Before he ever picked up a football, went to school, married my mother, or built a business, my dad was a brother. He shared a large room at the back of my grandparent's green slate house on 20 Row with his older brother George and his younger sister Martha. Together, he and George were known [...]
My father left big shoes to fill when he died on January 29, 1993. Like the man, his shoes are sturdy, humble and reliable. In their hey day, the NFL issue cleats left their mark on hallowed ground like Wrigley Field, Shea Stadium, the Miami Orange Bowl,and Lambeau Field. Despite this, they remain unadorned by [...]
As we gear up for the Packer home opener and alumni weekend for the greatest NFL team in the country, we offer the following 77 reasons you want to be a Packer fan: We are womb to tombers. Parents put their babies on the season ticket waiting list the day they are born and the [...]
My dad died dramatically Super Bowl weekend exactly 20 years ago. To mark the occasion, I am posting the eulogy I wrote. It's longer than I remembered. I wrote it on a few scraps of borrowed yellow legal paper sitting outside the door of my hotel room in Franklin, Kentucky at 2 a.m. the morning [...]
A late and unexpected Christmas gift celebrated two key factors in my father's life -- football and friendship. The gift, given to my son Vinnie this week by his godfather, John Olson, mirrored an equally sentimental gift "Ole" gave me nearly 30 years ago. Back then I found one last package addressed to me and [...]