Two of the Coolest Jobs at Lambeau Field

Let’s say you watch an NFL game with a buddy. Happens every fall Sunday, right? Now let’s say you and your friend actually go to the game, at Lambeau Field. Cool, yes, but not incredible. Now let’s say you and your friend are paid to do this. Paying attention? Now let’s say you and your friend are paid to go to Lambeau Field and watch every single game there from the Packers sideline.

Meet Paul Ihlenfeldt and Tom Rizzo, holders of two of the coolest jobs in pro sports.

Ihlenfeldt, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has been working as an “Orange Sleeves” at Lambeau Field for the past 12 years. The name comes from the two orange mitts worn by the network television coordinator that go elbow high and make it easy for NFL officials to spot them on the sidelines.

Tom Rizzo and Paul Ihlenfeldt, a.k.a "Green Hat" and "Orange Sleeves"

For Packers’ home games, networks like Fox and CBS hire Ihlenfeldt to coordinate television timeouts for officials on the field.

“I’ve watched countless Brett Favre comebacks,” says Ihlendfeldt, “I’ve walked alongside Eli Manning coming through the tunnel to the field, and Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy jokes around with me on occasion.”

Ihlenfeldt, who played linebacker at Division III University of St. Thomas, works as a ShopKo Stores manager in his full-time job. He was trained in the Orange Sleeves position by his dad, Len Ihlendfeldt, who pioneered the position in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a sidelines engineer for the Packers and TV Director at the Green Bay ABC affiliate.

To prepare for a Sunday game with a noon kickoff, Ihlenfeldt leaves at 8:45 a.m. to make the 10-minute drive to Lambeau Field’s locker room from his house in suburban Green Bay.

By the time Ihlenfeldt has left his house, his friend, Tom Rizzo, has already been on the road for three hours. Rizzo commutes from his home in Kenosha, a 150-mile drive. A production association for Johnson Wax Corporation, makers of Windex, Rizzo works as a “Green Hat” sideline coordinator at Packers’ home games for the NFL.

As a “Green Hat,” the only person allowed to wear a lime green hat on NFL sidelines during games, Rizzo monitors TV breaks, controls the officials’ microphones and is connected by headset to the NFL Observer in the press box.

“If there’s anything out of the ordinary, the NFL Observer will contact me immediately and I’ll get ahold of the nearest official, who will pass it on to the head referee,” Rizzo says.

Rizzo works closely with Ihlenfeldt and the NFL officials on the field to coordinate and track TV timeouts. Usually about five times each quarter — 20 times a game — Ihlendfeldt communicates with the production crew in the truck by headset for the best times in the game to fit in the 1-minute-and-50-second TV timeouts.

“You want to make sure you’re taking the timeouts at the right time,” says Ihlenfeldt. “The games are live on TV and there’s no room for errors.”

The signal to officials that a TV timeout is needed

Ihlenfeldt crosses his arms to signal the head official that a TV break is needed. He then walks onto the field of play until the TV timeout is over. Lambeau Field’s JumboTron operators and the radio station covering Packers’ games also depend on Ihlenfeldt’s signals. While Ihlenfeldt is signaling on the field, Rizzo works with the back judge to monitor the TV breaks.

Rizzo, who worked for more than 30 years as a football and basketball official at the high school and college levels, has empathy for his officiating brethren. “I know what referees go through on game day,” he says.

Just like his pal, Rizzo inherited his gig. His uncle, John Rizzo, created the job description for Green Hats. Tom still has his original manual. “Paul’s dad and my uncle worked Packers’ games before us,” Rizzo says, “and Paul and I are carrying on the tradition. We have such a camaraderie together. We both live and breathe football.”

There are 32 Orange Sleeves positions and 32 Green Hat positions — one each at every NFL stadium. The Super Bowl Orange Sleeves and Green Hat duties will be handled by the Cowboys Stadium’s duo. Additional help may be brought in from Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Rizzo and Ihlenfeldt will have to watch the Packers from home.

