A Minnesota nice afternoon at Lambeau

We waded through a sea of purple yesterday afternoon and wedged ourselves into our seats at Lambeau Field with some trepidation.

Things get pretty tight on those bench seats this time of year, and we fans often have to move in synchrony, like human Venetian blinds, as we follow the action on the field.

It can get a little awkward when you’re bellied up to surly bench mates.

Fortunately, the Viking fans we encountered were some of the nicest people we’ve seen down there in Section 117.

“Hey! I’m Joe,” the guy next to me said. “Let me know if I get too loud.”

I told him I didn’t think it was possible to get too loud at Lambeau. Loudness is the whole point, right?

At halftime, a Viking fan made his way past us toward the stairs.

“Excuse me. Sorry. Coming through,” he said and he carried his squashed up empty beer can and brat wrapper with him so he could dispose of them properly.

Sure there was heckling but it went like this:

“Hey Thielen! You’re old!” yelled a Packer fan behind us.

“Your mother’s old!” the Viking fan in front of us yelled back.

“Well yes….she is,” came the reply and we all, even the Viking fan, had a good laugh at that.

We’ve heard some rude insults hurled at players in past games down there behind the visitor’s bench. Yesterday, we heard comments that sounded almost like catcalls.

“Hey Jefferson! You’re beautiful!”

My daughter Molly and I had a great time. I love a noon game anyway, and that Packer defense was on fire.

The thing is, the Minnesota fans around us had a great time too.

They were disappointed in their team’s play, extremely gracious about a lone Packer fan in row 11 who felt compelled to scream “Thielen!” all afternoon, and about as pleasant as a group of people could be gearing up for a five-hour drive home after an ugly loss.

“Well, this was fun anyway,” one purple clad gentleman said to his wife.

It was! How Minnesota nice!