There’s no place like Lambeau Field and there’s no more strikingly picturesque time to be there than in December. Powdery snow falling on the frozen tundra; bright stadium lights gleaming through gray winter sky; fogged breath, ice-covered beer and jerseys over many, many multiple layers; little flecks of white atop the green and gold, and grins, that abound.
Yes, there’s nothing quite like a cold Packers game in December, and, according to USA Today, which sorted the most Instagrammed location in each state based on geo-tagging, there’s nothing in Wisconsin that compares to the cherished and iconic Lambeau Field. In an article published Thursday, USA Today revealed that Green Bay’s recently renovated but classically timeless 59-year-old football stadium – the oldest continuously operating one in the NFL – was our top Instagram spot.
The state’s second-most popular setting was the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Third was Miller Park, fourth was Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo and fifth was the Milwaukee Art Museum. Institutions of sport, education, recreation and fine arts? What a well-cultured bunch of amateur photographers we all are here!
Something about the old-fashioned, small-town charm of Green Bay, the natural scenic beauty of a snowy Wisconsin winter, the hallowed history of the sanctified venue and the fact that the Packers have been good for the last two decades all combine to make Lambeau Field an understandably beloved, always-cool and obvious Instagram location.
On Sunday, the Packers host the rival Seahawks, a must-win game for Green Bay, which is 6-6 and currently outside the playoff picture they hope to make prettier for themselves this weekend. The forecast calls for a high of 32 degrees – though that will be lower after the 3:25 p.m. kickoff – with a 90 percent chance of snow, accumulating three to five inches. Perfect. That’s just what Green Bay, and its beleaguered secondary, needs to slow down Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin, not to mention Seattle’s rampaging defense.
"That’s the way a game is supposed to be played," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said when asked about snow games. "It’s supposed to be played outside, on the grass, and this is December football. We love it."
In a snowy game last week, the first December contest of the year, Green Bay beat Houston, 21-13. For his career, quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 15-2 at home in this month. Given the conditions expected for Sunday, and in recognition of Lambeau Field’s distinction as our favorite spot to snap photos and post them to social media, here are a bunch of great shots from that Packers’ victory over the Texans, courtesy of Instagram.
I’m already excited to see the pictures taken this weekend. Insta don’t mind ice.
Born in Milwaukee but a product of Shorewood High School (go ‘Hounds!) and Northwestern University (go ‘Cats!), Jimmy never knew the schoolboy bliss of cheering for a winning football, basketball or baseball team. So he ditched being a fan in order to cover sports professionally - occasionally objectively, always passionately. He's lived in Chicago, New York and Dallas, but now resides again in his beloved Brew City and is an ardent attacker of the notorious Milwaukee Inferiority Complex.
After interning at print publications like Birds and Blooms (official motto: "America's #1 backyard birding and gardening magazine!"), Sports Illustrated (unofficial motto: "Subscribe and save up to 90% off the cover price!") and The Dallas Morning News (a newspaper!), Jimmy worked for web outlets like CBSSports.com, where he was a Packers beat reporter, and FOX Sports Wisconsin, where he managed digital content. He's a proponent and frequent user of em dashes, parenthetical asides, descriptive appositives and, really, anything that makes his sentences longer and more needlessly complex.
Jimmy appreciates references to late '90s Brewers and Bucks players and is the curator of the unofficial John Jaha Hall of Fame. He also enjoys running, biking and soccer, but isn't too annoying about them. He writes about sports - both mainstream and unconventional - and non-sports, including history, music, food, art and even golf (just kidding!), and welcomes reader suggestions for off-the-beaten-path story ideas.
