How 'bout dem Packers, eh?
So, this Sunday evening, the Pack hosts the Giants at the Frozen Tundra of Lambeauuuuu Field, for the NFC Championship. The season's been a pleasant surprise from start to finish (well, except for the pair of eggs the Pack laid against the Bears), and having Dallas lose to New York last week (thus leaving the Pack as the highest remaining seed) was the Lucky Strike extra.
I have to say, this season's success has snuck up on me. The Packers had a nice finish last year, but I was skeptical about Favre at age 38 (the age at which so many quarterbacks really seem to lose their touch), and I was skeptical about the team's youth. I contrast this to the '96 season (when they won the Super Bowl)...after getting progressively closer in '94 and '95, it really felt like '96 was their anointed year, and everything came together.
This year, they just keep winning, far more than I thought they would. When it became clear that they'd get a first-round bye, I figured that they'd probably win that first playoff game, then lose at Dallas. Now, they're 7-point favorites to beat New York, and go to the Super Bowl, for the priviledge of getting spanked by the Patriots. ;-)
Oh, and my father and I (as season-ticket holders) had tickets to the game this Sunday. But, when my dad called the ticket agency Monday morning, and learned that they'd pay $525 for each of the tickets ($150 face value), it was an offer he couldn't refuse. As neat as it would have been to go to the game, it's going to be brutally cold, so at least I'll be comfortable in front of my TV. :-D
I have to say, this season's success has snuck up on me. The Packers had a nice finish last year, but I was skeptical about Favre at age 38 (the age at which so many quarterbacks really seem to lose their touch), and I was skeptical about the team's youth. I contrast this to the '96 season (when they won the Super Bowl)...after getting progressively closer in '94 and '95, it really felt like '96 was their anointed year, and everything came together.
This year, they just keep winning, far more than I thought they would. When it became clear that they'd get a first-round bye, I figured that they'd probably win that first playoff game, then lose at Dallas. Now, they're 7-point favorites to beat New York, and go to the Super Bowl, for the priviledge of getting spanked by the Patriots. ;-)
Oh, and my father and I (as season-ticket holders) had tickets to the game this Sunday. But, when my dad called the ticket agency Monday morning, and learned that they'd pay $525 for each of the tickets ($150 face value), it was an offer he couldn't refuse. As neat as it would have been to go to the game, it's going to be brutally cold, so at least I'll be comfortable in front of my TV. :-D