The Mission to Shop for Packer Jerseys for a Family on Super Bowl Week

There’s a lot of talk this week about how much money is being spent by Packer fans to support their favorite team as they get ready for their Super Bowl appearance.

It can cost around $4,000 for a couple to travel to Texas to see the game in person. Even fans who are staying home are shelling out big money - new TV’s, furniture, decorations, food and beverages. It’s estimated the average person will spend $59.33.

I didn’t figure this would have much impact in my own household until my nine year old announced that Highland View would be holding a “Show Your Spirit” day on Friday before the Super Bowl. No problem, I told her, just wear your pink Packer jersey. Upon hearing this, her younger sister immediately stated that she would also like a pink Packer jersey to wear that day, please.

Like most parents, I immediately tried to think of how I could avoid buying her a new jersey since the only one we have that will fit her happens to be a green hand-me-down jersey that belonged to her brother. And it happens to have the number 4 and a certain former Packer’s name on it. She reminded me that Daddy wouldn’t let her wear that particular jersey to a previous football party, in which the Packers played Falcons. Bad luck, you know?

If you have ever tried to reason with a seven year old, you know why I decided it would probably be easier to get a new jersey, so the hunt was on. I work at Southridge Mall part-time, so I figured I would just pop into one of the stores while I was on my lunch break and pick up one kid-size pink Packer jersey.Wrong!

As a parent, it’s rarely that easy. It’s like finding the one Christmas present on your kid’s list that every other parent is also searching for! Strike one! No luck at the mall. Actually I should take that back. My oldest son mentioned that as long as I was going to Southridge, could I pick up a Packer jersey for him also? And make it a green ‘Clay Matthews’ one, please. I browsed around the mall and after checking out the prices at some of the stores, settled on the closest thing I could find - a white Greg Jennings jersey - that didn‘t cost a small fortune. I figured I could always take it back if he wouldn’t settle for it. As it turned out, he still wanted the Matthews jersey, but his younger brother- who I might add, has never sat and watched an entire football game in his life - thought it would be just a great addition to his own wardrobe. Cha-ching!

Since I wasn’t having any luck, I fired up my computer and starting searching the web. Feeling smug, I added the Matthews jersey to my shopping cart, hit the check-out button and  received the message that my item was on back-order… arrrgh! Strike two.

On my next trip to the mall I hit the jack-pot! A new shipment of Matthews jerseys had just arrived…. another $48 for son number two’s jersey and since I was getting into the spirit of things, I decided to pick up a Packer t-shirt, earrings and car decoration for myself. After all, I can’t have my kids showing up for the Super Bowl party dressed better than me, right? Besides it only cost another $36.98.

With only a couple of days left until the “Show Your Spirit” day and the big game, I’ve decided to stop spending while I‘m ahead. To outfit the five of us, it averaged to about $26.59 per person, well below that online estimate. My husband will be happy to wear his sweatshirt from Super Bowl XXXI and my daughter? Well, we’ve reached a compromise… she’ll be the one walking the halls of her school with the pink turtleneck under the green Packer jersey with the number ‘12’ and the name ’Rodgers’ duct-taped on the back of it.