One week after pleading with fans for greater presence, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur had good things to say about the energy at Lambeau Field on Sept. 11 when the Packers handled the Commanders on “Thursday Night Football.”
“Just want to give a big shoutout to a crowd,” LaFleur said to kick off his postgame comments. “That was the best … is that the Gold Package? … Gold Package crowd that I’ve been a part of in seven years here. Definitely felt a ton of energy in the stadium. The white-out was amazing. And they were loud. Certainly, I think our guys feed off that.”
The “Gold Package” refers to a ticket package reserved specifically for legacy Milwaukee ticket-holders, stemming back to the franchise’s long history of playing regular-season games in Wisconsin’s largest city, roughly two hours south of Green Bay. Typically, that’s encompassed two regular-season games a year, and “Gold Package” fans have occasionally caught criticism for subpar enthusiasm and an eagerness to sell their tickets.
On a weeknight, it’s easy to understand why fans ostensibly traveling from farther away would be less inclined to bring their A-game, or bring their game at all. And yet …
This contrasts what LaFleur said one week earlier, when Detroit Lions fans made a considerable imprint on the crowd in Green Bay’s season-opening win over the Lions, even though the home opener is reserved for “Green Package” fans traditionally hailing from Green Bay.
The obvious caveat applies that Detroit fans, mostly living in the Midwest and developing a reputation for stadium takeovers, are logically more capable of traveling to Green Bay for a Sunday afternoon game than Washington fans would be for a midweek battle in Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: This time, Matt LaFleur heaps praise on Packers fans’ support: ‘Best … Gold Package crowd that I’ve been a part of’
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
