Columnist talks about changing his stripes

Columnist Bill Rettew Jr. talks about changing his sports allegiance during a visit to Wisconsin.

I’ll forever be a Phillies, Sixers, Eagles and Flyers fan. Call me a homer. Until now.

I’ve always rooted for the local teams, but my allegiances are gradually shifting.

For a week at a time, for the past five years, I’ve visited family in Wisconsin.

It’s a magical place. Cheese curds are on most restaurant menus. In this state with the most bars per capita, fish frys are a Friday night staple at most roadside taverns.

The passion of Packers fans is phenomenal. Go into a grocery store on the morning of game day and everybody is suited up in green and gold caps and jerseys.

Without the proper jersey, you feel naked.

For last week’s trip to America’s Dairyland, I was lucky enough to see the Packers win twice. It was pretty tense when the Pack was down by two touchdowns at halftime, but they pulled it out in overtime.

When the Packers rallied to get within field goal range, in OT, the room erupted.

“The whole state of Wisconsin is now cheering,” said my couch mate, a lifelong Wisconsin resident.

I still cheered louder for the Eagles when they met the Packers in preseason this year; but I can now understand a little bit more why Cowboys’ fans act the way they do.

While many Cowboy fans have never visited Texas, I can say that I became a Packers fan through osmosis at ground zero.

On game day in Wisconsin, it’s hard not to want the Packers to win, although you still have to follow the Eagles game score very closely.

Last week, I experienced a sports double whammy. We had great seats on the first base line for the final home game for the Milwaukee Brewers, and then rushed out to watch the football team play later that night.

There was no problem cheering the Brewers on and I proudly wore my new blue hat, with one of the coolest logos ever.

And let me come clear, I don’t even own any Philly team paraphernalia.

My roots run deep. Decades ago, during home games, local major league baseball teams were not televised. We’d simultaneously listen to the game on the radio, watch a sitcom on TV and read at the same time. Multi-tasking ruled.

You can’t closely follow everything you’re bombarded with when experiencing all three medias at once, but when Harry Kalas’ voice perked up, you knew it was time to put down your magazine (anybody remember magazines?)

When Immaculata made their runs for national championships, my mother, a Mighty Mac graduate student at the time, would disappear into the bedroom, turn out the lights and listen to the radio.

It’s such a joy to hear playby-play on the radio. Radio announcers are charged with creating a mood. Like a reporter, they let you see the action through their eyes.

I often listened to Philadelphia games after the lights were turned out, and lost a little bit of sleep when a game went into extra innings.

Sure, I don’t have the history with the Packers like I do with the Eagles, but there’s nothing wrong with having two favorite teams to root for.

Call me a traitor if you must.

I’ll be a Packers fan for that week a year I’m visiting Wisconsin and an Eagles fan the rest of the time. Sound like a fair compromise?

But still, I’ve have those jerseys and hats from Wisconsin sports teams. Maybe, I’ll stir things up a bit.

Look for that guy at the Phillies game in a bright red University of Wisconsin Badgers sweat shirt and Brewers’ hat. I’ll be the confused one.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA What in the world is this Philadelphia fan thinking owning all this Wisconsin team gear?