Two households both alike in dignity

Two households both alike in dignity,

at fair Lambeau where we lay our scene.

From ancient (well, since 1974 anyway) grudge break, to new mutiny

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes…

Too dramatic?

Me thinks not.

We took our niece to a Packer game and, from the tips of her neon green and blue clad fingers,  to the depths of her impressive command of NFL football, she’s a SEAHAWKS fan.

“Uncle Steve told me not to be an obnoxious fan,” she said as we discussed whether she had warm enough game day gear.

Fortunately, the young woman does not have an obnoxious bone in her body. She does, however, have a passion for the game.

“Do you want to wear this scarf?” I asked, innocently holding up a Packer green and gold wool scarf.

“No way!” she said, a bit too definitively for my taste.

“I have some nice warm gloves,” I said, holding out a lovely green and gold pair.

“I’m good,” she said, smiling.

We looked like that classic Seasame Street game when we posed for pre-game pictures.

“One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?”

But, even with our divided loyalties, we had a really good time and not just with Mari. Every Seahawks fan we met (and there were a lot of them) cheered both graciously and knowledgeably.

We Packer fans have a history in Seattle I’d prefer not to talk about it. (But, that Fail Mary! And ahhh, Brandon Bostick, I know you didn’t mean it, buddy. I hope things are going well for you up there in New York.)

But the best types of NFL rivalries involve mutual respect and that’s what it felt like Sunday at Lambeau.

Of course, it helped that at 8-3-1 the Seahawks are sitting nicely in the NFC West and that the Packers played their best game of the season.

Still, as I chatted with the Seahawks fan to my right who had dyed his beard a deep, Seattle blue, and my husband conversed with a group of Seahawks fans to his left, and we watched the Seahawks fan in front of us catch the eye of a group of players and have an actual screaming but pleasant conversation with them, I admired the fact that Seattle fans travel well.

I know another team that travels well.

So, I’m going to wish those Seahawk fans, including my darling niece, good luck the rest of the season.

Hopefully, we’ll meet again real soon.

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I’ve been working on her for 23 years, but, having grown up in Portland, our niece Mari has clung fiercely to her Seahawks loyalty. She’s a Duck’s fan too. Kids today, man. You try to bring them up right.
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She’s a good tailgater, though, and a really nice young lady. We were happy to host her and, look Seattle, if you want to come back to Green Bay again this season, it might not work out mathematically, but we’d be happy to host you too. We Packer fans are real generous that way. We love to host playoff games at Lambeau.
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Vinnie even shared his birthday cake with a fellow birthday boy, who just happened to be a Seattle fan. Improbably, a third birthday boy identified himself as we sang,”Happy Birthday” so it was quite a festive little tailgate party.
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You gotta love a guy willing to dye his facial hair in the team colors.
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See, America, we CAN all get along!
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And, speaking of America, I feel I have to mention Brett Young’s national anthem. I mean, the words are right there on our giant scoreboard! You have to get the lyrics right. That’s all I’m saying.
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I did get Miss Mari to wear one Packer item. Here she is with the Honorable John Des Jardins’ ring from Super Bowl XLV. Who won that game? I can’t remember. Oh yeah! The Green Bay Packers. Go Pack Go!

2 thoughts on “Two households both alike in dignity

  1. My hubby and I were split too… In Fantasy Football, I have Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin; Rick has Aaron and Nelson. LOTS of Trash Talkin’ during the game!! By the way, despite Wilson and Baldwin’s less than stellar performance, I won and in first place for the 1st time in my 8 or so years in the league!!

    1. Woo hoo! I sat Doug Baldwin due to my longstanding policy not to play anyone who is playing against the Packers. I did play Le’veon Bell though so I finished first in my league too!

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