Green Bay Packers seasons come and go. Though most don’t end with a Super Bowl victory, every single season—yes, even those that are ultimately fruitless—can provide at least a few moments that will live on in the hearts and minds of Packer Backers for many years to come. Antonio Freeman catching the ball off of Chris Dishman’s back to beat the Vikings on a Monday night, Al Harris’ game-winning pick six against Seattle in the playoffs, the invention of “The Lambeau Leap,” and any number of astounding throws by Jordan Love (or Aaron Rodgers/Brett Favre) are just a few memories that come to mind.
Exactly six years ago yesterday, fans of the Packers (or Niners) and the NFL viewing audience at large were witness to another game day memory that, despite occurring in the stands during a timeout, will endure far longer than anything that actually happened on the field that day. On Sunday, January 19, 2020, FOX cameras briefly cut away from the game action during a San Francisco timeout late in the second quarter of the Packers-Niners NFC Championship match up. Though it only lasted a few seconds, it was long enough to change things forever.
With 3:34 left before halftime, the camera focused squarely on Rob Lowe, the ageless and accomplished actor who was invited to Levi’s Stadium by FOX executives as a means of promoting two network vehicles he was featured in, 9-1-1: Lonestar and Mental Samurai. As small as his promotion-prompted part was that afternoon, the veteran actor played it to perfection. He looked toward the field intently. He clapped. He was even dressed for the occasion, donning a cap bearing the logo of his beloved…NFL.
Yes, instead of ruffling some feathers and picking one team to support or, you know, simply not wearing a hat at all, Lowe opted for a plain black ball cap embroidered with the league shield. Being a super strange wardrobe decision made by someone making a so-called “business decision” to play it safe, the footage quickly went viral. Now six years (and a day) later, it’s thankfully endured as a reference point for situations in which someone is unwilling or unbothered to pick a side.
Last week, Lowe appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and gave some background on the now-iconic NFL hat moment. In short, he was asked to wear a hat to the game and, not liking any of the other “loud” and “super busy” cranium accessory options, he selected the “simple NFL hat” that he had never seen worn by a fan before. Maybe there was a reason for that!
Years removed from the hilarious NFC Championship cutaway, Lowe is able to laugh the situation off and has embraced becoming, in his own words, “a meme for someone who is agnostic to everything.” In the same Eisen interview, Lowe also mentioned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told him the logo hat has sold extremely well since he wore it.
The Packers wound up losing the game 37-20 and the Niners would fall to the Chiefs two weeks later in Super Bowl LIV. So in a sense, the entire NFC Championship on Sunday, January 19 could be construed as being meaningless. Neither team hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Highlights and mistakes alike have been forgotten through the passage of time. However, that early 2020 Packers-49ers game will live on in eternity because of the few seconds viewers got to see Rob Lowe take exactly no stand whatsoever by wearing a generic-ass NFL logo hat.