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Green Bay Packers

 
Hoover's Profile: The Green Bay Packers, Inc.
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The Green Bay Packers, Inc.
Lambeau Field Atrium, 1265 Lombardi Ave.
Green Bay, WI 54304
WI Tel. 920-569-7500
Fax 920-569-7301

Type: Private - Not-for-Profit
On the web: http://www.packers.com
 Employees: 268
Employee growth: 41.8%

On the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers battle for pride in the National Football League. The not-for-profit corporation owns and operates the storied Packers football franchise, which was founded in 1919 by Earl "Curly" Lambeau and joined the NFL in 1921. Home to such icons as Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, and legendary coach Vince Lombardi, Green Bay boasts a record 12 championship titles, including three Super Bowl victories (its last in Super Bowl XXXI after the 1996 season). The team is also the only community-owned franchise in American professional sports with more than 112,000 shareholders. The shares do not increase in value nor pay dividends, and can only be sold back to the team.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending March, 2009:
Sales: $247.9M
One year growth: 2.9%

Officers:
Chairman Emeritus: Robert E. (Bob) Harlan
President, CEO, and Director: Mark H. Murphy
VP Finance: Paul Baniel

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Company History: The Green Bay Packers, Inc.
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Incorporated: 1923 as Green Bay Football Corporation
NAIC: 711211 Sports Teams and Clubs
SIC: 7941 Sports Clubs, Managers & Promoters

The Green Bay Packers, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation held by the citizens of Green Bay to run its football team. The Packers are the only publicly owned team in the National Football League (NFL), and the team is the only surviving franchise in the NFL still playing in its original small town. Green Bay Packers, Inc. has roughly 100,000 shareholders, but the shares produce no dividends, and all profits the team makes go to the American Legion. The team's wins, therefore, produce no financial gain for stockholders. Yet this arrangement virtually precludes the Packers from moving to another city. Green Bay remains the only town of its size to have a major league football team. The Packers' unusual corporate status attests to the huge loyalty Wisconsonites have for the team. The Green Bay team has a celebrated history. It was one of the most successful teams in the sport in its earliest years, and had a golden period in the early 1960s, when it was graced with many top players. The team returned to the top ranks in the 1990s, led by such star players as Brett Favre and Reggie White.

The Green Bay Packers team was founded and led by a remarkable player and coach, Earl L. 'Curly' Lambeau. Lambeau was born in Green Bay in 1898, and grew up to be the star of his high school football team. He attended Notre Dame University in 1918, and as a freshman played on the varsity team under the legendary coach Knute Rockne. An illness kept Lambeau home from college the next year, and he began working at the Indian Packing Company, a meat-packing plant in his home town. Lambeau missed playing football, so in the summer of 1919 he helped organize a local team. Lambeau convinced his employer to put up money for uniforms and equipment. The team was known briefly as the Indians, but soon became the Green Bay Packers, after the meat-packing company. For its first two seasons, the team played games against other teams from small towns in Wisconsin and Michigan. The players' only pay was what could be collected in a hat passed among spectators at halftime. The proceeds per player for the whole 1919 season were $16.75. The Packers played in a vacant field in a downtown park, and the members of the team of necessity had regular day jobs.

But Lambeau was ambitious. He was an extraordinary player himself, and pioneered the passing style of play. Earlier players did not rely on throwing the ball to the extent Lambeau did, and opponents were often infuriated by Lambeau's winning technique. In 1921 Lambeau again appealed to the Indian Packing Company to put up $50 to buy the Packers a franchise in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League). The team did well, playing against clubs from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. When the Packers joined the professional league, the competition got better, and Lambeau began to recruit players from outside of Green Bay. In order to lure players, he needed to guarantee them some financial gain beyond loose change in a hat. Thus in 1923, a group of five area businessmen got together and launched the Green Bay Football Corporation, a nonprofit entity to provide financial backing for the team. Shares of stock sold for $5 each and paid no dividends. Purchasers were obligated to buy at least six season tickets. The corporation had a five-member executive committee and 15 elected directors. As a nonprofit, the corporation was tax-exempt, and all profits were to go to the American Legion. Lambeau signed some impressive players, among them Verne Lewellen, Lavvie Dilweg, and Johnny Blood. In the 1920s and early 1930s Lambeau's team was a powerhouse, winning three national championships from 1929 to 1931. Lambeau had his last season as a player in 1930, but he continued to coach the team.

Despite the team's success on the field, it had financial difficulties during the Depression years. Because of a bleacher accident in which a fan was injured, the team was required to settle a $5,000 lawsuit, and when its insurer went bankrupt, the team accrued even more debt. In 1935, Green Bay Football Corporation was put into receivership. Professional football changed for the better in the mid-1930s, when a fair college draft system was instituted. Previously, the four best teams in the NFL dominated year after year, because the good college players would only sign on with the leading teams. Competition within the league evened out after a draft was initiated in 1934, and football became more popular. The Packers had a championship team in 1936, and by 1937 they were out of receivership. The corporation reorganized as the Green Bay Packers, Inc.

Curly Lambeau continued to coach the Packers through the 1940s. But after 1945, many of the team's great heroes had retired, and the Packers began to lose. An All-American Football Conference was organized in 1946, splitting the sport between the old NFL and the new league. This drastically increased the number of professional teams on the American scene. As a result, good players were in high demand, and they began to command large salaries. Because of this, running the Packers became more expensive. Lambeau muddied the Packers' financial picture too by using the corporation's assets to buy an expensive lodge north of Green Bay to house the team. The players then had to be bused into town to practice. The team's record slid. In 1948 they won 3 games out of 12, and the next year won only two. In order to bring money to the team, the board of directors decided to sell more stock. Lambeau led a behind-the-scenes move to sell the stock to four backers who would put in $200,000 if the corporation could be changed to a for-profit one. He was outvoted on this move, and a stock sale went ahead in 1950. Single shares went for $25 each, and the sale raised $125,000. Shortly after this Lambeau left the Packers to become head coach of the Chicago Cardinals.

The conflict between the two major football leagues ended in 1949 when the All-American Football Conference came to an arrangement with the NFL, and the country was divided into a National Conference and an American Conference. The Packers secured a new coach, Gene Ronzani, in 1950. But the team continued to lose. Verne Lewellen, one of the early great Packers players and later a lawyer and Standard Oil executive, became the team's business manager in 1954. Lewellen began looking for a new coach. In 1954 Lisle Blackbourn became coach, but he fared no better than Ronzani. He lasted until 1957, when he was replaced by Ray McLean. The team won only one game in 1958.

The Packers did make some positive changes during this disastrous decade. The stadium by the high school where the team had started was hopelessly outdated. Its wooden structure had deteriorated, it had no bathrooms, and it was too small. In 1956 the Green Bay Packers, Inc. broke ground for a new stadium on the southwestern edge of town. The total cost was just under $1 million, and the financing was split between the corporation and the city. Its original seating was for 32,150, thought to be frighteningly large. The team won its first game there, in September 1957, with Vice-President Richard Nixon on hand for the dedication. Originally called City Stadium, its name was changed to Lambeau Field in 1965, after the death of Curly Lambeau. The Packers also gained increasing financial benefit from radio and television broadcasting during the 1950s. The corporation was able to sell radio rights to its games for $20,000 in 1952. The first televised Packers game was in 1953, and the team was paid $5,000 for each of three broadcast games. By 1956, television rights were going for a lot more. CBS paid the team $75,000 that year to televise all its games. Because the Green Bay area was such a small television market, the Packers' contract was worth far less than what teams in such cities as Los Angeles and New York were getting. In the early 1960s, this disparity among league teams was worked out. The NFL negotiated as a whole, and television proceeds were split evenly between teams. This was much to the advantage of Green Bay.

