We Still Love Our Packers

Well, fellow Packer fans, friends and family, we lost. And it was a heartbreaking loss at that! Scott, Amaya and I are still feeling the pain, but we are slowly feeling better. Sunday was a hard day, thought it didn't start that way. The excitement in the morning was palpable. It was a beautiful day. We were all decked out in green and gold. We were ready for the big game. We were sure we were going to the Super Bowl. Then it began. Frozen Tundra...that was an understatement! The high for the day was 4 degrees, Fahrenheit, not Celcius, and it was an evening game. The sun had gone to sleep. Brrrr. Yet our beloved Packers played to a sold-out crowd. A stadium full of ever faithful fans. Fans known to stick it out through wind, rain, snow, sleet, and hail. Sound familiar? That's because postmen and postwomen look to Packer fans as their inspiration when dealing with the elelments on the job. Thus their motto: "Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds". That motto was inspired by Packer fans. Packer fans don't shy away when the going gets tough, either. During the "building years," Packers still played to close to sold out, if not fully sold out crowds consistently. When the Packers are playing a game that finds them being "blown out", Packer fans still stay to the end. And not just a few die hard fans stay. 60,000 plus die hard fans stay. The Packers are blessed with arguably the most loyal fans in the league, but that's because we are blessed to be able to call ourselves Packer fans. It is a special honor to be a Packer fan. It unites strangers. Among Packer fans, there are no strangers, because when you come upon another fan in their green and gold attire, you are instantly friends. Bonded by our green blood and our strange looking head gear. It is a very special bond only Packer fans can know. So, anyway, sorry for the digression. For more on Packer fans, check out the following article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22685077/. Meanwhile, back to the purpose for this blog entry, the NFC championship. The game proceeded, despite the harsh cold. It was not a pretty game. It kept us on the edge of our seats. It caused the stock of Pepto-Bismol to go up in value. It caused our daughter to act entirely out of her character. I kid you not. For the first Sunday of the football season, heck, the first Sunday of her life, she was very emotional. Crying at the drop of a pin...er...uh...make that the drop of a football... and lastly, at the interception of a football. Amaya is not a crier. She is a happy baby by nature and nothing, usually, seems to phase her. But Sunday afternoon, she was a different girl. Some may think it was because mommy and daddy were also acting "out of character." Who could blame us? We felt like we were watching the game from a roller coaster. But I think it was because of the game itself, not our reactions. She's a Packer fan, after all. She was at b-dubbs on Sundays with us, rooting on the Pack. She wears her green and gold with pride like the rest of us. And she saw her beloved Packers imploding. Who could blame her for crying when the ball was turned over. I don't think she cried because mom and dad let the "sh" word slip out, she was crying for the same reason that caused the "sh" word to slip out. (We are practicing saying shoot and darn now that we have a daughter, but Sunday we fell off the wagon. Oops.) So, anyway, at the end of the game we were given hope that despite not playing our best, we may sneak out with a win. A second missed field goal by the Giants kicker. You gotta be kidding me?!?! Could it be?!?! Over-time?!?! We started getting excited. It was an off game. We can re-group by Super Bowl time if we could just win. Packers win the coin toss. Hope builds further. Interception. Hope crashes down like a helicopter out of fuel. Giants are in field goal position. Please let him miss a third time. Please, please, not likely, but please. No. He made it. No. No. No. Disbelief. Shock. Then slowly reality creeps in. We lost. Sadness. Scott and Amaya cope by going to bed. Mommy copes by getting busy and not letting herself think about it. Then Monday we wake up. Was it a nightmare. No. The season is truly over. Slowly we begin the process of putting the end of the season behind us. We remember the good times, come to terms with the loss, then begin looking forward to the next football season. Yeah, there's always next year. A glimmer of sunshine peaks out through the clouds of Sunday's loss. We start feeling better. Our focus slowly shifts from the loss to what's to come next season. We begin looking forward to opening Sunday. More cheers, more beers, more good times. We can't wait. See you next season Packers!!!!! Thanks for the wild ride this year!!!!! We love you!