Yesterday in La Crosse

The Coulee Region celebrated a Packers Super Bowl, 22 seasons ago

Published

5 years ago

December 19, 2018

In January of 1997, the Green Bay Packers made it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Coach Vince Lombardi retired…a drought of nearly three decades. On the day before the big game, a Packer Parade was held in downtown La Crosse as part of a “Super Saturday Celebration.” The parade started at the Norwest Bank parking lot…now Wells Fargo. It went up to the Cathedral and turned onto Main Street, ending up at the La Crosse Center. The Pack did defeat New England, for its third Super Bowl trophy.

La Crosse County was putting finishing touches on a new courthouse and jail, which would open that summer. The Law Enforcement Center was being built on the other side of 4th Street from the existing courthouse, which was only two years old the first time the Packers played in a Super Bowl.

The Parents Television Council issued rankings of the best and worst TV shows for families. The “best” list included Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman…Touched by an Angel…and Home Improvement. Among the worst were Melrose Place, Friends, and Married…with Children. What not to watch in 1997, yesterday in La Crosse.

Related Topics:green bay packers Norwest Touched by an Angel

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.