Despite building a new stadium and gaining lucrative television coverage, the team still had precarious finances and, worst of all, a losing record. The Packers' executive committee let Ray McLean go, and in 1959 brought in a relatively unknown man to be head coach, Vincent Lombardi. Lombardi had been a high school coach, a lawyer, an assistant coach for West Point, and then an assistant coach for the New York Giants before he came to Green Bay. He immediately instituted changes, trading players and redefining strategy. The sorry Packers were transformed. In Lombardi's first season, they had seven wins, and the next year the team won the Western Division title. The 1960s were the glory years for the Packers. The team was filled with such legendary players as Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, and Jerry Kramer. Under Lombardi, the Packers never finished below second place, and they won championships in 1965, 1966, and 1967. The corporation's finances improved markedly when broadcast revenues increased. In 1967 the team received more than $1 million in television fees. The rising popularity of the team meant the stadium in Green Bay needed more seats. By 1965, Lambeau Field seated over 50,000 fans, and every single home game was sold out.

Exhausted after the climactic 1967 season, Lombardi became General Manager and gave his coaching job to his assistant, Phil Bengston. Lombardi died just two years later. With Bart Starr injured, other players aging, and the costs of hiring top players becoming more than the small Green Bay franchise could afford, the team went downhill. A series of coaches succeeded Bengston, who coached from 1968 to 1970. Dan Devine had the job for the next three seasons. The Packers' percentage of wins under him was .474, that is, they won less than half their games. Under former quarterback Bart Starr's coaching, the team did even worse. Starr coached from 1975 through 1983, with a career record of .410. The numbers went down even more sadly under the next coach, Forrest Gregg, to .405 over his three seasons. When Gregg left, Lindy Infante took the position, and between 1988 and 1991, the Packers won 24 games and lost 40. Green Bay's fans were intensely loyal, and every home game was sold out from 1960 on. Nevertheless, the team was clearly lacking in direction and not fun to watch. This changed beginning in 1991, with new coach Mike Holmgren.

Financially, Green Bay Packers, Inc. fared better than the team it stood for. By 1990, the net worth of the franchise was estimated at over $125 million. Revenue from television rights had continued to climb, so that in 1990 the team pulled in $25 million from broadcast rights, and reported a profit of $2 million, which was of course reinvested. The corporation added more seating to Lambeau Field, including 36 boxes and 1,920 theater-style club seats in 1990. The corporation's president since 1989, Robert Harlan, significantly boosted the team's income by aggressively marketing the Packers logo and opening a Packer Pro Shop to sell Packers gear and paraphernalia. But the corporation's board was not satisfied with financial solvency when the team was no good. President Harlan decided in 1991 to replace the head of operations, Tom Braatz, with Ron Wolf. Wolf was given sole responsibility for the team. He even had the authority to fire the coach. So he did. Coach Infante had a salary guarantee of $1.65 million on a three-year contract. Wolf decided the team could afford to swallow the loss in order to get rid of Infante, and he soon hired Mike Holmgren, an assistant coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Over the next four years, Holmgren and Wolf revamped the Packers lineup, so that at the end of that time only three players were left from the Infante era. Wolf was responsible for picking up Brett Favre, a lowly draft choice who became the team's star quarterback. Then, in 1993, the team signed Reggie White, the best defensive end in the NFL. Signing White shocked the football community. Green Bay was the smallest town in the NFL, not considered likely to hold much attraction for a player of White's renown. Moreover, the team had to pay $17 million (over four years) to get him, at the time the third highest salary in the history of the NFL. White was a leading light of the league, and the most sought-after player of that year. Other teams had wined and dined him, treating him and his wife to extravagant tours of their cities. White was African American and a minister as well as a football player, and evidently he saw an opportunity in Green Bay that other cities lacked. He wanted to set up counseling and education programs for inner city youth, and he was able to do that in nearby Milwaukee. At the same time Brett Favre, once an odd choice for the team, had become an impressive player by the mid-1990s. In 1994 he signed a five-year, $19 million contract. The Packers were winning again.

In spite of the expense of hiring and keeping star players like Favre and White, the Packers still had money to spend. The corporation improved Lambeau Field throughout the 1990s, adding more seating in 1995 and upgrading the sound system, adding a new scoreboard, and installing a new ground drainage and heating system in other years. In 1994 the corporation spent $4.7 million replacing the team's indoor practice center with a new facility. The team was losing roughly $2.5 million a year by playing home games in nearby Milwaukee and Madison, whose stadiums did not have lucrative luxury seats. Beginning in 1995, the Packers played all their regular season home games at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

The mid-1990s were a great time for the Green Bay Packers. They won the Superbowl in 1996, and came close in 1997. The year 1998 became the sixth in a row the Packers had advanced to the playoffs, and their seventh consecutive winning season. Still needing to upgrade their stadium, the Packers made a new stock offering in 1997, offering 400,000 shares of common stock to raise $80 million for the building fund. Though stockholders received no dividends, the enormous popularity of the team meant many fans did not hesitate to plunk down $200 for a share. By 1999, coach Holmgren had moved on, leaving Ray Rhodes in his place. Reggie White retired, and several other key players were injured. Perhaps the team was coming down from its peak in the mid-1990s. Financially, president Harlan announced that the corporation had a negative cash flow in 1998 and expected the same in 1999. Noting that every other team in the league would have either new or improved stadiums by 2003, which would include year-round revenue sources such as restaurants and shops, Harlan petitioned Wisconsin state legislators for help in 'saving the franchise.' According to a December 10, 1999 article in the Wisconsin State Journal, Harlan claimed that without stadium improvements, the Packers would be 'dead last in this league in revenue,' in four years, and he looked to the state to save the team. Legislators came up with several tentative plans, including sales tax surcharges and selling special Packers license plates to back state bonds. Clearly, despite the team's new power in the 1990s, it was still struggling with financial issues. The plans for helping the team in 1999 were notable in that several were statewide, in effect extending the franchise beyond the city of Green Bay to include the entire state of Wisconsin.

Principal Competitors

Chicago Bears; Minnesota Vikings; Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Detroit Lions.

Further Reading

Deckard, Linda, 'Figures in for Green Bay Packers,' Amusement Business, July 1, 1989, p. 13.

Doherty, Jim, 'In Chilly Green Bay, Curly's Old Team Is Still Packing Them In,' Smithsonian, August 1991, pp. 80-90.

Hajewski, Doris, 'Green Bay Packers Victory a Boon to Wisconsin Retailers,' Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News, February 7, 1997, p. 207B1222.

Helyar, John, 'Green Bay Packers Are Threatened by Football's Changing Economics,' Wall Street Journal, December 14, 1984, p. 29.

Isaacson, Kevin, Return to Glory: The Inside Story of the Green Bay Packers' Return to Prominence, Iola, Wis.: Krause Publications, 1996.

King, Peter, 'The Green Bay Packers,' Sports Illustrated, August 30, 1999, p. 185.

Mayers, Jess, and Scott Milfred, 'Packers Lobby for 2003,' Wisconsin State Journal, December 10, 1999, pp. 1A, 3A.

'A Perspective on Dollars and Sense,' Sporting News, January 31, 1983, p. 47.

'A Piece of the Pack,' Sports Illustrated, November 24, 1997, p. 24.

Silverstein, Tom, 'Axing the Picks,' Sporting News, August 9, 1999, p. 44.

Smith, Timothy W., 'Packers Aim to Revive a Winning Tradition,' New York Times, July 21, 1993, p. B15.

