Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings celebrates with fans after catching a 50-yard touchdown pass in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Our Green Bay Packers blogger talks about how he became a Packers fan, and what it means to him, as we approach Super Bowl XLV and the Packers' matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Feb 5, 2011 - With Super Bowl XLV almost here, we asked the contributors to our Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers blogs to talk about their fandom. First up is Brandon Benson of Acme Packing Company, SB Nation's Packers blog, who's in Dallas this weekend covering the big game.
My father slowly let football become part of my life. He always watched football, but for years I rarely paid attention. He never wore team merchandise, painted his hair or face with the team colors, and he never went to their games. But he would buy me some team merchandise, toy footballs and books on football. At some point I started to love it. What finally did it for me was my first book of football stats. I poured over them. I memorized the stats for running backs and quarterbacks.
Since I was growing up in Madison, Wisc., I had the privilege of having the Green Bay Packers games televised to my house. Part of it was the small town uniqueness, and part of it was that they were my home state's team. This was the early 1980s and they were the lovable losers who were led by star WR James Lofton. Because of his presence, and that they were often playing from behind, they were a pass-heavy team back then. But it wasn't just their high powered offense that drew my attention because I was also impressed by the teams that ran the ball. It was everything about football that made me a fan.
I usually show my emotion and stress during each game internally. I rarely wear the passion for my favorite teams on my sleeve. Many fans show their fanaticism on the outside by the way they live, the way they dress, and even the way they paint their face and body. That's their style, and just because I don't do the same, it doesn't mean that either of us are the lesser fan.
So when you see that mild mannered fan and wonder whether they are truly committed to their team, just realize that not all passive fans are fair weather fans. We just have a different way of showing how we follow the Green Bay Packers.
For more from Brandon and his team of fellow Green Bay Packers fans, be sure to follow along on Acme Packing Company all weekend.
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