Good-weather Packers games please fans, businesses

Green Bay Press Gazette

Packers fans will have plenty to cheer about early in the season with five of the first seven games at home.

GREEN BAY – Never mind the Frozen Tundra. Packers fans and business owners think a bunch of home games in September and October is a pretty good idea.

The 2019 schedule is frontloaded with home games — five out of the season's first seven games will be played at Lambeau Field, including three in 11 days. The schedule is mostly barren from Oct. 21 until Dec. 1, with one game in November, and it finishes with a bang in the form of three division opponents, but only the Bears at home.

Packers fans and Green Bay-area business owners have seen this kind of NFL schedule before. Last year, in fact.They seemed to be more annoyed about that lineup then, but having lived through it once, they've found the silver linings.

"It would be great if they were all evenly spread out through the season," said Bill Tressler of Hinterland Brewery. "But with September being such a nice-weather month here to see a football game, I think we get better attendance."

Fans like it, too. Nancy Selinsky and Dan Spoentgen, both season ticket holders who live in Green Bay, applauded the September games.

"I suppose that ideally you would have the games evenly distributed throughout the season; however, if you are going to have the schedule skewed in one direction, I think having more games early is better than more games later in the year when it's cold," Spoentgen said.

Robert Schuknecht of Saginaw, Mich., who has Lambeau Field club seats, is glad the home schedule doesn't interfere with the deer season in Michigan. It skirts the Wisconsin deer season, as well.

The appreciation of good-weather games isn't universal. Chad Buboltz of De Pere prefers late afternoon winter games at Lambeau.

"They bring out the energy in a crowd in a way that is just different than other crowds," he said.

He would pass on the weeknight games, however.

"What I don’t like is a Thursday night and Monday night game consecutively," he said. "In the '90s, I loved the night games because it means we had earned the respect of the NFL. Now, at age 44, it means late nights followed by early work mornings and it's much more inconvenient. "

Bill Wenzel of Green Bay Ticket Service (formerly Titletown Tickets and Tours) is glad the Packers don't play at home over the holidays, which are tough games to sell, and that they finish the home season with the Bears in December.

"Fans of both teams are used to cold weather. I don't think that will scare them away," he said.

The schedule also includes six noon starts, including both Gold Package games, among the eight regular-season matchups, which makes pretty much everyone happy. Gold Package ticket holders mainly are from Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin, and for a number of years ended up with frequent night and weeknight games. Last year, both of their games were at noon, too.

"Personally, we like noon games. It’s better for our staff," said Brent Weycker of Titletown Brewing Co.

The schedule is anxiously awaited by bar and restaurant owners because of staffing issues.

"It's one of those things, you just have to plan so far ahead," said Jess Miller of Hagemeister Park, The Bar and Graystone Ale House. "The games that really become an issue are the weekdays. For a lot of our people, this is a second job. That's kind of straining."

There are two weeknight games on the home schedule, a Thursday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 26 and a Monday night game against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 14.

Opening home weekend against the Minnesota Vikings will be busy, with country singer Eric Church at the Resch Center that Friday and Saturday, and whatever opening weekend activities the Packers decide to host.

"In terms of demand, clearly the Vikings game is going to be a big one," said Dennis Garrity of EventUSA. "It's probably No. 1 on our charts right now."

Church is a big draw and will fill hotels rooms, too, and Garrity said he was scrambling to lock in rooms for his ticket packages. Vikings fans, because they are within driving distance, travel well for Green Bay games.

"Hotels typically like that because demand improves rates," said Brad Toll, president and CEO of the Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau. "And, typically, noon games are good as far as hotel generation."

Green Bay-area hotels will handle the demand, said Jason Hager of Tundra Lodge. He also is chairman of the Greater Green Bay Area Lodging Association and the Brown County Room Tax Commission.

"Phones have been busy all over the city. Hotels have availability. We will find a way," he said.

Hager said individuals making houses available for short-term rentals during the season should contact local municipalities to ensure they have proper permitting and understand the tax requirements. The Room Tax Commission has worked to educate people on those issues.

Miller said one road game, Green Bay at Minnesota on Dec. 23, should be good for local businesses, too.

"I would guess a lot of people would go out and be in a holiday mood," he said. "That could be a pretty good game for us, even though it's a road game."

Many take the approach of John Williams, general manager of the newly opened Hotel Northland in downtown Green Bay.

"I can't control it, so I don't worry too much about it," he said. "I think we are going to be busy."

Contact Richard Ryman at (920) 431-8342 or rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/