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. [1]
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.
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GREEN BAY PACKERS TICKETS
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Founding
leftThe Green Bay Packers were founded on August 14, 1919 by former high-school football rivals
Earl "Curly" Lambeau and
George Whitney Calhoun.
[2] 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
, 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
thumbThe
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.
[3]
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' 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.
[4] 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.
[5]
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.
thumbSoon 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
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.
[6] On August 6, 2008 it was announced that Brett Favre was traded to the
New York Jets.
[7]
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
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
thumb
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.
[8]
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, people (representing 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
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
right
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.
[9] 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.
[10] 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.
[11] [12] In 2008 the list grew by more than 4,000 names.
[13] 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.
[14] 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.
[15]
left
Packers fans are often referred to as
cheeseheads.
[16] 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.
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.
[17]
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.
[18]
In August 2008,
ESPN.com ranked the Packers as having the second-best fans in the NFL.
[19] 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
200px
thumb
200px
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).
[21] [22]
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 chosen to do so on only the opening two games of the 1989 season. Although alternate gold jerseys with green numbers are sold on a retail basis, the team 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.
[23] 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.
[24] 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."
[25]
Stadium
thumb
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.
[26]
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
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)
[27]
|
| 25
| 14
| 0
| (1921–2006, includes only playoffs)
|
| 664
| 517
| 36
| (1921–2007, includes both regular season and playoffs; 12 NFL Championships)
|
Players of note
Roster
|
|
Quarterbacks
- 11 Brian Brohm
- 10 Matt Flynn
- 12 Aaron Rodgers
Running Backs
- 25 Ryan Grant
- 35 Korey Hall FB
- 32 Brandon Jackson
- 30 John Kuhn FB
- 42 DeShawn Wynn
Wide Receivers
- 80 Donald Driver
- 85 Greg Jennings
- 89 James Jones
- 82 Ruvell Martin
- 87 Jordy Nelson
KR
Tight Ends
- 88 Jermichael Finley
- 84 Tory Humphrey
- 86 Donald Lee
|
| Offensive Linemen
- 78 Allen Barbre G
- 76 Chad Clifton T
- 73 Daryn Colledge G/T
- 68 Breno Giacomini
T
- 67 Nevin McCaskill G
- 75 Tony Moll T
- 71 Josh Sitton
G
- 72 Jason Spitz G/C
- 63 Scott Wells C
Defensive Linemen
- 90 Colin Cole DT
- 91 Justin Harrell DT
- 57 Jason Hunter DE
- 97 Johnny Jolly DT
- 74 Aaron Kampman DE
- 98 Alfred Malone DT
- 96 Michael Montgomery DE
- 79 Ryan Pickett DT
- 99 Jeremy Thompson
DE
- 69 Anthony Toribio
DT
|
| Linebackers
- 55 Desmond Bishop OLB/ILB
- 54 Brandon Chillar OLB
- 53 Spencer Havner OLB
- 50 A. J. Hawk ILB/OLB
- 58 Danny Lansanah
OLB
- 51 Brady Poppinga OLB
Defensive Backs
- 27 Will Blackmon CB/KR/PR
- 24 Jarrett Bush CB/S
- 36 Nick Collins FS
- 31 Al Harris CB
- 26 Charlie Peprah FS
- 40 Joe Porter CB
- 37 Aaron Rouse SS
- 38 Tramon Williams CB
- 21 Charles Woodson SS/CB
Special Teams
- 2 Mason Crosby K
- 61 Brett Goode LS
- 7 Jeremy Kapinos P
|
| Reserve lists
- 56 Nick Barnett ILB (IR)
- 20 Atari Bigby SS (IR)
- 19 Shaun Bodiford WR (IR)
- 46 J. J. Jansen
LS (IR)
- 77 Cullen Jenkins DE/DT (IR)
- 22 Pat Lee
CB (IR)
- 28 Kregg Lumpkin
RB (IR)
- 44 Evan Moore
TE (IR)
- 93 Kenny Pettway DE (IR)
- 65 Mark Tauscher OT (IR)
Practice Squad
- 41 Joshua Abrams
CB
- 13 Jake Allen
WR
- 95 Fred Bledsoe
DT
- 8 Durant Brooks
P
- 64 Brennen Carvalho
C
- 18 Lorne Sam
WR
- 16 Brett Swain
WR
- 48 Russ Weil
FB
Rookies in italics
updated 2008-12-18
•
53 Active, 10 Inactive, 8 PS
? More rosters
|
Pro Football Hall of Famers
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).
