Clyde Crashcup, his kazoos and Lombardi too

My Dad and his good friend and teammate Henry Jordan shared more than just a spot on an historic defensive line. They also shared a love of family and ice cream.
A defining moment of those twin loves happened on a Green Bay street more than 40 years ago. The two men walked with their wives and children after a trip to the local ice cream shop when a familiar car pulled up and out jumped legendary Coach Vince Lombardi.
"We're two grown men standing there in front of our children and what did we do?" Both men liked to tell this story. "We hid our ice cream cones behind our backs."
They painted a charming picture of a truly innocent time.
The players had Mondays off and our family took that opportunity to head to our favorite pancake house for blueberry pancakes (which may have explained my Dad's trepidation about the Tuesday morning weigh-ins).
In the summer after the Packers won their second Super Bowl title, we were invited by the Wisconsin Tourism Department to take a trip with the Jordan family to Wisconsin Dells. The beauty of that trip is that it not only offered both families an enjoyable vacation, it also produced a series of photographs we all treasure.
I recently ran across an article written in 1967 by my mom's good friend Gloria Irwin, wife of the legendary Wisconsin broadcaster Jim Irwin. In it, she profiles the Packer wives on game day. With their husband in Detroit, the ladies gathered in Green Bay to watch the game.
One of them proved to be a tough critic as the Lion's offense began to move the ball. Gloria writes…

"All right, you Packers, they're going right up the middle," Olive Jordan fumes.

The opposition scores.
"See?" she looks knowingly at the others. "You can't let up at all."
"Now Olive, give them credit," Cherry Starr soothes. "That was a beautiful reception and look how well he was covered."
Olive was not to be assuaged.
"I don't care if Clyde Crashcup and his kazoos were there. They had two plays right up the middle!"
Oh, you sound just like Coach Lombardi," Jackie Nitschke ribs.

I don't know who Clyde Crashcup and his kazoos are, but I do know that the Packers beat Detroit 27-17 that day.

Here's the whole gang gathered around Little Bo Peep. That's
me in the front. I have no explanation for my Dad's lack of shoes.

Suzanne Jordan sweetly makes a wish.

Two kids on a paddle boat while the rest of us look on.

Left to right are Mr. Jordan, Mrs. Lombardi and my dad.

And here's a more recent shot of my Mom and Olive.