Hudson Grille gets 'Packed' Out

A wave of green and gold washed over Midtown last night, an unusual sight for Atlanta residents. Several hundred people showed up at Friday night for a . The bar was so full, fans were spilling out onto the streets.

Wandering through the sea of crazy costumes, cheese heads and gold pompoms, fans were watching clips from Green Bay games while chanting, “Go! Pack! Go!” There was no elbow room to be found. Fans fought to get upstairs, where former Packers players were signing autographs.

The majority of people at the Jan. 14 rally were Wisconsin residents who had made the long, icy trek to Atlanta. Die-hard fans, such as the Kuhtz and Dean families of Oconomowoc, Wis., drove 14 hours to attend the championship football game today against the Atlanta Falcons. When asked if Georgia’s icy conditions hindered their travel, Stacy Dean said, “We’re from Wisconsin. It doesn’t bother us!”

Joy and Jeff Teas of Conyers, Ga., also attended the pep rally on Friday. They aren't from Wisconsin, but both are devout Green Bay fans. “Watching Packer games with my father back in the sixties," turned Joy into a fan, she said. Jeff said he became a Packer fan on Dec. 31, 1967. He was 11 years old. 

"That was the year the Packers beat the Cowboys in the NFL Championship game," Jeff said. “I have been a fan ever since, through thick and thin."

There was at least one Midtown resident at Hudson Grille that night: George Georgopoulos, who probably was the only person in the restaurant not wearing green and gold. The Dallas Cowboys fan said he came to the bar earlier in the day and decided to stayed around for the party that night.

“I’m having a great time," said Georgopoulos, who befriended several Packers fans Friday night. "These are good people.” 

Milwaukee, Wis., natives Chrissey and Rick Eidemiller were among Georgopoulos’ new buddies. The couple said they have been Packers fans since they were born.

“We even have an entire room at home dedicated to the Packers," said Chrissey, who donned Green Bay earrings and a green purse with the Packers logo. The Eidemillers currently live in Orlando, Fla., and drove to Atlanta for the big game today at the Georgia Dome. Atlanta resident Anthony Epps came out to Hudson Grille to reunite and celebrate with the couple. They all grew up together in Milwaukee. 

Epps said he is a true Green Bay Packer fan. Dressed in Green Bay jerseys with green-and-gold beads around his neck, Epps shook gold pompoms as the group of friends drank Miller Light, reminisced about the past and cheered on their hometown team.