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Packers Triviology

Triumph Books

The Basics

About the only thing that's typical about the meeting is that it's held every year, come rain or shine, just like a football game.

On Thursday, July 29, 2010, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell joined 8,300 others, mostly wearing green and yellow, at Lambeau Field for the annual stockholders meeting. In addition to hearing the team's financial presentation — as the Green Bay Packers are the only major professional team required to disclose its financial information to the public — he answered some presubmitted questions from fans, including Beth Lohr of De Pere, Wisconsin, asking if she could have a hug. (The answer was yes.)

Green Bay Packers, Inc. has been a publicly owned, nonprofit corporation since August 18, 1923, when the original articles of incorporation were filed with Wisconsin's secretary of state. As of this writing 4,750,937 shares were owned by 112,158 stockholders, none of whom receive any dividend on the initial investment, or will ever get anything if the shares appreciate in value.

Incidentally, the financial report delivered in 2010 by team president and CEO Mark Murphy indicated that the Packers had an operating profit of approximately $9.8 million in the fiscal year that ended March 31, down from $20.1 million the previous year. In part due to investment losses, the team reported net income of approximately $5.2 million, up from $4 million.

It's a far cry from 1919, when Curly Lambeau received $500 from his sponsoring employer, the Indian Packing Company, for uniforms and equipment just two weeks before the team's first game.

Quiz!

1. What did co-founder George Calhoun initially call the team?

2. What did he also call the team, albeit briefly, in 1919?

3. What sponsorship essentially made the Packers' nickname permanent?

4. What color were the jerseys?

5. What NFL team has had its nickname longer?

6. What did Green Bay wear for the first time in 1950?

7. Who dubbed Green Bay "Titletown"?

8. Where do the players stay during training camp?

9. Before staying home in Green Bay, in what three locations did the Packers hold training camp?

10. What first did the Packers do in 1940 for a road game?

11. How did some of the players react to that?

12. Who designed the "G" logo for the helmets?

13. How many times has the organization changed it?

14. What are the only two pro sports franchises to have longer homefield tenures than the Packers at Lambeau Field?

15. Who created the Lambeau Leap?

16. Against which team did he score?

17. Among all the now-defunct teams that the Packers played, which was the only one they didn't beat?

18. What was Green Bay's largest margin of victory?

19. What's the biggest loss?

20. How many times have the Packers won three straight titles?

21. How many times have all the other teams in league done it?

22. True or false? The Packers have season-ticket holders from all 50 states.

23. True or false? The wait list for season tickets exceeds the capacity of Lambeau Field.

24. How long is the estimated wait?

Answers

1. The Indian Packers

2. The Indians

3. Acme Packing Co. In 1921 the team jerseys had "Acme Packers" on the front.

4. Blue

5. None. The Chicago Bears are the second oldest, 1922.

6. Green

7. Jack Yuenger, the Green Bay Press-Gazette advertising manager, after the 1961 championship.

8. St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin

9. Rockwood Lodge (Bayshore area, north of Green Bay, 1946–1949); Grand Rapids, Minnesota (1950–1953); University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (1954–1957).

10. Green Bay was the first NFL team to fly to a road game. Fearing an accident, the league forced the Packers to split into two groups and fly separate DC-3s.

11. They took out life-insurance policies.

12. Equipment manager "Dad" Braisher

13. Zero

14. The Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park dates back to 1912, and the Chicago Cubs have played at Wrigley Field since 1914.

15. LeRoy Butler

16. It was against the Los Angeles Raiders on December 26, 1993. Reggie White recovered a fumble (which was caused by Butler), and then lateraled the ball to Butler, who went in for the touchdown.

17. The Baltimore Colts. The Packers were 0–1–0 against them before the franchise folded after the 1950 season. It was replaced in 1953 by the current Colts, who relocated to Indianapolis in 1984.

18. 53 points, 56–3 against Atlanta on October 23, 1966, at Milwaukee.

19. 56 points, 56–0 at the Baltimore Colts on November 2, 1958.

20. Twice: 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1965, 1966, 1967.

21. Zero

22. True, along with Washington D.C., Canada, Japan, and Australia.

23. True (as of 2011)

24. 40 years

Famous Firsts

It began with a casual conversation on a street corner and a few weeks later led to a meeting in the editorial room of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Curly Lambeau and George Calhoun wanted to start a football team and were motivated to make it a reality.

Little did they know that their 1919 meeting would become the foundation for one of the most unique and successful franchises in professional sports. Lambeau's employer, the Indian Packing Company, agreed to put up the money for jerseys and equipment in exchange for the team being named after it. The company also let the team use its athletic field for practice.

While the Indian Packing Company didn't last long, the Green Bay Packers found a way to survive through the years. They began as an independent club, but joined the American Professional Football Association in 1921. A year later the association was renamed the National Football League.

