Cheesehead

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cheesehead is a nickname (sometimes used derogatorily) referring to a person from either Wisconsin or the Netherlands, referring to the large volume of cheese production in those locales.

The famous Cheesehead hat

"Cheesehead" is also the name of a brand of hat shaped like a large wedge of cheese (generally made out of a light plastic or foam), primarily worn by fans of the NFL team Green Bay Packers at football games.

The Cheesehead was born from the rivalry between Wisconsin and Illinois sports fans. Riding high from their only Super Bowl victory, fans of Chicago sports began ridiculing citizens of the Dairy State by calling them "Cheeseheads". Little did they know that one Wisconsinite would take this "insult" and make the best of it. Ralph Bruno carved-up his family's sofa to create the first hat, which he proudly wore as a testament to his love for his state.

The original display of a "cheesehead" hat was at a Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox game in 1987 when the Brewers started the season 13-0. It was handmade out of foam, painted yellow. Ralph Bruno, the wearer of the original hat, then had the idea of starting a business to sell them as novelties. The "Cheesehead" trademark is owned by Foamation, Inc. of St. Francis, Wisconsin, which began manufacture of the wearable, foam cheesehead in 1987. The company also offers a plethora of other foam products, such as: many different types of hats, neck ties, pins, keychains, magnets, cup-holders, coasters, and even footballs. Cheeseheads have become more commonly associated with Green Bay Packers fans since mass production of the original hat began.

At Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, cheese is aged and sold in round steel cans; this has spawned its own version of the cheesehead hat inspired by the original.