TWO-FOR-TWO. Chippewa Valley writer (and self-proclaimed Packers superfan) Matthew Mabis' letters from the football teams' 2023-24 season, have now been compiled into a new collection – the second in its series – titled Letters to Matt LaFleur Vol. 2, out now with Heron Press. (Photo by RT Vrieze, Knorth Studios)

I fear the stamps that Matthew Mabis sent to the desk of Matt LaFleur over three years ago are gathering dust. “I don’t think he’ll ever respond,” Mabis said, who for the third NFL season in a row (and counting) has snail-mailed a diligently typewritten letter to the Green Bay Packers Head Coach after each and every Packers game.

“I think their presence in his life is something that he disdains,” he added.

Suffice it to say that even if Coach LaFleur has seen, or much less read, Mabis’ weekly diatribes that scrutinize, celebrate, and skewer the team’s week-to-week performance — he hasn’t and probably won’t deign to acknowledge their existence.

And that’s kinda the point. For the ride-or-die Packers superfan and former Eau Claire Memorial High School football coach, the weekly ritual of typing out his armchair analyses on his Smith-Corona Corsair is a parasocial labor of love.

The concept of Letters to Matt LaFleur is, for all intents and purposes, silly – which transmutes Mabis' intrepid commitment to the bit into a seriously entertaining read.

The unrequited letters from each game of the Packers’ 2023-24 season, are scanned as is and compiled into a new collection – the second in the series – titled Letters to Matt LaFleur Vol. 2, out now via Heron Press.

Designed by RT Vrieze of Knorth Studios, each letter is paired with a box score rap sheet and punctuated throughout with Mabis' own 35mm photos that lovingly depict his crew of die-hards' pre- and post-game adventures on their sacred trips to Lambeau Field. Fandom at its finest.

For the series' debut, which came out last year, Mabis didn't pull any punches as he grappled with a dispiriting season full of dashed expectations surrounding former quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ final season with the Packers.

A closer look inside the pages of Letters to Matt LaFleur Vol. 2, featuring smiles — and cheese balls? All images within the collection have been taken on 35mm film by Mabis and friends. (Photo by RT Vrieze, Knorth Studios)

Now for Vol. 2, at the dawn of the Jordan Love era, the letters fire off a similarly unflinching look at a season that started off pretty dismal, but picked up enough steam to land the Packers in the playoffs where they crushed the Cowboys in Dallas, ultimately falling short to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round.

LaFleur aside, throughout Vol. 2 Mabis more often than not directs his ire at the inept schemes of the Packers' former defensive coordinator Joe Barry (who was swiftly fired after the season).

“It’s bizarre to watch football where you knew, like, a 12-year-old could call a better look,” Mabis said.

In the book, after a particularly baffling loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau where Barry’s defense allowed 34 points and a perfect game from quarterback Baker Mayfield, Mabis — normally loquacious with his breakdowns — cuts to the point.

“IT MAKES ME SAD WHEN I CAN SEE THE TUMBLEWEED DRIFTING BETWEEN THE PADS OF YOUR HEADSET.”

MATTHEW MABIS

AUTHOR, LETTERS TO MATT LAFLEUR VOL. 2

“Coach:” he writes. “Fire Joe Barry. See box score. On to Carolina. Etc. Happy Holidays.”

The concept of Letters to Matt LaFleur is, for all intents and purposes, silly — which transmutes Mabis’ intrepid commitment to the bit into a seriously entertaining read.

Coach to coach, Mabis expects nothing short of excellence from his muse, and he's brutally — and hilariously — honest in his one-sided correspondence.

Matthew Mabis, pictured far left, alongside his crew of die-hard Packers fans during pre- and post-game adventures. (Photo by Trevor Peterson)

“It makes me sad when I can see the tumbleweed drifting between the pads of your headset,” Mabis writes. “Just remember that I love ya, and I’m proud to have you out there.”

Make no mistake: Mabis has an undying passion for the Packers, boundless respect for their head coach, and a true coach’s love for the game of football.

Though LaFleur himself has stayed — perhaps forever — silent on the other side of the page, Mabis did actually get a note in the mail out of the blue from the Packers’ then-President and CEO Mark Murphy (he retired this summer).

Hand-written, no less, on embossed Packers stationary.

“Just a quick note to let you know that I enjoyed reading Letters to Matt LaFleur,” it reads. “It brought back a lot of memories of the 2022 season, unfortunately more bad than good. It was helpful to get a sense of what our fans are thinking as the seasons unfold. Thank you for writing such a fine book. Sincerely, Mark Murphy.”

Murphy is universally admired by the Packers organization, the legion of fans, and perhaps most of all by Mabis, who shed some tears upon reading it before calling loved ones to share the news.

“That’s an all-timer for me,” Mabis said. “Two books in, getting a letter from Mark Murphy feels like it’s all worth it. If they wanted me to stop, they shouldn’t have had Mark Murphy send me a letter.”

In celebration of Letters to Matt LaFleur Vol. 2, Chippewa Valley fans can take a stab at Packer trivia — with Mabis himself — on Nov. 6 at Leona's Pizzeria (406 Galloway St., Eau Claire). The fun doesn't end there; on Nov. 20, Mabis and Nickolas Butler will join forces for a conversation on the new release at Dotters Books (307 S Barstow St.) in downtown Eau Claire.

To learn more and purchase a copy of Letters to Matt LaFleur Vol. 2, visit heron.press. Follow the ongoing project on Instagram (@lettersto.xyz).