Bill Snyder of Hartland, Wisconsin, recently died at the age of 65. Rather than go with a traditional obituary in this Sunday’s edition of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, his two sons chose to put together something closer to Snyder’s heart: an ad thanking Brett Favre, Sterling Sharpe, Aaron Rodgers and other Green Bay Packers players for giving their father some of his happiest moments.
The advertisement takes up half a page in this morning’s sports section and reflects on Snyder as a human being, a family man and a community member before addressing him as a football fan. But the contents of that last part make it clear just how much the Packers meant to him:
“He taught us how to be good men, good neighbors. He taught us how to cheer and how to believe in the Packers’ magic. And he made sure we knew when something special happened on the field.
Those Packers highlights now double as some of our happiest family memories:
...Thank you Brett Favre, for giving dad the single happiest moment of his life: 1997 Super Bowl, 54-yard pass to Andre Rison, touchdown. Our dad vaulted from his chair, fell to his knees, screamed to the heavens. In an instant, 30 years of belief were paid back in full.”
The advertisement thanks seven other Packers for their time with the team and specific plays that had an impact on Snyder, going on to note that the last text their dad ever sent came at the end of this year’s Super Bowl: “Great Super Bowl, the Pack coulda won.”
The family has set up a website with a copy of the ad in full that encourages other fans to share similar memories.