Miss Jo's San Francisco

TODAY’S SAN FRANCISCO 49ers v. GREEN BAY PACKERS GAME AT Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc., was a big deal in Miss Jo’s household and greater familia, which these days is heavily centered in the nation’s cheese heartland, where her two nieces are in school, @ Lawrence University in Appleton and the University of Wisconsin law school @ Madison.

Like all Packer fans, the girls, pictured above at an earlier game, bleed gold and green, or so says their mother and Miss Jo’s sister, the Scholastic Scribe, whose husband, Wisconsin native Mr. Fairway, allegedly was born with a cheesehead, like this bulldog in Packer colors. (Milk is the state beverage.)

Not surprisingly, the lawyer -to-be niece, Ella Una, and her b-friend went to Sunday’s game, which turned into a real contest in the second half when the 49ers came to life, although they ended up losing 30-24.

Also not a shock, the other niece, Ella Dos, a photo major, was a good source to tap for Packer pix, like the snap, left, of her Unca Lynn, watching a Packers’ game. Lynn throws tailgate parties in his Neenah, Wisc., back yard, which involve wearing a threadbare, lucky team logo shirt that his wife, Aunt Julie, keeps trying to throw out. Neighbor Packer Pearl, below, always is invited.

The photos, and the other black and white prints, are from Ella Dos’ latest project: documenting Packer fanaticism.

Miss Jo can never get enough of Packer love, so it was understandable she felt conflicted come game time, which was 10 a.m. in San Francisco and way too early to seriously take sides, let alone bleed 49er carnelian and gold.
The Green Bay weather looked perfect, sunny and 53 degrees. In SF, the second storm of the rainy season was blowing off the Pacific, with sunshine right behind it.

Over a second cup of java and soy milk, Miss Jo and Jeff quietly cheered on the 49ers, which as the team’s rally faded, turned into a game of seeing if they could spot Ella Una in the Lambeau Field stands.

Miss Jo also learned the name of the 49ers’ mascot, Sourdough Sam, and the food connection with Packer cheeseheads seemed so right. (The Packers don’t have an official mascot, so cheese seems to be the default.)

Miss Jo considered how Wisconsin had another food mascot, or at least beverage, with the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. But are there any other professional U.S. teams with food or drink as the team symbol ?

With a little Leinenkugel lager, it dawned on Miss Jo how Sourdough Sam would make a perfect pairing with a cheesehead, perhaps this fan with a cheese-nip bra.

Imagine, all the baguette jokes Sourdough Sam must suffer.

Packer fan black & white photos by Moo.