PK: God, Family & The Green Bay Packers

Thanksgiving is a time in the United States where families come together to give thanks to God, catch up with relatives….and watch NFL Football. This is actually good, provided that these three things are put in the right order. As the legendary Packers head coach Vince Lombardi would always say, “Think of only three things: your God, your family and the Green Bay Packers-in that order.”

Lombardi hit it right on the nail with that line and it shouldn’t be surprising. He was instilled with religious and family values from an early age, growing up in a large Italian-Catholic family in an immigrant neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Bread for the Family, Bread for the Priest

Vincent Lombardi was the oldest of five children, while his mother (Matilda Izzo) belonged to a clan of twelve brothers and sisters. The Lombardi’s would spend a lot of time with the Izzos, especially on Sundays. After attending Mass, the two families would get together and share in a traditional Italian feast, which lasted the entire day.

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