5. What is the strangest place/city/country you've encountered a fellow Packers fan? Any cool stories from that experience?
Ryan from Milwaukee, WI
While I was in Paris last year to see the Bucks play, my friends and I went to a Packers bar there. It was cool to run into other Wisconsinites thousands of miles from home. The bar had a guest book we all could sign, and one of the notable entries was from none other than Aaron Rodgers.
Michelle from Oceanside, CA
My husband is in the Marine Corps. and our family has been all over the world throughout his career. Wherever we have gone, no matter how far away, we have encountered Packers fans. Taking a hike in Germany? There's a German Packers fan out hiking, too. Going to your kids' karate lessons in Sri Lanka? Their Master is a Packers fan. Buying fresh-caught shrimp at a market in Benin? I didn't need to try to translate "Packers!" when the seller saw the shirt I was wearing. We're everywhere.
Tom from Indianapolis, IN
Well, it's more like the opposite of encountering another fan, but when I was hiking along the Italian coast between the villages Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza in June 2010, my Packers shorts elicited a "Packers suck!" from a traveler heading the other direction. I'm sure he remembered that moment the following February when the Packers did not, in fact, suck.
James from Chicago, IL
In 2007, prior to leaving for our European honeymoon, my wife forbade me from wearing Packers (or any other) logos in Europe. Roughly 12 minutes into our first full day in Germany, at Oktoberfest in Munich, we run into a guy wearing a Brett Favre jersey. I looked at my wife and she said, "He's got a nicer wife than you do."
John from Belleview, FL
My wife and I were at Disney World, taking a water taxi from EPCOT to Hollywood Studios. Three other couples were on board, and I noticed one lady wearing a pink cap with No. 36 on it. "Leroy Butler?" I asked. Yes, came the reply we're from Wisconsin. I told her we were originally from Wisconsin, too. The third couple piped up, "We're from Wisconsin, too!" Then, the fourth couple, "Us, too!" It's a small world after all! (Sorry).
Justin from Ivins, UT
In 2019, I had six friends fly into Vegas from Dallas. They stayed with us and we hit up Zion National Park, Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. The day we hit the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon and encountered about two dozen strangers wearing Packers gear. My very diehard Cowboys fan friends thought it was some sort of conspiracy. I loved every second of it.
DB from Wausau, WI
Regarding the strangest place I encountered a Packers fan, I stood up in a wedding in Jamaica. The bartender at the resort immediately recognized we were from Wisconsin (go figure) and asked if we would like his personalized Packers cocktail. He mixed up some blue and orange stuff and I thought, this guy has no clue who the Packers are. Then, to my amazement, added the shaved ice, gave it a swirl, and it turned into a beautiful green and gold! It was also delicious, in case you were wondering.
Reed from Kansas City, MO
I was visiting the Terracotta Warrior Museum in Xi'an, and I had a Packers cap on. As I was walking around Pit No. 1, someone coming in the opposite direction looked me in the eye and said, "Go Pack!" He was visiting from Germany, and we connected in China.
Dean from Sandusky, OH
While vacationing in Aruba, there was a sports bar by our resort. I stopped in to ensure they would be playing the Packers game on the following Sunday and was delighted to learn I stumbled into the Aruba Packers Backers bar. I met lots of interesting people that Sunday including a guy from Wisconsin who moved to Aruba and started a brat hut on the beach. Nothing better than a warm brat on a 90-degree beach, right? The brats were delicious, though.
Steve from Middletown, KY
I had an encounter with another Packers fan. Last year, while hiking on top of a mountain, in Gatlinsburg, Tenn., during the pandemic. Cool part, the other hiker was headed in the opposite direction and as we passed each other we just smiled and gave a fist bump. The even cooler part, we both had on the same T-shirt.
Dave from Buffalo, MN
The strangest place I encountered fellow Packers fans was when I visited the country of Gibraltar. I was near the top of the rock by the Barbary Macaques ape sanctuary and wearing a Packers pullover with the "100 Seasons" logo when someone yelled out, "Go Pack Go!" It was a couple from La Crosse, WI. We were all startled when one of the monkeys jumped onto my shoulder and as he leaned over to peer at the logo trying to distract us, he swiped a banana from my backpack. A cool Packers experience!
Bob from Riverside, CA
A cool experience was on our 35th anniversary road trip when we stayed in a bed and breakfast in Ouray, CO. One morning I came to breakfast wearing a Packers shirt and the B&B owners said, "You're Packers fans, too!" They ran upstairs and put on their Packers gear and we got a picture of the four of us. All over the West Coast, wearing my usual Packers gear, I run into Packers fans and we say, "Go Pack Go!"
Darren from New York City, NY
In October 2018, while visiting some family in Middle Georgia, we went to the Georgia National Fair. I was the odd number in my party, so I was stuck riding next to a random person on the infamous Zipper. As we were beginning to flip over, he noticed my Packers watch and asked if I was fan. I responded I was. It turned out he was far-removed family member of Kenny Clark. We had a conversation afterwards followed by brats (of course). The coolest and most random Packers fan interaction ever.
