Currently Listening to: Eminem – Lose Yourself
That’s from Greg Jennings, who exhibited a level of humbleness and genuine heart that can only be imagined (more on that later).
There’s something about being a sports fan; a true sports fan, and watching your team win. I enjoy watching Manchester United play, I will always cheer for the Dodgers, the Clippers or Rockets or something are fun to watch, and I love it when the Ducks win, but I am not a TRUE fan of those teams. I am a true Green Bay Fan. I know it looks red, but when you look at it under a microscope, my blood cells are actually green and gold. It may seem somewhat disingenuous from a kid who was born in Taiwan and grew up in LA, but I needed a team and I got attached early. Brett Favre retiring was the most emotionally devastating day of my life, not during some petty break up/heart break, not at some funeral or some significant fight. This is not only because his seemingly last throw would be an interception in the playoffs, but because he was the most significant hero of my life for the last 12 years. This is a man that I not only no longer admire, but still hate with a fiery passion.
It was at that time, right when I was leaving for college, that I knew that I loved the team more than I loved the man; and that he couldn’t be replaced but that new heroes could inspire new dreams and fill new hopes.
We have a man who came so close, not once but twice, and searched for redemption five years after he signed with the Packers, 13 years after he won the Heisman and the National Championship… only to break his collarbone at the end of the first half, deflecting a pass that would’ve surely gone for a devastating touchdown. He was so filled with concoction of emotions that I can only imagine to think of the words couldn’t come out when he had to address the team at half time. That’s all anyone needs to move. You CAN’T lose that game because you would NEVER forgive yourself. That’s heart. That’s a team.
We have a man who is so humble that he played-off not one, but two clutch catches on teammates, coaching, and fans. Who also, despite his overarching, god-blessed, once in a lifetime talent and leadership, implied he was a second best receiver when he clearly isn’t. Who does that?
We have a quarterback that was passed over time and time again, who knows only how to play the game one way, with fun and passion, who ignored the giant number-4-wearing monkey off his back despite the fact that the media would throw it on him over and over again after he shrugged it off (much like how he does tacklers), who saw his PERFECT passes dropped AT LEAST a half dozen times, and went back to the same targets because he had the faith and trust in his receivers. Who made no mistakes in a game that was determined by less than a touchdown.
This was for when I had dumb-ass kids mock me at Milton cause Favre threw a dumb interception in overtime. This was for when Favre retired. When some bull-no-call took away a chance in OT last year. For those haters that criticized a 3-3 team. When they took that last knee, I just moved on. I played some games, ate some food, and then accidentally locked myself out of my car when I went home. It was okay, I wasn’t really thinking for about 3 hours. But it really hit me when I was listening to the radio on my way back to school. The Packers won the Superbowl. They won the Superbowl. I got teary-eyed and had to pull over on the 210 East because the Packers won the Superbowl. We won the Superbowl.
This is my team, and this is my happiest moment, because I live and die with these guys. Nothing can change that.
Until, of course, next year.