Torinus, John B., The Packer Legend: An Inside Look, Neshkoro, Wis.: Laranmark Press, 1982.

Vecsey, George, 'Socialism Keeps Pack in Green Bay,' New York Times, October 14, 1994, p. B11.

— A. Woodward


Wikipedia: Green Bay Packers
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"Packers" redirects here. For other uses, see Packer.
Green Bay Packers
AmericanFootball current event.svg Current season
Established 1919
Play in and headquartered in Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay Packers helmet
Green Bay Packers logo
Helmet Logo
League/conference affiliations

Independent (1919–1920) National Football League (1921–present)
Current uniform
NFCN-Uniform-GB.PNG
Team colors Dark Green, Athletic Gold, White

              
Fight song Go! You Packers! Go!
Personnel
Owner(s) Green Bay Packers, Inc. (111,967 stockholders)
Chairman Mark Murphy
General manager Ted Thompson
Head coach Mike McCarthy
Team history
  • Green Bay Packers (1919–present)
Team nicknames
  • Indian Packers (1919)[1]
  • Indians (1919)[2]
  • Acme Packers (1921)
  • Blues (1922)
  • Big Bay Blues (1920s)[2]
  • Bays (1918-1940s)[2]
  • The Pack (current)
  • The Green and Gold (current)
Championships
League championships (12)
Conference championships (8)
  • NFL Western: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967
  • NFC: 1996, 1997
Division championships (13)
  • NFL West: 1936, 1938, 1939, 1944
  • NFL Central: 1967
  • NFC Central: 1972, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • NFC North: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007
Playoff appearances (24)
  • NFL: 1936, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1972, 1982, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007
Home fields

Split games between Milwaukee and Green Bay (1933–1994)

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL) and are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL.

The Packers are the last vestige of "small town teams" that were once common in the NFL during the 1920s and 1930s. Founded in 1919 by Earl "Curly" Lambeau (thus the name Lambeau Field in which the team plays) and George Whitney Calhoun, the Green Bay Packers can trace their lineage to other semi-professional teams in Green Bay dating back to 1896. In 1919 and 1920 the Packers competed as a semi-professional football team against clubs from around Wisconsin and the Midwest. They joined the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1921, the forerunner to what is known today as the National Football League (NFL).

The Green Bay Packers have won twelve league championships (more than any other team in the NFL) including nine NFL Championships prior to the Super Bowl era and three Super Bowl victories in 1967 (Super Bowl I), 1968 (Super Bowl II) and 1997 (Super Bowl XXXI). The team has a fierce rivalry with the Chicago Bears, whom they have played in over 170 games. The Packers also share a historic rivalry with the Minnesota Vikings, who reside in the NFC North along with the Packers, and the Dallas Cowboys who have historically been known as the Packers largest playoff rivals after the Packers defeated them in the famous Ice Bowl.[3]

The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States. Beginning with the 1992 season, the Packers had 13 non-losing seasons in a row (their worst record being 8–8 in 1999), two Super Bowl appearances, and one Super Bowl win (Super Bowl XXXI). The Packers' 13 consecutive non-losing seasons was an active NFL record until the team finally suffered a losing campaign in their 2005 season. They returned to have an 8–8 season in 2006 and a 13–3 regular season in 2007, both under new head coach Mike McCarthy.

Contents

Founding

Main article: History of the Green Bay Packers
Curly Lambeau

The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 14, 1919 by former high-school football rivals Earl "Curly" Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun.[4] Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company. He was given $500 for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named for its sponsor. Today "Green Bay Packers" is the oldest team-name still in use in the NFL.

On August 20, 1920, the Packers became a franchise in the new national pro football league that had been formed the previous year. Financial troubles plagued the team and the franchise was lost the same year, although Lambeau found new backers the next year and regained the franchise. The financial backers, known as the "Hungry Five," formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.

Notable seasons

Championships

The Packers claim 12 World Championships[3], the most in the NFL (the next closest team is the Chicago Bears, with nine). The first three were decided by league standing, the next six by the NFL Title Game, and the final three by Super Bowl victories. The Packers are also the only team to win three straight NFL titles, having accomplished this twice (1929–1931 and 1965–67).

1959–1967

The Packers of the 1960s under coach Vince Lombardi won five league championships over a seven-year span that culminated with victories in the first two Super Bowls. During the Lombardi era, the stars of the Packers' offense included quarterback Bart Starr, running-backs Jim Taylor, Carroll Dale and Paul Hornung (who also kicked extra-points and field-goals), and right guard Jerry Kramer; the defense included Henry Jordan, Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, and Herb Adderley.

1959

In their first game under Lombardi on September 27, 1959, the Packers shut out the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The Packers got off to a 3–0 start, but lost the next five and won the last four games, to achieve their first winning season since 1947.

1960

The next year, the Packers, led by Paul Hornung's 176 points, won the NFL West title, and played in the NFL Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles at Philadelphia. In a see-saw game, the Packers trailed the Eagles by four points late in the game, when Chuck Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor just nine yards (8 m) short of the goal line as time ran out. They claimed that they did not "lose" that game; they were simply behind in the score when time ran out on them. The Packers would never again lose the NFL Championship game under Lombardi.

1961

The Pack in 1920

The Packers returned to the NFL Championship game the following season and faced the New York Giants. The Packers scored 24 second-quarter points, as Paul Hornung, on special "loan" from the Army, scored an NFL Championship record 19 points (one touchdown, four extra-points and three field-goals), and the Packers beat the Giants (of also legendary-fame Y. A. Tittle and Frank Gifford), to win their first NFL Championship since 1944.[5]

1962

The Packers stormed back in the 1962 season, jumping out to a 10–0 start, on their way to a 13–1 season. This consistent level of success would lead to Lombardi's Packers becoming one of the most prominent teams of their era, and even to their being featured as the face of the NFL on the cover of Time on December 21, 1962, as part of the magazine's cover story on "The Sport of the '60s". Shortly after Time's article, the Packers faced the Giants in a much more brutal championship game than the previous year, but the Packers prevailed on the surprising foot of Jerry Kramer and the determined running of Jim Taylor. The Packers defeated the Giants, 16–7.

1965

The Packers returned to the championship game in 1965 following a two-year absence, when they defeated the Colts in a playoff for the Western Conference title. That game would be remembered for Don Chandler's controversial field goal in which the ball allegedly went wide right, but the official raised his arms to grant the three points. That disputed win earned the Packers a trip to the NFL Championship game, where Hornung and Taylor ran through the Cleveland Browns, helping the Packers defeat the Browns to earn their 3rd NFL Championship under Lombardi.

1966

The 1966 season saw the Packers being led by NFL MVP Bart Starr. The Packers went 12–2, and in the NFL Championship, with the Packers leading 34–27, the Dallas Cowboys had the ball on the Packers' 2-yard (1.8 m) line, threatening to tie the ballgame. But on fourth down, the Packers' Tom Brown intercepted a Don Meredith pass in the end zone to preserve the victory. The Packers went on to win Super Bowl I 35–10 over the Kansas City Chiefs.

1967

The 1967 season was the last one for Vince Lombardi as the Packers' head coach. That year's NFL Championship game, known universally as the Ice Bowl, is one of the most famous football games (college or professional) in the history of the sport. With 16 seconds left, Bart Starr's touchdown on a quarterback sneak brought the Packers their third straight NFL Championship - a feat no other team has matched since. The Packers then won Super Bowl II with a 33–14 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Lombardi became the General Manager of the Packers in 1968, and Phil Bengtson was named as Head Coach. Lombardi left Green Bay in 1969, and was named Head Coach of the Washington Redskins.

