Why I Love Writing about the Packers!

People have asked me why I have written books about the Green Bay Packers? Good question! The source of my inspiration lies in the same passion for Packers history that my late father, Francis had. It was with that reason in mind that I dedicated my first book to him. It's titled, A Century of Excellence: 100 Greatest Packers Of All Time.

Watching a Packers game on Sunday is enough for many fans, but it was never enough for my dad. Each year, he would purchase the newest Packers yearbook and meticulously keep track of each Packer transaction. (A current roster was always listed inside.) He would take a pen and ruler and draw a line through a player that had been cut, and painstakingly add the name of a player they picked up.

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That was just for starters. He also loved telling me about Packers greats I was not old enough to remember. Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke, Forrest Gregg, and others. He described them so well I felt like I had seen all of them play!

Perhaps most importantly, unlike the showiness, brashness, and cockiness that far too many players demonstrate in today's ego-driven pro sports age, my father taught me that the TEAM always comes first. He did not see any place for a player full of themselves on a football field. Lombardi would not have tolerated it, and my father didn't either. He always frowned on a cocky player, regardless of whether he was a terrific player or not.

It was one of the many lessons he taught me about sports over the years.

TEAM first. Individuality SECOND. Got it, Dad. Lesson learned.