Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Replacements of 1987

Since we took the day off yesterday, we’ll put up two blog posts today, with this one being fairly lengthy. We’re heading back to the strike year of 1987, with selections from the Packers-Eagles game program from October 18th of that season. Forrest Gregg is on the cover, in what would be his last year as the Packers’ head coach before he resigned to join Southern Methodist University. This game was during the players’ strike, when the N.F.L. franchises put “replacement” players on the field while the “stars” were picketing outside.

Well, we’ve always thought that, but thanks for acknowledging it, Old Style.

Forrest Gregg’s page in the game program.

An ad for the local sporting goods store Bertrand’s with Alphonso Carreker, a defensive end who played five years in Green Bay, his last being the following year, 1988.

We have our “Psycho” defense this year, but in 1987, they had a player that went by the same nickname. Lee “Psycho” Morris ended up playing in just five games that year before his time in Green Bay was over. But, apparently he garnered enough attention to warrant his own article in the game program.

Replacement squad linebacker Jeff Drost gets his five seconds of internet fame here.

Here’s some of what the well-dressed Packers fan was wearing in 1987. We had (and still have) the green corduroy hat and the satin jacket.

Here’s what you’ve all been waiting for... a quality image of replacement quarterback Alan Risher (from L.S.U.) to print out and frame for your “man cave.”

A summary of the 1987 season stats so far is presented here. The replacements have been playing long enough to lead some categories.

After the game back then, as today, you didn’t want to miss the full three-hour “Packer Sunday” broadcast on the Packers Radio Network, originating from WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee, Wis. You can listen online by clicking the “Listen Live” button on their website here.

With these next three pages, you can take a look at all of the replacement players, a few of whom played with the team post-strike.

This is the full replacement team roster.

And their official team photo.

Since this is 1987, set your Betamax or VHS recorder so that you won’t miss The Forrest Gregg Show on Monday night at 7:30 p.m.

Lastly, here’s a shot of offensive line coach Jerry Wampfler talking with his players on the sideline. We hope you’ve enjoyed another look back into Packers history.

A Reader’s Question

We sometimes get feedback from our readers, and also the occasional question or two. Today we received a note from “Jim,” who lived in Portland, Oregon in the late 1950’s-early 1960’s. He asked: “Do you know how to find out any history on the Packers when they would hold pre-season training camp at the University of Portland in Portland Oregon? It was sometime in 1958-1961 as I lived across the street from the field and would shag footballs for the kickers. I've lost my pictures and autographs and wondered if there was anything in the Packer history about those times.”

Jim, from our knowledge and research, we are wondering if you are recalling the 1959 season — Vince Lombardi’s first at the helm of the team — when they played the Philadelphia Eagles in Portland for the third exhibition game that year. They have not held training camp itself outside of Wisconsin since 1953 (when it was last held in Grand Rapids, Minn.) It was a regular practice to play preseason games in non-N.F.L. cities in the 1950’s and 60’s, and the Packers played in locations such as Minneapolis, Minn., Alexandria, Va., Latrobe, Penn., Spokane, Wash., Hershey, Penn., Raleigh, N.C., Akron, Ohio, Charleston, W.V., Bangor, Maine, and also Portand, to name a few. They played up to six exhibition games in those days, so they used these visits to other cities to build the N.F.L. brand in other markets, and perhaps to feel out areas for expansion.

So, we think that your experience with the team in Portland was when the Packers were practicing for their matchup with the Eagles on August 29, 1959. On that Saturday, they defeated Philadelphia by a score of 45-28 in front of 25,456 Oregonians.

If any of our readers have questions or comments, they can be sent to our direct e-mail:

packerville@sbcglobal.net

... rather than going through Google’s system here on the blog (which doesn’t let us reply to the question back to the reader).

Friday, October 29, 2010

The 1967 Season

We saw the infamous 1967 “Ice Bowl” game yesterday, and today we present the highlights of the season leading up to that title contest.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Famous Ice Bowl

Keeping again with our video theme this week, today we have the classic Ice Bowl N.F.L. championship game as played in Green Bay on December 31, 1967.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Super Bowl II on Hulu™

We follow yesterday’s showing of N.F.L. Films’ production of Super Bowl I with today’s presentation of the following year’s title game. Enjoy this broadcast of Super Bowl II’s game highlights.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Super Bowl I on Hulu™

Today we bring you the official N.F.L. Films production of Super Bowl I highlights, as provided on Hulu.com. We have seen this countless times, but still enjoy it nonetheless. What a classic example of professional football in the late Sixties in America.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Taking On the Lions in 1974

After a fine, redemptive victory over Brett Favre and his Minnesota Vikings last night, we look back to 1974 and the last year of head coach Dan Devine’s administration in Green Bay. This post features items from the September 29, 1974 game program — which had the Lions taking on the Packers in Milwaukee’s County Stadium.

This article tells of Devine’s quest to bring a championship back to Green Bay in 1974.

Here’s your roster for the 1974 Green Bay Packers.

Follow along during the season with this entire league schedule.

We like these classic 1970’s-style illustrations that accompanied an article on the changing kicking rules in ’74.

We’ve got to get Mom to buy some Quik® so we can get a couple official team pennants!

Look through these pages and see how many of these players you remember — or haven’t thought about for 30+ years.

Lastly, these several pages of game action photos are from the last few preseason games (they played six that year!).

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Press-Gazette 1961 Title Game

Prior to the 1961 N.F.L. title game, the Green Bay Press-Gazette produced this booklet about the game to advertise itself and to let everyone know how important this event would be for the city of Green Bay. It would be the first time that a championship game would be played in what would later become known as “Titletown, U.S.A.,” even though they had won six N.F.L. titles to that point. Two more championship games would be played in Green Bay (1965 and 1967) before the Super Bowl took over and was played at “neutral” sites.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

That New Stadium in ’57

It’s 1957, and the Green Bay Packers have built a new City Stadium way out on the West side of town. They produced this promotional booklet to inform the public about just what this new football facility includes — and to sell tickets (imagine!).

Look at those ticket prices! Our current end zone seats would’ve cost $6.75 at the time of the stadium’s opening. Now, just move that decimal point over and the current cost per seat is $67.

Remember, this is back when you still had to sell folks on the advantages of purchasing season tickets in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

We’re sold on the idea of “ample parking,” so we’ll stop by the Packers’ ticket office and get those 1957 season tickets today!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Packer Hi-Lites — May 1966

If you were a Green Bay season ticket holder in 1966, you would’ve received this off-season team update newsletter that Spring. You had last watched your team beat the Cleveland Browns on January 2nd at Lambeau Field, and now the sights were set on repeating as N.F.L. champions!
Don’t forget to send that final ticket payment in by July 1st!