Bears Trek to Lambeau to Take a Likely Pounding

It appears that Chicago Bears' quarterback Kyle Orton will be starting Sunday against the Packers in Lambeau. I don't think this is good news for Packers fans, as we can usually rely on backup quarterback Rex Grossman to throw a few picks. Though, Coach Lovie Smith can really only have so many wins in a row at Lambeau Field. He is going to end his winning streak at four. The Packers will prevail. They may have a lot working against them for this crucial divisional meeting, but the Packers will have 72,000 loyal fans, Milwaukee Season ticket-holders, nonetheless, standing for every down.

The Packers will be looking to exchange favors from last season with the Bears, who swept the Packers last season. The weather won't be helping either team as the forecast in Green Bay Sunday calls for a few snow showers and 37 degrees! Yuck. Welcome to the winter in Wisconsin! It will give us a chance to see how Rodgers takes to the elements. We know his predecessor, at least for 95% of his career in the green and gold, took quite well to the sleet, snow and cold.

Go Pack Go. This is a must-win if there ever was one!

Stupid Metrodome.

The Packers loss Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings still hurts. Nice job refs. Nice play-calling Mike McCarthy. Nice job offensive line. And finally, to you Mr. Aaron Rodgers, you sign the big contract and then what?

If you believe in football karma, the right team did win. The Packers had no business even being in the game, were it not for the defense and special teams putting points on the board. In the NFC North, the Packers now sit in third place, with the 0-9 Detroit Lions rounding out the division. This is not where you want your team to be with seven games to go. I, along with many others, believe that this game against the Vikings was to be the game that lead the green and gold to the post-season. While they lost the Titans game, the team played tough. It appears that the loss to the Titans has shaken their confidence vs increasing it. With the Bears coming to Lambeau Field this weekend, we are seriously looking at the ultimate in must-win situations. If the Packers pull off the win, they will tie the Bears in-division record of 3-1. Then if we see a Vikings loss against the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, we are looking at a three-way tie in the division. If you are a Packers fan, this has to happen to stay alive.

The Packers have the added problem to rectify before Sunday in the huge loss of middle linebacker Nick Barnett; out with a torn ligament in his right knee. Barnett is a leader on the team both on the field and off making this injury all the more painful. Mike McCarthy and the other coaches haven't decided who is filling this position, whether it's moving starters to the middle like A.J. Hawk or Brandon Chiller, or giving Barnett's backup a shot, Desmond Bishop. Whoever is lined up come noon on Sunday needs to step it up. The run defense has been pitiful in the last few games. I am afraid to say it but they can't get much worse against the run. Can they

With this Packers Vikings annual ritual of horn blowing in the Metrodome behind us, we can focus to win these last seven and end at 11-5, potentially squeaking in to the post-season. I think we can safely say the Green Bay Packers won't be playing host to two NFC Championship games in a row. I will be taking those dollars and moving them right in to Packers tickets for Sunday, as this game is out NFC Championship game of the 2008 season.

Come on Guys. Buck up and let's win a couple.

Another Packers Fan

It doesn't happen often, but I have allowed a fellow Packers fan to post to my Packers blog. She might be going hog wild now that she has the ol' log in information! What if she is a Bears fan in disguise? What if she is an old castoff of Aaron Rodgers' and wants revenge? Uh-oh, what have I gotten myself into?

Here goes:

I have grown up in Milwaukee and grew up a Green Bay Packers fan. My earliest memory of the Packers goes back to when I was 6 years old running around the basement of a family friends house with my sisters dressed in a Packers cheerleading outfit waving around my pom-poms as the Packers play in Super Bowl XXXI. The Packers have had their phenomenal seasons and there not-so-great seasons, but through it all Packers fans across Wisconsin have stuck by their side and supported them. At the end of last year and beginning of this year us fans went through a lot with the news of Brett Favre retiring and then deciding to come back. We all cried along with Brett as he made his farewell speech, and then we all got excited at the thought of him coming back. I think we all would have liked to see him play another season. He is a living legend that we watched break record after record. I have had a Farve jersey since as long as I can remember and have attended numerous Packer games in the “Frozen Tundra” at Lambeau Field; games were it has been so cold I could see my breath or feel my fingers or toes. Walking up to the stadium and feeling the rush of game time is so exciting.

