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