Packer obsession throughout WI? (Madison, Green Bay: house, camp, live)

[vagabond wannabe]

this debate is really dumb. anyway, i'd like to say that it is definitely more "sane" in LaCrosse (where i grew up) than in the GB area (where i am now). no judgments, everybody's OK, no one is picking on you...just a noticeable difference between LaCrosse and GB (and for obvious reasons...it's 4 hours away!)

[Frank the Tank]

[quote=ekg56;827113]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Incorrect.

I would encourage you to go visit some other football-rabid cities during the NFL season...(for example, Denver CO, Dallas TX, Oakland CA, Pittsburgh PA, Minneapolis MN, etc.) and you'll see very often their lead local news story being related to their football team or their game played that day.

And in some of the cities that have a huge college football following the lead news is on what the college team did. I lived in Chicago and they will often start out a newscast by talking about the Bears, Sox, Bulls or even the Cubs. Depending on who is winning or in the Cubs case, fighting!

I would say that what makes Wisconsin relatively unique is its almost singular and year-round obsession with the Packers. The Bears are always the lead news story in Chicago during the NFL season, but when the season is over, people shift their focus to the Bulls, White Sox and Cubs (notwithstanding Bears players getting out of jail like Tank Johnson). In contrast, for the people that I know who live or have lived in Wisconsin, they note that it could be the middle of May yet they'll routinely see top stories about the Packers. The Brewers and Bucks are afterthoughts unless they are doing inordinately well (Brewers-Cubs games in Milwaukee are always sell-outs because the crowd is invariably made up of a huge majority of Cubs fans). I think there's pretty good interest in Wisconsin Badgers college sports, but it's still nothing like the year-round interest in the Packers.

Plus, a place such as Chicago sees a lot of transplants from other places so they bring their childhood sports loyalties with them, while the transplant concentration isn't nearly as high in Wisconsin. That high proportion of Wisconsin-born natives means that it's going to seem as though everyone is obsessed with the Packers.

[EnjoyEP]

[quote=Frank the Tank;845082]

Originally Posted by ekg56

I would say that what makes Wisconsin relatively unique is its almost singular and year-round obsession with the Packers. The Bears are always the lead news story in Chicago during the NFL season, but when the season is over, people shift their focus to the Bulls, White Sox and Cubs (notwithstanding Bears players getting out of jail like Tank Johnson). In contrast, for the people that I know who live or have lived in Wisconsin, they note that it could be the middle of May yet they'll routinely see top stories about the Packers. The Brewers and Bucks are afterthoughts unless they are doing inordinately well (Brewers-Cubs games in Milwaukee are always sell-outs because the crowd is invariably made up of a huge majority of Cubs fans). I think there's pretty good interest in Wisconsin Badgers college sports, but it's still nothing like the year-round interest in the Packers.

Plus, a place such as Chicago sees a lot of transplants from other places so they bring their childhood sports loyalties with them, while the transplant concentration isn't nearly as high in Wisconsin. That high proportion of Wisconsin-born natives means that it's going to seem as though everyone is obsessed with the Packers.

I hear where you are coming from to an extent, however, I respectfully disagree somewhat.

The Brewers are HUGE in Milwaukee and in coverage of them when they are doing well...it is just that ever since 1982, they have been so consistently lousy (and lousy in a terribly boring way, not even a semi-interesting lousy) generally with a few minor exceptions (1987, 1992, etc.) that yeah, covereage of them drops significantly because frankly, no one cars about a 70-92 type team year in and year out. But Milwaukee metro...considering the population being rather modest in size in comparison to a Chicago...is actually quite rabid about the Brewers when they actually are competitive. It is just such a rarity in the past 25 years...although (hopefully) this year that is changing.

The Bucks...similar to the Brewers. When the Bucks were in their heyday in the 1980s...Milwaukee really rallied heartily around them. I remember their 2000-2001 year of magic when they ran to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals...the whole city that spring could've cared less about the Packers...they were rallied so heartily around the Bucks. Frankly, it is rare to see a city rally behind an NBA team (without a huge superstar eg: Michael Jordan) the way Milwaukee did around the Bucks. But...like the Brewers...consistently since 1990 or so...the Bucks have unfortunately been a rather non-factor in the NBA.

