It's really a lot of fun when your city's (or, in our case, state's) sports team does well. This weekend the cards continued to fall our way—not only are the Packers going to the NFC Championship Game, but the game will be held in Green Bay, for only the third time ever. Brett Favre has been the Green Bay quarterback for as long as I've been in the Midwest, longer than my teenage son has been alive—there are teams in the NFL who have required the services of as many a twenty quarterbacks during the time that Brett has been starting for Green Bay every week, season after season. This season has rather improbably been one of his best, with records falling like dominoes nearly every week—most points by a quarterback, most victories by a quarterback, most touchdowns. Yesterday they set a few franchise records—most points in a playoff game and most yards by a running back (not bad for a team that started the year with no running game).
So what did Brett talk about? The snow. Believe it or not, it was the first time he's ever played a game in Wisconsin in a snowstorm. "Yeah, that was awesome." he said afterwards. "I've been hoping for that for seventeen years. I watched the weather all day. I'm like, 'just give us one of those big snow games'...I wanted to play where you couldn't see the field and the snow plow comes out, and it just kept getting worse and worse. It's amazing, I've played a long time up here and that's the first time it snowed like that."
_____________________
Mike
Chicago has had 21 starting quarterbacks since Favre joined the Packers. Make that 22 if Brett comes back next year (since Grossman almost certainly won't).
It's hard to root for the Packers, but not as hard as it is to root for the AFC.
Go Bears.
Posted by: Matt | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 09:25 AM
I love Brett, he's a class act, a total gamer. Even though I'm in Chicago, I never had a problem liking the Packers. I tend to keep my allegiances in the NFC Central (north) division. When the Bears are out of the picture I'm usually rooting for Central division teams until they're out.
That was a football game. How much fun was that to watch?
Glad to see Brett got his wish...hard to believe he hasn't had a decent snow game in his career. I think the Packer's safety, Bigby(?), put the fear of traction into the Seahawks receivers in the first half, man, he laid a few guys out back there. All in all Brett had an incredible game with quite a few great reads and completions in that gorgeous snowstorm.
Posted by: David | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 10:11 AM
Just like your snow photos last week and last year, Mike, the Packers game made me homesick for my native state. I remember watching the famous ice bowl game on TV, the 1967 NFL championship between Green Bay and Dallas in temperatures of minus teens F. For much of this past Sunday, with Dallas leading New York, next week was shaping up to be a rematch of the ice bowl, including the temperature (Accuweather predicts +6 F). But instead of Dallas, you get my local team, the Giants. You can guess who I'll be rooting for. Once a Packer fan, always a Packer fan.
Posted by: Carl Blesch | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 10:23 AM
David,
Yes, it was a delight to watch. I agree that Atari Bigby looked like Ronnie Lott. Then again, Ryan Grant looked like Barry Sanders.
The Giants game was an entertaining nail-biter, too. I confess to some brightly-burning Schadenfreude when it comes to Dallas being handed a loss. Having been a Redskins fan throughout the '80s there was no team that broke my heart more often, and I still can't stand them, even with a Wisconsin-born and -bred QB. Not only does the Giants' win bring the Championship game to the frozen tundra, but it eliminates the possibility of the Cowboys ending it all for the Packers. All good in my book. I can (theoretically) stand the idea of a loss to the Giants (or the Pats) but another loss to Dallas would smart. (I also think we have a pretty good chance against the Giants, but that's another story.)
The best playoff game this year was still Jacksonville beating Pittsburg, however. That was a grand game.
Mike J.
P.S. My brother lives in Chicago. Quoth he: "To sweep the Packers--that's enough."
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 10:25 AM
P.S. Brett's had some snow games already, notably one in Seattle. Just not a good one in Green Bay before Saturday.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 10:34 AM
In the other NFC game this weekend I was rooting for Dallas until some pregame show (ESPN?) showed Drew Pearson pushing off against the Vikes in the "Hail Mary" game.
Bastards.
What is the NFC title game over under on Tom Coughlin "what is my team doing" faces?
Posted by: Tom | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 10:43 AM
Your brother's sentiments reflect mine exactly. When we (the Bears) beat the Packers for a second time this season felt like we had won the Super Bowl. It didn't matter that the Bears emitted a strong odor for most of the rest of the season.
But with that, and the Bears' season, in the past I'm rooting for the Packers to go all the way. Last Saturday's snow bowl was a delight to watch. (I can't believe that Favre had not played in snow in Packer town.)
Posted by: Ken Tanaka | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 11:05 AM
I don't know why but (using Firefox and German language setting) the article displays with 8 EURO characters in the text, one for example is between *I'* and *ve played*.
Posted by: Steffen Zahn | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 11:32 AM
Go Pack! (from a life-long Packer Backer despite residing in Chicago! and Denver).
Posted by: Chris | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 01:30 PM
I was in the snow shooting an OM 16mm mounted on a 1Ds. Hands kept warm but with the big flakes falling, it was a challenge to keep the fisheye lens dry. I can post a photo but you need to remind me how.
Posted by: Jack | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 04:54 PM
Jack,
You can't post photos in our comments, only links.
Mike J.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 05:20 PM
That snow was fun, made me smile for the memories...But not the COLD...a good friend of mine covered the ice bowl in 67 for UPI...he told me when they tried to rewind their film on the field and it would break...split into slivers in the camera.... and after they warmed them up inside in the darkroom, you still would have lightning flares on the film from the dry static electricity if you wound the film to fast, some so large could couldn't print em...burrrrr thats cold.
Posted by: nicholas Von Staden | Monday, 14 January 2008 at 11:42 PM
I'm a Giants fan. Always have been. Always disliked Dallas..."America's Team?" Why do their uniforms always look so clean? And Washington seemed always the team we had to beat. But if we lose again this year, let it be to the Packers. Even I would enjoy seeing Brett win it one more time.
I remember Y.A. Tittle losing a heartbreaker to Lombardi's team back in the late 50's. A game between NY and GB at this time of year has always been real, gritty football. Let's enjoy it. Go Giants!
Posted by: Richard | Tuesday, 15 January 2008 at 09:00 AM
Would love a Packers-Patriots super bowl this year. A rematch of Favre's win, a showdown between the grand "old man", resilient tough guy QB & the young best-QB-since-(insert your fave Graham/Starr/Unitas/Namath/Staubach/Bradshaw/Montana/Marino/Elway/Favre etc...)
Posted by: JChristian | Wednesday, 16 January 2008 at 11:20 AM
A football game in the snow, the Packers at home, and playoff game to boot. Add a messy pizza and that’s my definition of heaven.
So looking forward to this week’s historic game with the Giants. At 59 I remember the ’67 ice game well. Thirteen below I think.
It’s all good.
Posted by: Paul Kramarchyk, Connecticut | Wednesday, 16 January 2008 at 06:59 PM
This has been a truly magical season for GB. The loss(es) to Chicago were saddening but at least no one was injured, and the Bears can salvage something from it and say they beat Green Bay. Twice. Good for them.
Considering the snow game, instead of Mike Holmgren, I wish it had been Dallas.
And today we play the Giants. I hope it snows...
Posted by: Richard Glaser | Sunday, 20 January 2008 at 09:34 AM