For Angie Jacob, supporting the Packers isn’t just a hobby. It’s a way of life.
The word 'fan' may not do Angie Jacob justice.
A light drizzle fell from gloomy skies above a Cheesehead sanctuary on September 18.
No, this isn’t Wisconsin. Rather, the setting is Burlington, Iowa — the site of Angie Jacob’s Packer throne.
With the clock nearing noon and kickoff for the Packers game minutes away, Jacob scrolled through the channels desperately looking for the right station.
A quick glimpse of CBS revealed the pregame show for Kansas City at Detroit.
As she flipped over to FOX, she found the one game she least wanted to watch — the dreaded Bears playing in New Orleans. Almost on cue, the voice of her friendly neighbor from the house next door yelled, “Go Bears” through an open window. “Go Packers” Jacob said back.
Going to a local bar to watch the Packers game wasn’t an option. As the life-long Green Bay fan described, she couldn’t be herself outside of her home.
Covered head to toe in Green and Gold, the 55-year-old sat in disappointment as the realization set in that she wouldn’t be able to watch her favorite team.
“We’re the defending Super Bowl champions,” Jacob said. “We should be on TV every week as far as I’m concerned.”
As far as she is concerned, the Packers are the only team that matters.
Green Bay Beginnings
Knowing Jacob is a huge Packers fan, a neighbor painted the Green Bay 'G' on Jacob's garage door.
Jacob grew up in Tomah, Wis., about 160 miles west of Green Bay.
Her mom was a Packers fan, and a heavy influence on her daughter’s football ways. Jacob recalled being a fan at such a young age that “I wasn’t even aware [I was a fan].”
“I just grew up watching Packers games,” she said. “That was what you did on Sundays.”
Packer football is like a religion for many people in Wisconsin. Last year when the hometown team reached the Super Bowl, some churches canceled services so fans could watch the game.
That same level of dedication and loyalty is present in Jacob.
Her earliest memories come from her teen years when Vince Lombardi and Bart Starr defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the famous 1967 Ice Bowl for the NFL Championship.
Jacob’s fascination with the franchise has grown ever since.
“She puts us all to shame,” said Adena Hanson, Jacob’s sister and fellow Packer fan. “If she could dress in Packers clothes for her job, she probably would.”
Dreams Come True
A corner of Jacob's house displays all kinds of Green Bay items, include a hat that reads "Dallas Sucks."
The ultimate dream for many Packers fans is taking in a game on the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. But considering the legendary waiting list for season tickets is tens of thousands of fans long, Jacob didn’t know if she would ever step foot inside the tradition-rich stadium.
Enter Glory Days Sports Pub in La Crosse, Wis.
Eight years ago, Jacob was visiting the town she used to live in when she stumbled across Glory Days Sports Pub. After talking with the bartender — who turned out to be the owner — she discovered he held annual bus trips to home games in Green Bay.
Finally, her dream became reality.
“The first time I walked into that stadium, I cried,” Jacob said. “I just cried because I thought I would never get there.”
For the past eight seasons, Jacob has been one of the lucky relative few to witness a game inside Lambeau. When asked to describe what going to a game is like, Jacob replied, “Its heaven.”
She said one of her favorite memories was when she went to a game against Dallas in 2004 and wore a green hat with yellow block lettering that read, “Dallas Sucks.”
“I think everybody is entitled to have a [favorite] team,” Jacob said. “I just can’t help it if they don’t pick the right one.”
A Packer Kingdom
Jacob in her Burlington, Iowa house.
Fifteen years ago, Jacob’s home started to change. What started with a few Packers items hanging from a plant stand transformed into a total makeover of her house.
“It started out very slow…and just went from there,” Jacob said. “Every time I saw something and could afford it, [I’d buy it for my house].
“People would give me gifts — I’m easy to buy for at Christmas because they all know I want something Packer-ish.”
The main room in Jacob’s home is covered inch by inch with Green Bay memorabilia. There are Packer floor mats and rugs, signs and posters, Christmas decorations, trading cards, figurines, and beer bottles. An unopened Coca-Cola six-pack of cans celebrating last year’s Super Bowl victory sits in her dining room. A Packer mailbox and flags are displayed outside her home.
A corner of her dining room is dedicated to Brett Favre, where a cardboard cut-out of him stands and a personalized, signed photo of the former quarterback hangs on the wall. Across the room hangs a postcard from Favre, a return ‘thank you’ for the annual birthday card Jacob would send him every year on October 10.
“If you want the full deal on Angie, you go to her house and just stare,” Hanson said.
“I let people know, this is me,” Jacob said.
Four years ago, Jacob decided she needed something else besides house décor to show her pride. So she got the Packer ‘G’ tattooed on the left side of her chest — directly over her heart.
It was her first tattoo, and the last one she’ll ever get, Jacob said.
“My room is one thing, but…I just wanted one thing on me that could always say that I was dedicated to this team and everything they believe in.”
100 Yards of BS 