With their performance last season and the outcome so far this year, it’s easy to see that there’s a new team being favored by the avid football fan. The Green Bay Packers have gone from being a team you watched every Thanksgiving Day, to one that you now have marked on your calendar every Sunday.
This isn’t just a hometown team anymore. With their performance in last year’s Super Bowl, and exceeding the expectations of every critic, the Packer’s are known around the league as a team that just flat out knows how to win. Whether it be from Aaron Rodgers delivering precision passes to the always lethal Greg Jennings, or James Starks pounding the ball up the middle, the Packer’s are finding many ways to get the job done. They are ranked 3rd overall in passing with almost 307 yards a game, and it’s hard for opposing defenses to come up with ways to combat the aerial game.
Just when you thought offense was their only weapon; take a look at their defensive package lead by Clay Matthews and Desmond Bishop, who have the Pack ranked 8th overall in rushing with just over 100 yards allowed per game. With these influential players and a record that speaks for itself at 9-0, it’s tough for fans not to side with a hometown team like the Packers.
Putting up big time numbers, and blowing out teams has been a big help for the Packer’s fan base growing to places where some might sit back and start scratching their heads. For example, in Flower Mound, Texas, there’s a bar/restaurant (Points After North) that comes home to almost 80 Green Bay fans every time the Pack play. The manager, Shannon Johnson was quoted saying, “We have a much better Packers following here than a Dallas Cowboys following.” Haven’t the Dallas Cowboys always been known to be “America’s Team?” I guess there’s a new sheriff in town. Green Bay fans even have their own website (www.PackersEverywhere.com) which helps them locate places where they can go and meet other “cheeseheads” like themselves to cheer on their beloved Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are slowly creeping up to the point where the Dallas Cowboys have always been in terms of revenue and popularity amongst the die hard NFL fans of today. The Cowboys have always been top in the league with revenue, reaching a mark of $406 million dollars last year, with their overall value being $1.75 billion. Green Bay isn’t far behind. Having the rank of ninth overall in revenue with $259 million according to Forbes, and an overall value of $1.02 billion dollars, the Packers are only stronger given their performance so far this season.
Not having all the hype and big time amenities that the Cowboys have always been known for has propelled the Packers in slowly becoming “America’s team.” We as Americans are always looking to root for the underdog or that team coming in every Sunday that plays hard every possession. With the Green Bay Packers, America has finally found a team that truly represents them – hard work and dedication leading to well-deserved success.