After the death of Vince Lombardi in September 1970, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy, in recognition of his, and his team's, accomplishments. The road that goes by Lambeau Field, which is also one of Green Bay's major thoroughfares, was named Lombardi Avenue in honor of the coach.

1968–1991

For about a quarter century after Lombardi's departure, the Packers had relatively little on-field success. In the 24 seasons from 1968 to 1991, the Packers had only five seasons with a winning record (above .500), one being the shortened 1982 strike season. They appeared in the playoffs twice during that period, with a record of 1–2. The period saw five different head coaches - Phil Bengtson, Dan Devine, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, and Lindy Infante - two of which were former Packer players in Lombardi's era (Starr and Gregg), and one of which was a former coach (Bengtson). Examples of poor draft choices shaping seasons are often mentioned in the context of this time period. Examples include the 1974 draft, in which coach Dan Devine sent five draft picks (two first-rounders, two second-rounders and a third) to the Los Angeles Rams for aging quarterback John Hadl who would spend only 1 1/2 seasons in Green Bay.[6] Another came in 1989, when players such as Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Derrick Thomas were available, and the Packers chose offensive lineman Tony Mandarich. Though rated highly by nearly every professional scout at the time, Mandarich's performance failed to meet expectations. ESPN has rated Mandarich as the third "biggest sports flop" in the last 25 years.[7]

1992–2007: The Brett Favre Era

The Packers' performance throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s led to a shakeup in which new General Manager Ron Wolf was hired to take over full control of the team's football operations during the 1991 season. In 1992, Wolf hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren to be the Packers' new head coach.

Brett Favre

Soon after hiring Holmgren, Wolf acquired quarterback Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons for a first-round pick. Favre got the Packers' their first win of the 1992 season, stepping in for injured quarterback Don Majkowski and leading the Packers to a comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Favre started the following week with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers , and never missed a start until leaving the team after the 2007 season. He has started 271 consecutive games (including playoffs), which is an NFL record for a quarterback.

The Packers had a 9–7 record in 1992, and began to turn heads around the league when they signed perhaps the most prized free agent in NFL history in Reggie White on the defense. White believed that Wolf, Holmgren, and Favre had the team heading in the right direction with a "total commitment to winning." With White on board the Packers made it to the second round of the playoffs during both the 1993 and 1994 seasons. In 1995, the Packers won the NFC Central Division championship for the first time since 1972. After a home playoff 37–20 win against Atlanta, the Packers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers 27–17 on the road to advance to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 38–27.

In 1996, the Packers' turnaround was complete. The team posted a league-best 13–3 record in the regular season, dominating the competition and securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. After relatively easy wins against the 49ers (35–14) and Carolina Panthers (30–13) in the playoffs, the Packers advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in 29 years. In Super Bowl XXXI Green Bay defeated the New England Patriots 35–21 to win their 12th world championship, which is still an NFL record. A 2007 panel of football experts at ESPN ranked the 1996 Packers the 6th-greatest team to ever play in the Super Bowl.

The following year the Packers won their second consecutive NFC championship, returning to the Super Bowl as an 11 1/2 point favorite, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21–7 and San Francisco 49ers 23–10 in the playoffs. The Packers ended up losing to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII, by the score of 31–24.

In 1998, the Packers went 11–5 and were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers, the team Green Bay had beaten in the playoffs the previous three seasons. This game turned out to be the end of an era, as Mike Holmgren would leave the team days later to become Vice President, General Manager and Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Much of Holmgren's coaching staff went with him. Reggie White also retired after the season (but later played one season for the Carolina Panthers in 2000), and the team struggled for an identity after the departure of so many of the individuals who were responsible for their Super Bowl run. In 2001, Ron Wolf also retired. Packers' President Bob Harlan credited Wolf, Holmgren, Favre, and White for ultimately changing the fortunes of the organization and turning the Green Bay Packers into a model NFL franchise.

The Packers had never lost a home playoff game since the NFL instituted a postseason in 1933. They were 13–0—11 of the wins coming at Lambeau and two more in Milwaukee. That ended January 4, 2002, when the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Packers 27–7 in an NFC Wild Card game.

Green Bay Packers released Mike Sherman after the 2005 season, due to the Packers finishing 4–12. They went on the hunt soon after, and picked up Mike McCarthy, the former offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. He was also the former quarterbacks coach for the Packers in 1999.

2007

After missing the playoffs in 2006, Brett Favre announced that he would return for the 2007 season; it would turn out to be one of his best. The Packers won 10 of their first 11 games and finished 13–3, earning a first round bye in the playoffs. The Packers' passing offense, led by Favre and one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFC, finished first in the NFC. Running back Ryan Grant, acquired for a sixth-round draft pick from the New York Giants, became the featured back in Green Bay and rushed for 956 yards and 8 touchdowns in the final 10 games of the regular season. In the divisional playoff round, in a heavy snowstorm, the Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 42–20. Grant rushed for three touchdowns and over 200 yards, while Favre tossed three touchdown passes.

On January 20, 2008, Green Bay appeared in their first NFC Championship Game in 10 years facing the New York Giants in Green Bay. The game was lost 23–20 on an overtime field goal by Lawrence Tynes.

Mike McCarthy coached the NFC team during the 2008 Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Al Harris and Aaron Kampman were also picked to play for the NFC Pro Bowl team as starters. Donald Driver was named as a third-string wideout on the Pro Bowl roster. Brett Favre was named the first-string quarterback for the NFC, but he declined to play in the Pro Bowl and was replaced on the roster by Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Jeff Garcia. The Packers also had several first alternates, including Chad Clifton and Nick Barnett.

In December 2007, Ted Thompson was signed to a 5-year contract with the Packers, while it was announced on February 5, 2008 that head coach Mike McCarthy has signed a 5-year contract with the Packers organization as well.

2008

Main article: 2008 Green Bay Packers season

On March 4, 2008, Brett Favre announced his retirement, but filed for reinstatement with the NFL on July 29, 2008 creating turmoil within the Packers organization and a media frenzy across the sports nation. Favre's petition was granted by Commissioner Roger Goodell, effective August 4, 2008.[8] On August 6, 2008 it was announced that Brett Favre was traded to the New York Jets.[9]

After Favre had been traded, the Packers started their 2008 season with their 2005 first round draft pick quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center; he was the first quarterback other than Brett Favre to start for the Packers in 16 years. Rodgers played very well his first year starting for the Packers, and in comparison, posted nearly identical statistics as the freshly traded Brett Favre had his final year with the Packers. The team as a whole, however, could not finish their contests and lost 7 games by 4 or less points; resulting in a 6–10 record overall. The reason for the team's poor record was attributed mostly to the numerous injuries on defense that regularly kept six or seven starters off the field at various times throughout the year. After the season's finish, eight coaches were replaced by the management. Bob Sanders, the team's defensive coordinator, was replaced by Dom Capers.

2009

Main article: 2009 Green Bay Packers season

In March 2009, the organization assured fans that Brett Favre's jersey number would be retired, but not during the 2009 season. In April 2009, the Packers selected defensive lineman B.J. Raji of Boston College as the team's first pick in the draft. The team then traded three draft picks for another first-round pick, selecting linebacker Clay Matthews III of Southern California.

