A Note from our CEO, Scott Soderberg

The end of summer always comes with both great football memories and lots of anticipation for the upcoming season. My subconscious mind knows when all levels of training camp start, without so much as a glance at the calendar. Football becomes a regular focus of conversation whether you’re at work, with friends, or even amongst strangers. This can be true even for those who might not consider themselves football fans—frankly, no one can escape it.

The early memories of the fierce Packers-Vikings rivalry are indelibly etched into my mind, particularly from my elementary school years here. Like the entirety of Western Wisconsin, fandom was pretty much evenly split between the teams (I can’t prove it, but that still seems to be true around here). During both the annual Pack vs. Vikes weeks, the hallways, playground, and lunchroom were filled with the faithful on each side taunting each other and predicting lopsided final scores in favor of their team. This advocacy was occasionally mixed in with some kind of bet—which by necessity usually involved something other than money. In those days, every kid knew everybody else’s loyalty.  

However, for me the most memorable part always came at school the day after the big game. Let’s just say absenteeism was always up for those whose team couldn’t get it done. Sudden illnesses seemed to crop up on those mornings. But the winning team’s crew always knew the truth, and delaying the inevitable barbequing only made it worse for the “stricken”.

The passion of those school kids still lives today, and it is a highly entertaining part of Western Wisconsin culture. By all accounts, it is one of the best rivalries around and is better here because neither side has a fan advantage. So, enjoy it like you’re still a kid, but show up for work the next day regardless—your boss knows.