Sportsbeat, Packer fever takes over
by Peter Jakey
At times during the last couple of weeks, one has to wonder if this was northern Michigan or northern Wisconsin, the way Packer fever has run rampant. Green and yellow, Green Bay logos and insignias could be found on jackets, sweatshirts and ball caps nearly everywhere in Presque Isle County. At one Posen home, it could be found spray painted in the snow, when freshly fallen snow wasn?t covering Tony Konwinski?s Packer G. Konwinski, 69, has been a Packer fan since Bart Starr was winning Super Bowls in the 1960s.
The Pack also won in 1997, which was the last time Konwinski painted the Packer G in front of his house along M-65. ?I did it first Saturday, but it snowed, so I had to do it again early Sunday,? he said. ?It snowed again (or maybe it didn?t stop snowing).? The logo needed some touching up in bitter cold temperatures Sunday afternoon, so Tony, his son Greg and a friend went out and got it ready for the big game.
The Packer G was flanked by No. 12 and No. 52, which are the numbers of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and outside linebacker Clay Matthews. What a coincidence that those two made the biggest plays in knocking off the Steelers. He?s been to Packer games at Lambeau Field eight years in a row. Q. You?re more a Packer fan than a Lions? fan? Konwinski: ?Oh!? ? with a pause and a chuckle ? ?The Lions are my second choice.? Who can blame him? The Packers won four playoff games in five weeks to take the title this year, while the Lions still have one playoff win in 53
Lifelong Packer fan Mary Fairbanks of Rogers City was just as excited about the Lombardi Trophy returning home, to her old hometown. Mary grew up four blocks from historic Lambeau Field, and worked at the stadium selling peanuts and hot dogs starting when she was 10-years-old, while her dad took tickets at the gate. Her high school football team played their homes games at Lambeau, and guess who was a cheerleader on the sidelines?
Mary was even at the Ice Bowl of 1967, which is widely considered as one of the greatest NFL championship games ever. This was before they started playing Super Bowls. Mary?s brothers helped tear down the goal posts that day and the family still has a section of it. ?It?s a big deal for the community,? she said. ?It?s a town of less than 100,000.? But, there are millions of Packer fans around the world, including a new generation of fans that found out what living in ?Title Town U.S.A.? feels like.