As further proof the Green Bay Packers are a local religion, the team is worshiped 364 days of the year in its own cathedral–the Packers Hall of Fame. Here ghosts of the past and heroes of the present mingle. Vince Lombardi naturally is pre-eminent–from his baby picture to Nixon’s get-well telegram to a then-Washington Redskins’ coach dying of cancer. Much of Lombardi’s philosophy is posted, taped or filmed. Of all his thoughts, one seemed best to capture the man: “Character is the direct result of mental attitude. I believe that character is higher than intellect. I believe that leadership is in sacrifice, in self-denial, in humility and in the perfectly disciplined will. This is the distinction between great and little men.” Who better knew the distinction?
