Week 10, Vikings

What a difference a week or two makes. Game morning 2 weeks ago in Denver I was boarding a plane at 9:35 on a 27 hour whirlwind. Last week I woke at 7:30, in an RV, parked on the street in downtown Kansas City with a room mate I’d known for less than 24 hours.

Today? Today I woke just before 8 next to a warm bundle of baby in Luc and just a room away from Benjamin. I knew that Kelly had been out the night before enjoying herself and there was absolutely no rush to get anywhere.

The boys and I had breakfast, I dressed them in Packers gear head to toe and we headed off to see Mummy all refreshed and relaxed at our friends house.

I know it’s game day but I need to pay a little respect to all the mothers out there that have to get kids ready each and every morning to leave the house. I love these boys like nothing else but wow. Bathe them, dress them, feed them and pack their bags. Do you have their bottles, snacks, dummies and nappies? What about the pram, their coats, a change of clothes and a toy for the car each. Did you double and triple check to make sure you’ve got everything. Man, what a job. Big kudos to those who do it every day.

I dropped the boys to Tezza’s place so they and Kel could hang out while Robbo and I headed out to the game.

Now here’s the beauty of Lambeau as I touched on briefly last week. We left their place, 15 minutes away from the stadium and got there in 15 minutes. We parked in a friends driveway and walked the rest of the way. The front yard parking makes for some very interesting scenery and the good time had by all on the way in is just great.

I am inspired by Lambeau. The tailgating, the smiles, the stories. It’s so nice to be home. We walked around a little before the game and took some crazy pics. I’m thinking about getting one of these cars when we get back. What do you think Kel would say?

Thanks to my morning routine and our little walk we got to the stadium with just enough time to meet “America’s Dairyland Man” and take our seats. And what seats they were. Right down by the players tunnel, only 14 rows back from the fence, behind the end zone. I hear some people say that they don’t like to sit behind the sticks and that they’d rather sit between the 40’s. First of all, I couldn’t care less where I’m sitting, I’m just happy to be here. In saying that, if I had to choose, the end zone is fine by me. You get to see the entire width of the field. You see the holes open up, the wide-outs run their routes and the entire play unfolding. Man I love this game.

Before we get to the game I need to say a very sincere thank you to our ticket provider for the day. Patty, I can’t thank you enough. Your seats are absolutely wonderful and letting us take them for this game, a Milwaukee game at that and one that was being very heavily scalped was very generous. They really are the best seats we’ve had so far.

So, onto the game. Seems being Australian at a Packers game comes with some notoriety these days. As I spoke to the group in front us they were immediately aware of my accent and very quickly told all of those within ear shot that I was “that Australian guy”. This is actually quite a good little trick. When introducing yourself to a dozen people sitting nearby seems a little difficult, just say “G’day” to one of them and the rest will work itself out. Actually it worked out quite well. It’s very easy to make friends at Lambeau and being at the game, enjoying the company around you makes the day even better.

Thanks to the friendly banter between a whole group of us we missed kick off. We certainly didn’t miss the action though. From where we sitting I was actually able to appreciate this game and the true pace it is played at. I always thought sitting higher gave you a better view of the game. Whilst that may be true, sitting lower made me feel like I was a part of the game. The speed at which they played today was amazing. And don’t even get me started on the speed at which Brett throw’s his passes. I truly got to appreciate the action on a different level today.

By halftime it was 13 – 0. If not for a lack of time it could have been 17 but a lead is a lead in the end. Robbo and I enjoyed a Lambeau Brat and and beer ‘cause I think it’s illegal to eat or drink anything else at this stadium and we threw some cheese curds in there for good luck. The play of the half for me was the Ryan Grant run by far. 30 yards up the right through a massive hole. It was more than just a touchdown, it was a sign that the running game is getting better and at this point in the season that’s really exciting.

The second half and in particular the 3rd quarter was great. Where were sitting we literally had front row seats to the Donald Lee and Ruvell Martin touchdowns. The Lee touchdown, starting for the 1 yard line provided what I think will be about the closet pic I’ll get of our offensive formation this year.

After that it was 27 - 0 and a fourth quarter touchdown, again to Martin, made the final score 34 - 0.

Whilst on this trip I was hoping I’d get a chance to Aaron Rodgers play. Certainly not at the expense of Brett and any unthinkable injury but I was hoping to see him play after a blowout and as it happened today was the day. (Yes that’s the number 12 where the 4 would normally be.) If his performance today is any indication of how things might be, we may just be in good hands when the time finally comes. 

How good is it to win big? Serioulsy. I’ve had a few people comment that the game was non existent in the second half because of the lead we took. That’s insane.....i would much rather win 34 – 0 with a good spread of points throughout the day than have each game come down to the wire as they did in Denver and KC. In fact you know how good it is when the home team takes the score off the board ‘cause they know it’ll make the away team feel even worse. (Nice touch Packers.) My philosophy on tight games is that in the end, when all is said and done and we’ve won, they are the best games ever. It’s the during part, the nail biting and the butterflies in the tummy that I don’t want to have to endure.

I felt like I was bouncing out of the stadium after the game today. It truly was an awesome feeling. Aside from the massive win and pictures as close as these, there was some milestones aswell:

• It wasn’t just the first shutout I have ever seen, it was the first Vikings shutout since the series started between these 2 teams in 1961.
• Brett become only the second quarterback in history to surpass 60,000 yards passing and is now a mere 1,000 or so away from overtaking Dan Marino for number 1 all time
• Today will go down as Brett’s 100th career home victory, something no other player has ever accomplished

Robbo and I headed out to the Stadium View for a little bit, then over to The Bar and we had a final soda at Anduzzi’s before making our way home. Whilst I wanted to see how the town celebrated after a big win we also wanted to see how the Lions, Bears, Cowboys and Giants were doing. The Cowboys won which was too bad, so did the Bears which is unusual for them. The big news though was that the Lions lost and so too did the Giants. That gives us just a little more breathing space at the top.

As the weeks wear on I’m getting more and more impatient come game time. I know I’m lucky I picked this season of all the seasons to come but still, I can’t wait to see more Packers.

YouTube update coming soon.....Go Pack Go.