I'm a native North Dakotan who has transplanted himself to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Growing up, I never really pledged allegiance to any single NFL team. In fact, I was more apt to have a team that I truly hated and would always root against, rather than find a team I loved and always rooted for. Early on, the hated team was the Cowboys. It later became the Ravens after giving me the worst Super Bowl I have ever seen. It was so bad that my friends and I left the sports bar and went to a movie after the first half.
When I moved down to the Twin Cities for college in 2001, I didn't really pick up on the Vikings right away. I followed them and was glad when they were winning, but I never really cared if they lost. However, my perpetual hate had shifted to a new a team: Green Bay. It didn't really have anything to do with the team or players. It had to do with the fans. Living in Minneapolis-St. Paul, there are plenty of Wisconsin transplants. Like me, they moved here for better schooling or job opportunities because their own homestate doesn't provide any.
Anyhow, I grew tired of being around these self-righteous "cheeseheads", as they call themselves. Their dangerous mixture of ignorance and arrogance is like nothing else I've seen this side of the Mason-Dixon line. I began to take joy in watching their beloved team fail year after year. I laughed a boisterous laugh when top players held out of training camp, bashed the organization, and then left for greener pastures. Finally, I giggled with the glee of a little schoolgirl who just got a life-sized My Little Pony when their Messiah, #4 himself, would throw an interception to end the game. It made my heart pound with excitement when they would show the replay over and over again and then the cameras would catch old Brett looking up with his sad puppy-dog eyes at the jumbotron and see the same replay.
It's sick and sadistic, I know. I really wish no ill will on him personally. He has my respect. I'm just glad to see him leave the Packers organization. The times will grow dark again in Green Bay. There's really nothing there that would attract high profile free agents. They will have to rely on the draft to build their teams, and they will only get so far until those players they drafted pick up and leave for more money or simply just a better city to live. Green Bay can now become the Buffalo Bills of the West. Hopefully Bret Bielema fails at UW, too. Then we can go back to pre-1990's Wisconsin; before Brett Favre and Barry Alvarez gave those people something to cheer about.
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