Thaindian News

February 7, 2011 (Pen Men at Work): The time of the Super Bowl has arrived and the National Football League’s (NFL) Green Bay Packers (GBP) has reemerged in the limelight too. Also, in focus is the GBP’s illustrious erstwhile coach of the 1960s, Vince Lombardi. The heritage of the deceased Lombardi, granted a position in the Hall of Fame, lives on in the first-rate silvery Vince Lombardi Trophy (VLT). The Packers trounced the Steelers 31-25 at Arlington in Texas on February 6 to be triumphant in the Super Bowl for the fourth time.

However, the late Lombardi himself, the venerable Packers’ coach, has now occupied the center stage at Broadway in the program (play), ‘Lombardi’, which is a docudrama of 95 minutes. Lombardi was a meticulous workaholic, who converted a trailing franchise, GBP, into a potent entity. Dan Lauria, who was associated with ‘The Wonder Years,’ enacts the character of Lombardi in ‘Lombardi.’ Judith Light has enacted roles in ‘One Life to Live’ (soap opera), as well as in ‘Who’s the Boss?’ (sitcom), among other programs. Light is enacting the character of Marie, the hard-shelled but dutiful wife of Lombardi, in ‘Lombardi,’ which has been attaining success consistently and has been admired by the spectators since ‘Lombardi’ was initiated at the Circle in the Square Theatre in October.

Timing is extremely significant and the Packers’ reappearance in the NFL’s competition confrontation during the play’s opening season is ideal, as per Light. Light has stated that this is celestial choreography. Nothing can be better than 2011 being the year in which the Packers are journeying to the Super Bowl. This is extraordinarily pleasing.

One of the countless Packers’ aficionados is Steve Bachman, who witnessed ‘Lombardi’ in the preceding week, on the most silent Sunday of the NFL’s season. Bachman, a Milwaukeean suburbanite, enjoyed the docudrama absolutely.

‘Lombardi’ has also procured tributes from the theatergoers not captivated by football. Partially, this is because the title character’s football feats share considerable playing time with his unstable matrimony and prickly association with the draftee magazine reporter, Michael McCormick, whose character is enacted by Keith Nobbs, in ‘Lombardi.’

Lombardi competed in American football at the St. Francis Preparatory School and subsequently at the Fordham University. He commenced coaching as a subordinate and, afterward, as a chief coach at the St. Cecilia High School. He would, after some more time, become a junior coach at the Fordham University as well as at the U.S. Military Academy. He would abide by the deputy coach’s post at the New York Giants as well. Then, he would don the mantle of head coach for the GBP from 1959–67 for which he obtained colossal applause. In 1969, he would be appointed as the chief coach for the Washington Redskins.