Going To The Big Game
In case you didn't know, the Arizona in this blog name is because I live there now, the Cheesehead is because I was born in Wisconsin. I started out as a Packers fan and, since the Cardinals didn't come to AZ for a long time after I moved there (and haven't been that great overall), I've stayed a Packers fan.
This season has been very stressful.
Seriously, before the season even started I was convinced that we would make the Super Bowl. Rodgers is a great QB with a lot of choices at receivers and Ryan Grant is a first tier Running Back. I didn't think anyone in our conference could stand in our way.
Until the first game of the season when Ryan Grant went down.
I'll remember the moment forever. We were sitting in the bar and I was wearing my Grant jersey. He got hurt and I kept telling Woody (who had him on the club fantasy league) that it would be OK and that he would come back. Seriously wishful thinking. His season was over and it hurt me in my work fantasy league as he was my number two pick and premier RB.
I haven't worn the jersey since.
I watched as the team struggled to find a winning rhythm for the rest of the year and was genuinely pleased that they just made the playoffs. Then they started winning the playoff games and I became cautiously optimistic that they had a very tiny shot at getting through to at least the NFC Championship game. Which they did!
Though I didn't want to play them, I think it was great to have two teams with an historic rivalry meet. No, I'm not a Bears fan but I'm not a hater. I think that's partially because He Who Is Dead To Me has made me more of a Vikings hater and then, well, there's Dallas. So called "America's Team". Well, not my America, anyway!
So, here we came down to GB vs. CHI. I tried to stay above the trash talking fray because 1) I find it unseemly (OK, not so much really but that makes me sound so virtuous) but more 2) I didn't want to jinx it. And, I don't like eating crow.
The game started out so nicely. First GB drive led to a quick touchdown. It was all good from there. If they took the ball away from us, we did the same to them while keeping a nice lead.
Then, Jay Cutler went out of the game. My heart sank. The dude was totally under-performing and I thought the best thing for us was for him to keep playing. Then I watched as Collins couldn't do jack and felt better. But, then, they put in this kid Hanie that I never heard of and he suddenly made it a game.
Yikes.
Ultimately, Green Bay got the win. Everyone on the losing end of big games will pull out the claims of bad calls, referee favoritism, etc. when their team goes down. I've done it myself (see GB vs AZ in the playoffs last season). This game was no exception on my Facebook feed. I tried to stay above that fray as well. Because I'm a lover, not a fighter.
By some series of fantastic events, my pre-season prediction came true.
The Green Bay Packers are going to the Super Bowl.
Woot!
This season has been very stressful.
Seriously, before the season even started I was convinced that we would make the Super Bowl. Rodgers is a great QB with a lot of choices at receivers and Ryan Grant is a first tier Running Back. I didn't think anyone in our conference could stand in our way.
Until the first game of the season when Ryan Grant went down.
I'll remember the moment forever. We were sitting in the bar and I was wearing my Grant jersey. He got hurt and I kept telling Woody (who had him on the club fantasy league) that it would be OK and that he would come back. Seriously wishful thinking. His season was over and it hurt me in my work fantasy league as he was my number two pick and premier RB.
I haven't worn the jersey since.
I watched as the team struggled to find a winning rhythm for the rest of the year and was genuinely pleased that they just made the playoffs. Then they started winning the playoff games and I became cautiously optimistic that they had a very tiny shot at getting through to at least the NFC Championship game. Which they did!
Though I didn't want to play them, I think it was great to have two teams with an historic rivalry meet. No, I'm not a Bears fan but I'm not a hater. I think that's partially because He Who Is Dead To Me has made me more of a Vikings hater and then, well, there's Dallas. So called "America's Team". Well, not my America, anyway!
So, here we came down to GB vs. CHI. I tried to stay above the trash talking fray because 1) I find it unseemly (OK, not so much really but that makes me sound so virtuous) but more 2) I didn't want to jinx it. And, I don't like eating crow.
The game started out so nicely. First GB drive led to a quick touchdown. It was all good from there. If they took the ball away from us, we did the same to them while keeping a nice lead.
Then, Jay Cutler went out of the game. My heart sank. The dude was totally under-performing and I thought the best thing for us was for him to keep playing. Then I watched as Collins couldn't do jack and felt better. But, then, they put in this kid Hanie that I never heard of and he suddenly made it a game.
Yikes.
Ultimately, Green Bay got the win. Everyone on the losing end of big games will pull out the claims of bad calls, referee favoritism, etc. when their team goes down. I've done it myself (see GB vs AZ in the playoffs last season). This game was no exception on my Facebook feed. I tried to stay above that fray as well. Because I'm a lover, not a fighter.
By some series of fantastic events, my pre-season prediction came true.
The Green Bay Packers are going to the Super Bowl.
Woot!
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