Financial difficulties plagued the team early on, eventually leading a group of local businessmen known as "the Hungry Five" to back the franchise and form the Green Bay Football Corporation. Publicly owned, it held stock sales to help keep the team afloat and raise money over the years, including for construction of the stadium that would become known as Lambeau Field.

Quiz!

1. What date is considered the franchise's birthday?

2. Which team was the first opponent? (non-league play) 3. What was Green Bay's record its first season, 1919?

4. Which team was credited with the NFL championship that year?

5. True or false? Green Bay won its first NFL game.

6. Where was that first league game played?

7. Who threw the first official pass in franchise history?

8. For whom was it intended?

9. Who had the first reception?

10. Who scored the first touchdown?

11. Who threw the first touchdown pass in Packers history?

12. Who caught it?

13. Who kicked the first field goal in Green Bay history?

14. Who kicked the first extra point?

15. Against which team was the first defeat?

16. Who won the first meeting between the Packers and the Chicago Bears?

17. When did the Packers beat the Bears for the first time?

18. Which team did the Packers face in their first playoff game, and what was the outcome?

Answers

1. August 11, 1919

2. The North End Athletic Club. The Packers won 53–0.

3. 10–1

4. No one, because the NFL didn't exist yet. Canton was credited with winning the closest thing, the Ohio League championship.

5. True, 7–6 over the Minneapolis Mariners on October 23, 1921.

6. Hagemeister Park, Green Bay

7. Curly Lambeau

8. Lyle "Cowboy" Wheeler. It was incomplete.

9. Buff Wagner for 18 yards

10. Fullback Art Schmaehl on a four-yard run.

11. Curly Lambeau

12. Bill DuMoe, 35 yards on a fake kick vs. the Hammond Pros, November 13, 1921, at Hagemeister Park.

13. Curly Lambeau

14. Curly Lambeau

15. 13–3 to the Rock Island Independents, October 30, 1921, at Hagemeister Park 16. Chicago (which was then known as the Staleys) won 20–0.

17. 1925, in their fourth meeting.

18. The 1936 NFL Championship against the Boston Redskins was Green Bay's first NFL playoff game. It won 21–6.

Stadiums

When the Green Bay Packers first organized in 1919, their home games were played at Hagemeister Park, located on the northern end of Washington Park near Baird and Walnut Streets, adjacent to the East River.

Once owned by Hagemeister Brewery, it was basically just a big lot, the kind where kids might wile away the days, dreaming of potential greatness and athletic accomplishments galore.

There was only the field, a painted gridiron, and a roped off area for spectators to stand. There were no gates, no bleachers, not even a fence. Some would drive up and sit atop their parked cars, but most would walk along the sideline to follow the action.

With no budget other than its original sponsorship, a hat was passed around for donations, but the Packers were successful enough that they would soon go from being an independent club to joining a league.

A year later, a small grandstand was built on one side of the field, with a fee charged for those who wished to sit. In 1921, a portable canvas fence was erected so that admission could be charged. It didn't last, though. The park was dug up in 1923 to make way for East High School and the Packers found themselves in need of a new home.

Quiz!

1. After Hagemeister Park, where did the Packers play home games in 1923–1924?

2. What was the park's primary purpose?

3. The inadequacies for football led to creation of what facility?

4. Where was it located?

5. Where would the Packers dress for games?

6. Where would visiting teams frequently dress?

7. Whose father supervised several expansions at both Hagemeister Park and City Stadium?

8. Which team was the first opponent at City Stadium? (Bonus: List the result.)

9. In 1933, where did the Packers play a home game for the first time? (Bonus: Name the opponent and result.)

10. What's now at that site?

11. In 1934, what became the Packers' second home?

12. What was the stadium's informal name?

13. What was the last game there?

14. Where did the Packers play their "Milwaukee" games the following year?

15. What subsequently became the Packers' Milwaukee home until 1994?

16. When was the last game played at City Stadium?

17. After numerous renovations, what was the capacity?

18. Why was it considered the league's best playing surface?

19. When a new stadium was dedicated on September 29, 1957, who participated in the pregame ceremony?

20. What was its capacity?

21. Which opponent did the Packers defeat that day?

22. Since 1968, what's the address for Lambeau Field?

Answers

1. Bellevue Park

2. It was a minor-league baseball park.

3. City Stadium

4. Behind the new high school.

5. In the school

6. In their hotel rooms, which they preferred to the high school.

7. Curly Lambeau's father, Marcel, who was a construction foreman.

8. The Hammond Pros. Green Bay won 14–0.

9. Milwaukee, at Borchert Field, a minor-league baseball stadium where the Packers attracted 12,467 fans. They lost the New York Giants 10–7.

