Sunday, September 9, 2007

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Wayne Scullino is.

Now here's a Packers fan.

Wayne Scullino recently quit his job, sold his house and moved his family from Sydney, Australia to Green Bay to follow his favorite football team for a season.

"There's not a single person we've met who can believe it," he said. "They say it's absolutely nuts. At the same time, they say it's great."

Scullino, his wife, Kelly, and sons Ben, 2, and Luc, 9 months, arrived in Green Bay on Sunday. He got lucky quick, scoring two tickets to Sunday's home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It will be his first game at Lambeau Field, and Scullino said his first glimpse of the storied stadium made him a little emotional.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," he said. "And with the house money in the bank and the boys not yet in school, it's literally now or never."

Scullino had worked as a phone equipment salesman in Sydney. Now he says his plan is to attend as many Packers games as possible, tour the U.S., "make a ton of friends" and keep an online diary that he will eventually turn into a book.

"The Web site isn't so much about football as it is the idea that we've given up everything to follow a childhood dream. You know, the dreams you forget because you're too busy being an adult all of a sudden," Scullino said.

He acknowledged the dream comes with challenges. The family has never lived in snow or outside a major city. They'll have to drive on the opposite side of the road and get by without a paycheck for six months.

"Oh, and the fact that we're using our life savings to do so with the very real prospect of having nothing on our return," Scullino said.

2 comments:

AmPowerBlog said...

Yep, it's that time of year!

Burkean Reflections

Have a great week! Opening season MNF tomorrow!

Mary said...

You, too!

Enjoy the game tonight!