packers came from my fathers side of the family. GB games were always on and I grew up with it. As I got older and understood more I really respected the organization compared to other teams. Loved the players and the town itself. Wont find anything else like it in football.
 

CTPackers08

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I think my rationale behind becoming a Packers fan, maybe a little more obscure that most!

I'm an English guy who moved to the US about 8 years ago. Not long after moving to Chicago, of all places, I made friends with a guy and we made a sports deal. He would support my English Premier League team (which means going to the bar every Saturday at 9am!) if I would support his NFL team. I had no real allegiance to a team, and therefore agreed to the deal. Little did I know that I lived in a city who are their main rivals!

However, I fully embrace my Packer Status, and try to go to at least 1 road game, and 1 Lambeau game per season. I wear my Packers t-shirts with pride in the city, and even have a local Packers bar in my neighbourhood!

I look forward to going to Cincinnati this weekend!
There always seems to be lots of Packers fans everywhere you go. I live in CT and I know a good 15 Packers fans personally. Always cool to meet more people.
 

Bus Cook

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I rarely go with the crowd (I'm sure some of you have witnessed that). I grew up in Chicago, so everyone in my family was a Bears fan. Our family business had 32 season tickets. We also had a summer home on Lake Geneva WI, at the Fontana end. To be antagonistic, from an early age, I adopted the Packers as my team. Later in life I moved to Lake Geneva and kicked being a Packer fan into high gear. I got ahold of a Gold Package, that a family I knew had and went to County Stadium 2-3 times a season. I also got to see them once a year at the shi%hole, the Bears played in. In Michigan now. Biggest Packer fan in the state. I have a 30 foot wide living logo on my front lawn, make up of green, white and gold flowers. In my neighborhood, everyone knows I live at the Packer mailbox (I'm on my third one. Damn kids).
 

Ogsponge

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High All,


Just thought I would stop in and introduce myself. 27 year Packer fan from Janesville, WI here. Started following the Packers in 86. How did I become a Packer fan you ask? Okay you did not ask but I am going to tell you and I can’t believe I am going to admit this publicly but here it goes. In 7th grade I got recruited to play football for my seventh grade football team, and by recruited I mean more that I had a massive growth spurt over the summer, was bigger (for a little while anyway) than anyone else of the football team and the coach asked me if I wanted to play. Up to that point had never even watched a single football game in my life, not even one second. Anyway they put me at middle linebacker. On the very first play of my very first game, I got the snot knocked out of me by one of the opposing guards and for some odd reason, it felt good! On the 2nd play, I knocked the snot out of the running back, causing a fumble and football was officially in my blood. Now here is the embarrassing part.

The year was…

1985

That’s right my very first year of being introduced to was the year of the Super Bowl Shuffle and being the young impressionable person I was, I am sad to say, it had me totally hooked and thought the Bears were the greatest thing on earth. Don’t hate me, I just didn’t know any better and after the season was over my dad set me straight, believe he tried during the season but there was just no stopping me in 85. Anyway I miserably followed the Pack all season long in 86 while the lost game after game after game. Finally my dad managed to get some tickets to my first live game, and of all games it was the infamous Charles Martin body slam game at Soldier Field. That was the point where I became full blooded Green and Gold. For the record it had nothing to do with the body slam, it was the awesome atmosphere of being at a live football game, and truth be told I spent most of the 1st half secretly rooting for the bears, but by halftime something just did not feel right, I can’t even really explain it other than I simply felt dirty. By the time the game was over and we had lost, I was so angry the that Packers had lost I could hardly stand it. My dad still talks to this day that he has never seen me nor anyone else so infuriated by the outcome of a professional sporting event in his life.


So there you have I officially owe being a die hard Packer fan to of all things, the bears.
 

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