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The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are currently members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).
The Packers are the last remaining example of the "small town teams" that comprised a majority of the NFL during the 1920s. Green Bay is by far the smallest media market to be the home of a North American major professional sports league (though their fanbase includes Milwaukee, the rest of Wisconsin, and beyond).
Founded in 1919, the Packers joined the NFL in 1921 during the league's second season. Today, the team holds the record for most NFL league championships with 12: nine NFL Championships prior to the Super Bowl era, Super Bowl I, Super Bowl II, and Super Bowl XXXI. * The team also holds the distinction of winning the first two AFL-NFL Championship Games that were held before the AFL-NFL Merger, later referred to as Super Bowl I and II.
The Packers are currently the only publicly owned major league professional sports team in the United States. Currently, a total of 4,750,925 shares are owned by 111,967 stockholders — none of whom receives any dividend. *
Franchise history
Founding
The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11, 1919 by Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. 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.The Packers became a professional franchise in 1921. Financial troubles plagued the team and the franchise was lost the same year. The Packers found new backers the next year and regained the franchise. The financial backers, known as the "Hungry Five," formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.
Public company
The Packers are now the only publicly owned company with a board of directors in American professional sports (although other teams, such as the Atlanta BravesBy comparison, the typical NFL football city is populated in the millions. But the Packers have long had a large following throughout Wisconsin and 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.
The reason for ending the series of Milwaukee games, according to team president Robert Harlan, was the larger capacity of Lambeau Field and the availability of luxury boxes, which were not available at Milwaukee County Stadium. 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 was sold, after the payment of all expenses, any remaining monies would go to the Sullivan-Wallen 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.
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 stadium, owned by the city. 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, 111,921 people (representing 4,749,925 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, 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 balance 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.
Championships
The Packers have won 12 league championships, more than any other American professional football team. They have also won 3 Super Bowls. (One of these games decided the NFL champion, and the first two date to the era when the AFL and NFL were still two separate leagues.)Their arch-rivals the Chicago Bears are second, with nine world championships (including one Super Bowl). The historical rivalry with Chicago extends to the Hall of Fame - the Packers have the second most Hall of Famers (21, behind the Bears' 26). The Packers are also the only team to win three straight NFL titles, which they did twice (1929-1931 and 1965-67).Two other arch rivals are the vikings and the cowboys
Lombardi era
The Packers of the 1960s were one of the most dominant NFL teams of all time. Coach Vince Lombardi took over a last-place team and built it into a juggernaut, winning five league championships over a seven-year span culminating with victories in the first two Super Bowls. During the Lombardi era, The Packers had a group of legendary stars, on offense it was led by quarterback Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Carroll Dale, Paul Hornung and Jerry Kramer, and on defense, it was led by the likes of Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, and Herb Adderley.After the death of Vince Lombardi in 1970, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy in recognition of his and his team's accomplishment. The road which goes by Lambeau Field, which happens to be one of Green Bay's major thoroughfares, was named Lombardi Avenue in honor of the coach.
Lean years after Lombardi
For about a quarter century after Lombardi left the Packers, they had little success. Poor drafting of players was a key reason. To cite a few examples, in the first round of the 1972 draft, when future Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris was still available, the Packers instead chose mediocre quarterback Jerry Tagge. In 1981, when no fewer than three future Hall of Fame defenders were still available -- Ronnie Lott, Mike Singletary, and Howie Long, the Packers chose another mediocre quarterback, Rich Campbell. Finally, in 1989, when such future legends as Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Derrick Thomas were available, 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.A new golden era
Ultimately, the Packers' poor performance through the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s led to a shakeup in which new General Manager Ron Wolf was hired, who in turn brought on Mike Holmgren as head coach; Brett Favre as the team's new starting quarterback; and later, Reggie White on the defense. 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).2005 season
The Packers finished their season at 4-12, in last place in the NFC North division (one game behind the third-place Detroit Lions). The Packers' November 27 loss to the Eagles assured the Packers their first losing season since 1991 and Brett Favre's first losing season in his career. The team's offensive roster was devastated by injuries, including many of the team's standout players. For example, wide receivers Javon Walker and Robert Ferguson and running backs Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport, Tony Fisher, and Samkon Gado all suffered major injuries. Also hampered by injuries yet remaining in the line-up were linebacker Na'il Diggs and Favre, who suffered repeated injuries to his throwing hand. One day after the conclusion of the regular season, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson announced the firing of head coach Mike Sherman, who had been at the helm for six years. Sherman compiled records of 9-7, 12-4, 12-4, 10-6, 10-6 and 4-12. This included four straight playoff appearances and three straight NFC North division titles, both of which streaks came to an end in 2005.2006 offseason
After some uncertainty, Favre announced on April 26, 2006 that he would indeed return for the 2006-2007 season.*" target="_blank" >The Packers also acquired Oakland Raiders three-time Pro Bowl Defensive Back Charles Woodson through free agency later that day.[http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/news_story.asp?ID=163986 He officially signed with the team on May 1.The Packers drafted Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft on April 29, 2006. The Packers also traded star wide receiver (and potential holdout) Javon Walker to the Denver Broncos for a second round pick, which they then traded for multiple picks. With those picks, they selected Boise St. OT Daryn Colledge, Western Michigan WR Greg Jennings, Iowa LB Abdul Hodge, Louisville Center Jason Spitz, Texas Christian WR Cory Rodgers, Boston College CB Will Blackmon, Furman University QB Ingle Martin, Nevada OT Tony Moll, Texas A&M DT Johnny Jolly, Fresno St. DB Tyrone Culver, and Northwest Missouri St. DE Dave Tollefson.
