What to do on bye week Sunday?

As every green-n-gold-blooded Packers fan knows, there is no game this weekend. Sigh. What to do? There is a void in our day when the bye occurs. On the one hand, we're happy for the players who need the time to heal and get ready for the second half of the season. On the other hand, many of us are faced with the dreaded prospect of actually having to engage with other family members, do those Fall chores that we've been putting off, or actually do something productive for a change. Chilling thoughts, one and all. One might think, depending upon where one lives, that we could savor watching Da Bearz or ViQueens go down in defeat this weekend. Nope. They also have byes. The Lions play Washington...but does anyone really care?

So, we need to turn to the flagship radio station of the Packers, 620WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee, for our Packers fix. Each year during the bye weekend WTMJ airs a classic game of years gone by. This weekend, it is airing The Instant Replay Game. You know what I'm talking about: that 1989 game at Lambeau Field during which the Packers beat Da Bearz in the last minute of the game on Don Majkowski's pass on 4th-and-goal from the 14-yard line to Sterling Sharpe in the south endzone. You know, the game where the zebras originally said Majik was over the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball. The game where the refs then tossed it up to the replay booth. The game where it took the zebras seemingly forever to review the tape and finally declare, "We have a reversal...touchdown."

It was a heckuva game. This writer had the privilege of attending this classic game in person. I know, I know, there are perhaps as many people who now say they were at this game as attended the Ice Bowl game. But yours truly was indeed there. In fact, some friends and I were sitting in that very south endzone and the pass to Sharpe occurred directly in front of us. I can still see Majik scrambling and then drilling the pass to Sharpe. The crowd erupted! Then it seemed like the longest delay you'd ever experience as the officials tried to get it right. They did, of course. (Naturally, if you're a fan of Da Bearz you might have a different opinion...in fact, I think this loss is designated in Chicago's annals with an asterisk as they still can't accept the reality of the defeat. Deal with it!) That decision then gave all of us a second chance to celebrate all over again. And, as I think back, it seemed even sweeter the second time. That's because Da Bearz had initially thought they had won the game based on the official's initial call. They had been celebrating. And then...ohhhhhhhhhh...snap! "We have a reversal...". That just had to rip the heart right out of 'em. Gives me a warm feeling even now.

Anyway, 620WTMJ will be re-airing this game at 11 a.m. Central time this Sunday. Those within broadcast range or whose local stations are part of the Packers radio network can tune in. It's unclear whether they will be streaming the audio over the Internet, but they may very well be. You'll have to check in to their site Sunday to see if that's available. In the meantime, you can get a review and preview all in one by going here.

Hang in there, Packer fans...the Pack will be back...next weekend!