The Story Behind The NC State Flag At Green Bay Packers Games

I saw something I didn't expect during a trip to Lambeau Field: A Wolfpack flag. Here's the story of why it's there for nearly every home game.

The Slobberin’ Wolf flag flying in the snow before Sunday night’s Packers-Chiefs game in Green Bay.

My dad has been a Green Bay Packers fan ever since he was a kid in the 1960s. He liked the colors. Then he idolized Bart Starr, and watched them win the first two Super Bowls ever. In all that time, though, he’s never been to Green Bay for a game, and so this year for his birthday, my brother and I surprised him with tickets for the Sunday night game against the Chiefs.

I’ll give you the highlights, of which there are many: We saw the Packers win. It snowed. We met former wide receiver Antonio Freeman on a tour, who said he knew that Green Bay would win the 1996 NFC title game over the Panthers once he saw Carolina’s defenders walk out before with bare arms, then come out later wearing sleeves (“The cold got into their heads, man,” he said.) We ate cheese curds and chili at Kroll’s West. We took a loop around the man-made snowtubing hill at Titletown, and got a selfie with the Packers’ kicker, punter, and long snapper. I did not see Taylor Swift at the game, although I did see Green Bay native Tony Shalhoub on the Jumbotron. I also spotted Simone Biles waiting at the gate at the tiny airport in Appleton (she’s married to Green Bay’s Jonathan Owens and got some amazing swag at the game).

Unfortunately, I did not have this experience:

My dad had one of the best weekends of his life. I loved every minute of it.

But that’s not why you’re here, dear reader of the NORTH CAROLINA Rabbit Hole.

You’re here for the thing about the NC State flag.