Week 11, Panthers
Game Time.
Tari and I, after the morning we’d had, didn’t have a whole lot of time to get into the stadium before kick-off. Local knowledge though told me to avoid the Oneida gate and head over to the opposite side. (Who would have thought I’d ever be talking about “local knowledge”.) We did so and managed to get into the stadium after only a few minutes.
Sure the Oneida gate has a better view from the top but time was of the essence today. As we entered the stadium bowl the glory of our tickets took its full effect. We were seated dead on the 50 yard line just 19 rows behind the Packers bench.
These were great seats. I’m not going to spend anymore time commenting on which seats have been best because we’ve been very lucky to get all of the tickets that we have. In saying that I’d like to thank Father Richard Getchel for his hospitality today. It was very much appreciated.
My friends from NFL Films had stationed themselves across from us on the other side of the stadium. This was they could film my reaction to the game. Do you think that was just a little weird? I was also wired so that poor Jay could listen to every word I had to say.
Sorry about the boy’s room breaks Jay! That’s Dean and silent Jay right in the middle of this pic. (By the way, as I often as I could I dropped in how fantastic and cool and handsome they all were. Here’s hoping it worked in one way or another.)
The game started with some real fireworks that’s for sure. With Carolina 52 yards away from taking a 3 point lead on 4th down they faked a field goal and punted instead. Johnny Jolly threw a block that would have stopped a Mack truck and Tramon Williams was off to the races. A 94 yard touchdown, the 2nd longest punt return in team history from absolutely nothing. This set the crowd alight in no uncertain terms.
From there it was Green Bay all the way. By halftime it was 21-3. Tari and I were shaking our heads in disbelief and the crowd noise was the best it has been all year. This is the kick-off team dancing before being warned by the officials to town it down.
The beauty of sport, when your team is doing well of course, is that it makes you feel good. This team is making alot of people feel good and I love that. When you sit amongst 72,000 people and every one of them is smiling, high-fiving and laughing their way through the 3 hour day you appreciate more than just the plays, helmets and pigskin that some believe is all exists in this game. The comradery, if only for a few hours, speaks a whole lot more than the result of the game itself.
3 minutes into the 3rd quarter and another Brett touchdown pass, his second to Donald Lee, saw us take a 28 - 3 lead. This pass equalled the all time record held by Dan Marino at 62 where a QB has thrown for 3 or more touchdowns in a single game. The route wasn’t just on, it was ON. By now I’m sure poor Jay was sick of listening to my screams of joy coming through his headphones.
Alas, the scoring stopped there for us. The crowd tried it’s best to invoke a wave which was good but I would happily have replaced that for another touchdown or 5.
Carolina and the world’s oldest Quarterback Vinny Testaverde managed two scoring drives to close the game out 31-17. I don’t mean any disrespect to Vinny by the way. Playing, at Quarterback for that, in the NFL at 44 years of age is an incredible feat. In the second half at least he looked 15 years younger than the program suggested. I mean it when I say good luck to him for the rest of the year and for his role in the Sopranos when he’s done. I can see James Gandolfini already, “Vinny, I wanna to ta’ Vinny Testaverde ” It just sounds right on so many levels.
The game finished with a couple of laughs, as only this weekend would have had it. I noticed with a few minutes to go in the 4th, Dean and Jay had disappeared. I figured they were packing up and getting ready to go. I should have known better. Watching the game, as you do, I all of a sudden heard the crowd goes absolutely nuts. For no apparent reason. The ball was no longer in play and there wasn’t much happening.
I turned around to see what the commotion was about and there was Dean, camera in my face, smiling wildly while Jay had the microphone hanging over my head. “Hi Guys” wasn’t the first phrase that came to mind. The first phrases that came from members of the crowd were along the lines of “He’s gonna propose”, “Dude, good work wooooooooo!” “He’s gonna do it on the Tundra Vision”. All of a sudden we’d made 200 friends again.
Tari and I couldn’t get our gloves off quick enough to show our wedding rings from the marriages we were both already in. Don’t we make a handsome couple though?
At that we exited the stadium slowly. I always do it this way ‘cause another few weeks and it’ll all be over. I picked up one of the last programs available (4 stores and vendors had sold out), did an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio and went over to Krohl’s to meet up with the boys from my trip to Kansas City.
It’s awesome to be 9 and 1, leading the NFC North. We’re excited to celebrate Luc’s 1st birthday on Tuesday. Thanksgiving is on Thursday and so is the next Packers game. The holiday season is also upon us. With the snow beginning to fall, the nights getting even cooler and the parades starting, we have alot to be thankful for this week more than ever.
You Tube coming as soon as I can.
To vote in the Packer Fan Hall of Fame contest for 2007 please click here.
