Well, it's been awhile since I last wrote about my Packer memories and it's hard to get into the football mood when the temperature here in Central Oregon has been around 100. But, it's right around the corner...the beginning of the season. Exciting times.
So, here's a blast from my past as I've heard the stories of the 1967 Ice Bowl from my dad and uncles so many times I'm not even sure what is real or stories that change after a few beers. Here's what I remember about their stories.
They (my dad, 2 of my uncles and a friend of theirs) loaded up their car (the color changes every time they tell the story) the morning of the game. Most of the gear was blankets, beer and whisky...what more do you need to battle a cold Wisconsin winter. They traveled the old highway to Green Bay (no interstates at that time). Many stops had to be made to clear off the windshield as the heat of the car wasn't enough to keep it clear from ice in the 13 below temperature. If I remember correctly, a few bars were stopped at along the way in order to 'warm-up'. Sounds like what any reasonable Packer fan would do.
Things get a little blurry in the story at this point as my dad and uncles didn't expand on where they parked or getting into the game (they had tickets, but no mention of details of seats, etc). The one part of the story that remains the same every time it is told is about how cold it was. The windchill hovered around 30 below. The only thing they really saw during the game was the actual plays from scrimmage. Reason being, they had blankets draped over their faces in between plays...it was just too cold. When Starr said 'hike', the blankets came down. After 3 yards and a cloud of dust (or ice), the blankets went back up. Everything in the stadium was quiet because of the cold and people huddling behind blankets...thus, everything could be heard on the field perfectly. My dad said that they had to slam beers before they froze and the whisky was bordering on freezing too.
Of course, we all know about Starr's sneak and the Packers winning their third consecutive NFL title. Welcome to the frozen tundra!
There is no mention of the ride home or how many bars were stopped at along the way...I'm sure a few. You can't stop in a bar to pee and not have a beer. That just wouldn't be polite!
Moral of the story, Packer history can be told in many different ways. Sometimes it is over a few beers and the memories come back (even if they aren't totally accurate). Packer history is like the Roman empire. We may forget some of the details, but the remains are all around us...we never forget.
Here's a link I found on the Internet of some video of the game:
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Wow, it feels like the temperature just dropped 20 degrees here in Oregon. Good story to tell to remember those Wisconsin winters. [url=Pro_News/aid=141.html]full article[/url].