Fan base
The Packers' fan base is famously dedicated: no matter how the team performs, every Packer game at Lambeau Field has been sold out since 1960. The Packers have one of the longest waiting lists for season tickets in professional sports with about 71,500 people as of early 2006*. The current wait time for season tickets is approximately 35 years. For this reason, it is not unusual for fans to designate a recipient of their season tickets in their wills.
The Packers also draw the largest national TV audiences for the NFL's Monday Night Football telecasts.
An informal name for Packer fans is "cheeseheads". 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 Packer fans in particular. Many Packer fans, embracing this nickname, wear foam triangle hats made to look like cheese.
Also during Training camp in the summer months, young Packer 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 Packer tradition dating back to the days of Vince Lombardi to build a better relationship with the players and their fans.
Nickname, logo, and uniforms
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 blue and gold/yellow from the college. In the 1930s, the Packers briefly experimented with green and gold, although they always returned to the traditional navy.
In 1959, new head coach Vince Lombardi changed the colors to the current hunter green and athletic gold/yellow (navy blue was kept as a secondary color, 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, and for the first time since the 1950s, a Packers team wearing blue took the field. The team has not done so since and has not worn throwback uniforms at home, although it has worn them for Thanksgiving Day games against the Detroit Lions.
The oval "G" logo was created in 1961 by Packers equipment manager 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.Although other organizations, notably the University of Georgia and Grambling State University, utilize a similar logo, the Packers were the first to employ it and hold the trademark for it. University of Georgia does hold some rights to the logo and was not required to remove the "G" logo as Grambling State University was because Vince Dooley slightly redesigned the "G" logo in 1964. Green Bay's current, redesigned "G" logo is modeled after the University of Georgia's redesign of the original "G" logo. [http://georgiadogs.collegesports.com/traditions/geo-traditions.html" target="_blank" >*
Trivia
Commander Keen, the protagonist of the Commander Keen series of computer games, wears a helmet with the same colors and stripes as the Green Bay Packers helmet.
The Green Bay Packers were the first NFL team with their own public Hall of Fame.**
The Packers conduct summer training camp at St. Norbert College.
In the background of the basement set of "That 70's Show", is a Green Bay Packer's helmet. Also, in one episode the characters actually attend a Packer's game.
Team records and season records
Main article: Green Bay Packers statistics
Players of note
Current players
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Retired numbers
- Tony Canadeo #3
- Don Hutson #14
- Bart Starr #15
- Ray Nitschke #66
- Reggie White #92
Other notable alumni
First round draft picks
2006 NFL Draft picks
The Packers traded Wide Receiver Javon Walker to the Denver Broncos for a second round pick. They then sent that second round pick to Atlanta for the 47th and 93rd pick respectively.
| Round/Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/5 | AJ Hawk | Linebacker | Ohio State |
| 2/47 (From Atlanta) | Daryn Colledge | Offensive Tackle | Boise State |
| 2/52 (From New England) | Greg Jennings | Wide Receiver | Western Michigan |
| 3/67 | Abdul Hodge | Linebacker | Iowa |
| 3/75 (From New England) | Jason Spitz | Center | Louisville |
| 4/104 | Cory Rodgers | Wide Receiver | TCU |
| 4/115 (From Philadelphia) | Will Blackmon | Wide Receiver/Cornerback | Boston College |
| 5/148(From Atlanta) | Ingle Martin | Quarterback | Furman |
| 5/165 (Compensatory) | Tony Moll | Offensive Tackle | Nevada |
| 6/183 (From St. Louis) | Johnny Jolly | Defensive Tackle | Texas A&M |
| 6/185 (From Philadelphia) | Tyrone Culver | Safety | Freson State |
| 7/253 (Compensatory) | Dave Tollefson | Defensive End | Northwest Missouri State |
Head coaches
| 1921-1949 | Earl (Curly) Lambeau | (212-106-21) |
| 1950-1953 | Gene Ronzani | (14-31-1) |
| 1953 | Hugh Devore and Ray McLean | (0-2-0) |
| 1954-1957 | Lisle Blackbourn | (17-31-0) |
| 1958 | Ray McLean | (1-10-1) |
| 1959-1967 | Vince Lombardi | (98-30-4) |
| 1968-1970 | Phil Bengtson | (20-21-1) |
| 1971-1974 | Dan Devine | (25-28-4) |
| 1975-1983 | Bart Starr | (53-77-3) |
| 1984-1987 | Forrest Gregg | (25-37-1) |
| 1988-1991 | Lindy Infante | (24-40-0) |
| 1992-1998 | Mike Holmgren | (73-36-0) |
| 1999 | Ray Rhodes | (8-8-0) |
| 2000-2005 | Mike Sherman | (56-39-0) |
| 2006-Present | Mike McCarthy | (0-0-0) |
Current coaching staff
| Head Coach |
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.
See also
External links
- Green Bay Packers official web site
- The Green Bay Press-Gazette
- Packer Plus (The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- x4 Packer Forum
- The Green Bay Packers Uniform Database
- Sports E-Cyclopedia.com
- Packers game results
1919 establishments | Green Bay Packers | National Football League teams
Green Bay Packers | Packers de Green Bay | Green Bay Packers | גרין ביי פקרס | Green Bay Packers | グリーンベイ・パッカーズ | Green Bay Packers | Green Bay Packers
"Green Bay Packers"