Donna from New Auburn, WI
Every year we take our family on a vacation, usually to some warm Caribbean Island. We call it our FFF (Forced Family Fun) vacation. In 2008, we were in Tobago. While driving through the island, we came upon a town named " Lambeau." Of course, we were wearing our Packers gear and ran into many local Packer fans. They even have a football (soccer) field called Lambeau Field.
Susie from Green Bay, WI
While vacationing at a ranch on the North Platte River in Wyoming, the lady saddling my horse noticed my Packers baseball cap and said she was a Packers fan. She grew up and lives in California and learned about football from a friend's dad that had moved from Wisconsin. We chatted a lot and at the end of the week I invited her to GB for a game. She came with her brother and sister and we had great time.
Steve from Algoma, WI
Six years ago, we took the kids on a cruise to Alaska. While in Juneau, we did a day trip to the Mendenhall glacier. Our helicopter flew us over the startling blue expanse of ice, and as we began to descend, we saw a tiny orange speck that slowly grew to become a huge tent that housed the glacier guides. As the chopper set down and the blades began to slow a figure emerged, crouched against the wind: bright red jumpsuit and Packers stocking cap. Turns out our "Alaskan" guide was from Manitowoc!
Jason from Woodbury, MN
In 2012, my family and I took a trip to visit my side of the family in China and, of course, had to tour the Wall while we were in the country. As I was standing on the Wall, wearing my Aaron Rodgers jersey and contemplating the general smallness of mankind, I heard "Go Pack Go!" from behind me. Ron and his family, who were from Eau Claire, kindly gave me a standing invitation to crack open a cold one with them whenever I was in their neck of the woods. We have cracked open many cold ones since!
Bill from Savannah, GA
My wife and I stopped for dinner at a random burger and ice cream place in Summerville, SC, while on our way back home to Savannah after visiting family in WI. While waiting in line to place my order, the woman in front of me noticed my Packers T-shirt and turned to her husband. "Oh no, there's another one." He turned around, gives me a high five, and rolls up his sleeve to show me the helmet tattoo on his bicep. The kid behind the counter asked how often that happens. "More than you'd think."
Frank from Wake Forest, NC
The strangest place I've met a Packers fan, was in Prague in 1990. I was touring the city, wearing a Packers T-shirt, when a guy walks up and says, "Go Pack Go!" He was from Germany and loved the Packers. We had a beer and talked for a while, his knowledge of the Packers was pretty impressive, especially since this was pre-internet days. His cousin in the states would send him Packer articles and yearbooks.
Woody from Kill Devil Hills, NC
The windshield washer on our Hyundai quits working. We drove 80 miles from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Chesapeake, VA, to the Hyundai dealer. The mechanic came out to look at the car and saw the Packers license plate – turns out he is a huge Packer fan. Showed us how to fix the problem and didn't charge us a dime (at a dealership!) When he told us how jealous he was because his sisters went to a game and he couldn't go, I offered him a pair of tickets to a game from my season tickets. Thanks John.
Dan from Elizabethtown, KY
Wal-Mart parking lot in Elizabethtown, KY. I was out by the car waiting for someone to finish shopping. I had my Packers coat and hat on. On my way across the parking lot, someone yelled "GO PACK GO!" I waved and yelled back. Others suddenly joined in! In five minutes, we had five groups yelling! (Editor's note: I've been to that Wal-Mart).
Mike from Marquette, MI
On a church ministry trip to Colombia in 2017, we were visiting a very poor community outside of Bogota. A woman, who spoke no English (and I spoke no Spanish) noticed my Packers shirt. She came up to me, pointed to the logo, and said "Go Pack Go!" Pretty awesome!
Eric from Ellicott City, MD
When I was active duty Army, I stationed in Germany and went to Prague for a weekend in 2018. While roaming the streets looking for bars, I found a sports bar which had a playoff game on. You wouldn't expect to stumble down the stairs of an old European dirty bar to find a huge Packers 'G' mirror hanging from the wall. Then, you wouldn't expect to find a guy who barely spoke English.
Ed from Tucson, AZ
Several years ago, I was traveling through a remote village in Mali, Africa. We stopped to get directions and a village elder came out to greet us, presumably because they don't see many foreigners. To my surprise, he was wearing a Packers winter hat! I believe that some old clothes donated from the US get sent to places like Mali so it's unlikely he was an actual Packers fan, but you just never know.
Ray from Rochester, MN
Basel, Switzerland, 2018, just before the regular season started. The wife and I were embarking on a Viking River Cruise on the Rhine River. I was wearing my orange "Hunting Down Hunger" Packers hat. We were exploring the large city center square when a random guy walks up to me and told me that Vince Biegle did not make the team. I paused for a moment, then thought, oh yeah, the hat. He was the only Packers fan that I spoke with during the entire 10-day trip.
Mike from Lake Villa, IL
I believe I helped create a new Packers fan while I was on a mission trip in Ghana in 2003. We were working on a church building in Cape Coast, Ghana, and some local men were helping our group. At the conclusion of our trip, each member of our group gave small gifts to the men that helped us. I gave one of the young men my Green Bay Packers cap that I wore on the trip. I explained to him that the 'G' on the cap stood for God, Ghana and the Green Bay Packers!
