Packers fans show up in the middle of the night to welcome team back after loss

ASHWAUBENON - There were about two minutes left in the Green Bay Packers' season when Ryan Rivera hit on the idea of welcoming the team back to Green Bay. 

He asked friends whether they were up for making the trek to Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. Being Packers fans, they were.

They arrived at the airport after midnight and waited.

The team's charter flight landed after 3 a.m. Monday, by which time Rivera and two friends had been joined by more than a dozen other fans eager to support their team after the Packers lost 37-20 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game. 

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"This was a whole different experience," Rivera said of the airport visit. "It was a tough game, a tough loss, but we had to come support our Pack. It's the least we could do. They gave us a great 14-win season." 

It was worth it, though, as Rivera and friends caught the attention of running back Aaron Jones, who stopped to sign autographs for them and a few more of the fans who lined the concourse. 

Some of the fans at the airport had just gotten off work. Others had been there for hours. All of them showered the team with a steady stream of applause, and players and coaches offered a few high-fives, nods and autographs back. 

Julie Johnson of Ashwaubenon joined her daughter, Jessica, for the game Sunday night and then at the airport Monday morning. She said the fans who showed up to welcome the Packers back to town "says so much about our team."

"It's just kind of who we are," Johnson said. "It's good to come out and celebrate when they win, but it's even more important to support them when they lose."