2011 - I'M NOT GONG TO DO ANYTHING STUPID THIS WEEKEND. Jim's soon to be infamous quote on Saturday afternoon. Now for the rest . . of the story . . . W over Da Bears 10-3 in the 181st meeting of these ancient rivals. HQ was Best Western Midway near Lambeau for the first time since the 1990's. Whelpley's first time (w/ us) in the stadium after 2 previous appearances. Harry Palms and Kevin "Don't Test Me" Brys got into the circle of trust after impressive rookie debuts. Special guest appearance by Ron Strassburger. MVD is Bubba (of course) after losing Chuck's ticket in a convenience store and blowing out the hotel bathroom with some impressive projectile vomiting and some much less impressive aim. Jesus makes it in directly from the Manitowoc Hospital -- nice courage, effort, discipline and committment. Stew gets kicked out of Lambeau for smoking in the Brat line. Note to self, do not pick up random dudes (even if they are Wiscosin fans) for limo rides. Jesus shot down in the Tilted Kilt. Nice bar set up in our hotel window for some old school tailgating (literally in the back of Jeff's pick-up) in the parking lot. Deadest bars in series history on Saturday night due it being New Year's Day. A comatose lapdance in the Oval.
2010 - LEAP YEAR PART DEUX. WE WENT RIGHT TO 2011! See above.
2009 - HEY BUBBA, WERE YOU AT THE FIRE ALARM THE NIGHT OF THE BIG FIGHT? Yes Virginia (I mean little Stewie) Bubba WAS the big fight at the Fire Alarm. W over Seattle 48-10 on 12/27/09. HQ was Residence Inn in Allouez for third year. Special guest were DJ Rein, the Mad Stork, and Rick Popp (Saturday night only). Near blizzard conditions on Saturday forced an early exit by Whelps. Bubba MVD -- again. Paid our respects to the President at the Oval Office. Lots of other stuff happened . . . virtually none of which can be repeated here.
2008-O & 16 OR BUST! W over Detroit (again) 31-21 on 12/28/08. HQ was the eastside Residence Inn for 2nd straight year. The return of Wham, Brady D and the John D. Nickel Memorial Hat. Cameos by Hank Sweeney, DJ Rein and Mike "The Mad Stork Nichols". The Mayor blows a gasket over going to Anduzzi's on Saturday, but it cool with going there on Sunday after the game. We visited the Oval Office and one of us gets thrown out inside 90 seconds. Nice!
2007-HAPPY FESTIVUS : W over Detroit. It's like a bad dream! 12/20/07. W over the Lions, not sure they even kept score. Quotes of the Weekend:
"No, but we have CB's." - Jim Kralovec when asked if they have digital cable in the U.P.
"Did you just say I look like A.J. Hawk?" - female Packer fan who clearly didn't understand that was meant as a complment.
"If you shut, maybe you'd hear it" Chip to Jim when Jim asked him to turn up Van Morrison.
911 Dispatcher - "What's your emergency?", Caller - "There's a bear eating a woman out by the pool!"Highlights:
The airing of grievances culminating in an almost fight between Fatty G and Dalko.
A 4:00 am stabbing at the Liar's Club and a late night disappearance by Waldo -- coincidence?
Stewie reliving his freshman glory days by puking out the window of the limo.
Festivus Feats of Strength -- Luggage Toss.
2006 (12-17) THE RETURN OF FATTY : W 17-9 over Detroit – AGAIN!! HQ was a downtown Holiday Inn. Last year parking at the old house next to Godfather’s pizza. DG missed his flight home . . . as usual. This year marked the surprise return of a charter Packer weekend member - the great Fatty Gering!
2005 (12-11) THE LAZY BOY INCIDENT: W 16-13 over Detroit. HQ is the Nickel Married House. Jim has an “accident” and ruins Nickels new suede recliner. We also ran into Strassburger and assorted NMU nuts at the Cavern Club (formerly Knights on Main and formerly a gay bar).
2004 (12/19) EVERYBODY LOVES REUBENS. Jacksonville (loss 28-25). GAME NOTES: Crowne Royal. Code names make a comeback. Electric wins MVD w/ assist from Pierre. Ruebens at the Stein. Hammertini’s all around. Nickel: “What would you do if you were in the woods?” Kralovec: “I wouldn’t go in the woods.” HQ: Nickel married house in Suamico.
2003 (12/28). Denver (31-3 win). We guessed right. No fucking idea what happened as I was not there. Feel free to add details.
2002: BACHELOR PARTY, OCONTO STYLE . Was it SF, a 20-14 win on 12/15 or Buffalo, a 10-0 win on 12/22? What the hell did we do? Was this the year I passed out in my own puke in the back of Charlie’s pick-up truck and almost froze to death until being discovered by Green Bay cop and a fellow NMU alum?
2001 (12/23) A DEVINE MESS Cleveland (won 30-7). Wrong, good God who guessed Seattle? (GAME NOTES: Sweet Head of Devine made a surprise appearance only to disappear again for what will likely be another decade of decadence. Of course, he hooked up w/ some random chick at the old Hipcats. Chip had some fantastic spaceship dope. Some things never change).
