My wife Dee and I enjoyed a recent ten-day vacation that included a quick stop-over in Green Bay, Wisconsin on our way to Door County. I grew up a Packers fan in the days of Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Willie Wood and Jim Taylor. In fact, I still have mint condition football cards of these and many other Packer greats from the 1960's.
So you can imagine my joy in taking Dee, a born and bred Vikings fan, on a tour of Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. She was thrilled - spell-bound by my recital of Packer triumphs and glories as we walked hand in hand through legendary coach Vince Lombardi's old office. Dee even took a picture of me sitting on Vince's chair with my feet up on the desk and my hands folded behind my head. I was in heaven!
What struck me the most was hearing old audio tape recordings of player interviews, describing Vince Lombardi's coaching style and approach to the game. He was a no-nonsense Italian American who had a deep devotion to God and family. He expected hard work and a commitment to team above self-promotion.
He was a working-class, blue-collar coach that demanded respect. Not every player bought into his "system," and some thought he was too harsh. But those who gave their best eventually discovered how much he truly loved them!
Vince was also a stickler for the fundamentals. The legendary "Packer Sweep" was one of the most simple plays in football and yet the team worked on this play until each player could do his part to perfection. This pursuit of excellence was a hallmark of Lombardi's teams and their success ratio was second to none. They dominated the decade of the 60's like no other team in the history of football.
Sometimes I think leaders/coaches today are too worried about what others think. They also turn to gimmicks and shortcuts to achieve success instead of working on the little things that produce long-term sustainable growth and development. Leaders also too often reward personality over character - flash and show over honesty and reliability. Although Vince Lombardi died of cancer at a relatively young age, he is still very much alive in the lessons he taught and the legacy he left behind. I hope that maybe in someways a little of his insight and perspective rubbed off during my trip back to "Titletown."
My day in Green Bay was a real highlight on our vacation odyssey through Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. Dee will tell you that in a moment of weakness, she almost converted over to Packer Green and Gold. She told me that running through the tunnel and out onto Lambeau Field was like a religious experience. In a moment of weakness, Dee almost became a Cheese Head as she began to chant the Packer mantra: Go Pack Go! But alas, the spell of Fran Tarkington, Alan Page and the other Viking icons of the past was too strong to shake. By the time we crossed over into Door Country, she was already telling me how badly the Vikings were going to beat the Pack this fall.
Oh well, true conversions take time. I'll keep working on her!
