On the Road with the Green & Gold – Nashville
Nashville Packer Backers 2013 Club T-Shirt
On the Road with the Green & Gold – A Journey Into Packer Nation, a Kickstarter campaign to fund a cultural exploration of the Green Bay Packers fan base takes a trip to Nashville, Y’ all!
Last time I checked in I reviewed the Cheddarhead Pack of Houston. This week we stay in the south and move on up to the Country Music Capital of the World, Nashville Tennessee.
When you think of Nashville you may think of cowboy boots, Wranglers and of course country music. Packer Nation I am here to tell you to add the Green Bay Packers to that list.
Nashville is home to not one, but two Green Bay Packers fan clubs, The Nashville Packers Club and The Nashville Packer Backers.
Greg Stielstra who orchestrates the Nashville Packer Backers reached out to me to share some of the game day traditions and passion for the Green Bay Packers that is happening in Nashville. Like all who have reached out to me about this adventure Greg and the Packers fans in Nashville love them some Green Bay Packers.
Name tags and lanyard help make people feel apart of the Nashville Packer family.
The Nashville Packer Backers have 120 dues-paying members. For a $20 annual membership fans receive a T-shirt, a lanyard and name tag, as well as free admission into two Packers tailgate parties. Greg told me that the lanyard and name tag is important because they want to promote a family-like atmosphere. A family that is connected by the Green and Gold.
The club assembles at J’s Sports Grill inside Franklin Lanes in Franklin, Tenn. On any given Sunday, more than 150 will gather to cheer on the Packers. The club tries to recreate the Lambeau Field experience. Playing music and sound effects such as Todd Rundgren’s “Bang on the Drum” and the iconic clip of Vince Lombardi bellowing “What the hell is going on out here?!?” when the Packers make a miscue.
Former Packers’ punter Craig Hentrich shows Club member Beverly his Super Bowl XXXI ring.
At halftime there is a raffle for Packers paraphernalia that has included merchandise autographed by former players such as the legendary Bart Starr, a teammate of Starr’s and Tennessee native David Hathcock and another Tennessee native, former Packers’ punter Craig Hentrich.
Greg Stielstra the club organizer does push-ups for every Packers touchdown including the number of points scored by Green Bay. In addition to his push-up count being impressive, Greg grew up in western Michigan and chose to follow the Packers instead of the Lions. Even more impressive he made this decision in the 1970s when the Green Bay Packers were certainly not the team they once were or are today.
Crowd at J’S Sports Grill for a Packer game
Whether it is Nashville, Houston, Green Bay or anywhere else in the world Packer fans are faithful and they are passionate. The culture and traditions and the people that comprise Packers Nation fascinate me as I believe they do all of you.
On the Road with the Green & Gold – A Journey into Packer Nation is approaching the fourth quarter of this 30-day campaign. I am doing this for the benefit of this fan base, but I cannot do this alone.
Packers Nation, if you would like to help this campaign succeed click here to make a pledge. Doing so may literally allow me to end up on a bar stool next to you in your corner of Packers Nation.
So let’s do this, we’re burning clock. Don’t let time expire on a chance to knit Packers Nation together.