The chance to talk about something
important sometimes escapes us. We miss
the window of opportunity and it's never
open as wide again. Afterward, we kick
ourselves and ask "why".
That's how every official of the Green
Bay Packers should be feeling right now.
They have had their fans in the palms of
their hands for the past two weeks, knew it,
and didn't talk about it.
Never have they had a better chance
than now to talk about the future, about
bottom line issues like a new stadium.
All across the NFL owners have seized
their moment, bit the bullet, and gone to
the general public to plead for public
support of new facilities for their football
teams.
Has this been a good trend? Well, yes
and no. The sight of these high and mighty
owners groveling in front of their fan base
for money is tragic, but it has been
effective. The passage of referendums to
use public monies to build new stadiums in
NFL cities has been striking. When the
owners have gone to the well, they've come
back with whole swimming pools of water.
Since this past spring, management of
the Green Bay Packers admitted that if the
team was to survive into the next
millennium, they would need to raise more
revenue. To do that, Lambeau Field would
have to be renovated or a new stadium
built, so the team could maximize sales
from luxury boxes, concessions, and a
variety of other revenue raising schemes
possible only with new, state of the art
complexes. We're talking restaurants,
shopping malls, and hotels tied in with the
stadium to allow fans the entire package.
So, why was this the perfect time?
Simple. The team had just defeated their
hated rival, the Minnesota Vikings, in
what will go down in Packer history, as
one of the greatest games ever to be played
at Lambeau Field.
Anyone who considered themselves a
fan of the Packers, now considered them
selves a fanatic and even those with just
passing interest in the game proudly jump-

ed on the bandwagon. The iron was ready
to strike, but team official and, most im
portantly, state officials, missed. In fact,
they didn't even swing.
A recent poll in the state of Wisconsin
showed that the Packers were the state's
most widely appreciated professional team.
With the most recent win over the Vikings,
those numbers, if the poll were taken last
week, would probably have shown an
elevated level.
In short, everyone was excited. It was
the perfect time to ask for money, but
nobody did.
Lawmakers in the state were under
standably busy attempting to pass a state
budget, but even with that issue on the
front burner, the concept of using tax
money to assist the Packers in updating
their facilities could have been discussed.
Nobody talked.
The day is bound to come - and it will
come sooner than later. State residents will
have to talk about it and action will eventu
ally have to be taken.
The publicly owned Packers outwardly
have a leg up on all other teams in the
league. The team's fan base is solid, but
will they dig deep enough to help the team
survive in this day and age of player free
agency ? Will the team be able to build a
new facility, while at the same time sign
the players who will keep them competitive
on the field?
Probably not without some sort of pub
lic support.
That's why this past week's window of
opportunity was so important. Team offi
cials, state officials, and even the fans were
all eerily silent on the issue. Sending the
distinct message that it is a non-issue right
now. But we all know it isn't. Before long,
we will be thrashing in our sleep, hoping
the money to keep the team afloat can be
found.
Who knows, maybe the team will expe
rience another phenomenal season on the
field and the discussion over finances will
become much easier at the end of the sea
son.
We all know how difficult it is to win
championships, but that feat will pale in
comparison with trying to peel dollars from
the palms of taxpayers. This past week was
the time to help ease that task, but disap
pointingly, nobody seized.
The battles on the field now will seem
like child's play in comparison with the
fight that's going to take place with resi dents in the future. Hopefully, it won't be too bloody. Other NFL cities have survived the fight and lived to play another day. Let's hope the Packers can do the same.