“My job is like a little kid’s dream,” Rizzo says. “Walter Payton, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice are some of the superstars of the game I’ve seen play.  Having grown up in the Lombardi era, my favorite memories are meeting Willie Davis, my favorite Packer, and seeing Bart Starr every year.  How many people have had treasures like that?”

Just as they inherited their jobs from family members, both Ihlenfeldt and Rizzo hope to pass on their positions to their sons.  But, don’t expect that to be anytime soon. Rizzo says, “I’m going to do this until they bury me.”

Michael O’Halloran is Founder and Editor of Sports Feel Good Stories

Photo credits:  John Ihlenfeldt

This story can also be seen at The Post Game, Yahoo Sports new online magazine

A Sizeable Advantage: Immeasurables enable Fritz Waldvogel to excel for St. Thomas Football

At 5’2” tall and 105 pounds, Fritz Waldvogel did not strike an imposing figure as a freshman football player at St. Thomas Academy, an all-boys high school in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.  Assigned to play wide receiver with a team that focused on running the ball, Fritz saw very few balls thrown his way.  By the tail end of the season, Fritz shifted over to the defensive backfield in an attempt to see more action.  While more involved, playing defense wasn’t Fritz’s first love.  When the season came to an end, Fritz was faced with a decision to make.

“I encouraged him to not go out for football to give him time to focus on basketball – a sport that I knew he was pretty good at – but Fritz wanted to give it one more shot,” said Jim Waldvogel, Fritz’s dad.

“I thought about running cross-country, but I felt like I had something to prove yet in football,” noted Fritz, “I use my size as motivation for my off-season workouts, and sometimes, to prove people wrong.  In football, my size can also be an asset – I have to look at it that way.”

While finding time to play basketball and run track, Fritz prepared hard for the next football season. Having grown a few inches and added some weight, Fritz made an impression at practices and saw some action in varsity games.  As a junior, he started in a scat back role, where he frequently lined up in a slot position to catch passes or run the ball.  He also returned kicks and punts.

The player who didn’t get the ball thrown his way on the freshman team was now a focal point of the varsity offense.  Over his junior and senior years, at 5’8” tall and 155 pounds, Fritz averaged over 10 yards per carry, and rushed for nearly 700 yards his senior year.  He was the team leader in receptions and set school records for punt and kick-off returns for touchdowns.  He led his team to to the state championship game and was recognized with All-State honors as a punt returner his senior year.  As a junior point guard for the basketball team, he also earned All-State honors and led St. Thomas Academy to a State Championship.

Fritz Waldvogel High School Football Highlights

Initially intent on attending Holy Cross to play football with a high school friend, Frtiz was persuaded to attend the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul by their new, charismatic football coach Glenn Caruso.  Caruso inherited a football team that in 2007 had won only 2 games.  With Caruso at the helm, an influx of new talent, and with Fritz a triple threat at receiver, kick returner and punt returner; the Tommies turned around their football fortunes and finished 7 & 3 Fritz’s freshman year.

Having grown to 5’9” and 170 pounds, Fritz enjoyed an incredible sophomore year.  He led all NCAA divisions with 6 punt returns and kick-off returns for touchdowns.  He was also well on his way to setting the school record for pass receptions (currently, he’s tied for the record). He was selected a first team All-American and was selected the MIAC conference Player of the Year, the first time a sophomore had won the award.  St. Thomas’ record improved to 11 & 2 and they made it to the quarterfinals of the Division III  National Championship.  This past season, St. Thomas won the conference and finished 12 & 1.  In their only loss of the year, Waldvogel was injured on the Tommies second possession — it’s the only game where he’s missed action due to injury in his college career.

St. Thomas’ football team, under Caruso’s reign has gone 30 & 6.  Caruso notes,  “The interesting thing about the success of the program is that it corresponds directly with Fritz’s success.  We’ve won more games through our minds and hearts than through our arms and legs — and Fritz embodies this quality.”

