Doesn’t it feel good to root for the Packers?

I mean, really good.

At a time where we’ve all been affected by this rotten economy, which has started to feel like a long-term illness, it’s just good to hope for something other than a job or the bills to be paid. But as the Packers have become increasingly hope-worthy, I’ve noticed some things (an incurable problem my daughter loathes).  This NFC Championship seems like more than just a game, it's more like a unifying event.

Our steps are a little lighter, our laughter a little louder, and our sense of community…well you get the picture.

We unify around hope, a wanting of our fellow man to do well, and for them to represent Wisconsin in all its cheesehead glory. We come together as fans, but really we’ve become more than that, we've become a community of fans. And really, even if (God forbid) we don’t get a W on Sunday, we’ll still be OK – really we will. We’ve come together, even if our houses are somewhat divided by Bears fans living amongst Packer fans. The focus is invested in something other than ourselves.

Some might call this a diversion from our economic woes, but sometimes you just need to get out of yourself for a bit. And who hasn’t felt good cheering and hollering after a good play?

Yep, what I’ve noticed is that we’re all a community of fans and we’re rooting for something positive to happen. We prominently wear our green and gold, we rally around the television, and we look forward to watching the players perform.

So let the smack talk begin. Let the preparations for the big game commence and the pure joy of watching, almost consuming, the energy of our Packers play. Go Pack.