I can remember being a few years old and seeing a Packers shirt in a mall display window in Chicago and wanting it. It was nothing more than a taste for the color scheme, but my dad decided to start turning on Packers games at home for me. From the moment I saw that first game, I knew I'd be a Packer fan for the rest of my life. It was right before the 1996 Super Bowl, so I had the privilege of seeing one of the great Packers teams dismantle every opponent they faced on their way to the championship. My mother, a die hard Bears fan, was enraged at my father and tried to steer me back toward Chicago, but there was no way that was ever going to happen.
The Pack takes the field with a sense of pride and tradition, but also humility. This is so incredibly rare in modern sports.
Even during downtime, it's hard to forget the legacy. 12 NFL Championships, 3 Lombardi trophies, and a mystique that no other American sports team comes close to capturing (the NY Yankees may be a close second...)
The ability to adapt and evolve. Even after that heart breaker in Super Bowl XXXII. Even after that last second T.O. touchdown catch in the '98 playoffs. Even after Holmgren. Even after 4th and 26. Even after Sherman. Even after Green. Even after missing a trip to the Super Bowl in overtime. Even after Favre. Even after 6-10, Green Bay has shown that it will always be greater than one person or event and will always bounce back. It's a symbol that every great thing will rise from the ashes as long as there is a desire for greatness.
Man, I love the Packers.