With one year remaining to play college football, it’s a safe bet that Waldvogel will own most St. Thomas’ records in receiving, kick-off returns and punt returns.  “The most exciting play in the game for me is the punt return,” Waldvogel says, “ There’s no script.  The only thing I’m instructed to do is to catch every ball, and from there, I can do what I want.  After I catch it, it’s pretty much run for your life.”

Waldvogel shares a house with 3 friends that is situated directly across from the University’s library.  Apparently, he’s finding time to make frequent visits as he carries a 3.56 grade point average in finance.  Possessing a love of the game and a mile-wide competitive streak, Waldvogel admits, “I really hate to lose.”  Modest about his individual achievements, Waldvogel is justifiably proud of his team accomplishments in college football and high school basketball.

The success of New England Patriots’ wide receiver Wes Welker and running back Danny Woodhead has likely opened the eyes of NFL talent evaluators again to the fact that smaller-sized players can make a big impact.  A future in football after college is of interest to Waldvogel, but for now, he’s focused on St. Thomas football, and like many college juniors, he’s busy with his classes and seeking a summer internship.

Caruso, the 2010 National Coach of the Year in Division III, sums up Waldvogel’s football abilities like this, ““At 5’ 9” and 170 pounds, you don’t put stock in his measurables, but in his immeasurables.  The beauty of Fritz is his attitude and mental toughness.”

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Photo Credits:  Mike Ekern & Thomas Whisenand, University of St. Thomas

Top Ten Things a Green Bay Packer Fan Should Know

More of a Green Bay Packer fan than a football fan, Sara, my 11-year-old daughter was very excited about the prospect of attending her first Packer game at Lambeau Field.  Given tickets by her grandmother — a season ticket holder for some 40 years — to the NY Giants game, scheduled the day after Christmas, Sara and I packed warm clothes for our holiday visit.

A 3:15 kick-off gave us plenty of time to soak in the pre-game atmosphere as fans dressed in Packer Green and Deer Hunter orange prepared by tailgating in parking lots around the stadium.  The home team did not disappoint as Aaron Rodgers’ return spelled doom for the Giants as he threw for 400+ yards and 4 touchdowns.  It would be hard to imagine a better venue for experiencing a football game.

Throughout the event, Sara had lots of questions about the Packers, the stadium and the game.  As a result of our conversations, I’ve compiled this list of “Top Ten Things a Green Bay Packer Fan Should Know.”

1. Fans own the Green Bay Packers. The team is the only non-profit, community-owned franchise in American professional sports major leagues.  Where most professional teams are owned by an individual, a partnership or a corporate entity, the Packers are owned by the community.

Steve Tate, one of many Green Bay Packers' owners proudly displays his title

2. The “Lambeau Leap.” When Packer players jump into end zone stands to celebrate a touchdown, it’s known as the “Lambeau Leap.”  Invented by LeRoy Butler, a defensive safety for the team, Butler jumped into the crowd after scoring a TD on a Reggie White fumble recovery and lateral.

3. The bicycle tradition. In a long-time Packers tradition dating back to Vince Lombardi’s reign, Packer players frequently ride to the practice field from Lambeau Field on the bicycles of young Packers fans.  Read more about the bicycle tradition.

4. Retired numbers. Of all the Packer greats, only 5 players’ numbers have been retired:  Don Hudson, Tony Canedeo, Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke and Reggie White.  All 5 players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

5. The Ice Bowl. In the coldest NFL game ever played, Bart Starr scored a TD on a quarterback sneak behind the block of Jerry Kramer as the Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1967 NFL Championship game.  The score came with just 16 seconds left in the game.  The Packers went on the beat the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II.  Vince Lombardi stepped down as head coach after this game.  A highlight film from the game referred to “the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field” and “frozen tundra” as become synonymous with the field.