I was a little unsure of Aaron Rodgers being our quarterback. I said he would have some pretty big shoes to fill, and I think that he has done a pretty good job at it so far. I must say he is no Brett Favre, but I am definitely starting to warm up to him. It might be a little unfair to compare him to Favre seeing what an amazing quarterback he is, but after being a Farve fan for so many years it is kind of hard to just start liking someone else all of a sudden. I think it is only fair to give Rodgers the chance to show us all what he is made of. Now as far as Farve playing for the New York Jets, I was pretty heartbroken at first. Watching him play with another team it almost seemed like he was betraying us! I understand his love of the game and desire to come back. Since the Packers weren't interested in taking him back, he really had no choice but to find another team to play for. I guess on the other hand if he is going to play for someone else I would rather it be the Jets instead of someone like the Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings.

I already have my Packers tickets for the Carolina Panthers game on November 30th. I think it will be a great end to my Thanksgiving weekend. This will be my husband's first Packers game ever, and my first game seeing Rodgers. I am really looking forward to being at Lambeau. The tailgating, the beer, the face paint, crazy hats and gear! Packer fans are definitely a loud and crazy fun bunch! No matter what happens I will always be a Packer fan. I have grown up with the Packers and you will always find me either at the game or in front of a big screen TV watching it. I am one of those die hard Packer Fans!!!

Just out of Reach for the Packers

I can't say yesterday's Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans game was a bad one. On the contrary; the game was rough and tumble, down and dirty football. The Packers just came up a little short. Losing in overtime is a better scenario than going down to Nashville and getting smoked by a 7-0 team. Rodgers and the team showed the world what kind of players they are. That teamwork brought them awfully close to handing the Titans their first loss, but it just wasn't in the cards.

The Packers held the Titans to just 3 points off of two turnovers. That's impressive. What wasn't all that impressive was the play calling at the end of the game. I think the coaching staff forgot they were playing an undefeated team away from Lambeau. The Titans were going to score in overtime. The Titans were going to play to win at the end of the fourth quarter. The Packers should have gone for it on fourth down. What can you say? The game was competitive and fun to watch. It was terrific to hear the crowd noise escalate when the Titans were on 3rd down. Good for you Packers fans to take the road trip and support the team!

Another loud one coming up at the Metrodome next week. I think the Packers have a solid chance. Then we can put the beat down on the crippling Chicago Bears the following week.

Even with the loss, this game Sunday fired me up.

Go Pack Go!

Packers Family Night Tickets Still Available

Should we question why Packers Family Night Tickets haven't sold out yet or should we thank our lucky stars that so many tickets have sold? Packers fans are missing Favre, but interested in supporting new quarterback Aaron Rodgers. You can still buy end zone tickets for the Sunday, August 3 scrimmage for face value through the Packers ticket office at Lambeau Field or through Ticketmaster. Another point this brings up is the Sunday night aspect; in years' past the typically sold-out event is held on a Saturday evening. Usually a better night for families, especially those who may travel to Lambeau Field. Nonetheless, if you can get your kids in their best packers gear and spend some quality time with them introducing them to the game of football, you won't regret the $8 ticket price. That's right, Packers tickets for $8. You will blow three times that on a new hat for the game!

Rodgers: "Human Jugs Machine"

In a recent interview Greg Jennings said the following about his new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, "He has a cannon. We call him the 'Human Jugs Machine. He throws it like a Jugs machine every time." Only on ESPN would this statement not create a little giggle among readers.

Bottom line though for Green Bay Packers fans is the fact that this statement was made at all. Players are saying that they knew all along that Rodgers can throw the ball, even if he will always be compared to that pesty #4. Head Coach Mike McCarthy said that for the past 3 years they have been working to drop his ball carriage, a trait Rodgers picked up in college at Cal State.

One good thing to this transition is that Rodgers isn't brand new to the team, he has been Packer for years and is a familiar face in the locker room and at Lambeau Field.

Packers History Could Help in No-Cap Future

In 2010, the salary cap in the NFL, which had been in place since 1993, will be going bye-bye, allowing big time players to ask for some big time cash. The chatter with regard to this development and it's effect on the Packers chances to compete is bleak. With team owners like Jerry Jones, Daniel Snyder, Bob Kraft, each with very deep pockets, it may be a challenge for the league's only community-owned, non profit team to compete.

