Dan 'Bogie' Bogenschuetz of Sheboygan is 26th member of Green Bay Packers FAN Hall of Fame

Richard Ryman, Green Bay Press-Gazette

.GREEN BAY ‒ Dan "Bogie" Bogenschuetz was a Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions season ticket holder, but never a Green Bay Packers season ticket holder, which is partly why he is the newest member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame.

To explain, Bogenschuetz was born a Packers fan. His parents, who were season ticket holders, were at the Ice Bowl, sitting in the corner of the end zone where Bart Starr scored the winning touchdown. Bogenschuetz, who lives in Sheboygan and is retired from Kohler Co., did an end-around on the Vikings and Lions so he could indulge his hobby, which is creating trips to Packers games for hundreds of friends at a time, some of whom he first meets when they get on the bus.

"I remember the time I slept outside in Minnesota for three days and two nights just to get 320 Packer tickets," Bogenschuetz said Monday, after Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy revealed that Bogenschuetz is the 26th member of the only fan hall of fame in the NFL.

Dan “Bogie” Bogenschuetz, middle, of Sheboygan reacts after being named the 26th member of the Green Bay Packers FAN Hall of Fame during the ceremony Monday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
Dan “Bogie” Bogenschuetz, middle, of Sheboygan reacts after being named the 26th member of the Green Bay Packers FAN Hall of Fame during the ceremony Monday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

The Vikings weren't happy about seeing 320 Packers fans in one place in the stadium and the team president said "this will never happen again." A sympathetic Vikings employee suggested he become a season ticket holder, then he could buy all the tickets he wanted because they'd think he was a Vikings fan, and that's how he became a season ticket holder for both rival teams. With the advent of online secondary markets, he no longer has to go that route.

He is not a Packers season ticket holder, but he is a shareholder.

More than 83,000 votes were cast for the 10 finalists, who were selected from 100 nominations. All those friends from trips — he estimates thousands over 36 years — no doubt helped Bogenschuetz's cause.

"It's been just overwhelming," said his wife, Pam Bogenschuetz. "Wherever we go ... 'we voted for you, we voted for you!' "

"For Bogie there are 4 seasons — Packer preseason, Packer regular season, Packer post-season, and waiting for the next Packer season. He is definitely not just a fan for a few months of the year. He wears Packer gear year-round. He has a room in his house dedicated to the Packers," his sister-in-law wrote in his nomination letter.

His hobby of crafting Packers trips grew organically. He doesn't hunt, fish, snowmobile, own a cottage up north or golf, which earned some ribbing from Murphy, a dedicated golfer.

He was arranging some Milwaukee Brewers game trips when a friend suggested they go to a Packers game.

"It was 46 tickets the first year. The next year I'd get another game. Then I had friends of friends that wanted to go," he said. "The next thing I know, I'm taking four buses to Minnesota. I'm taking four buses to Detroit. And the next thing I know I'm taking six buses to Minnesota, six buses to Detroit. And now I'm doing flights. I took a group with me to London.

"It's 36 years now of just doing trips. For a while there, I was doing seven trips a year and taking at least 110 to 320 people," he said. He's into his third generation of family members on his trips.

And he will go to Brazil or Germany if the Packers get either assignment this season.

He has a couple bucket list items yet to accomplish. There are four NFL stadiums he hasn't seen games at, and he wants to fill an airplane with Packers fans, playing Packers music the entire trip.

"We are going to party in Sheboygan," said Bogenschuetz, who brought a busload of supporters to Green Bay on Monday.

Bruce Roehsner of Menomonee Falls, another hall of fame finalist this year and a friend who's been on many Bogenschuetz trips, reminded him of a promise he made to a local television station. Bogenschuetz said he "choked" and said if he got in the hall, he'd get his first tattoo.

"I am getting that tattoo," he said. "I will be proud to have the hall of fame tattoo right on my arm for life."

Packers fans were asked to nominate themselves or a friend with an essay of 500 words or less, accompanied by a photo, explaining why he or she should be recognized. Ten finalists were selected by the Packers FAN Hall of Fame selection committee. The final selection is made by voters, the selection committee and previous inductees.

The Packers were the first professional football team to have a hall of fame. In 1998, they created a Packers FAN Hall of Fame to honor devout and longtime Packers fans.

Packers FAN Hall of Fame finalists

  • Nancy Beaulieu of Manitowoc

  • Dan Bogenschuetz of Sheboygan

  • Kris Burich of Colorado Springs, Colorado

  • Larry Kittoe of Ashwaubenon

  • Angela Kuemmel of Cleveland, Ohio

  • Lori Mueller of Eland

  • Jeff Padon of Severn, Maryland

  • Bruce Roehsner of Menomonee Falls

  • Terry Sportsman of Elgin, Illinois

  • Ken Stofen of Racine

Packers FAN Hall of Fame members

Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Newest member of Green Bay Packers FAN Hall of Fame is from Sheboygan

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