10. A children's playground

11. State Fair Park, on the Wisconsin Fairgrounds

12. The Dairy Bowl

13. Green Bay lost to the Los Angeles Rams 28–0 in 1951.

14. The Packers played three games at Marquette Stadium in 1952. They defeated the Washington Redskins 35–20, lost to the Los Angeles Rams 30–28, and beat the Philadelphia Eagles 12–10.

15. County Stadium

16. November 18, 1956, a 17–16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

17. 25,000

18. The close proximity to the East River

19. Vice-president Richard Nixon, Miss America, and actor James Arness

20. 32,150

21. The Chicago Bears, 21–17

22. 1265 Lombardi Avenue

Nicknames

The Green Bay Packers are sort of an unusual franchise in that while the players have rarely had famous nicknames, there are all sorts of monikers associated with the team itself.

Because of the number of championships, Green Bay is commonly referred to as "Titletown."

It naturally gets so cold in northeast Wisconsin that the field is described as the "Frozen Tundra" — and since this is a trivia book, the term "tundra" is derived from the Kildin Sami word tundâr, which means "uplands" and "treeless mountain tract" (though Green Bay does have trees it is obviously lacking in mountains).

If someone scores a touchdown they may do the "Lambeau Leap" while "Cheesehead" fans wave their "Title Towels."

You get the idea.

As for the team nickname, when the franchise was founded Curly Lambeau solicited funds from his employer, the Indian Packing Company, to sponsor the team. Later, the ACME Packing Company did the same, and that's why there are some famous, old team pictures with "ACME Packers" across the front of the jerseys.

Quiz!

Try to come up with the popular nicknames for the following players/coaches. (FYI, some are much tougher than others)

1. Clay Matthews III

2. B.J. Raji

3. Aaron Rodgers

4. Roy Marlon Baker

5. Larry McCarren

6. Jim Bowdoin

7. Reggie White

8. Brett Favre

9. Larry Gantt

10. Bernard Darling

11. Earl Lambeau

12. Edmund Bratkowski

13. Ray Nitschke

14. John Cochran

15. Joseph Dunn

16. Lavern Dilweg

17. Francis Earp

18. Earl Girard

19. Paul Engebretsen

20. Charles Goldenberg

21. Joel David Hanner

22. Carl Jorgensen

23. Chester Johnston

24. Mike Michalske

25. Czeslaw Marcol

26. Buford Ray

27. Earl Svendsen

28. Fred Thurston

29. Howard Woodin

30. Paul Hornung

31. Vince Lombardi

32. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila

33. Johnny McNally

34. Vince Workman

Answers

1. The Claymaker

2. The Freezer

3. Mr. Rodgers, although some have called him A-Rod.

4. Bullet, but also known as Snowy and Ironsides

5. The Rock

6. Goofy

7. The Minister of Defense

8. The Gunslinger (Although he had many other nicknames when finishing his career with the rival Minnesota Vikings, but we can't print them here.)

9. Superman

10. Boob

11. Curly

12. Zeke

13. Wildman

14. Red

15. Red

16. Lavvie

17. Jug

18. Jug

19. Tiny

20. Buckets

21. Hawg

22. Bud

23. Swede

24. Iron Mike

25. Chester

26. Baby

27. Bud

28. Fuzzy

29. Whitey

30. Golden Boy

31. The Pope

32. KGB

33. Blood

34. Pookie

Jersey Numbers

What's in a number? Sometimes a lot. When Sports Illustrated put together its list of the best NFL players by jersey numbers five Green Bay Packers were named:

No. 4: Brett Favre

No. 15: Bart Starr

No. 31: Jim Taylor

No. 64: Jerry Kramer

No. 66: Ray Nitschke

How many of them have had their jersey numbers retired by the Packers? Two.

We'll start with the obvious questions. (FYI, the Packers have no listing of jersey numbers for players before 1925, when they first appeared in game programs. All questions are through 2009 unless specifically noted otherwise.)

Quiz!

1. How may Green Packers have had their number retired?

2. Name them.

3. What were their numbers?

4. List the order in which they were retired.

5. Who has worn the most numbers on the Packers?

6. Who's worn the second most?

7. Through 2009, what's been the most popular number worn by players?

8. Who wore it the longest?

9. Who is the only player in Green Bay history to wear No. 1?

10. Who were the only two players to wear No. 2?

11. Brett Favre was the fifth player to wear No. 4. Who were the first four?

12. Who has worn No. 6 longer than one season?

13. Which two Hall of Famers wore No. 14 before Don Hutson?

14. During his two stints as Brett Favre's backup, what number did Doug Pederson wear?

15. Why did fullback William Henderson wear No. 33?

16. Who was the first player to wear No. 42?

17. Who wore it the longest?

18. Who was the last player to wear No. 66?

19. Who was the last player to wear No. 69?

20. Who wore No. 71 the longest?

21. Who was the last player to wear No. 92 before Reggie White?

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Excerpted from Packers Triviology by Christopher Walsh. Copyright © 2011 Christopher Walsh. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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