The Packers will kick off the ’13 NFL season with a trip to S.F. to face the 49ers at Candlestick Park, which is -- as team President & CEO MARK MURPHY points out -- exactly where the Packers’ season ended last year. While there are plenty of interesting and intriguing storylines surrounding the game, Murphy sees this weekend as just another business trip.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: This is the last year of Candlestick, and I hope (Sunday) is the last time we play there because I hope if we’re in the playoffs we’re playing them at Lambeau Field not there. But I have very vivid memories of Candlestick. I played there at least once as a player and now with the Packers have been there, I guess this will be the third time we’ve played a game there. There is so much history and tradition in the stadium. For me I think of the BILL WALSH and JOE MONTANA teams and probably the play that sticks out is “The Catch” in the endzone.
PACK YOUR BAGS: Friday is a work day, so I’ve got a number of meetings. I’ve got two different interviews with a radio station in town. It’s also kind of the last chance for all my travel arrangements. Making sure you’ve got tickets and passes and everything you need for myself and everybody else that’s traveling for and with us. I go to every game. We’ll fly out on Saturday and probably get in early in the afternoon. Our executive committee travels and we’ll typically go out to dinner the night before the game. This trip I relied on ED POLICY, he’s our general counsel who spent a lot of time in San Francisco so he knows all the good restaurants. We’ll be going to Epic Roasthouse this weekend in the city.
THE GANG’S ALL HERE: My wife LAURIE and I, we’ve got four children. Our youngest just graduated from college, and of our four children, two are in Southern California and two are in N.Y. So we’re using the occasion of this game to bring everybody together. So I’m looking forward to that. My wife typically travels with me but my kids, they always travel separately. My wife is actually going to go out Friday, a day early so she can see the kids and have more time with them.
ROUTINE PROCEDURE: On gameday I’ll get up fairly early. Maybe my wife and I will go for a walk or get a quick workout in in the morning before breakfast. I try to stay fairly active and work out and jog. I enjoy, especially when we travel or stay in cities, to either walk or jog around the city. It’s kind of a nice way to see a city. Then I’ll probably get on the bus around 10:00/10:30am. Once we get (to the stadium) I’ll see a number of different people before the game. That’s usually an opportunity to see the owner or executives from the other team. With the 49ers, I have a lot of respect for both JOHN YORK and his son JED, so I’ll spend some time with them before the game. I will watch the game in the press box with TED THOMPSON. I do that for every game. But for home games he and I have a separate suite that we watch the games in. And with RUSS BALL, our VP of Football Administration, as well.
LEAVING ON A JET PLANE: For a game like this, we always leave as soon as possible after the game, but it does take some time to get out of the stadium. Hopefully it’s after a victory, because things go a little more smoothly then. But we’ll probably get back early in the morning with the time change. We’ve got a charter flight and it’s a lot better than flying commercial or waiting until the next day. I think it’s good to get home as soon as possible. I typically, especially by the time we’ll be getting in, just try to get to sleep as soon as I can.