Public company

The Don Hutson Center

The Packers are now the only publicly owned company with a board of directors in American professional sports (although other teams are directly owned by publicly traded companies, such as the New York Rangers and New York Knicks (Cablevision), the Seattle Mariners (Nintendo of America), and the Toronto Blue Jays (Rogers Communications)). Typically, a team is owned by one person, partnership, or corporate entity; thus, a "team owner." It has been speculated that this is one of the reasons the Green Bay Packers have never been moved from the city of Green Bay, a city of only 102,313 people as of the 2000 census.[10]

By comparison, the typical NFL city is populated in the millions or higher hundred-thousands. The Packers, however, have long had a large following throughout Wisconsin and parts of the Midwest; in fact, for decades, the Packers played four (one pre-season, three regular-season) home games each year in Milwaukee, first at the State Fair Park fairgrounds, then at Milwaukee County Stadium. The Packers did not move their entire home schedule to Green Bay until 1995.

County Stadium's replacement, Miller Park, then being planned, was always intended to be a baseball-only stadium instead of a multipurpose stadium.

Based on the original "Articles of Incorporation for the (then) Green Bay Football Corporation" put into place in 1923, if the Packers franchise were to have been sold, after the payment of all expenses, any remaining money would go to the Sullivan Post of the American Legion in order to build "a proper soldier's memorial." This stipulation was enacted to ensure the club remained in Green Bay and that there could never be any financial enhancement for the shareholders. At the November 1997 annual meeting, shareholders voted to change the beneficiary from the Sullivan-Wallen Post to the Green Bay Packers Foundation, which makes donations to many charities and institutions throughout Wisconsin.

In 1950, the Packers held a stock sale to again raise money to support the team. In 1956, area voters approved the construction of a new city owned stadium. As with its predecessor, the new field was named City Stadium, but after the death of founder Lambeau in 1965, on September 11, 1965, the stadium was renamed Lambeau Field.

Another stock sale occurred late in 1997 and early in 1998. It added 105,989 new shareholders and raised over $24 million, money used for the Lambeau Field redevelopment project. Priced at $200 per share, fans bought 120,010 shares during the 17-week sale, which ended March 16, 1998. As of June 8, 2005, 112,015 people (representing 4,750,934 shares) can lay claim to a franchise ownership interest. Shares of stock include voting rights, but the redemption price is minimal, no dividends are ever paid, the stock cannot appreciate in value - though private sales often exceed the face value of the stock, and stock ownership brings no season ticket privileges. No shareholder may own over 200,000 shares, a safeguard to ensure that no individual can assume control of the club. To run the corporation, a board of directors is elected by the stockholders. The board of directors in turn elect a seven-member Executive Committee (officers) of the corporation, consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and three members-at-large. The president is the only officer to draw compensation; the rest of the committee is sitting "gratis."

The team's elected president represents the Packers in NFL owners meetings unless someone else is designated. During his time as coach, Vince Lombardi generally represented the team at league meetings in his role as general manager, except at owners-only meetings.

Green Bay is the only team with this form of ownership structure in the NFL; such ownership is technically in direct violation of league rules, which stipulate a limit of 32 owners of one team and one of those owners having a minimum 30% stake. However, the Packers corporation was grandfathered when the NFL's current ownership policy was established[when?], and are thus exempt.

Board of Directors

For more details on this topic, see Green Bay Packers Board of Directors.

Green Bay Packers, Inc., is governed by a seven-member Executive Committee, elected from a board of directors. The committee directs corporate management, approves major capital expenditures, establishes broad policy and monitors management's performance in conducting the business and affairs of the corporation.

Green Bay Packers Foundation

The team created the Green Bay Packers Foundation in December 1986. The foundation assists in a wide variety of activities and programs that benefit education, civic affairs, health services, human services and youth-related programs.

At the team's 1999 annual stockholders meeting, it was voted to make the foundation the recipient of any remaining assets if the team were to be sold or dissolved. In 1923, the Packers were incorporated in Wisconsin as a nonprofit corporation. Stipulations were that if the Packers were sold, all assets would be transferred to the Sullivan-Wallen Post of the American Legion in order to build a "proper soldiers memorial." No shareholder can own more than 200,000 shares in the company. This has put the Packers in a unique situation, as it would be impossible to move the team from Wisconsin. In turn, the franchise has remained in the tiny market of Green Bay.

Fan base

Main article: Cheesehead
Annual postcard sent out by the organization to those currently on the waiting list for season tickets

The Packers' fan base is famously dedicated: regardless of the team's performance, every Packers game at Lambeau Field has been sold out since 1960.[11] Despite the Packers having by far the smallest local TV market, the Packers have developed one of the largest fan bases in the NFL. Each year they consistently rank as one of the top teams in terms of popularity.[12] The Packers have one of the longest waiting lists for season tickets in professional sports with about 74,000 people as of May 3, 2007.[13][14] In 2008 the list grew by more than 4,000 names.[15] That is more names on the waiting list than there are seats at Lambeau Field. The average wait time for season tickets is approximately 35 years, however if one were to be added to the list today the estimated wait would be well over 100 years.[16] For this reason, it is not unusual for fans to designate a recipient of their season tickets in their wills or place newborn infants on the waiting list after receiving birth certificates.[17]

For more details on this topic, see NFL season ticket waiting lists.
A cheesehead hat, commonly worn by Packer fans

Packers fans are often referred to as cheeseheads.[18] The term is often used to refer to people from the state of Wisconsin in general (because of its cheese production), but is also used to refer to Green Bay Packers fans in particular. The name originated in 1987 as an insult from Chicago White Sox fans at a Milwaukee Brewers game. In years since and particularly beginning in 1994, the name and the hats called "cheeseheads" have also been embraced by Packers fans.[18]

During training camp in the summer months (held outside the Don Hutson Center), young Packers fans can take their bikes and have their favorite player ride their bike to the practice field from the locker room. This is an old Packers tradition dating back to approximately 1957 (the first years of Lambeau Field's existence). Gary Knafelc, a Packers end at the time, said, "I think it was just that kids wanted us to ride their bikes. I can remember kids saying, 'Hey, ride my bike.'" The practice continues today.[19]

Each year the team holds an intra-squad scrimmage, called Family Night, at Lambeau Field. During 2004 and 2005 over 60,000 fans attended, selling out the stadium bowl. The Packers hosted the Buffalo Bills for the 2005 edition of Family night setting an attendance record with 62,492 fans attending.[20]

In August 2008, ESPN.com ranked the Packers as having the second-best fans in the NFL.[21] The team initially finished tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers (who finished ahead of the Packers) as having the best fans, but the tie was broken by ESPN's own John Clayton, a Pittsburgh native.

Nickname, logo, and uniforms

Packers logo 1961-present.[22]
Green Bay Packers uniform: 1984-1988
Green Bay Packers & Cheerleaders

Curly Lambeau, the team's founder, solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company. He was given $500 for uniforms and equipment, on condition that the team be named for its sponsor (a similar event would occur the following year with the Decatur Staleys, who later became the Chicago Bears). An early newspaper article referred to the new Green Bay team as "the Indians" but by the time they played their first game they had adopted the name "Packers."

In the early days, the Packers also were referred to as the "Bays" and the "Blues" (and even occasionally as "the Big Bay Blues"). These never were official nicknames, although Lambeau did consider replacing "Packers" with "Blues" in the 1920s.

In 1920, the Indian Packing Company was purchased by the Acme Packing Company. Acme continued its support of Lambeau's team, and in its first season in the NFL the team wore jerseys with the words "ACME PACKERS" emblazoned on the chest.

Lambeau, who attended the University of Notre Dame, chose the team's colors of navy blue and gold from the college. Again, like the Irish, in the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s the Packers sometimes used green and gold before returning to the traditional blue and gold.

