You never know the true mettle of an organization until its spot on the mountaintop is threatened. For over 30 years, the Green Bay Packers have ruled the NFC North with an iron fist, winning two Super Bowls and enjoying an unbroken streak of Hall of Fame quarterback play. However, things have shifted significantly in the past few years. It started with the Detroit Lions knocking them off their perch in the division in 2023 and 2024. They couldn’t have known even worse was to come.
One thing the Packers could always hang their hat on was their dominance over their endless rivalry with the Chicago Bears. They’d lost just five games in a stretch between 2008 and 2023. That started changing when Caleb Williams stunned them in the 2024 season finale at Lambeau Field. Most chalked it up to a fluke occurrence, which was reinforced by the Packers’ revenge win at home last season. Then it all came crashing down. The Bears not only got payback in the rematch at Soldier Field but also shocked them in the wild-card playoffs, overcoming a 21-3 deficit in the process.
It was the ultimate humiliation, especially with what Williams did after the game.
The Green Bay Packers are haunted by that moment.
If you don’t believe that, you merely have to look at what the franchise is enacting this offseason. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk revealed that Green Bay brass are cracking down on season ticket holders who have been reselling tickets on the secondary market. They’ve issued a threat that anyone caught doing this would have their tickets permanently revoked and given to the next person on the waiting list. They insist it’s to ensure the gameday experience is pure for Packer fans. Florio believes the real motivation is to keep those cheese-grater hats out of Lambeau Field.
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“Season Ticket Holders who repeatedly resell their season tickets, whether on the secondary market or through ticket brokers (directly or indirectly), may have their renewal ability impacted without further warning.”
If ever you needed proof that an organization is mentally soft, this is as good as it gets. Chicago is no stranger to it. When the Blackhawks were at the peak of their dynasty in the 2010s, the Nashville Predators made significant changes to their ticket restrictions to keep Chicago fans out. It didn’t help. The Blackhawks knocked them out of the playoffs in 2014-2015, then went on to win their third Stanley Cup in six years. Rather than spending their valuable time building a better team, the Predators focused on keeping opposing fans out. This is not the policy of a true winner. Yet here the Packers are copying the strategy.
The Packers know a priceless opportunity was wasted.
Injuries hit them hard last season, and a precious year in the Micah Parsons window is gone. Now they enter a stretch where they will have no 1st round picks for two years, and the star pass rusher is coming off a torn ACL. The Green Bay Packers remain adamant they are still the top of the NFC North despite not winning the division since Aaron Rodgers left. Nobody fears them anymore. That mystique that characterized the glory years of 1995 to 2020 is gone. Chicago, Detroit, and Minnesota all now know they’re mortal.
It felt like the Packers were desperate to reassert control when they traded for Parsons. Now they’re trying to find other methods by keeping opposing fans out. This is somewhat ironic since Green Bay fans travel better than most in the NFL. It is clear they did not enjoy their national embarrassment and are determined to control the narrative, however possible. Not that keeping opposing fans out will make their team any better.