In each of these two instances, when the Brewers or Bucks are at a high level and competitive, they easily DO knock the Packers' coverage down quite a bit. Sure...the Packers (like the Bears in Chicago) will always get some attention year-round, but it is far less if one of the other local teams is drawing well and doing well. It is just so rare often for either team to be a factor, and thus the heightened reason for Packers' interest.

And yes....like Chicago has the Cubs....the Packers are indeed THE team in Wisconsin in general overall. Many towns or states have one. Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington have the Cowboys. Chicago has the Cubs. Detroit has the Red Wings. Pittsburgh has the Steelers. Etc., etc.

Also...let's not forget that Green Bay is one of the most popular sports franchises out there in the whole nation - the Packers are right up there with the Cowboys, Notre Dame football, the L.A. Lakers, the Steelers, the Cubs, the Red Sox, the Yankees, etc. So...it follows that their rabid fanbase in WI is going to be there.

Remember...the Sox and Bulls are wildly popular in Chicago now again, because a) the Bulls are good again (and relatively recently won a whopping number of World Titles), b) the Sox are a recent World Champ. However, in terms of media coverage in Chicago, the Sox were often a non-factor until recently, and the Bulls began becoming so during their low-points post-Jordan/Pippen and pre-Heinrich, Deng, etc.

I guess the bottom line is that teams like the Cubs in Chicago or the Packers in Wisconsin always are going to get tons of coverage / hype, etc. They are just unique teams with a special niche in their local markets.

But overall, my basic point is that in the big media markets in Wisconsin - Milwaukee metro and to a lesser extent Madison metro - when you turn on the local news in April, June, or February, rarely are you going to be inundated with Packers' coverage. During the season on Sundays...sure...they'll be a focal point, but even then it isn't the overkill that many are painting here.

[nyminute]

I was a Bills fan and Still a Sabres fan,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Nuff said!

[LML]

I remember once when I lived in Denver for a few months and every single day they would have a news story about what the Broncos were eating at the "training table." I kid you not. So for those who want to act like only in Wisconsin do we "root, root root for the home team" you are either very sheltered from experiences in other locals or you are very selective in your choice of complaints. And, if the worse thing you can say about a state is that they support their home teams, then you are in a great place.

[aussiegal]

Our family lived in Wisconsin for 7 years in an area known as the Northwoods and our son's homeroom teacher was a huge Packers fan. So much so that his room was decorated with Packers memorabilia. It was such a big deal that a TV station picked up on it and came out to the school to see for themselves. I would agree that Wisconsin is pretty much sold out to the Packers with small pockets of resistance.

[Fishtacos]

I'll drop my two pennies. Having lived in several cities and having worked in the sports industry, I've been to my share.

First of all, football has 8 reg season home games and 16 total....and used to be 14. It is less of an expense to all people to go to a game. There is a bigger build up because games are fewer....easy to follow something that is once per week for 17 weeks..very tough to have the following and energy and enthusiasm for 162 games of baseball, or long hoops, NHL seasons etc...and it is easier for an NFL team to be competitive.

The Packers used to play part of their season in Milwaukee every season and split tix between the cities. There is no other team in the state. And, as I said, driving a couple of hrs for one game, 8 weeks a year at most is not as big of a commitment. Green Bay did draw when the team did poorly in 70's and 80's because of their past history, location, cost, etc...

The Brewers play in the smallest market in baseball. And there are some small markets out there. They need those other parts of state fans. Tough for Brewers to draw, and maintain season long enthusiasm if not competitive. Haven't had a winning season since 1992....cost of going to gamnes has increased and so has revenue disparity amongst teams to be competitive. The Brewers are competitive right now because of many years of early first round draft picks because of lots of losing. And they will need to spend even more to add a few veterans to better contend own the stretch this year. Just not easy in a small baseball market. When the Brewers compete, people will come...newish park, new owners etc....if they can be competitive people will come....same goes for the Bucks. getting to games during the week when school is in session is challenging for Milwaukee.