In 1959, new head coach Vince Lombardi changed the colors to the hunter green and gold (navy blue was kept as a secondary color, seen primarily on sideline capes, but it was not actually used and quietly was dropped from the team colors list on all official materials shortly thereafter). This color scheme yields the common Packers nickname, "The Green and Gold". In 1994, the NFL's 75th anniversary, the team participated in the league-wide use of "throwback" jerseys. The team has not done so since, and has yet to wear throwback uniforms at home games, though the Packers have worn them for two Thanksgiving Day games against the Detroit Lions. In 2001, the Packers sported throwback uniforms worn in the 1930s, while in 2003 they wore throwback uniforms from the 1960s (which were only slightly different from the current uniforms).[23][24]

While several NFL teams choose to wear white jerseys at home early in the season due to white's ability to reflect the late summer sun's rays, the Packers have only ever done so during the opening two games of the 1989 season. Although alternate gold jerseys with green numbers are sold on a retail basis, the team currently has no plans to introduce such a jersey to be used in actual games.

The oval "G" logo was created in 1961 by Packers equipment manager George "Dad" Braisher. The team actually used a number of different logos prior to 1961, but the "G" is the only logo that has ever appeared on the helmet.[25] Although the Packers have granted limited permission to other organizations to utilize a similar logo, notably the University of Georgia and Grambling State University, the Packers hold the trademark for it.[26] Adopted in 1964, the Georgia "G"- though different in design and color- was similar to the Packer's "G". Then Georgia head coach Vince Dooley thought it best to clear the use of Georgia's new emblem with the Packers. However, since its inception in 1961, the Packer's "G" has been redesigned several times and now looks like Georgia's original 1964 "G."[27]

Stadium

Lambeau Field after its 2003 renovation
Main article: Lambeau Field

The Packers have played home games in Lambeau Field since 1957, making it the longest continuously occupied National Football League stadium. Before 1957, the Packers played home games in City Stadium; the Packers moved to Lambeau Field because the NFL threatened to move the franchise to Milwaukee if a larger stadium was not built in Green Bay. When Lambeau Field was built, it became the first stadium built exclusively for an NFL team. Lambeau Field was originally named City Stadium like its predecessor, but its name was changed after the death of Curly Lambeau.

When Lambeau Field opened in 1957, it had a seating capacity of 32,150. The stadium was expanded seven times before the end of the 1990s, and seating capacity reached 60,890. In 2003, Lambeau Field was extensively renovated to expand seating, modernize stadium facilities, and add an atrium area. These renovations raised Lambeau Field's seating capacity to 72,928. Despite the multiple expansions of Lambeau Field, all Packers games have been sold out since 1960, and over 78,000 names are on the waiting list for season tickets.[28]

The Packers played two to three home games each year in Milwaukee's County Stadium from 1953 to 1994. The Milwaukee games were played due to the large Packers fan base in Milwaukee. Since County Stadium was primarily a baseball stadium, the field could barely fit a football field, and the end zones extended onto the warning track. In 1994, the Packers left County Stadium due to a seating expansion in Lambeau Field.

Statistics and records

Main article: Green Bay Packers records

Season-by-season results

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Packers. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see Green Bay Packers seasons.

Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.

Super Bowl Champions (1970–present) Conference Champions Division Champions Wild Card Berth
Record as of November 2, 2008
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Post Season Results Awards
Finish Wins Losses Ties
2004 2004 NFL NFC North 1st 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Vikings) (31–17)
2005 2005 NFL NFC North 4th 4 12 0
2006 2006 NFL NFC North 2nd 8 8 0
2007 2007 NFL NFC North 1st 13 3 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) (42–20)
Lost NFC Conference Championship (Giants) (23–20, OT)		 Brett Favre (Sportsman of the Year)
2008 2008 NFL NFC North 3rd 6 10 0
Total (1921–2007) 639 503 36 (1921–2007, includes only regular season)[29]
25 14 0 (1921–2006, includes only playoffs)[29]
664 517 36 (1921–2007, includes both regular season and playoffs; 12 NFL Championships)[29]

Players of note

Main article: Green Bay Packers players

Roster

Green Bay Packers roster
view • talk • edit
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

 Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

 Reserve lists


Practice Squad


Rookies in italics
Roster updated 2009-10-27
Depth Chart • Transactions
53 Active, 7 Inactive, 8 PS

→ More rosters

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Main article: List of Green Bay Packers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Packers have the third most members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with twenty-six. They trail the Chicago Bears (31) and the New York Giants (27).[30]

NOTE: Emmitt Thomas, who was inducted in the Hall of Fame for his career as a player, served as a defensive coordinator for the Packers, though he never played with them.

Retired numbers

Retired numbers on display in the Lambeau Field's north end zone in October 2007

In nearly nine decades of Packers football, the Packers have formally retired 5 numbers.[31] All five Packers are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and their numbers and names are displayed on the green facade of Lambeau Field's north endzone as well as in the Lambeau Field Atrium.

Retired Numbers
No. Pos. Player Date retired
14 WR/DB Don Hutson December 2, 1951 vs New York Yanks @ City Stadium
3 HB/QB Tony Canadeo November 23, 1952 vs Dallas Texans @ City Stadium
15 QB Bart Starr November 11, 1973 vs St. Louis Cardinals @ Lambeau Field
66 LB Ray Nitschke December 4, 1983 vs Chicago Bears @ Lambeau Field
92 DE Reggie White September 18, 2005 vs Cleveland Browns @ Lambeau Field

After Brett Favre stated his intent to retire in May 2008, the Packers announced that his #4 would be retired in a ceremony during the team's 2008 opening game against the Minnesota Vikings.[32] The ceremony was cancelled following Favre's subsequent decision to return to the game, and he was traded to the New York Jets. In March 2009, the Packers indicated that the team still intends to retire Favre's number, but due to the circumstances surrounding his departure from the team, no timeline had been set.[33]

Coaches of note

Head coaches

Main article: List of Green Bay Packers head coaches
Name From To Record Titles
W L T
Earl (Curly) Lambeau 1919 1949 231 108 21 6
Gene Ronzani 1950 November 27, 1953 14 31 1
Hugh Devore* November 27, 1953 1953 0 2 0
Ray (Scooter) McLean*
Lisle Blackbourn 1954 1957 17 31 0
Ray (Scooter) McLean 1958 1958 1 10 1
Vince Lombardi 1959 1967 98 30 4 5
Phil Bengtson 1968 1970 20 21 1
Dan Devine 1971 1974 25 28 4
Bart Starr 1975 1983 53 77 3
Forrest Gregg 1984 1987 25 37 1
Lindy Infante 1988 1991 24 40 0
Mike Holmgren 1992 1998 73 36 0 1
Ray Rhodes 1999 1999 8 8 0
Mike Sherman 2000 2005 56 39 0
Mike McCarthy 2006 current 27 21 0
Total 672 521 36 12

* = Interim Head Coaches

Current staff

Green Bay Packers staff
v • d • e
Front Office
  • Executive Committee – Board of Directors
  • President/CEO – Mark Murphy
  • Executive Vice President/General Manager/Director of Football Operations – Ted Thompson
  • Vice President of Football Administration/Player Finance – Russ Ball
  • Director of Football Operations – Reggie McKenzie
  • Director of Football Operations – John Schneider
  • Director of College Scouting – John Dorsey
  • Assistant Director of College Scouting – Shaun Herock
  • Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Eliot Wolf
  • Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Tim Terry

Head Coaches

Offensive Coaches

  

Defensive Coaches

Special Teams Coaches

Strength and Conditioning

  • Strength and Conditioning – Dave Redding
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Mark Lovat
  • Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Mondray Gee


→ Coaching Staff
→ Management
→ More NFL staffs

Radio and television

Question book-new.svg
 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)
University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Packers Cheerleaders

The Packers are unique in having their market area cover two media markets, both Green Bay and Milwaukee, and blackout policies for the team apply within both areas, though they have not come into effect since 1972 (when all home games - even sell-outs - were blacked out) due to strong home attendance and popularity.

