Hello, everyone!
Thanks so much for checking out my Substack. Great to have you.
So, like me, you’re probably a lifelong football fan. That’s likely how you’ve stumbled upon 80/90s NFL Rewind. Technically, I didn’t start loving the NFL the day I was born, but I’ve followed the sports religiously since I was 8 years old. I specifically recall the year I caught the football bug: 1989.
The year of the “Cardiac Pack.”
I grew up on a family dairy farm in central Wisconsin. Winters were cold, long, boring. Springs and summers pleasant, but fleeting. I already loved baseball. My brother got me into that. I was starting to get into basketball, admiring the likes of Bird, Magic, Isaiah Thomas and a rising star named Michael Jordan. Other than sports, there wasn’t a lot to get excited about in my little hometown of roughly 1,000 souls.
The ‘89 Packers got me excited. Majik, Sterling, Harris, Lindy. The thrilling come-from-behind wins. The crushing, nail-biting defeats. Knocking off the powerhouse 49ers at Candlestick. Missing the playoffs on the last night of the season. That team was a roller-coaster ride that extended from early September to late December.
I want to relive those magical moments here. If you grew up watching NFL football in the 1980s or ‘90s, you know what I mean. It was just a fun time to be a fan. Don’t get me wrong, the game is still exciting, but there’s something about being a kid, experiencing something great for the first time. Falling in love. Finding a passion.
This is going to be fun…
Every week, on 80s/90s NFL Rewind, I want to take you back to a moment from your childhood. I’ll dive into memorable games, moments, players. … About once a month, I’ll profile a memorable team from that era. Maybe I’ll write about a forgotten coach or broadcaster. I’ll try to keep on top of special anniversaries too. This season marks the 30th anniversary of Brett Favre’s arrival in Green Bay. I’m planning a special series chronicling Favre’s unprecedented rise in Titletown.
I’m also hoping to feature Q&A interviews with former players, writers and other personalities who loved the NFL during this awesome time. If I can land a steady diet of interviews and features, I’m planning to offer paid subscriptions so readers can enjoy exclusive content. For now, everything on the site is FREE. If you do wish to support 80s/90s NFL Rewind, however, check out our option for paid subscribers. My 10-month-old son’s college fund depends on you. No pressure. :)
As this Substack adventure grows, I’m hoping to build a community. I want to hear from you, the reader! I would love to do running discussion threads. What’s your favorite football moment from this era? Favorite teams? Players? Coaches? Personal memories. What was it like attending your first NFL game?
I’m also open to feedback. Always feel free to share your thoughts. We’ll grow this thing together. Build a cool place for fans to hang out, swap stories, share memories.
Before I let you go, a little about me…
As I mentioned I grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Sports became my escape from milking cows and stacking hay bales on sweltering summer days. My life truly didn’t change until high school. I fell in love with Sports Illustrated. I couldn’t wait to run to the mailbox every week, open it up, and see who/what made the cover. Sure, the amazing photos were illuminating, but it was the words that grabbed me. Soon after, it was the local sports section I was consuming every day. I was hooked. I knew what I had to do. I became a sports writer.
After college, I covered sports for many years (still do on occasion) for newspapers in South Dakota and Wisconsin. I’ve been a journalist for almost 20 years and have been (humbly) honored with several awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association for excellence in journalism. I’ve covered everything from a murder trial to Friday night football games. There’s nothing quite like being a newspaper reporter.
I took a leap of faith and left the newspaper industry in the summer of 2021. It was bittersweet, but the right decision. I’m excited to be starting a new job as a writer-editor for the Department of Veterans Affairs in August 2022. I’ll be working for the “My Life, My Story” project, interviewing veterans and writing about their lives and experiences. Can’t wait to start.
Besides writing and reading, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Jenny, and our son, Jackson. We live in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, right outside of Madison.
Thanks so much for your time. Hope you enjoy my work!
Kevin
