Top 10 from '10-'11

Recently the Packers picked the top 10 moments from the 2011 season. Robert and I thought we’d do the same, with a more personal view of the top 10 moments. Without further adieu, The Packer Ranter Top 10 moments of the 2011 season:

Robert's Top 5:

5) The smackoff beatdowns against a Vikings blog. Franklin and I each took a turn going toe-to-toe with Vikings Gab (“Gab” – really?) in some trash talking and posted the exchanges. In both instances, the Ranter CLEARLY won and to be honest, it wasn’t even close (here’s the first, and the second). We were actually kind of surprised how unfunny, uncreative and derivative the Vikings blogger was. What really became clear was the obnoxiousness and general mental imbalance of Vikings fans as a whole. Just read this comment posted after Franklin’s smackoff. I mean, WTF.

“Nice job, Adam. You’re still undefeated. Imagine… actually trying to defend the Packers in an exchange like this. I would give the guy an A for effort, but since he lives in Minnesota, he’s a traitor, so I give him nothing!”

4) November 21 at Minnesota. The Packers had escaped a near-miraculous comeback by Brent at Lambeau earlier in the year and you know he was eyeing this next matchup more than anything else. Could he provide the Vikings with more magic? Answer: Not even close. The Vikings scored a FG at 6 minutes in the 1^st quarter and the Packers scored the next 31. Favre was all over, going 17-38 for 200 yards and a pick while Rodgers had over 300 yards and 4 TDs. That win would put the Vikings out of it, get Childress fired and put Favre squarely in the rearview of public interest for good.

3) The 49er game on 12/5. Met up with @michaelcainlaw and @71sweet71 among others at Stadium View before layering up to see a 34-16 whooping put on by the Packers. Witnessed the debut of James “Neo” Starks and saw the GREATEST touchdown by Driver in his career (did you know he woke up that morning with food poisoning, too?). And then there was TurboDumps.

2) BJ Raji’s TD in the NFC Championship Game. I knew we would win this game beyond a shadow of a doubt and early on it was looking like that would be the case. But in came 3^rd stringer Caleb Hanie to replace Todd Collins who had replaced Jay “Hanes Her Way” Cutler and somehow the Bears were within a TD early in the 4^th quarter. It was looking like a classic Bears “despite everything that went wrong so far, we could still win this” game. If Twitter was any indicator, Packer nation was beginning to freak out. And along comes BJ Raji with an INT-TD followed by his best Susan Boyle impression. Folks, I was so fricken relieved and giddy it wouldn’t have been surprised if I peed my pants and I would not have cared.

1) The Super Bowl. What an incredible, odds-defying year. So happy for the players and so proud of the organization. To be a fan of the Green Bay Packers and experience all the drama and storylines and naysayers along the way only come out victorious in the end has to be right up there with the best feeling in the world. I can’t help but smile just thinking about it. World Champions, baby. World Champions.

Franklin's Top 5:

5) I like roller-coasters. If there was a season that was as much of a roller-coaster ride, please let me know...I'll wait. For those who would prefer a safer, more predictable season, the ferris wheel is that way.

4) Thanks to Mary, (@gbpf127) Season Ticket Holder and Horticulturist extraordinaire, I was able to attend the 49ers game with a good friend of the Ranter who lives in Appleton. The ensuing pregame festivities at Stadium View with Robert, and those mentioned above, was how Packer gameday should be: beer, food, friends…and a shot or two. Robert detailed the game perfectly, so I won’t go into that, however I would like to thank Mary once again. I threw out a tweet and by the end of the day was buying Mary’s fantastic tickets. Her generous nature allowed me to go to the game and meet up with good friends and watch some great football.

3) The week before the NFC Championship game I got an email from Robert. No subject, no text, just a solitary JPEG attachment called “PackersWallpaper”.  Following a quick click of the mouse…I had to spend the next 10 minutes wiping coffee off my desk, monitor, and keyboard. Still makes me smile when I see it. 

2) Living in Minneapolis, I know, and, yes, have even befriended numerous Vikings fans. I hosted a small gathering for the 2^nd matchup between the Good Guys and the Bad Guys. True the outcome of the game couldn’t have been more satisfying, but the really enjoyable part of this day, aside from a guest bringing a large quantity of Spotted Cow, was the look on the Vikings fans faces through the course of the game. The utter despair, disheartened stares made for a joyous afternoon….then it turned to pity as the other Packer fans and I tempered our celebrations. You know things have gotten bad, when your hated rival pities you. I say we tempered celebrations, but the smug, satisfied looks on our faces belied  how much this victory meant to all present.  (Addendum: I had a few cocktails with the some Vikings fans recently and the level of their dejection and  utter lack of hope is semi-disturbing…and fully-hilarious. It couldn’t happen to worse organization.)

1) The capper on the season: Ben Rothlisberger’s pass falls to incomplete to Mike Wallace….the ensuing three-person, bouncing man-hug that sprayed beer over fellow patrons of The Herkimer was a thing of glory! I would have worried that we were annoying the surrounding Packer fans, except they were doing the same thing.  A bar full of celebrating Packer fans is a beautiful thing 1) to admire and 2) be a part of.  Not to mention the fine folks at Herkimer provided everyone with a giant brick of communal cheese from which to partake during the game, can’t ask for much more that, can you?