The Green Bay Packers football franchise is on of the most well known in all of pro sports. The team had humble beginnings. Fans of the team walked amongst the crowd to collect coins. That was the only pay the players received. Their first sponsor, the Indian Packing Company went out of business soon after the team adopted the name. These young Packers only lost one game that first year.
The NFL had formed in 1920, and the Packers were proud to join the ranks of the professional football league. The team struggled to stay afloat in the first ten years.
By the late 1920's the franchise had solid financial backers. That backing helped Green Bay acquire talented players. The team won three national championships in a row, and was considered the best in football.
We fast-forward to the late 1960's when Vince Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers to two Super Bowl victories. On top of those victories, he coached the team to world championships in 1961, 62, and 65. Lombardi held the record for playoff victories until Bill Belichek broke it while coaching the New England Patriots.
Lombardi coached some of the all-time great players like Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, and Paul Hornung. Phil Bengtson coached the team after Lombardi left for Washington. The team played .500 ball, and Bengtson quit in 1970. This was followed up by the coaching efforts of Dan Devine. Similar results occurred under Devine, and he was shown the door in '74.
Bart Starr coached from 1975 to 1983. In 1982, he coached the team to their first playoff win in many years. They defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, but lost in the next round. Bart Starr found himself with so many injured Green Bay Packers, nearly every year that he coached. He can hardly be blamed for the lackluster seasons under tutelage. Forest Gregg took over where Starr left off, and the Packers struggled yet again.
Lindy Infante sparked better play from the team, and in 1989, he coached the team to a 10-6 record. From there, the team dropped off the radar until Infante was fired.
Mike Holmgren has a Green Bay street named after him. That is how much Packers fans love him. He brought about the rebirth of the Packers, and coached them to a Super Bowl victory in 1997. The Packers made the playoffs year after year, and Holmgren was a huge part of that success. He took a chance in Brett Favre and that paid off big-time.
The Green Bay Packers made it to the NFC Championship game in 2007. On a frigid night, fans saw their Super Bowl hopes go up in smoke, when Brett Favre threw an interception in Giants territory. New York won the game in overtime, and the Packer fans went home in silence. Brett Favre retired after that season. He went on to play one year with the Jets.
Mike Sherman has high hopes for Aaron Rodgers, and Ted Thompson is rebuilding the defense for the 2009 season. Green Bay Packer fans have faith in the team, and look forward to the opening game against the Chicago Bears.