Dave from Whitesboro, NY
While on vacation, my wife and I were hiking in the Grand Teton National Park. Due to grizzly bear danger, I was wearing a Packers T-shirt and ball cap, because we all know "bears" are afraid of Packers. We passed another group of hikers and this gentleman among them yelled out "GO PACK GO." We struck up a conversation and he proceeded to tell me he played against Brett Favre in high school. If true, he has that going for him!
6. You spot an abandoned DeLorean and travel back to 1921. Hey, look, it's Curly Lambeau! Finish this sentence: "Curly, you're not going to believe it, but 100 years from now…"
Marty from Galena, IL
So, I encounter Curly Lambeau 100 years ago, we were enjoying a cold one, and I say to him, "Curly, the Green Bay football team is going to be playing in a stadium named after you. This stadium will be managed by a great organization and maintained by a loyal Packers fan base. It will be one of the greatest sporting venues in all the world. It will be on many-a-person's bucket list to go visit. We have you to thank for this. Thank you for laying the groundwork for a phenomenal sports legacy."
David from Riverside, CA
"…the most hallowed ground in football will proudly bear your name. People from all over the world will flock to this amazing place each and every year. Visiting Lambeau Field is arguably the No. 1 item on the bucket list of most sports fans."
Chad from Middleton, WI
"…the Packers will be playing in a stadium named after you, and it's being visited by fans wearing 'Wes Hod' hats and blowing 'Spoff' kazoos while doing so!" PS: When will us loyal II readers be issued said attire? (Editor's note: Your move, Packers Pro Shop).
Al from Green Bay, WI
"…this little franchise you started is now worth over three billion dollars." And after Curly gets off the floor, I would reiterate, "Yup, that's BILLION with a 'B.'"
Mike from Fort Wayne, IN
"…the Green Bay Packers are recognized as one of the greatest football team and fan base in all of sports. We have won many championships, have had many all-time great players honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame created to honor the best of the best, and are still the smallest city in the league, but one of the best franchises. And there is a statue of you honored in a plaza outside the stadium. Oh, and we still hate the Bears!"
Margo from Solvang, CA
"…We named our rescue dog after you! She's a fan but doesn't understand why I keep yelling during the games. Oh, and they named a stadium after you, too, so you've got that going for you..."
Steven from Silver Spring, MD
"…the punting game will be relegated to a special-team role and players will only play on one side of the ball at a time. Your franchise will be worth about a billion dollars and will be the only publicly owned sports franchise in America. Our team will go on to experience so much success that we will have our own Hall of Fame despite being the smallest town that any professional team plays in by a wide margin."
Sawyer from Simpsonville, SC
"…I'm going to name my 80-pound Sheepadoodle Curly Lambeau...turns out he's also quite the troublemaker in the house."
Jim from Eau Claire, WI
"…your field still doesn't have a roof and it never will!"
Erwin from Leesburg, FL
"…what takes place with your ACME Packers. Look at this stadium, which is named after you. Your Packers will win four Super Bowls, which you have never heard of. It is the championship of the world and between the AFL and NFL, which will merge to become the most-watched sport in the world. The Pack will have over 100,000 people on a waiting list for tickets. Best of all, your team will have three HOF QBs that all win Super Bowls."
Charles from Ripon, WI
The time travel question, worrying about paradox and lasers on goal posts I'd want to keep it simple to Curly. I'd just say "What you do here, what you build here; it lasts. Through trials and tribulations, it endures. Keep going."
David from Appleton, WI
"…people will want to know what happened with Rockwood Lodge. Now, what REALLY happened with Rockwood Lodge?" (Ref: May 18, 2021 Inbox)
Tom from Palatine, IL
"…there will be a place you can go to discuss all things Packers with other Packers fans. No subject is off limits or too ridiculous to bring up and your questions will be answered. You will learn things about the game (salary cap, defensive strategy, route running, etc.) that will help you enjoy the game more and possibly change your outlook on sports and life, in general. It is a wonderful place where everyone is accepted and you have a sense of community and belonging."
Dale from Prescott, WI
"…the Packers are the only publicly owned NFL team and their QB is a game-show host."
Mike from Marquette, MI
"…the Packers will play their home games in a stadium named after you. Fans will watch the games on something called television. And fans will rely on two guys named Mike and Wes for the most reliable Packers news!"
Derek from Eau Claire, WI
"…you would be hard-pressed to find a person in Wisconsin who doesn't know your name and associate that name with the Green Bay Packers. Also, a brat at the stadium will cost you $7. Thanks for everything."
Jim from McLean, VA
"…in 100 years, two guys named Spoff and Hod will be writing about you and I'll be reading their prose on my smart phone. Oh – and laser goal posts are on the horizon."
John from Madison, WI
"…people carry their telephones around in their pockets. The have access to information from all over the world. They primarily use these phones to insult each other and share cat pictures." (Editor's note: Winner)
