Lambeau Field v. The Rams

Last week I made a pilgrimage to Lambeau Field to pay homage and try to learn how to be a better fan.

I am a Rams fan and have been for about four years now. I started out devoted, stalker-ish even, and then became passionate and then became committed and recently became resigned. I thought maybe there was something wrong with me, us, the fan base, like maybe we didn't inspire. I mean we did boo them off the field three or four times last year. Not that they didn't deserve it. 

There are some Rams SuperFans: #1 Rams Fan - a big guy in full uniform. The Elvis Guy. Rampage's mother. A few face painters, a few more horn wearers. Lots of jerseys... but, St. Louis, c'mon...leave the Cardinal hats at home, okay? Be a Rams fan. Buy a Rams hat. No one in Green Bay would even think of wearing non-Packer sportswear to Lambeau. How ridiculous! I asked random people I met around Green Bay if they were Packer fans and everyone was and one guy asked "What else is there?". I loved that. 

There are a few houses that have back yards that sit directly across from the stadium. These houses have things like above the garage, glassed in porches with windows that have the Green Bay logo beautifully etched in them. One guy had a huge replica of the Lombardi trophy, professionally lit, installed in his backyard. He also had what looked like a Lambeau artifact old-school turnstile that went from his yard out to the crosswalk that led you to the Lambeau parking lot. Interestingly, this property was for sale.

Fans are welcomed with open arms at Lambeau Field even in the dead of the week in the dead of the summer. That place was buzzing. Tours every half hour. Curly's Pub right upstairs. Huge, gorgeous atrium with yard lines continuing in right from the field. And then...glowing like the sun itself...was the Packer Pro Shop. And they had everything. Branded Tupperware? Yes. A full-sized yet portable green and gold tailgating tikibar with stools, banners, a keg-looking thing, glass wear...you get the picture...? Yep. Ladies unmentionables? Yes. And stacks and stacks and one truck bed full of cheese heads. $17.95 ea. It was beautiful and everything was excellent quality. Who wouldn't want one of everything? And I'm not even a Packer fan. Except I sorta am one now.

The point is, the Green Bay Packers nurture their fan base. They welcome them, they show them around, they feed them and then they provide them with anything they want to show their commitment to the green and gold. I mean you have to pay for it but still.

Compare: the Edward Jones Dome is a warehouse. Here's the boat show, here's a car show, here are Rams games. All the same. The food: Meh. Let's just say the Rams have the softest hotdogs in the NFL and then let's just leave it alone. There are no tours of the EJD. The merch: Limp shirts hung on random fixtures found in the back. Glass cases so badly scratched you can't even see the tired and depressed items inside. I swear to God last year I saw some Greatest Show on Turf stuff in one of those cases. Hello 1999.

I went to Lambeau Field to learn to be a better fan but I came away realizing that the Rams organization doesn't really care if I'm a better fan or even if I'm a fan at all. They don't care that people are wearing Cardinals caps to their games because they don't really offer them any reason not to. They don't think the fans need a nicer stadium, or better food or fun team gear. What fans? And that's when it hit me: they must be leaving St. Louis because they aren't doing a thing to build a fan base here or really any loyalty of any kind. They can gather up these players and their helmets and move them anywhere. 

So I'm preparing myself and I'm encouraging my fellow fans to do the same. Start following another team now because the Rams are going to be gone and there's going to be a void in your life. I'm liking the Packers.