| The Green Bay Packers are a professional | | | | Hornung's 176 points, won the NFL West |
| American football team based in Green | | | | Title and played in the NFL Championship |
| Bay, Wisconsin. They are currently | | | | against the Philadelphia Eagles at |
| members of the North Division of the | | | | Philadelphia. In a see-saw game the |
| National Football Conference (NFC) in | | | | Packers trailed the Eagles by four |
| the National Football League (NFL). | | | | points late in the game when Chuck |
| The Packers are the last remaining | | | | Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor just nine |
| example of the "small town teams" that | | | | yards short of the goal line as time ran |
| comprised a majority of the NFL during | | | | out. In the locker room after the game, |
| the 1920s. Green Bay is by far the | | | | Lombardi told his men that this would be |
| smallest media market to be the home of | | | | the last time the Packers would lose the |
| a North American major professional | | | | championship game with him at the |
| sports league team (though their fanbase | | | | helm.[citation needed] That prediction |
| includes Milwaukee and most of | | | | became fact, as the Packers would never |
| Wisconsin). | | | | again lose the NFL Championship game |
| Founded in 1919 by Curly Lambeau and | | | | under Lombardi. |
| George Whitney Calhoun as a new version | | | | The Packers returned to the NFL |
| of the semi-pro town teams that had been | | | | Championship game the following season |
| playing in Green Bay since 1896, the | | | | and faced the New York Giants. The |
| Packers turned professional and joined | | | | Packers scored 24 2nd quarter points as |
| the League in 1921. | | | | Paul Hornung, having recently returned |
| Today, the team holds the record for | | | | from the Army, scored an NFL |
| most NFL league championships with 12: | | | | Championship record 19 points as the |
| nine NFL Championships prior to the | | | | Packers beat the Giants to win their |
| Super Bowl era; three additional titles | | | | first NFL Championship since 1944. |
| in 1966,1967,1996, after which they | | | | The Packers stormed back in the 1962 |
| defeated the American Football League | | | | season, jumping out to a 10-0 start, on |
| American Football Conference champion in | | | | their way to a 13-1 season. |
| Super Bowl I, Super Bowl II; and Super | | | | This level of consistent success would |
| Bowl XXXI.[2] The team also holds the | | | | lead to Lombardi's Packers becoming one |
| distinction of winning the first two | | | | of the most prominent teams of their |
| AFL-NFL Championship Games that were | | | | era, even being featured as the face of |
| held before the AFL-NFL Merger, later | | | | the NFL on the cover of Time on December |
| referred to as Super Bowl I and II. | | | | 21, 1962 as part of the magazine's cover |
| The Packers are currently the only | | | | story on "The Sport of the '60s". |
| non-profit, community owned major league | | | | Shortly after Time's article, the |
| professional sports team in the United | | | | Packers faced the Giants in a much more |
| States. Currently, a total of 4,750,925 | | | | brutal championship game than the |
| shares are owned by 111,967 stockholders | | | | previous year, but the Packers prevailed |
| — none of whom receive any | | | | on the surprising foot of Jerry Kramer |
| dividend.[3] | | | | and the determined running of Jim |
| Founding | | | | Taylor. The Packers defeated the Giants, |
| The Green Bay Packers were founded on | | | | 16-7. |
| August 11, 1919 by Curly Lambeau and | | | | The Packers returned to the championship |
| Green Bay Press-Gazette sports editor | | | | game in 1965 following a two-year |
| George Whitney Calhoun. Lambeau | | | | absence when they defeated the Colts in |
| solicited funds for uniforms from his | | | | a playoff for the Western Conference |
| employer, the Indian Packing Company. He | | | | title. That game would be remembered for |
| was given $500 for uniforms and | | | | Don Chandler's controversial field goal |
| equipment, on the condition that the | | | | in which the ball allegedly went wide |
| team be named for its sponsor. Today | | | | right, but the official raised his arms |
| "Green Bay Packers" is the oldest team | | | | to grant the three points. That disputed |
| name still in use in the NFL. | | | | win earned the Packers a trip to the NFL |
| The Packers became a professional | | | | Championship game, where Hornung and |
| franchise in 1921. Financial troubles | | | | Taylor ran through the Cleveland Browns, |
| plagued the team and the franchise was | | | | helping the Packers defeat the Browns to |
| lost the same year. The Packers found | | | | earn their 3rd NFL Championship under |
| new backers the next year and regained | | | | Lombardi. |
| the franchise. The financial backers, | | | | The 1966 season saw the Packers be led |
| known as the "Hungry Five," formed the | | | | by NFL MVP Bart Starr. The Packers went |
| Green Bay Football Corporation. | | | | 12-2 and in the NFL Championship, with |
| Championships | | | | the Packers leading 34-27, the Dallas |
| The Packers have won 12 league | | | | Cowboys had the ball on the Packers' |
| championships, more than any other | | | | 2-yard line, threatening to tie the ball |
| American professional football team. | | | | game. But on 4th down, the Packers' Tom |
| They have also won 3 Super Bowls. (One | | | | Brown intercepted a Don Meredith pass in |
| of these games decided the NFL champion, | | | | the end zone to preserve the victory. |
| and the first two date to the era when | | | | The Packers went on to win Super Bowl I |
| the AFL and NFL were still two separate | | | | 35-10 over the Kansas City Chiefs. |
| leagues.) The Packers are also the only | | | | The 1967 season was the last season for |
| team to win three straight NFL titles, | | | | Vince Lombardi as the Packers' head |
| which they did twice (1929-1931 and | | | | coach. That year's NFL Championship |
| 1965-67). | | | | game, known universally as the Ice Bowl, |
| Lombardi era | | | | is one of the most famous football games |
| The Packers of the 1960s were one of the | | | | (college or professional) in the history |
| most dominant NFL teams of all time. | | | | of the sport. With 16 seconds left, Bart |
| Coach Vince Lombardi took over a | | | | Starr's touchdown on a quarterback sneak |
| last-place team and built it into a | | | | brought the Packers their third straight |
| juggernaut, winning five league | | | | NFL Championship - a feat no other team |
| championships over a seven-year span | | | | has matched since. Super Bowl II was no |
| culminating with victories in the first | | | | contest as the Packers delivered a |
| two Super Bowls. During the Lombardi | | | | parting gift to Lombardi with a 33-14 |
| era, The Packers had a group of | | | | victory over the Oakland Raiders. |
| legendary stars: the offense was led by | | | | Lombardi became the General Manager of |
| quarterback Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, | | | | the Packers in 1968 and Phil Bengston |
| Carroll Dale, Paul Hornung and Jerry | | | | was named as Head Coach. Lombardi left |
| Kramer; the defense was led by the likes | | | | Green Bay in 1969 and was named the Head |
| of Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke, Dave | | | | Coach of the Washington Redskins. |
| Robinson, and Herb Adderley. | | | | After the death of Vince Lombardi in |
| In their first game under Lombardi on | | | | 1970, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed |
| September 27, 1959, the Packers shut out | | | | the Vince Lombardi Trophy in recognition |
| the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The | | | | of his and his team's accomplishments. |
| Packers got off to a 3-0 start but lost | | | | The road that goes by Lambeau Field, |
| the next five and won the last four | | | | which is also one of Green Bay's major |
| games to achieve their first winning | | | | thoroughfares, was named Lombardi Avenue |
| season since 1947. | | | | in honor of the coach. |
| The next year, the Packers, led by Paul | | | | |