The Packers' flagship radio station is Milwaukee-based WTMJ-AM (620), with the games airing in Green Bay on WTAQ (1360) and WIXX-FM (101.1). Wayne Larrivee is the play-by-play announcer and Larry McCarren is the color analyst. Larrivee joined the team after many years as the Chicago Bears' announcer. Jim Irwin and Max McGee were the longtime radio announcers before Larivee and McCarren.

The preseason rights for games not nationally broadcast are held by WFRV (Channel 5) in Green Bay and WTMJ (Channel 4) in Milwaukee, with the coverage airing on other stations around the state; WFRV was previously owned by CBS Corporation until April 2007, when the station was purchased by Liberty Media. Preseason coverage has been produced by CBS, using the NFL on CBS graphics package with the CBS eyemark replaced by the Packers logo. The TV play-by-play announcer, Kevin Harlan (also on loan from CBS), is the son of former Packers president Bob Harlan. In the 2008 pre-season, all of the Packers preseason games on the statewide network were produced and aired in high definition, while two games on WTMJ instead aired over WVTV (Channel 18) due to Channel 4's obligations to 2008 Summer Olympics coverage in Milwaukee.

ESPN Monday Night Football games, both pre-season and season, are broadcast over the air on ABC affiliates WBAY (Channel 2) in Green Bay and WISN (Channel 12) in Milwaukee, while the stations airing Packers games in the NFL Network Run to the Playoffs package have varied. WBAY has aired the Monday night games since 1993 (the year they switched to ABC), when the series was on ABC as a whole (WLUK and WFRV were also ABC affiliates at some point), while WISN has broadcast the games to the Milwaukee audience since 1977 (WITI aired the games in Milwaukee prior to that).

The team's intra-squad Lambeau scrimmage at the beginning of the season, which is marketed as Packers Family Night, is broadcast by WITI (Channel 6) in Milwaukee, and produced by WLUK (Channel 11) in Green Bay, both Fox affiliates which broadcast the bulk of the team's regular season games (WITI has aired Packers games since 1977, when they were a CBS affiliate; both WITI and the NFC package went to Fox in 1994 - for part of that season, the games were on WCGV). The scrimmage is also broadcast by the state's other Fox affiliates.

In Green Bay, prior to WLUK becoming the "home" station, most Packers regular season games aired on WBAY from 1962-92 while it was a CBS affiliate. CBS purchased WFRV in 1993 and the Packers games aired there for one year. The games moved to Fox and WGBA (channel 26) in 1994. In October 1995, WGBA swapped affiliations (and thus, parts of the NFL TV package) with WLUK, becoming an NBC affiliate (NBC had also been seen on WFRV in the past) and aired afternoon Packers games where they hosted an AFC team. This package moved to CBS and WFRV in 1998.

In Milwaukee, WTMJ aired the interconference home games from 1973-97, when they moved to WDJT.

Notes and references

  1. ^ Packers Nickname Origin from Packers.com. Obtained February 5, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c Names, Larry D (1987). "The Myth". in Scott, Greg. The History of the Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years. 1. Angel Press of WI. p. 30. ISBN 0-939995-00-X. 
  3. ^ a b Super Bowls & Championships from Packers.com. Obtained February 5, 2007.
  4. ^ Names, Larry D (1987). "The Myth". in Scott, Greg. The History of the Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years. 1. Angel Press of WI. pp. 27-29. ISBN 0-939995-00-X. 
  5. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/sports/football/16giants.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th NYTimes article of January 15, 2008
  6. ^ Old School Packers from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website. Obtained February 5, 2007
  7. ^ The 25 Biggest Sports Flops (1979-2004) from ESPN25. Obtained February 5, 2007.
  8. ^ "NFL grants Favre reinstatement; sources say QB job is open". ESPN.com. August 3, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3517219. Retrieved 2008-08-03. 
  9. ^ Jay Glazer (2008-08-06). "Packers trade Favre to Jets". Fox Sports on MSN. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8381934/Packers-trade-Favre-to-Jets. Retrieved 2008-08-06. "The month-long saga has finally come to an end, with the Packers agreeing to trade their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback to the New York Jets, FOXSports.com has learned." 
  10. ^ "2000 Census". US Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/5531000.html. 
  11. ^ "Fans keep their eyes on the ball in Green Bay (Dallas Morning News)". http://www.packerfantours.com/news/fans_keep_their_eyes_on_ball.shtml. 
  12. ^ Harris Interactive Poll, Packers ranked #4 in 2006,#1 in 2005,#1 in 2004,#1 in 2002 in terms of popularity.
  13. ^ "Toughest Ticket in the NFL". http://www.lambeaufield.com/stadium_info/history/toughest_ticket_in_the_nfl/. 
  14. ^ Wikipedia.com - NFL Season Ticket Waiting Lists
  15. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Waitlist_Postcard.jpg
  16. ^ SI.com - Writers - Rick Reilly: Be the 74,659th In Line! - Tuesday October 9, 2007 8:12AM
  17. ^ ROOTING THE HOME TEAM from The American Prospect magazine, no. 40, September-October 1998, pgs. 38-43.
  18. ^ a b "The Big Cheese: Cheesehead inventor profits from insults". http://www.journalism.wisc.edu/j417/fall02/refueling/foamation.html. 
  19. ^ "Letters to Lee Remmel, August 25, 2004". http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2004/08/25/2/. 
  20. ^ "Packers Training Camp - Family Night". http://www.packerstrainingcamp.com/family_night/. 
  21. ^ Mosley, Matt (2008-08-29). "NFL's best fans? We gotta hand it to Steelers (barely)". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/preview08/columns/story?id=3530077. Retrieved 2008-08-30. 
  22. ^ Packers Logo History obtained February 5, 2007
  23. ^ Packers Uniform History, 1921-2004 from Packers.com. Obtained February 5, 2007.
  24. ^ Packers uniform database Obtained February 5, 2007.
  25. ^ Packers Fan Clubs from Packers.com. Obtained February 5, 2007.
  26. ^ "Oval G is a Green Bay Packers trademark". ESPN.com. May 25, 2005. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2071363&num=0. 
  27. ^ [1] from Georgiadogs.com. Obtained November 24, 2007.
  28. ^ LambeauField.com - Stadium History - Expansions
  29. ^ a b c The NFL does not count any seasons played outside of their league in their official records. If the 1919 and 1920 season were counted, the Packers would have 19 more wins, 2 more losses, and 1 more tie in their total results.
  30. ^ Breakdown of Hall of Famers by Team from profootballhof.com.
  31. ^ Retired Numbers from Packers.com. Obtained April 3, 2009.
  32. ^ Favre's No. 4 to become sixth number retired by Packers from NFL.com. Obtained April 3, 2009.
  33. ^ Favre's No. 4 to be retired, but Packers will wait for ceremony from CBSSports.com. Obtained April 3, 2009.