2000: (12/10) CAN I GET A RIDE HOME OFFICER? I am going w/ the Detroit on 12/10, a 26-13 win. The only other December home game was Tampa on Christmas Eve. We guessed wrong w/ New Orleans (GAME NOTES: I believe this was the year I brought Whelpley back into the fold for a special guest appearance. We also drank heavily at the Korner Pub [since renamed] around the corner from Charlie’s old frat house. Remember the shag carpeting on the wall? Bubba cut his foot storming out of the hot tub naked and stepping on a beer bottle. I performed meatball surgery on his foot in Charlie’s kitchen where he was bleeding like a stuck pig, shades of our moped accident in Key West the year before. I have a great picture of Chuck W w/ an axe in Charlie’s backyard which truly captures his criminal insanity. By the way, Chuck didn’t have a ticket but he watched the game outside under a tent in the parking lot. Was this the year Chip was spotted brushing his teeth in parking lot by Mark Bonetti? This may have been the year I puked outside the Bamboo Room and passed out in Charlie’s truck cab and was then promptly found by a Green Bay cop and NMU alum who mistook me for a bum). HQ: Nickel Frat House on Farlin, East Side of Green Bay.
1999 (12/12): Carolina (loss 33-31). Wrong. We had Arizona. (GAME NOTES: This was Ray Rhodes last game w/ Buerlein scoring at the end of the game). Don’t remember shit besides that).
1998: OFFICE PARTY CRASHERS I am going w/ Tennessee on 12/20 (30-22 win). Wrong, we guessed Buffalo. The only other possibility was the Bears the week before BUT SOMEONE has never invited us to the NFL’s oldest rivalry game (GAME NOTES: Was this the year we crashed Steigleman’s office Christmas Party and smoked tons of dope at his house. If it was, it was the first time around for the code names such as Electric, Strong, Nitro etc.). This was also likely the year of that several of us kicked in multiple rear view mirrors which then led to DG, Jim and Chip being ticketed by the Ashwaubenon cops for the same.
1997. DEMOLITION DERBY IN DEPERE I THINK IT WAS Buffalo a 31-21 win on 12/20. It was the only home game in December that year. Wrong on our guess, we had Houston. DG wrecks his rental car in the Nickel Back 40. HQ: Nickel Farm House in DePere?
1996. SODOMY IN GREEN BAY. NEED SOME HELP HERE. Was it the Denver on 12/8 (41-6 win) or Minnesota on 12/22 (38-10 win)? If it was Minnesota we guessed right. For some reason I though we never saw either a Vikings or Bears game. What is the consensus?
1995: NO GAME. Wrong. We guessed Pittsburgh. We knew there was a year missing and this was it. The Packers played 2 home games in December of 1995, one Christmas Eve and one on New Years Eve so the re-union was suspended by Commissioner Nickel.
1994: DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON (12/18): Atlanta (won 28-13 in Milwaukee) Correct. (GAME NOTE: Last game in County Stadium. Last day on earth for the fan who had a heart attack in the mezzanine, witnessed by DG and Mojo. DG receives the long-distance award by driving in from Lincoln, Nebraska the morning of the game).
1993 (12/26) THE NAKED SANDWICH : LA Raiders (won 28-13). Wrong (GAME NOTE. We got the two LA’s mixed up on years. On further reflection, 1993 was the year of the Christmas Day drinking debacle at the Animal House in Lena (thanks for pot Stan the Cabinet Maker) and the naked sandwich by Berutti. We were also chased into Oconto Falls by the cops and promptly passed out on the bar at The Hotel on Christmas. Truly a lowlight! Was this also the year that Berutti was “Rockin Around the Christmas Pole” ? and that Mr. Nickel gave Avery and DG a ride to the game?. Was this the year of Chip’s Winnebago caper? I seem to remember Whelps and Rock showing up in ski masks).
1992 (12/20) SHE WORE A RASBERRY KARL BERET : LA Rams (won 28-13) Wrong. (GAME NOTE: weekend we took the picture w/ about 20 NMU folks in it. I think Collins came w/ us and we stopped at Cuculi’s and the Golden Nugget on the way to GB. We also saw Karl “Rasberry” Borre” in a party store. He didn’t seemed too thrilled to see us).
1991 (12/15): PHOTOGRAPH Detroit (loss 21-17). Correct (GAME NOTE: I remember big snow banks for either this one or the 1990 game). This is the year we took the picture Charlie has at his house. We had over a dozen in attendance including Tocco’s crew. ickel house in the Falls.
1990: (12/22): ROCKIN AROUND THE CHRISTMAS POLE Detroit (loss24-17) Correct. HQ: Nickel household in the Falls. The crew gets drunk in the Falls and Stitch Rocks around the Christmas pole.
1989 (12/10): THE LIFE OF REILLY: KC (loss 21-3). Correct (GAME NOTE: Charter members Nickel, Gering, Berutti and Gregory live the “Life of Reilly.” Berutti meets his childhood idol Lynn Dickey at the now defunct “Top Shelf.” Mark Strube thrown through a plate glass window in the downstairs of the Shelf. Berutti ran out screaming at cars on “Lime Kill” road demanding to be taken to the “Baboon Room.” I also developed by first non-sexual man crush on Ron Hallstrom). HQ: Nickel household in Oconto Falls).