[28]
- 26 Herb Adderly, CB, 1961–1969
- 3 Tony Canadeo, HB, 1941–1944; 1947–1952
- 87 Willie Davis, DE, 1960–1969
- 80 Len Ford, DE, 1958
- 75 Forrest Gregg, OT, 1956; 1958–1970
- 83 Ted Hendricks, LB, 1974
- 38 Arnie Herber, QB, 1930–1940
- 30 Clarke Hinkle, FB, 1932–1941
- 5 Paul Hornung, HB, 1956–1962; 1964–1966
- 36 Cal Hubbard, OT , 1929–1933; 1935
- 14 Don Hutson, E, 1935–1945
- 74 Henry Jordan, LB, 1959–1969
- 2 Walt Kiesling, LM, 1935–1936
|
|
- 20 Earl (Curly) Lambeau, Coach, 1919–1949
- 80 James Lofton, WR, 1978–1986
- Vince Lombardi, Coach, 1959–1967
- 24 Johnny "Blood" McNally, HB, 1929–1933
- 2 Mike Michalske, OG, 1929–1935; 1937
- 66 Ray Nitschke, LB, 1958–1972
- 51 Jim Ringo, C, 1953–1963
- 15 Bart Starr, QB, 1956–1971
- 10 Jan Stenerud, K, 1980–1983
- 31 Jim Taylor, FB, 1958–1966
- 45 Emlen Tunnell, DB, 1959–1961
- 92 Reggie White, DE, 1993–1998
- 24 Willie Wood, S, 1960–1971
|
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
thumb
In nearly nine decades of Packers football, the Packers have formally retired 5 numbers.
[29] 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.
| 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.
[30] 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.
[31]
Coaches of note
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
|
|
|
|
|
| Front Office
- Executive Committee - Board of Directors
- Chairman/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
Head Coaches
- Head Coach - Mike McCarthy
- Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers - Winston Moss
Offensive Coaches
- Offensive Coordinator - Joe Philbin
- Quarterbacks - Tom Clements
- Running Backs - Edgar Bennett
- Wide Receivers - Jimmy Robinson
- Tight Ends - Ben McAdoo
- Offensive Line - James Campen
- Assistant Offensive Line - Jerry Fontenot
- Offensive Quality Control - Ty Knott
|
|
|
Defensive Coaches
- Defensive Coordinator - Bob Sanders
- Defensive Ends - Carl Hairston
- Defensive Tackles - Robert Nunn
- Secondary - Kurt Schottenheimer
- Defensive Nickel Package/Cornerbacks - Lionel Washington
- Defensive Quality Control - Joe Whitt, Jr.
Special Teams Coaches
- Special Teams Coordinator - Mike Stock
- Assistant Special Teams - Shawn Slocum
Strength and Conditioning
- Strength and Conditioning - Rock Gullickson
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning - Mark Lovat
- Strength and Conditioning Assistant - Mondray Gee
?
? More NFL staffs
|
Radio and television
thumb
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 rarely come into effect 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.
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. The scrimmage is also broadcast by the state's other Fox affiliates.
Notes and references
- Super Bowls & Championships from Packers.com. Obtained February 5, 2007.
- The History of the Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years
- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/sports/football/16giants.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th NYTimes
- Old School Packers from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website. Obtained February 5, 2007
- The 25 Biggest Sports Flops (1979-2004) from ESPN25. Obtained February 5, 2007.
- NFL grants Favre reinstatement; sources say QB job is open
- Packers trade Favre to Jets
- 2000 Census
- Fans keep their eyes on the ball in Green Bay (Dallas Morning News)
- Harris Interactive Poll, Packers ranked #4 in 2006,#1 in 2005,#1 in 2004,#1 in 2002 in terms of popularity.
- Toughest Ticket in the NFL
- Wikipedia.com - NFL Season Ticket Waiting Lists
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Waitlist_Postcard.jpg
- SI.com - Writers - Rick Reilly: Be the 74,659th In Line! - Tuesday October 9, 2007 8:12AM
- ROOTING THE HOME TEAM from The American Prospect magazine, no. 40, September-October 1998, pgs. 38-43.
- The Big Cheese: Cheesehead inventor profits from insults
- Letters to Lee Remmel, August 25, 2004
- Packers Training Camp - Family Night
- NFL's best fans? We gotta hand it to Steelers (barely)
- Packers Logo History obtained February 5, 2007
- Packers Uniform History, 1921-2004 from Packers.com. Obtained February 5, 2007.
- Packers uniform database Obtained February 5, 2007.
- Packers Fan Clubs from Packers.com. Obtained February 5, 2007.
- Oval G is a Green Bay Packers trademark
- [1] from Georgiadogs.com. Obtained November 24, 2007.
- LambeauField.com - Stadium History - Expansions
- 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.
- Breakdown of Hall of Famers by Team from profootballhof.com.
- Retired Numbers from Packers.com. Obtained April 3, 2009.
- Favre's No. 4 to become sixth number retired by Packers from NFL.com. Obtained April 3, 2009.
- Favre's No. 4 to be retired, but Packers will wait for ceremony from CBSSports.com. Obtained April 3, 2009.
See also
- List of fan-owned sports teams