Well, we went to the Green Bay Packers’ preseason opener last night at Lambeau Field, and it was everything you might imagine a game like that could be. Other than the starting offense’s almost scoring drive, it was a 17-0 blowout that could’ve been 26-0 (the Arizona Cardinals missed three FG’s). Preseason games are good for people who never get the chance to go to a game otherwise, and a large majority of the fans are just happy to get inside Lambeau Field. The serious season ticket holders dump their preseason tickets in droves, which are then sold to the people described in the previous sentence. Now that we have every home game, time will tell in what we do with our exhibition game tickets. Shown above is the game’s program cover.
This was the first game with our new “Green Package” tickets (one preseason game, six regular season home games, and guaranteed playoff tickets), and they are in Section 102 in the north end zone. Ironically, they are one section over from our existing “Gold Package” tickets. But whereas those seats are 34 rows up, our new seats are only eight rows off the field. When the teams are in that end, the action is as close you can see it in the Training Camp practices. With our binoculars, you are right in the huddle.
Our congratulations go out to any of our readers who also got “Green” or “Gold” seats in the expanded south end zone. This is the area we explored while at the 2013 Shareholders Meeting back in July. We are very happy that our seats are in the original “bowl” of the stadium. The new seats are way up there, and are $23 more expensive (which gets you an actual “seat” with a cup holder and a seat back — the seats in the original bowl are aluminum benches). It will be interesting to hear comments from the south end zone fans about being so far from the field as we go along. The view above is from our new seats.
QB Graham Harrell and his offensive teammates wait for a timeout to be over before huddling up down on our end of the field. The north end zone is always the end zone to the left on your television screen at home.
We decided not to bring in the better camera equipment for this game, so these shots taken on our iPhone will have to suffice. Here the team is ready for the ball to be snapped deep in their own territory.
The game progresses as the lights come on at Lambeau Field.
Now the Cardinals are backed up into their own territory.
Packer fans to the right of us...
... and to the left. This first game was disappointing, but it’s way too early to panic. There were 17 players on the inactive list, so it is not a true indication of the team’s performance. What it did, as preseason games do, is to allow the staff to see players in action for evaluation leading up to the looming roster cuts. There was a lot of sloppiness and some flashes of ability, but when your team scores zero points, it’s a bad night. Hopefully, next week’s game at St. Louis will be a better litmus test.
Seen in the Lambeau Field Atrium after the game — a replica of the stadium made out of Legos®.
Vince Lombardi watches over the Bob Harlan Plaza as the crowds dwindle and start to make their way home.
Coach Lambeau does the same thing.
That’s it from Lambeau Field. After this, it was a three-and-a-half hour drive back to the Packerville, U.S.A. headquarters, where we arrived at 2:30 a.m.