The Green Bay Packers current roster and contracts already have an hint of the cap elimination. For example, Aaron Rodgers will have his shot this fall to step in to Brett Favre's shoes as the Packers quarterback, if all goes well, Rodgers' current contract is through 2009, allowing for some tough negotiations ahead for the team and a potential windfall for Rodgers. I have no argument with that. Rodgers has waited patiently for his shot and if he performs, he deserves to get paid. The question is, will the Packers be signing his paycheck in 2010, or will it be for a rival team with unlimited funds?

This is not to say the Packers organization hasn't planned for this day. For years, they have stayed under the cap, storing funds for such a "rainy" day.

My real point here is to address the one thing the Green Bay Packers can offer, other teams cannot. The mystique of the team, the field they play on, the Coach Lombardi factor and the rest of the storied history of the franchise. Sure players will end up living part of the year in the NFL's smallest market, but they will literally be THE biggest fish in the pond. Green Bay treats their Packers players like gold. Green Bay supports the team year round, showing up for all of the practices, scrimmages and related events with bells on. My bet is that there will still be a number of solid players who will sacrifice some cash to experience the opportunity to wear Packers' Green and Gold each Sunday.

Packers Tickets Around for Brown County Residents

The Green Bay Packers ticket office has offered up 4,000 Packers tickets to each home game at Lambeau Field to the local county residents via a lottery. This system has been in place since the renovation of Lambeau a few years ago, making many local fans very happy, but this year there is a change. The Packers may need to hold a third lottery to complete the sale of all the Brown County-designated seats. I wouldn't necessarily chalk this entirely up to the retirement of Quarterback Brett Favre, I think there are some additional factors like the cost of gas and milk these days. That along with with some gambling that ticket buyers may be able to score reasonably priced Packers tickets through friends or local ticket brokers. There are a lot of unknowns about the upcoming season. Expectations remain high even without Favre, but if the Packers get off to a 0-3 record, I can assure you Packers ticket prices will reach a decade low. I prefer the flip side, but now for the later games, as they are cheap, like $100 for end zone seats, and watch the Packers, lead by Aaron Rodgers clinch the NFC Central in an ice-cold December game at Lambeau. Now that's what I'm talking about.

Packers Family Night 2008

Packers fans will get to enjoy the green and gold on this years' Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau Field Sunday, August 3, 2008. It is a great event to get ready for the regular NFL season. The Packers offense plays the defense to what usually is a sold out crowd. This is the NFL's most popular scrimmage. The nicely priced $8 Packers tickets for the Family Night event go on sale June 14th through Ticketmaster. Packers fans are limited to 8 tickets per person.

This will then mark the first stadium full of fans since 1992 without a Mr. Brett Favre in the building. Crazy.

Take your kids to Lambeau for this great Packers Family Night. You gotta start 'em young. Go Pack!

Rumor Mill

If I have to wake up one more morning hearing the local radio guys talking about the latest rumor involving my Brett Favre Quarterbacking for another NFL team, I might just lose it. It started with the rumor that Favre hadn't filed his retirement papers and might go play for the San Francisco 49ers. Then he was going to play for the St. Louis Rams or the San Diego Chargers. NOW, it appears that they say Favre is going to bookend his football career with the Atlanta Falcons. Say it isn't so. This cannot go on much longer. We have the announcement of the Packers Vikings Monday Night Football game opening the 2008 NFL season in Lambeau Field on September 8. This news has Packers fans riled up, but with the excitement comes the stress of our former lover cheating on us. RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR OWN EYES.

This better not be true. Favre, you really do look best in green and gold.

10 Ways to Keep Your Packers Spirit Alive Until Fall

10. Road trip to the Packers Hall of Fame.

9. Book your hotel in Canton for the first weekend in August 2013. Do I need to explain?

8. Buy some fresh and clean Packers gear for cryin' out loud.

7. Quit the tears over Brett Favre's retirement and get on board the Aaron Rodgers' train.

6. Start thinking about your Fantasy Football 2008 draft.

5. Start a Green Bay Packers blog to get your thoughts down versus floating around in your head.

4. Post your favorite Packers fan memory on Packers.com for all the world to enjoy. Warning; Some make you tear up.

3. Take a tour of Lambeau Field with your family.

2. Green and Gold paint, a friend with benefits and a bottle of tequilla.

1. Move to Hattiesburg, MS and do some good, old fashioned stalking.

Packer Fan Fest 2008 Right Around the Corner

If you signed up with the hope you'd have the chance to buy Packers Fan Fest tickets, you'd know by now if you won the chance as tickets are now in the "winners" hands. The event, held in Lambeau Field Atrium March 7-8, is a popular one. The following Green Bay Packers players have said they would be in attendance signing autographs and chit-chatting with the Packers fans in attendance.

