Home » Sports » Iola-Scandy Sports » Dedicated to the Green and Gold

Dedicated to the Green and Gold

Scandinavia’s most passionate Packers fan

By Holly Neumann


Tara Przybylski is pictured with one of her favorite pieces of Packers memorabilia in her home, which includes four game tickets and four pictures, one from each of the team's Super Bowl championships.
Tara Przybylski is pictured with one of her favorite pieces of Packers memorabilia in her home, which includes four game tickets and four pictures, one from each of the team’s Super Bowl championships.

Scandinavia’s Tara Przybylski has been a Green Bay Packers fan for as long as she can remember.

“My parents used to always watch the games on TV,” she said. “Even at a very young age, the Packers were all I knew.”

Przybylski was 9 years old when she took in her very first game at Lambeau Field.

“Right now, I cannot even remember who they played,” she said. “I do remember how cold it was. You could see everyone’s breath in the air.”

Recalling how she thought it was neat to be seated in the end zone, she laughs at the idea that she spent more time people watching than watching the game itself.

Many years have passed since that day and Przybylski’s loyalty still holds true to the team.

“Football is by far my favorite sport,” she said. “When football season rolls around, I am glued to the TV.”

Though not a season ticket holder, Przybylski takes in any game she can.

“People I know will call me if they have tickets available,” she said. “Even if it is last minute, I will get to the game.”

Przybylski and her husband Bruce even scheduled one week of vacation per year to attend an away game.

“I have been to games in New England, Tampa, Tennessee, Arizona, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco,” she said. “We don’t take anything with us but Packer clothing and we cheer just as hard as we would if we were in Green Bay.”

Przybylski believes she has attended at least 40 games over the years.

“One game that really stands out is when the Packers were playing the (Pittsburgh) Steelers,” she said. “It was a close game and if the Steelers scored on the next play, they would win. I was sitting in one corner of the end zone and they threw a pass to the other corner. From where I was sitting, it looked like the receiver had caught it. When I heard the roar of the Packer crowd, it proved me wrong.”

She is quick to point out that the Packers have seen many great players throughout the years, but her favorite is Clay Matthews.

“I love his tenacity and the way he plays the game,” she said.

Although she is usually not a fan of men with long hair, she does like it on Matthews.

“He is pretty good to look at,” she said, laughing.

Przybylski names a favorite quarterback as well; Aaron Rodgers.

“There is no doubt that Brett Favre is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, but when he left, he was no longer a Packer,” she said. “Rodgers, however, is one of the smartest quarterbacks that ever played the game.”

With a room in her home dedicated to Packers memorabilia, her dedication to the team shines through and through.

“I had Packer stuff stashed in every closet in my house,” she said. “I needed a place to put it all.”

The beautifully finished bar room in the Przybylski basement has everything from footballs, to lights, a cribbage board and even a sofa, all bearing the Packer name.

“When my friends come over, they always say it looks like a regular bar,” she said. “I stop at letting people throw peanut shells on the floor.”

Her two favorite pieces of her collection include a framed wall hanging and an autographed photo of Matthews.

“The framed picture includes four tickets and four pictures, one from each of the Super Bowl championship games,” she said. “There is a lot of history there.”

Both items were obtained from a charity event.

“It is not about the money, it’s about the memories,” she said. “I can remember where I got every item from or who gave it to me. I would never sell any of it.”

Przybylski vows to always remain true to Green Bay.

“I would never switch to another team,” she said. “There is something about central Wisconsin. It’s about deer hunting and the Packers. I love the Packers. I bleed green and gold.”

Scroll to Top