Things used to be simpler for Packers fans.
By 1996, the Packers were a team on the rise. The assembly of talent put together by General Manager Ron Wolf and coached by Mike Holmgren was something not seen in upper Wisconsin in some time.
Brett Favre was the best player in the NFL, en route to his second straight MVP award in 1996.
Reggie White was the best defensive player in the league.
Player such as Edgar Bennett, Leroy Butler, Antonio Freeman, and Dorsey Levens were all key contributors to the success of the team which steamrolled its way through the 1996 schedule, dismantling the 49ers 35-14 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
They received a late Christmas gift that year as well when the upstart Carolina Panthers, coached by Dom Capers, got past the Cowboys in the Divisional Round, and headed to Green Bay to face the Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
We all know the end result-the Packers defeated the Panthers 30-13 in bitterly cold conditions, and went on to face the Patriots in Super Bowl 31, bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay.
Flash forward to today, and two of the key players in that NFC Championship Game are still being talked about by the Packers faithful, although for very different reasons.
Many are still bitter at Favre for the way his Packers career ended during the Summer of Favre in 2008, which led to his eventual signing with the hated Vikings in 2009.
And many fans are still angry with Dom Capers, currently the Packers Defensive Coordinator, for the defense inexplicably failing to show up in the playoffs three out of the past four seasons.
So for today’s flashback Sunday, let’s go back to a simpler time.
Grab your coffee, sit back, and enjoy the 1996 NFC Championship Game. It is one of the great games ever played at Lambeau Field.
When you’re done watching this great game in Packers history, be sure to head over to AllGBP.com and check out this week’s installment of Surviving Sunday: Packers News, Notes and Links for the Football Deprived. It’s a must read during the off season.
John Rehor is a staff writer at PackersTalk.com and co-host of Cheesehead Radio. To contact John follow him on Twitter @jrehor or email johnrehor@yahoo.com
