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