Discover Green Bay area


The Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are a professionalPackers, however, have long had a large
American football team based in Greenfollowing throughout Wisconsin and the
Bay, Wisconsin. They are currentlyMidwest; in fact, for decades, the
members of the North Division of thePackers played four (one pre-season,
National Football Conference (NFC) inthree regular-season) home games each
the National Football League (NFL).year in Milwaukee, first at the State
The Packers are the last remainingFair Park fairgrounds, then at Milwaukee
example of the "small town teams" thatCounty Stadium. The Packers did not move
comprised a majority of the NFL duringtheir entire home schedule to Green Bay
the 1920s. Green Bay is by far theuntil 1995.
smallest media market to be the home ofThe reason for ending the series of
a North American major professionalMilwaukee games, according to former
sports league team (though their fanbaseteam president Robert Harlan, was the
includes Milwaukee, most of Wisconsin,larger capacity of Lambeau Field and the
and cheeseheads scattered throughout theavailability of luxury boxes, which were
United States).not available at Milwaukee County
Founded in 1919 by former high schoolStadium.[citation needed] County
football rivals Curly Lambeau and GeorgeStadium's replacement, Miller Park, then
Whitney Calhoun as a new version of thebeing planned, was always intended to be
semi-pro town teams that had beena baseball-only stadium instead of a
playing in Green Bay since 1896, themultipurpose stadium.
Packers turned professional and joinedBased on the original "Articles of
the League in 1921.Incorporation for the (then) Green Bay
Today, the team holds the record forFootball Corporation" put into place in
most NFL league championships with 12:1923, if the Packers franchise was sold,
nine NFL Championships prior to theafter the payment of all expenses, any
Super Bowl era; three additional titlesremaining monies would go to the
in 1966,1967,1996, after which theySullivan-Wallen Post of the American
defeated the American Football LeagueLegion in order to build "a proper
American Football Conference champion insoldier's memorial." This stipulation
Super Bowl I, Super Bowl II; and Superwas enacted to ensure the club remained
Bowl XXXI. The team has a fierce,in Green Bay and that there could never
long-standing rivalry with the Chicagobe any financial enhancement for the
Bears, whom they have played in over 170shareholders. At the November 1997
games.[2] The team also holds theannual meeting, shareholders voted to
distinction of winning the first twochange the beneficiary from the
AFL-NFL Championship Games that wereSullivan-Wallen Post to the Green Bay
held before the AFL-NFL Merger, laterPackers Foundation.
referred to as Super Bowl I and II.In 1950, the Packers held a stock sale
The Packers are currently the onlyto again raise money to support the
non-profit, community owned major leagueteam. In 1956, area voters approved the
professional sports team in the Unitedconstruction of a new city owned
States. Currently, a total of 4,750,925stadium. As with its predecessor, the
shares are owned by 111,967 stockholdersnew field was named City Stadium, but
— none of whom receive any dividend.after the death of founder Lambeau in
The Green Bay Packers were founded on1965, on September 11, 1965, the stadium
August 11, 1919 by Curly Lambeau andwas renamed Lambeau Field.
Green Bay Press-Gazette sports editorAnother stock sale occurred late in 1997
George Whitney Calhoun. Lambeauand early in 1998. It added 105,989 new
solicited funds for uniforms from hisshareholders and raised over $24
employer, the Indian Packing Company. Hemillion, money used for the Lambeau
was given $500 for uniforms andField redevelopment project. Priced at
equipment, on the condition that the$200 per share, fans bought 120,010
team be named for its sponsor. Todayshares during the 17-week sale, which
"Green Bay Packers" is the oldest teamended March 16, 1998. As of June 8,
name still in use in the NFL.2005, 111,921 people (representing
The Packers became a professional4,749,925 shares) can lay claim to a
franchise in 1921. Financial troublesfranchise ownership interest. Shares of
plagued the team and the franchise wasstock include voting rights, but the
lost the same year. The Packers foundredemption price is minimal, no
new backers the next year and regaineddividends are ever paid, the stock
the franchise. The financial backers,cannot appreciate in value, and stock
known as the "Hungry Five," formed theownership brings no season ticket
Green Bay Football Corporation.privileges. No shareholder may own over
The Packers are now the only publicly200,000 shares, a safeguard to ensure
owned company with a board of directorsthat no individual can assume control of
in American professional sportsthe club. To run the corporation, a
(although other teams are directly ownedboard of directors is elected by the
by publicly traded companies, such asstockholders. The board of directors in
the Atlanta Braves (Time Warner), theturn elect a seven-member Executive
Chicago Cubs (Tribune Company), New YorkCommittee (officers) of the corporation,
Rangers (Cablevision), the Seattleconsisting of a president, vice
Mariners (Nintendo of America), and thepresident, treasurer, secretary and
Toronto Blue Jays (Rogersthree members-at-large. The president is
Communications)). Typically, a team isthe only officer to draw compensation;
owned by one person, partnership, orthe balance of the committee is sitting
corporate entity; thus, a "team owner.""gratis."
It has been speculated that this is oneThe team's elected president represents
of the reasons the Green Bay Packersthe Packers in NFL owners meetings
have never been moved from the city ofunless someone else is designated.
Green Bay, a city of only 102,313 peopleDuring his time as coach, Vince Lombardi
in the 2000 census.generally represented the team at league
By comparison, the typical NFL footballmeetings in his role as general manager,
city is populated in the millions. Theexcept at owners-only meetings.



1 A B C 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96