See also

External links

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Marion Ashmore | Bullet Baker | Jim Bowdoin | Tiny Cahoon | Boob Darling | Lavie Dilweg | Red Dunn | Jug Earp | Jack Evans | Don Hill | Cal Hubbard | Bill Kern | Eddie Kotal | Curly Lambeau | Verne Lewellen | Cully Lidberg | Hurdis McCrary | John McNally | Mike Michalske | Paul Minick | Bo Molenda | Tom Nash | Dick O'Donnell | Claude Perry | Red Smith | Whitey Woodin | Billy Young | Dave Zuidmulder
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Green Bay Packers 1930 NFL Champions

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Green Bay Packers 1931 NFL Champions

Frank Baker | Nate Barragar | Jim Bowdoin | Hank Bruder | Rudy Comstock | Boob Darling | Dale Davenport | Lavie Dilweg | Waldo Don Carlos | Red Dunn | Jug Earp | Wuert Engelmann | Paul Fitzgibbon | Milt Gantenbein | Roger Grove | Arnie Herber | Cal Hubbard | Ray Jenison | Swede Johnston | Verne Lewellen | Hurdis McCrary | John McNally | Mike Michalske | Bo Molenda | Tom Nash | Claude Perry | Ken Radick | Russ Saunders | Red Sleight | Dick Stahlman | Mule Wilson | Whitey Woodin | Dave Zuidmulder
Head Coach Curly Lambeau
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Green Bay Packers 1936 NFL Champions
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Green Bay Packers 1939 NFL Champions

Frank Balasz | John Biolo | Jack Brennan | Charley Brock | Hank Bruder | Larry Buhler | Larry Craig | Tiny Engebretsen | Milt Gantenbein | Buckets Goldenberg | Tom Greenfield | Arnie Herber | Clarke Hinkle | Don Hutson | Cecil Isbell | Harry Jacunski | Eddie Jankowski | Paul Kell | Wally Kilbourne | Jimmy Lawrence | Joe Laws | Bill Lee | Russ Letlow | Al Moore | Carl Mulleneaux | Baby Ray | Herm Schneidman | Charlie Schultz | Ernie Smith | Frank Steen | Bud Svendsen | Tuffy Thompson | Frank Twedell | Andy Uram | Dick Weisgerber | Gust Zarnas | Dick Zoll
Head Coach Curly Lambeau
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Green Bay Packers 1944 NFL Champions

Paul Berezney | Dick Bilda | Charley Brock | Lou Brock | Mike Bucchianeri | Tony Canadeo | Irv Comp | Larry Craig | Tiny Croft | Paul Duhart | Bob Flowers | Ted Fritsch | Buckets Goldenberg | Don Hutson | Harry Jacunski | Bob Kahler | Bob Kercher | Bill Kuusisto | Joe Laws | Joel Mason | Roy McKay | Forrest McPherson | Don Perkins | Baby Ray | Ade Schwammel | Glen Sorenson | Ben Starret | Pete Tinsley | Chuck Tollefson | Alex Urban | Ray Wehba
Head Coach Curly Lambeau
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Green Bay Packers 1961 NFL Champions
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Green Bay Packers 1962 NFL Champions
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Green Bay Packers 1965 NFL Champions
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Green Bay Packers Super Bowl I Champions

5 Paul Hornung | 12 Zeke Bratkowski | 15 Bart Starr (MVP) | 21 Bob Jeter | 22 Elijah Pitts | 24 Willie Wood | 26 Herb Adderley | 27 Red Mack | 31 Jim Taylor | 33 Jim Grabowski | 34 Don Chandler | 37 Phil Vandersea | 40 Tom Brown | 43 Doug Hart | 44 Donny Anderson | 45 Dave Hathcock | 50 Bill Curry | 56 Tommy Crutcher | 57 Ken Bowman | 60 Lee Roy Caffey | 63 Fred Thurston | 64 Jerry Kramer | 66 Ray Nitschke | 68 Gale Gillingham | 72 Steve Wright | 73 Jim Weatherwax | 74 Henry Jordan | 75 Forrest Gregg | 76 Bob Skoronski | 77 Ron Kostelnik | 78 Bob Brown | 80 Bob Long | 81 Marv Fleming | 82 Lionel Aldridge | 84 Carroll Dale | 85 Max McGee | 86 Boyd Dowler | 87 Willie Davis | 88 Bill Anderson | 89 Dave Robinson
Head Coach: Vince Lombardi
Coaches: Phil Bengtson | Jerry Burns | Red Cochran | Wally Cruice | Dave Hanner | Bob Schnelker | Ray Wietecha
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Green Bay Packers Super Bowl II Champions

12 Zeke Bratkowski | 13 Don Horn | 15 Bart Starr (MVP) | 21 Bob Jeter | 23 Travis Williams | 24 Willie Wood | 26 Herb Adderley | 30 Chuck Mercein | 33 Jim Grabowski | 34 Don Chandler | 36 Ben Wilson | 40 Tom Brown | 43 Doug Hart | 44 Donny Anderson | 45 John Rowser | 50 Bob Hyland | 55 Jim Flanigan | 56 Tommy Crutcher | 57 Ken Bowman | 60 Lee Roy Caffey | 63 Fred Thurston | 64 Jerry Kramer | 66 Ray Nitschke | 68 Gale Gillingham | 72 Steve Wright | 73 Jim Weatherwax | 74 Henry Jordan | 75 Forrest Gregg | 76 Bob Skoronski | 77 Ron Kostelnik | 78 Bob Brown | 80 Bob Long | 81 Marv Fleming | 82 Lionel Aldridge | 83 Allen Brown | 84 Carroll Dale | 85 Max McGee | 86 Boyd Dowler | 87 Willie Davis | 88 Dick Capp | 89 Dave Robinson
Head Coach: Vince Lombardi
Coaches: Phil Bengtson | Jerry Burns | Wally Cruice | Dave Hanner | Tom McCormick | Bob Schnelker | Ray Wietecha
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Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XXXI Champions

4 Brett Favre | 7 Kyle Wachholtz | 9 Jim McMahon | 13 Chris Jacke | 17 Craig Hentrich | 18 Doug Pederson | 21 Craig Newsome | 25 Dorsey Levens | 27 Calvin Jones | 28 Roderick Mullen | 30 William Henderson | 32 Travis Jervey | 33 Doug Evans | 34 Edgar Bennett | 36 LeRoy Butler | 37 Tyrone Williams | 39 Mike Prior | 40 Chris Hayes | 41 Eugene Robinson | 46 Michael Robinson | 51 Brian Williams | 52 Frank Winters | 54 Ron Cox | 55 Bernardo Harris | 56 Lamont Hollinquest | 59 Wayne Simmons | 62 Marco Rivera | 63 Adam Timmerman | 64 Bruce Wilkerson | 65 Lindsay Knapp | 67 Jeff Dellenbach | 68 Gary Brown | 71 Santana Dotson | 72 Earl Dotson | 73 Aaron Taylor | 77 John Michels | 80 Derrick Mayes | 81 Desmond Howard (MVP) | 82 Don Beebe | 83 Jeff Thomason | 84 Andre Rison | 85 Terry Mickens | 86 Antonio Freeman | 88 Keith Jackson | 89 Mark Chmura | 90 Darius Holland | 91 Shannon Clavelle | 92 Reggie White | 93 Gilbert Brown | 94 Bob Kuberski | 95 Keith McKenzie | 96 Sean Jones | 98 Gabe Wilkins
Head Coach: Mike Holmgren
Coaches: Larry Brooks | Nolan Cromwell | Gil Haskell | Johnny Holland | Sherman Lewis | Jim Lind | Tom Lovat | Marty Mornhinweg | Andy Reid | Gary Reynolds | Fritz Shurmur | Harry Sydney | Bob Valesente
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Sports teams based in Wisconsin
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MAAFL: Milwaukee Bombers
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Category:Sports in Wisconsin

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