| The Green Bay Packers are a professional American | | | | populated in the millions. The Packers, however, have |
| football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They | | | | long had a large following throughout Wisconsin and |
| are currently members of the North Division of the | | | | the Midwest; in fact, for decades, the Packers played |
| National Football Conference (NFC) in the National | | | | four (one pre-season, three regular-season) home |
| Football League (NFL). | | | | games each year in Milwaukee, first at the State Fair |
| The Packers are the last remaining example of the | | | | Park fairgrounds, then at Milwaukee County Stadium. |
| "small town teams" that comprised a majority of the | | | | The Packers did not move their entire home schedule |
| NFL during the 1920s. Green Bay is by far the | | | | to Green Bay until 1995. |
| smallest media market to be the home of a North | | | | The reason for ending the series of Milwaukee |
| American major professional sports league team | | | | games, according to former team president Robert |
| (though their fanbase includes Milwaukee, most of | | | | Harlan, was the larger capacity of Lambeau Field and |
| Wisconsin, and cheeseheads scattered throughout | | | | the availability of luxury boxes, which were not |
| the United States). | | | | available at Milwaukee County Stadium.[citation |
| Founded in 1919 by former high school football rivals | | | | needed] County Stadium's replacement, Miller Park, |
| Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun as a | | | | then being planned, was always intended to be a |
| new version of the semi-pro town teams that had | | | | baseball-only stadium instead of a multipurpose |
| been playing in Green Bay since 1896, the Packers | | | | stadium. |
| turned professional and joined the League in 1921. | | | | Based on the original "Articles of Incorporation for |
| Today, the team holds the record for most NFL | | | | the (then) Green Bay Football Corporation" put into |
| league championships with 12: nine NFL Championships | | | | place in 1923, if the Packers franchise was sold, after |
| prior to the Super Bowl era; three additional titles in | | | | the payment of all expenses, any remaining monies |
| 1966,1967,1996, after which they defeated the | | | | would go to the Sullivan-Wallen Post of the American |
| American Football League/American Football | | | | Legion in order to build "a proper soldier's memorial." |
| Conference champion in Super Bowl I, Super Bowl II; | | | | This stipulation was enacted to ensure the club |
| and Super Bowl XXXI. The team has a fierce, | | | | remained in Green Bay and that there could never be |
| long-standing rivalry with the Chicago Bears, whom | | | | any financial enhancement for the shareholders. At |
| they have played in over 170 games.[2] The team | | | | the November 1997 annual meeting, shareholders |
| also holds the distinction of winning the first two | | | | voted to change the beneficiary from the |
| AFL-NFL Championship Games that were held before | | | | Sullivan-Wallen Post to the Green Bay Packers |
| the AFL-NFL Merger, later referred to as Super Bowl | | | | Foundation. |
| I and II. | | | | In 1950, the Packers held a stock sale to again raise |
| The Packers are currently the only non-profit, | | | | money to support the team. In 1956, area voters |
| community owned major league professional sports | | | | approved the construction of a new city owned |
| team in the United States. Currently, a total of | | | | stadium. As with its predecessor, the new field was |
| 4,750,925 shares are owned by 111,967 stockholders | | | | named City Stadium, but after the death of founder |
| — none of whom receive any dividend. | | | | Lambeau in 1965, on September 11, 1965, the |
| The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11, | | | | stadium was renamed Lambeau Field. |
| 1919 by Curly Lambeau and Green Bay Press-Gazette | | | | Another stock sale occurred late in 1997 and early in |
| sports editor George Whitney Calhoun. Lambeau | | | | 1998. It added 105,989 new shareholders and raised |
| solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the | | | | over $24 million, money used for the Lambeau Field |
| Indian Packing Company. He was given $500 for | | | | redevelopment project. Priced at $200 per share, |
| uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the | | | | fans bought 120,010 shares during the 17-week sale, |
| team be named for its sponsor. Today "Green Bay | | | | which ended March 16, 1998. As of June 8, 2005, |
| Packers" is the oldest team name still in use in the | | | | 111,921 people (representing 4,749,925 shares) can |
| NFL. | | | | lay claim to a franchise ownership interest. Shares of |
| The Packers became a professional franchise in 1921. | | | | stock include voting rights, but the redemption price |
| Financial troubles plagued the team and the franchise | | | | is minimal, no dividends are ever paid, the stock |
| was lost the same year. The Packers found new | | | | cannot appreciate in value, and stock ownership |
| backers the next year and regained the franchise. | | | | brings no season ticket privileges. No shareholder may |
| The financial backers, known as the "Hungry Five," | | | | own over 200,000 shares, a safeguard to ensure |
| formed the Green Bay Football Corporation. | | | | that no individual can assume control of the club. To |
| The Packers are now the only publicly owned | | | | run the corporation, a board of directors is elected |
| company with a board of directors in American | | | | by the stockholders. The board of directors in turn |
| professional sports (although other teams are directly | | | | elect a seven-member Executive Committee |
| owned by publicly traded companies, such as the | | | | (officers) of the corporation, consisting of a |
| Atlanta Braves (Time Warner), the Chicago Cubs | | | | president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and |
| (Tribune Company), New York Rangers (Cablevision), | | | | three members-at-large. The president is the only |
| the Seattle Mariners (Nintendo of America), and the | | | | officer to draw compensation; the balance of the |
| Toronto Blue Jays (Rogers Communications)). | | | | committee is sitting "gratis." |
| Typically, a team is owned by one person, | | | | The team's elected president represents the Packers |
| partnership, or corporate entity; thus, a "team | | | | in NFL owners meetings unless someone else is |
| owner." It has been speculated that this is one of the | | | | designated. During his time as coach, Vince Lombardi |
| reasons the Green Bay Packers have never been | | | | generally represented the team at league meetings in |
| moved from the city of Green Bay, a city of only | | | | his role as general manager, except at owners-only |
| 102,313 people in the 2000 census. | | | | meetings. |
| By comparison, the typical NFL football city is | | | | |