Going to Lambeau

I was privvy to attend the shareholder's meeting last week. I have to say that it's rather fun having this faux importance in the Green Bay Packers organization. Several futile attempts to have a companion attend with me were foiled by powers higher than me, so I traveled the road to Lambeau solo. The good part is that I went about my day at my own pace. The bad part is that I felt a little foolish traipsing among the other shareholders with me, myself, and I. Still...

Arriving at the stadium is always thrilling, game day or no game day. Lambeau is an amazing site. The building is gorgeous, the field is hallowed. The bleachers are stark hard metal. The names on the wall surrounding the bowl are icons in the National Football League and heroes to the Green Bay Packers. Being at Lambeau always brings a somber, joyful, stirring feeling in my soul. Thursday, that feeling was complicated by the latest Brett Favre conundrum. Not knowing how this scenario will play out is excruciating. Not knowing exactly how I feel about all the parties involved (and their crazy behaviors that make NO sense) muddied the usual giddy respect I feel when I approach the grandeur that is my football team's home.

We were given programs upon our entry through the gates. Mostly these programs had the fiscal information that they wanted us to see spread across two glossy 8x11 1/2 pages. There was a schedule for the day and a brief thank you with a lot of color and splash on the front and back covers. It's a festive 'state of the union' meeting. The Packer brass paraded out across Lambeau Field from the tunnel that usually brings us our game day heroes, and walked stoically to a tented stage with a lone podium. New president, Mark Murphy, made some opening remarks beginning by addressing the Favre situation without really saying anything. It sounded like this to me: "We know it's a sensitive blah blah blah and we want to find a compromise that pleases blah blah blah so we hope that you'll remain patient blah blah blah because we don't know wtf we're doing blah blah blah."

Yeah. That was it. Nice try at putting our hearts to rest about it. Let me just briefly say this. No matter what has happened in the last six months, what Brett Favre has given to and done for the Green Bay Packers in the last seventeen years should NOT be passed off as reason for even thinking trade. As shareholders, we were given the mission statement of the team and the goals of the franchise. They strive to re-sign their own players. (Then do it). They promise to make every attempt to win world championships by every move that they make. (WHO gives you the best chance to achieve that again?)!!

I am sickened by the prospect of an announcement this week that tells me Brett Favre has been traded to another NFL team. It's not right. Favre is the face of the Packers. Favre in another uniform is unthinkable; I don't care if it's a team we never play. If Favre is throwing a football, it should be for Green Bay. And yes! I am angry with Brett Favre. I am tired of Ted Thompson. Set it aside. And how about Mike McCarthy? Who does he want quarterbacking his next attempt at a SuperBowl? I don't even want to hear about how Aaron Rodgers is the man. He's not the man. He's not. You can't go to Lambeau and not feel all of this stuff swirling in the air. It was disconcerting, for sure.

The meeting progressed with Thompson (who indeed did get boo's, then a few standers who wanted to ovate him to make it up to him). Pffft. You could see on Thompson's face that he knew he was in trouble with some of the shareholders. He just walked taller and acted tougher. He's not backing down or going away. Damn. I saw a guy as the meeting started who wore a t-shirt claiming, "I'd rather have Favre than Thompson." Me too, buddy. Me too.

Mike McCarthy spoke. He was very Mike McCarthy-ish. Did you know the man cannot pronounce "the?" "Da team is working hard to prepare for da season ahead of us." Based on his acquiescence to Ted's demands, I'm beginning to think McCarthy needs a handler.

We then got the parade of directors giving their reports. Jason Wied is a card. Time actually flew. Around 11:30am, the meeting finally ended. Citgo commercials for game days were then filmed. Look for me to be raising my hand, saying, "Aye" when those gas station ads air on gameday.

I spent the next three hours roaming around a closed Lambeau Field. A tailgate party, the Hall of Fame (see that post below), a trip to the Packer Pro Shop for some stockholder-only merchandise (I got 10% off when I used my Packer checking debit card-woot), and general aimless wandering. I was trying to breathe in the wonder that is this great stadium. Still, I have to admit, there is a lonesome feeling being there with no Favre-who-wants-to-play on the horizon there.

When I left, hungry and a little sad, I turned around to take one last look at the stadium. It was my fervent hope that the God that Ted Thompson assured us the Packers' organization prays to in all things, would grant this place the grace to resolve the differences and bring our iconic quarterback to the place he belongs. If He doesn't, there will be hole in the world that shakes my faith in the green and gold. There were so many 'hold back the tears' moments in my day there, and I find that those tearful moments continue as the legend of Favre becomes tarnished by his own misdeeds.

There's a blue day coming. Lambeau as we once knew it is going to be forever changed by these ugly days ahead. I knew it on Thursday, and I feel it more today. Sometimes being a Packer fan isn't easy. Thank goodness for the boys of Summer to take ourselves away.