Sara Week 1: A Lone Cheesehead
Most people are born into a family; I was born into a fandom—a fandom consisting of cheeseheads. So genetically, I too am a cheesehead.
Long before I knew the meaning of a first down or why everyone would scream “throw the ball, Rodgers!” my autumn Sundays were defined by two colors: green and gold. Punctuated by collective groans and occasional cheers, my earliest memories are of family and friends huddled together in our living room as Jordy Nelson (who I would later learn was the wide receiver) tiptoed into the end zone.
There truly was no better feeling than putting on my green and gold suit of armor to make the pilgrimage to the holy ground of Lambeau Field. And although my jersey served its purpose better as a dress, sitting just below my knees, the extra fabric was a much needed shield in the -20 degree wind chill. The stadium music pumped through my blood as I watched the players charge onto the frozen tundra; the game became larger than life. Surrounded by a sea of green, gold, and chattering smiles, we all shared one thing: our bond with this team was set in stone.
My deep-rooted pride was easy to maintain when it was shared by my fellow Midwesterners, but its true test came when my family moved to California. Suddenly, my armor of green and gold made me a target; I was drowning in a new sea of red and gold. To my new peers, my being a cheesehead was a point of mockery, with my lifelong family heritage having now transformed into the punchline of a bad joke.
This West Coast mockery, however, backfired. Swimming to the top of this new ocean, I doubled down on what I loved most—being a cheesehead. Embracing my love for the Pack in a state full of skeptics became my first lesson in confidence. As I stood alone as a green and gold dot in a stadium full of rivals, I learned that loyalty isn’t convenient, especially when you’re outnumbered in your defense. Yet, no matter how far life takes me from Wisconsin, I only have eyes for one place, the place where I can still feel the freezing blood of green and gold pumping through my veins, the roar of the frozen tundra, and the timeless echoes of “Go Pack Go!” reminding me exactly who I am.
Hi Sara! I find it so cool how your entire family is in the same fandom. I think being in the same fandom is the perfect way to build stronger relationships, especially when you are family, but what I find more admirable is how passionate you are about being a cheesehead. I’m not a big fan of sports, so I don’t actually know much about sports and the rivalries, but it’s amazing how you’re able to keep your passion without wavering, even if nobody else is part of the same fandom in California. Also, I love how connected you are to your identity as a cheesehead. For me, I guess that identity would be my identity as Taiwanese. I’m not as connected to my identity because I never lived in Taiwan, but it is still an important part of me, just like how being a cheesehead is important to you. I hope I can also be as unwavering as you are in holding onto my beliefs.
ReplyDeleteHi Sara! I am by no means a football fanatic—and, I definitely cannot tell you a single thing about the game—but I am always amazed by how a team can unite a sea of fans and create a community of like-minded people. I especially enjoyed your descriptive language, such as your “green and gold suit of armor!” I felt as if I was in your living room, witnessing the rush of cheering for a victory. I love how you structured your post to transition from the love you and your family have for the game to how it shaped you. I find your confidence deeply admirable: you stuck with your beliefs and passion for being a cheesehead despite the backlash you faced in California. Your story is a reminder of how important it is to always stay true to your identity—even when it gets tough. Also, your picture is super cute, and I can see the Packer spirit in you from day one!
ReplyDeleteHey Sara, I really like the way you describe your passion for the Green Bay Packers. I think it's so unique that growing up your whole family followed along each and every one of their games with an intent passion, and despite you not knowing what was fully happening at the time, you still went along. That same love for the game stuck to you, and it still does to this day, despite moving to an area with a whole opposing fanbase. You made sure to stay true to yourself and your home team, despite how much people hated you for it. I also found it interesting how in both areas you were in a sea of fans, with everyone voting for the home team, but you were that one fan who decided to travel to the away stadium, and you made sure your green jersey never switched to red. This is not fully relevant to your blog, but I found it interesting how red and green are opposite colors on the color spectrum, so it truly emphasizes how you were the complete opposite and stayed opposite the whole time.
ReplyDeleteHello Sara! When I first read your title, I shivered a little bit because I am lactose intolerant, your title scared me a little bit. But as I continued reading your blog, I realized that the Cheeseheads were actually a team. Californians take immense pride in their home teams. Just look at the Golden State Warriors and the Lakers! Your imagery about “drowning in a sea” and “swimming to the top” also tie into the fact that California is on the west coast or near a lot of ocean, which is a nice detail that you included. I did feel a bit of pity when you mentioned you experienced mockery for being a cheesehead, but reading you turn that mockery into a way to embrace who you are is very impressive. Your blog shows me a deeper, more prideful side to you, one that isn’t afraid to embrace who they are. Also, it’s really cool that you have being a cheesehead as a shared family tradition, not a lot of people have that. Thanks for sharing about your Wisconsin identity, you’re a green and gold lungfish that stands out in a sea of red and gold minnows.
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