Packers do dominate coverage and attention in a large way. The other teams must do well to get a lot of coverage.

There are fans of all kinds of teams etc...in Milwaukee and in the state. At Brewer games, Cardinal and Cub fans come in droves, because tickets are easier to get in Milwaukee. And there are fans of all kinds of different NFL teams. It isn't an issue. TV, Bars etc...will cater to GB and they should....but you can always follow other teams. I actually know natives who root for random teams instead of GB. Obviously most support the Packers.

I would also point out that prior to WGN there were many empty seats at Wrigley, an easy ticket. The money was made, tv generated plenty of Cub interest locally and nationally, and the area around the park also improved. ....and there were plenty of seats available at the Joe for Red Wings games in the 80's...wasn't always this way. But they got the best coach in the game and good players and won.

Look at St. Louis...3 million fans plus a year...ho hum....well, let's study that a second...KMOX radio reached almost 50 states back when radio was more important and created a large Cardinal Nation far and wide, the team wins consistently enough over many decades, .....and more often than not has been a well run fan friendly organization....and combine that with legions of local, regional(AK,KY, IL, IA, TN, etc...) fans who make the trip every summer, and those who come out in other cities...always 50% Cardinal fans at Wrigley. .......

now look at STL football. Good fans, bad owner, Bill Bidwell ...moved team to AZ and treated fans poorly....I don't need to tell anyone how he has done as owner there since 1988....Some people take on allegiance to other teams in mean time and move away etc...or already did...and didn't have NFL football ....Rams move to STL and Rams sell out every game, since moving over 12 years ago...First because they wanted football again...also because it is a good sports town...but then they won early and often...and people go...If they came and were horrible for a long time...crowds and interest would be less or getting close to that at some point...because they didn't win under past owner and were treated poorly.

Tradition, winning, fan friendly, affordable, .....sells tix.

It's easier for the Packers to be competitive than the Brewers or Bucks year in and year out. And that isn't going to change any time soon. In those other sports you could have months of futility and hopelessness. But as long as Brewers or Bucks can be competitive, people will go and follow those teams as well.

Wisconsin Badgers are a big deal in the state, ....they were horrible in football playing in front of crickets before Alvarez came, and the hoops team went about 50 years without seeing NCAA playoffs. Now football and hoops sell out regularly. Why? They win....and doing it for a while...staying competitive over time will do that.

And now in today's world of high priced tix, pricing out average fan...loyalty is less and teams have to win to draw. ....and also competition from a zillion tv channels.

.......if OU and Nebraska weren't good for decades and decades...building that multi-generational following....it wouldn't be the same. And schools with so so decent success have so so...decent support, more if they win...because they haven't built that multi-generational following.

Denver Broncos....good teams for decades....regional and state following....no competition for fans. K.C. Chiefs as well....K.C. gets 80,000 for Pro football....and no one for Royals games....hmm.....similar size to Milwaukee...football is less of time and money investment....frachise competitive over longer periods of time...and it has a regional following of multi-states...parts of MO, KS, NE, etc...Big cities have huge populations to draw fans.

Marquette 14th Nationally in hoops attendance....been to a game recently? Wow...exciting, entertaining...well marketed, game day event management is top notch, like a rock concert, competitive, and good teams come to play too in a good league. ....past tradition....leanyears...competitive again....with added bells and whistles.....and big crowds annually....

Plenty of fans of all kinds of teams in WI....It is not straight across the board GB, Brewers, Bucks, Badgers, MU, ........those will get more attention....but plenty of people out there with no interest in some of the local teams in different sports.

[brewtown12]

I wouldnt wear a Bears jersey in some bars in Green bay.I honestly believe this could get you hurt.

[DaBears]

lived in WI for 18 years...I ran the other way & am a bears fan...always have been

[ekg56]

We have been going to Packer games for years. My husband is a Bears fan and wore his Bears sweatshirt in many bars in GB and never had a problem.
We were in MN last week and they have Viking fever. The grocery store was all decorated in purple and gold. They had cakes all decorated. The employees had on Viking tshirts. It was unreal.