SuperFan - The Wisconsin Martins root for the Pack in Jackson

Cape Girardeau residents Jeff and Deb Martin show off their passion for the NFL's Green Bay packers.

Ben Matthews ~ Bmatthews@semossourian.com

During this time of social distancing, the SuperFan series of articles focuses on fans who are geographically distant from the teams they support, who are fiercely loyal to a team outside the state of Missouri. Responses are edited for clarity and brevity.

Today: Jeff Martin, 63, Deb Martin, 62, married broker managers of Realty Executives Edge, Jackson office. Wisconsin natives, the Martins closely follow the only community-owned team in the National Football League, the Green Bay Packers.

You’re from the land of cheeseheads. Are you also from Green Bay?

Deb: I grew up in Kohler, Wisconsin, about 50 miles from Lambeau Field. The plumbing fixture company, Kohler, is based there. Chances are you might have a toilet or a sink made in the Kohler factory.

Jeff: My home is Waukesha, which is west of Milwaukee, but it doesn’t really matter.

Why doesn’t it matter?

Jeff: Because the Packers aren’t just a city’s team.

Deb: The Pack is claimed by the entire state of Wisconsin.

Jeff: The way I put it is that to be a Packers fan is the equivalent of being a Cardinals fan in Missouri.

Deb: Yes, and just like the Cardinals, Green Bay fans expect the team to win it all every year.

The Packers are known for Vince Lombardi, their late coach for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named.

Jeff: He was a disciplinarian, a hard man, and beloved by his players. He turned the franchise around.

Is Lombardi your favorite Green Bay coach?

Jeff: For me, yes, because the 1960s were my favorite era of Packer football.

Deb: I’d have to go with Mike Holmgren, who could get fiery. Holmgren was the coach when Shannon Sharpe and Brett Favre were playing in the ‘90s. They were a fun team to watch.

Packers’ fans can be ambivalent about Favre.

Jeff: He left a bad taste for Green Bay fans when he abandoned us for the Jets and then later for a division rival, the Vikings.

Deb: But we forgave him.

Jeff: Well, let’s put it this way. I decided to show (Favre) grace. I was at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving Day 2015 when Favre’s number was retired.

Deb: And Bart Starr was on hand – his last appearance at Lambeau before he died.

Favorite Packers player?

Jeff: Bart Starr, for sure. He wasn’t the most talented or gifted quarterback but he was a good ambassador for the team.

Deb: I’d have to go with the late Reggie White (Hall of Fame) defensive end.

Jeff: Free agents wouldn’t come to Green Bay until White did. He changed the perception. If White went there, maybe it was an OK place to play.

Have you been to games at Lambeau?

Deb: I’ve been to two or three.

Jeff: I’ve gone to half a dozen. It’s awfully cold or I’d go more.

Also, the wait list (130,000) for season tickets is about 30 years. Try to find a hotel room on a game day. Tough.

Deb: We’ve seen the Packers in St. Louis – back when the city had an NFL team, of course. We saw a lot of green and gold (replica jersey) in the stands.

Jeff: Packers fans travel well.

Doesn’t the extreme cold in Wisconsin work to Green Bay’s advantage?

Jeff: We purposely have home games late in the season because when it’s so frigid outside, the Packers have a definite advantage.

Is there a Packers tradition with which non-Green Bay fans may not be aware?

Jeff: During training camp, kids will bring their tricycles and bicycles to the parking lot at Lambeau. The players will ride those bikes – and keep in mind, some of these guys weigh over 300 pounds – from the locker room to the field.

Deb: Kids will carry the player’s helmet and jog alongside. The kids get a photo of the moment and for the rest of their lives will get to say, “Hey, Aaron Rodgers rode my bike!”

Jeff Oh, and don’t forget this: the Packers will never move.

Deb: Since the community owns them, they’re here for good.

Do you watch the games together on TV?

Deb: No, because Jeff doesn’t like my game calling. We don’t watch the game on the same television.

Jeff: I’m more invested in the game. Deb sees it more as entertainment.

Deb: Jeff is a football purist. He knows all the rules and penalties.

Games are typically on Sundays. Real estate open houses are on Sundays too.

Deb: Before we schedule an open house, Jeff will ask me if I checked the Packers schedule because he doesn’t like to miss any of the action.

With the lingering COVID-19, will there be pro football this fall?

Deb: Maybe, but not with fans present, I don’t think.

Jeff: I think yes, but with limited numbers. Lambeau seats 80,000+ normally, but they’re planning for no more than 10-to-12,000. Of course, this could all change tomorrow.

How long have you lived away from your home state?

Jeff: We’ve been in Missouri 23 years now and it’s home. We miss the people sometimes.

Deb: We don’t miss the cold. (laughs)

Does it get a little lonely, being a Packer fan in southeast Missouri?

Jeff: Not at all. A lot of Proctor and Gamble employees worked in Green Bay before they get to Cape County – and they bring their Packer fandom with them here.

Deb: Wherever you go in this country, you’ll find Packers fans.