Last year, we started searching for stories from Packers fans about memorable trips to Lambeau Field, reading out a few on Blue 58. This year, we’re going to start sharing those stories with a little bit of a deeper dive into the games themselves. Today, James S. writes in with a reflection on his first-ever trip to Lambeau Field.

I have been a Packers fan my whole life since I was 8 years old back in 2008. I originally started following them because they were the first team I played for in our local youth flag football league. My dad also was partially a fan at the time, although growing up in the Cleveland area it is ride or die Browns town, no matter what.

Our fandom only grew as the years went by and the greatest moment of my life happened on February 6, 2011 when the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on my 11th birthday. This was especially special to me since all I knew growing up my whole life was being tormented by the puzzling amount of Steelers fans growing up in Northeast OH about beating the Browns all the time.

Ever since then I knew the Packers were my team more than anything. We eventually took a family vacation in 2013 to visit Lambeau Field in the summertime when we were off school. We got to see the Brewers in Milwaukee, do a little sightseeing, and then when we got to Green Bay it was all about the Packers. I remember getting there and taking the tour of Lambeau Field, it was a heavenly football experience. I was amazed by everything, from the Hall of Fame, to the Packers Pro Shop, to Curly's Pub, to walking out of the tunnel onto the field, it was all great, but I knew I wanted to see a game someday.

Fast forward to this year and my dad and I finally bit the bullet to take a trip to Lambeau when we play the Arizona Cardinals. We wanted to make sure we had good seats (not that there is a bad seat in Lambeau), but we found ourselves sitting 7 rows from the field at about the 30 yard line on the Packers sideline. Let me tell you, I have never felt more close to a game in my life and the Go Pack Go chants were loud and clear!

We have seen the Packers play in Canton for the Hall of Fame game against the Colts in 2016 (well not really since they burned the field...), we saw them in Cleveland in 2017 vs the winless and eventual 0-16 Browns, and in Detroit vs the Lions in the 2021-22 season finale. Out of all 3 games, I only got to see Aaron Rodgers live for a half of a football game which was a bummer, but Jordan Love did make an appearance in the Lions game! Needless to say, I was very relieved Jordan played this week!

Gameday in Green Bay was a surreal experience, the tailgating felt like a college game and a college campus. It was super cool to see all of the renovations over 10 years later as well, including the new scoreboard. I got to meet Antonio Freeman on the alumni stadium tour and Leroy Butler himself before the game! All in all it was a everything I could have hoped for and more (besides maybe a Xavier McKinney interception) and I definitely plan on doing it again. I'm also glad we got to experience some rainy Lambeau weather, in the "rainy not so frozen but maybe slightly cold tundra" this week, it was fitting!

What a cool story, and I’m glad you got to see a Packers win!

The game in question is, of course, the Packers’ 34-13 win over the Cardinals in Week 6 of the 2024 season. As far as first experiences, that’s a pretty good one! Check out the highlights here, and there are a lot to choose from. You’ve got four touchdown passes from Jordan Love in what was probably his best passing game of the year, you’ve got Christian Watson scoring his longest touchdown since 2022, you’ve got the Packers’ defense putting on a master class in slowing down an explosive quarterback. Plus it was the Romeo Doubs redemption game: he scored two touchdowns after returning from his one-game suspension. Lots to like!

But what I really like for James here is that he got to experience his Packers fandom in stages. Getting to see the Packers win the Super Bowl on your birthday is going to leave a mark no matter what age you are, but it’s especially cool that he got to do that as a kid. Stuff like that always seems to matter more at that age. On top of that, he got to grow through a variety of Packers’ experiences: a stadium tour as a teenager, then a few Packers road games over the years.

Those road games are some fun ones, too! The 2016 debacle against the Colts that involved, yes, a literal melted field was one of the first things we covered here at The Power Sweep, and James got to see a couple of other fun moments in 2017 and 2021. The 2017 Cleveland game included the longest punt return of Trevor Davis’ career to spark the Packers’ comeback against future Packers’ quarterback Deshone Kizer — and Davante Adams also scored two cool touchdowns, including the walk-off winner in overtime.

The 2021 Lions game, meanwhile, certainly had to be an interesting experience as the Packers tried to walk the line between staying sharp for the playoffs (and getting Davante Adams a receiving yardage record) and staying healthy and it…well, it didn’t really work, since Marquez Valdes-Scantling got hurt, which ended up being a huge factor in the playoffs. But James did get to see the longest touchdown of Josiah Deguara’s Packers’ career, which is something!

And all of that built up to James’ trip to Lambeau Field. He finally got to see the Packers’ starting quarterback play a full game, and what a game it was for Jordan Love. I’m happy for everybody who gets to go to a Packers game in person, but what a cool first trip. Thanks for sharing, James!

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