Donald Driver, Aaron Kampman, Al Harris, Atari Bigby, Nick Collins, Junius Coston, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Ryan Grant, Korey Hall, Cullen Jenkins, James Jones, Ryan Pickett, Brady Poppinga, Koren Robinson, Aaron Rodgers, Jason Spitz and Scott Wells.

Also expected are a few Packers alumni like John Brockington, Willie Buchanon, LeRoy Butler, Willie Davis, Antonio Freeman, Bob Harlan, Marco Rivera, Dave Robinson, Frank Winters and Ron Wolf.

Brown County Green Bay Packers Ticket Drawing NOW

If you are a resident of Brown County, WI, and not currently a Green Bay Packers Season ticket holder, now is the time to register your name for a chance to purchase tickets to a 2008 Packers game at Lambeau Field. This will be the 6th year 4000 tickets for each home game will be made available for purchase for those fans who helped pay with their tax dollars for Lambeau Field's expansion of a few years ago.

While they aren't the best seats in the house, the 300 level seating the Packers make available are certainly better than no seat at all.

If you have already registered in the past, you don't need to again. If you haven't, then go to the Packers Pro Shop, the service desk in Lambeau Field's Atrium or the Packers ticket office for a form to fill out. Hurry though, you have to have your information in their hands by March 12, 2008.

Ten Things to do in Wisconsin Prior to the Packer Season

At first I thought I would be a real smart ass for this little time-killer. Given the fact that I am looking out of my window at ten feet of snow and a forecast of 7 degrees, being sincere will take a little more effort. As a lifelong Wisconsinite, or Sconny, I appreciate this place, but can name a million other places I would like to set up shop. There are Packer bars all over, right? No Lambeau Field though without a flight from the beach. So until I can enjoy Brett Favre suited up in his green and gold and watch the Packers stomp all over the competition in fall, here is what I would recommend checking out in my part of Wisconsin - Brew City.

10. World's Largest Music Festival Summerfest will eat up 10 days. Make that 11 to allow for recovery.

9. Train for Milwaukee's Lakefront Marathon. I say this every year. It's like The Secret.

8. Do some real damage at Anthroplogie in Milwaukee's Third Ward. There isn't a better store.

7. Given the kid-factor, I anticipate numerous Milwaukee County Zoo and Betty Brinn Children's Museum trips.

6. Harley Davidson's 105th Anniversary Party will be super fun! Bruce Springsteen is playing on Saturday, August 30, 2008 outside the Summerfest grounds.

5. Anticipate the Milwaukee Bucks moves in the NBA draft. Without hope you have nothing. Who said that?

4. Give yourself a little love. Not like that....Take a road trip to remind yourself of that special love you have for Lambeau Field. Road trip to Geeebzzz and have lunch at Curly's Pub.

3. Get outside. The number of beautiful days in Milwaukee is so low, you have to eat each one right up. Plant. Run. Bike. Walk. Swim. Each day.

2. One more road trip. A quick hour drive to Madison will be a treat. It doesn't get much better. The Wisconsin Badgers wouldn't be named a top party school for kicks.

1. I guess we gotta get on board. Brewers fever is coming; I feel it. I am a little achey and sweaty. Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day at Miller Park April 4 is a must do. The bright side is that Milwaukee Brewers tickets are a lot cheaper than Packers tickets!

My Goal for the Packers Off Season

No it doesn't involve any of the Packers players or coaching staff; it is all about me and my desire to represent the older generation of Bikini Girls at Lambeau Field when my Green Bay Packers hit the field in August. Some people mark weight loss goals with the changing of the calender year, I am going to do it with the Packers loss to the Giants in the NFC F*&@NG Championship Game at Lambeau Field this past Sunday. I can't get over it. It just would have been so sweet. As someone in my office just pointed out, in some sort of weird way, it is sure nice these girls are fit and represent Wisconsin in a better light than most. Do you think Maxim likes Bikini Moms?

The bright side of this is that I believe it is almost a sure thing that Brett Favre will return to lead the green and gold on one more run for the Super Bowl. So, who has my Packers tickets for September? I will give you a bikini....Bueller?

