If you were to ask someone what the most iconic thing about Green Bay Packers fans is, it is likely that they would respond with the Cheesehead hats that many fans wear to games and events. While the Cheesehead is not exclusive to the Packers, with fans of other Wisconsin sports teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers also frequently dawning the iconic head wear, NFL fans are often quick to associate the Packers in particular with the big yellow slice of Swiss.
But the Cheesehead isn’t just a fun piece of merchandise; it also represents the passion and camaraderie within the community that is the Green Bay Packers fan base. While Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers both have established histories with the Cheesehead, the symbol being particularly prominent and celebrated during their respective super bowl victories, Jordan Love’s history playing for Utah State University likely means that he feels right at home with the Packers Cheeseheads and their wider fan culture.
The History of the Cheesehead and the Green Bay Packers
The Cheesehead hat was originally invented by Ralph Bruno, who would eventually go on to found his company Foamation in order to produce them at a large scale. In an interview with HuffPost, Bruno describes how the attitude of Chicago sports fans towards Wisconsin first inspired him to embrace the Cheesehead identity:
“People from Chicago would refer to us Wisconsites as Cheeseheads, and it got worse after the Bears won the Super Bowl in 1986. I thought, ‘What’s the big deal? I like cheese. Wisconsin makes some of the best cheese in the world. I’m proud to be a Cheesehead.'”
Like the famous Yankee Doodle rhyme, the Cheesehead is a symbol of America’s propensity to turn an insult into a positive by embracing it wholeheartedly.
Because of this history once rooted in insult, the Cheesehead is also an effective way for Packers fans to signal that they are part of the in-group to one another, potentially even more so than other, more common sports merchandise. If you wear a Cheesehead to a game, it means that you are in on the joke and willing to fight back against those who would try to mock the community. With such a powerful and recognizable symbol on their side, it’s no wonder that Packers fans are some of the most passionate and dedicated in all of the NFL.
Jordan Love and Utah State University
Prior to becoming a back-up quarterback for Aaron Rodgers and then going on to become the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love played for Utah State University. In 2013, Utah local news outlet DeseretNews summarized USU’s reputation for intense fans, which is a reputation that holds true to this day:
“ESPN voted USU to have the best home-court advantage in the west, above not only in-state rivals Utah and BYU, but other colleges with long, rich histories like UCLA, USC, Arizona and Texas as well. The Aggie student section, known as “The Hurd,” has a very well-earned reputation for intensity and intimidation.”
And so, just like the Packers, Aggies are known for being passionate, outspoken fans. With the Cheesehead standing as a symbol for these very qualities in Wisconsin fan culture, it is likely that the iconic head gear has acted as one of many factors that have helped Love transition into the NFL portion of his football career. This could prove especially noteworthy now, with Love receiving some backlash over his 2024 season. It may be more important now than ever to show Love the passion and support that the Green Bay Packers Cheeseheads are capable of!
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