Letters for George: Amazing Facts About the Green Bay Packers

Monday, January 31, 2011

Amazing Facts About the Green Bay Packers

Earl L. Curly Lambeau

Dear George,

We are excited about the Super Bowl this weekend between our beloved Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are the Bengals’ arch-nemesis, and there’s no doubt where our loyalties lie. It’s Wisconsin vs. Pennsylvania, the north central vs. the east, the small city vs. the megalopolis, the lumberjacks vs. the steel drivers, the Scandinavians vs. the Germans. We hope that everybody will join us in cheering on the Pack. Here are some facts about our favorite team.

Love,

Dave

The Green Bay Packers were founded on Aug. 11, 1919, by former high school football rivals, Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. The Packers were granted a franchise on Aug. 27, 1921, in the new national pro football league that had been founded a year before. They are the second oldest franchise in the NFL.
The Indian Packing Company contributed $250 for uniforms and equipment under the condition that the team be named for its sponsor. When the firm was later purchased by the Acme Packing Company, the team became known as the Acme Packers.
The Packers are the only community-owned non-profit franchise in all of American professional sports.
To insure that the club remains in Green Bay, the Packers’ contract stipulates that, if the team were to be sold, all of the profits would go to the American Legion to build a soldier’s memorial in Green Bay.
Between 1929 and 1931 the Packers won 30 home games in a row, an NFL record which still stands today.
The Packers have won 12 World Championships, the most in the NFL (the Bears are second with 9).
Don Hutson starred as an end for the Packers from 1935 to 1945, leading the league in receptions for 8 seasons and leading the team to NFL championships in 1936, 1939, and 1944.

Bart Starr, Quarterback

Vince Lombardi became the Packer head coach on Feb. 2, 1959, and led the team to five NFL championships over a seven-year span, including victories in the first two Super Bowls. Prominent players in the Lombardi era included Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke, and Herb Adderly, among others.
Curly Lambeau had attended Notre Dame and used his college colors (navy blue and gold) for his new Packer team. Vince Lombardi changed the team colors to green and gold in 1959.
The Packers are the only team to win three consecutive NFL titles: 1929-30-31 under Curly Lambeau and 1965-66-67 (under Vince Lombardi.
After a drought from 1968 to 1991, the new head coach Mike Holmgren acquired quarterback Brett Favre from the Falcons, and Favre reinvigorated the Pack, leading them to 13 non-losing seasons and to Super Bowls in 1996 and 1997.
Despite widespread injuries this year to starting players, quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 10-6 season, followed by playoff victories over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Chicago Bears.
The Packers have the NFL’s best team playoff winning percentage (.636) since the NFL introduced the playoffs in 1967.
Though they have the smallest local TV market in the NFL, the Packers remain one of the league’s most popular teams. Games at Lambeau Field have sold out for the last fifty years, and there are about 74,000 people on the waiting list for seasons tickets.
The average wait time for Packers season tickers is over 30 years, and it is common for Green Bay parents of newborn infants to place their offspring on the list.
During training camp in Green Bay, fans can bring their bikes to the locker room and ask their favorite players ride them to the practice field.

GO PACK!!! BEAT THOSE STEELERS!!!

G-Mail Comments

-Gayle CL (1-31): David....As usual you perform your talents perfectly........I m glad u r in it to win it.......thx for the short documentary:)))))I. Hope ur team wins;)))) Lots of love;_)))

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JUNE 2024 HOLIDAYS

Thurs., June 6. D Day, WWII. On this day in 1944 Allied troops invaded the beaches of Normandy, France, the turning point of the war in the European theater. /// Fri., June 14. Flag Day. Americans celebrate the meaning of their nation’s flag, honor traditions associated with its care, and educate others about its significance. /// Sun., June 16. Father’s Day. The day to recognize, honor, and celebrate the sacrifices and accomplishments of fathers. /// Wed., June 19. Juneteenth. Also known as Freedom Day and as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth celebrates the abolition of slavery in the U.S. /// Fri., June 21. Summer Solstice. The longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of the summer season. /// (Source: wincalendar.com)

FAMOUS QUARTERBACKS

Johnny Unitas was a ninth-round draft choice of the Pittsburg Steelers in 1995, but he was cut before he ever threw a pass and played semi-pro football for $6 a game. After the season, Baltimore Colts coach Weeb Ewbank signed Johnny for $17,000 as a backup quarterback. He got his chance in the fourth game when the starter was injured and went on to be Baltimore’s starter for the next 17 seasons, accumulating a record seldom matched in NFL history. Unitas passed for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns, and his record of at least one touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games stood for more than 50 years. He led Baltimore to four championship titles, was selected NFL Player of the Year three times, and was named to 10 Pro Bowls. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, Unitas has consistently been listed as one of the greatest NFL players of all time. (nfl.com; wikipedia)

MY WEEK (Mon., 10/28 - Sun., 11/3/24)

Unhappy with my hearing aids, I contacted an audiology clinic and made an appointment for next week. At Advanced Poetry I rearranged the tables to be more compact and enhance hearing, then read “Learning Masculinity.” Katja was sick, tested negative for Covid, and got two Rx’s from the doctor. The cardiologist said my heart was fine. I asked him if I could drink whiskey, and he said to continue whatever I was doing. I enjoyed “The Night of” on HBO, and Katja and I watched Razzle-Dazzle (a dance mockumentary) and The Marlow Murder Club on PBS. We enjoyed Kamala Harris’ cameo on SNL. The Bengals got their first home win over the Raiders, 44-17. The end of Daylight Savings Time required its usual annual adjustments.