On the day after Christmas at Kroll's, Packer figurines and a Nativity scene are on display in the restaurant

6. Kroll’s. With one location conveniently located across from Lambeau, Kroll’s is a Packer tradition for many fans.Kroll’s menu includes cheese curds, butter burgers and Wisconsin chili (served with noodles) and a decor suggestive of the 1950s. Kroll’s is a must visit for you if you’re attending a Packer game for the first time.  Don’t expect anything too fancy as it seems like 90% of the orders are delivered to your table in wax paper, not plates.  Packer memorabilia including photos of past coaches and autographs line the walls.

7. Vince Lombardi. The coach of the Packers in the 1960s, Lombardi’s record in post season play was 9 & 1.  He led the team to 3 consecutive NFL championships. Lombardi said, “Think of only three things: your God, your family and the Green Bay Packers-in that order.”  His success and leadership style earned him fans across the world.

8. Titletown, USA. At the 1961 NFL Championship Game, Packer fans hung up signs around the stadium that read Welcome to Titletown USA.  When the Packers beat the Giants in that game by a score of 37 – 0, the nickname caught on.   Lambeau Field has been home to six NFL world championship seasons.

9. Curly Lambeau. Earl Louis “Curly” Lambeau was founder, player and first coach of the Green Bay Packers.  He coached the team to 6 NFL championships and Lambeau Field is named in his honor.  A 14 foot statue of Lambeau greets visitors to the stadium.  He’s credited with pioneering the forward pass and daily practices in professional football.

Sara and her Uncle Leo get ready for the big game by practicing their cheers

10.  Packer fan loyalty. With a population of only about 100,000 people, Green Bay is the smallest city to have an NFL team.  Despite its small population, every Packer game since 1960 has been a sell-out.  Packer fans, sometimes referred to as “Cheeseheads” due to the state’s cheese production, are famous for their loyalty.

A mother’s decision and a football player’s legacy

When Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry passed away after falling from a moving vehicle, his mother Carolyn made a courageous decision to donate his organs.  The video below originally aired on Thanksgiving Day in 2010.

CBS NFL Pregame Host James Brown was so touched by the piece that he was unable to continue speaking. Colleague Boomer Esiason stepped up and told viewers that he’d signed up to be an organ donor and reminded everyone “you too can give the gift of life — I just want to say to Carolyn, as the father of a cystic fibrosis patient who may some day have to go through a lung transplant: you have touched millions today with your story and thank you so very much for being a hero today.”

CBS Sports on Chris Henry’s Legacy

One-armed high school football players inspires community

ESPN’s Sports Center frequently features one-handed catches by college and pro football receivers.  There’s something special about footballs thrown in tight spirals that are snared out of the air with just one hand.  Perhaps ESPN video crews will find their way to Breckinridge County High School in western Kentucky, where all of the catches made by wide receiver Chance Anthony are completed with just one hand.

Anthony is a senior starter at wide receiver and also starts at linebacker on defense. He was born with the lower part of his right arm missing.  As the lead receiver for the team, his receptions have gone for over 200 yards and two touchdowns.  He’s had 12 solo tackles on defense.

The doctors told his parents when he was born that, “You’ll miss it more than he will.”  Anthony has proven the doctors  right.  In the weight room, Anthony bench presses 235 pounds.  A 3-year starter in football, Anthony’s great attitude is an inspiration to his team and to his community.

Chance Anthony Video

Fantastic Finish to High School Football Game

After Pleasure Ridge Park High scored a touchdown to put them up 41 – 34 against Butler High School in Louisville, Kentucky, there was only 1.8 seconds left on the clock.  Butler received the kick and in a style that brought back memories of the Stanford-Cal Band game, players proceeded to lateral and fumble their way into the end zone for a touchdown.

Down by a single point, Butler made the decision to go for a two-point conversion.  A quarterback keeper was successful and Butler won the game.

VIDEO: A fantastic football finish

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