There are few venues in the world of sports as awe-inspiring and historic as Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers. As Gilbert Brown said in a recent podcast, “When you play on that dirt, that’s the same dirt that them legends played on, man. And you want to be a legend yourself, playing on that hallowed ground.” As special as it must be to play on that field, achieving that dream is one met by fewer than 1% of people. For far more of us, attending a game is dream-worthy enough. For some, like me, the dream was to bring my son to at least one game to see the Packers play in person. This past weekend, I got that chance.
Meeting Packers Legends
As many fans know, one of the essential experiences of attending a Packers game is attending the Tailgate Party with Gilbert Brown at Stadium View. This event takes place prior to every home game, and is sponsored by Mayfield Sports Marketing. In addition to the Gravedigger, many other former Packers attend the party to meet and greet fans. Prior to the game against the New York Jets, Gilbert Brown was joined by former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman.
As many of you may know, I am part owner of Wisconsin Sports Heroics and do a weekly podcast with Gilbert Brown. Still, for a lowly middle school teacher who has only been to one game in his life, attending a Packers game, much less meeting some of my childhood heroes, was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Fortunately for me, I was able to scrap enough money to splurge on tickets, not just for me, but for my wife and son. It is every Packers’ fan’s dream to share the Lambeau Field experience with their kids, and I was no exception. My young boy loves watching football, loves loud noises, and loves cheering on the Packers.
There is a well-known innocence and purity in toddlers, which made this moment all the more special.
Let me tell you this: you will not find kinder or more engaging guys than these two. They made my son feel extremely comfortable and even let him sit with them behind their table.
The Mystique of Lambeau Field
Now, if you have ever been to Lambeau Field, you are well-familiar with the massive steps that lead up to the main gate. My son practically lived on top of my shoulders the entire day, especially when we were walking around. However, once we got to the foot of those steps, he just had to take them himself:
As we were waiting in line, the fireworks went off as the Packers players took the field. The excitement and joy in his eyes at that moment, witnessing the magic of Lambeau is one I do not think I will ever forget. Man, was that special!
I know the game was a dud in terms of how the Packers played. Losing is never fun, especially when the team plays as poorly as the Packers did. However, watching my little boy experience the magic of Lambeau Field for the first time erased any negative feelings I had about the game (but not enough to keep from writing my Studs and Duds).
The fans around us were gracious, and high-fived my son on the [incredibly few] good plays that the Packers had in that game. Sure, the Packers lost, but I feel like I won as a fan and as a dad. I hope every fan with children gets to experience this at least once.
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1 Comment
Awesome article! Congrats on the day and the experience!