Top 10 Reasons Why I Still Love My Packers

10. Their fans come to Lambeau Field from all over the world.

9. Not sell-outs, the Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned team in all of professional sports

8. Packers tickets have been sold out since 1960.

7. What am I going to do? Cheer for the Bears?

6. Packers fans are rock solid. The salt of the earth.

5. That super awesome music they play at Lambeau. (I am kidding. Let's update for 2008, ok guys?)

4. From the exhibition game in August to this years' NFC Championship game, Green Bay is abuzz with excited football fans who fill up Lambeau Field to capacity.

3. I look good in Green and Gold.

2. Old School football. No sharpies or popcorn allowed in the end zone.

1. Do I even have to say it? Brett Favre. Without him, the Packers wouldn't have even hosted the NFC Championship game to begin with.

Packers in NFC Championship Game!!

At the beginning of the NFL season I sure wouldn't have thought I would be writing an entry about the our Green Bay Packers hosting the NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field. It is fate. Favre, 10 years, the Patriots (potentially), Brady and Favre; the whole thing. The Packers are favored to win the game against the Giants. Football fans are heading in to the frozen tundra already as the national press is reporting on all of the activities already underway. Fans from warm-weather areas are going to have to come prepared as the game time temperature in Green Bay is to be zero degrees and that is not taking the wind chill in to effect. Ice Bowl III. History in the making.

Sports Illustrated's latest issue documents the fun that was last week in Green Bay. Brett Favre is Totally Cool as the cover reads.

GO PACKERS!

Green Bay Packers Tickets Priced Right

Without experience buying Packers tickets, one might think Packers playoff tickets are double or triple the going rate for regular season Packers tickets, but it isn't the case for the NFC Divisional Playoff game Saturday, January 12 at Lambeau Field.

Looking around the secondary ticket market, I have seen Packers playoff tickets going for a reasonable, though not "cheap", $194 per ticket on sites like GreenBayPackersTicket.net. Given that there isn't a bad seat in Lambeau, I would be totally cool with an entry level ticket. People are going to be so stoked with game time at a tailgate-perfect time of 3:30 in the afternoon. You can move from Bloody Mary's in the morning to brats to beer in the afternoon sun. Now the odds are that it won't be as sunny in Green Bay for the playoff game as it was for this shot of Favre and Driver earlier in the season. You can't bring too many hand and foot warmers for the game!

GO PACKERS!

Hurry, Enter to Win Packers Playoff Tickets!!!

Have you visited Packers.com to enter their contest??? They are giving away Green Bay Packers Playoff Tickets! Hurry though as you need to enter by Tuesday, January 8th, which will give you plenty of time to buy some new cold weather Packer gear for the game! Hey, you'll need it two weekends' in a row once the Dallas Cowboys lose!

With the Dallas Morning News running headlines like, "No-mentum for Dallas Cowboys heading to playoffs" and others saying "Cowboys need to regain lost killer instinct" a Packer fan has to have a little extra skip in their step on their way to the gates of Lambeau Field.

I have heard these songs and dances about Hannah Montana tickets being the hottest thing since sliced bread, but the real story is how hot a ticket is to the NFC Divisional Playoff game in Green Bay, WI of all places. Personally I have heard some great stories of people making travel arrangements from warm weather spots like California and Florida to sit in the zero degree temperatures of Lambeau. I think it is great!

One Quarter is all Favre Needed

He was a man on a mission. Favre took to Lambeau Field Sunday ready to prove to the fans that it truly was the weather in Chicago the week prior that had him and the rest of the Packers all loused up. Within the first minute of the second quarter, the Green Bay Packers went up over the Detroit Lions 21-3. The final score of the Lions Packers game was 34-13, ensuring the Packers end the regular 2007 NFL season with tying a franchise record with 13 overall wins. Ok, not as exciting a the New England Patriots 16 wins, but for me this was a GREAT football season, which doesn't have the finishing touches on it yet.

As far as football fashion goes, you will notice Favre improved his clothing options to a more updated white shirt which defenders weren't as able to pull on as we witnessed in the Packers Bears game. Favre just wore an old school T-shirt which stretched out as the Bears' linemen grabbed at him.

GO PACKERS! What WILL Favre wear for the NFC Divisional Playoff game??? I wonder?