Sunday, November 28, 2010

Here We Are in 1979

In our travels back through the Packers’ history, today we’re stopping at Milwaukee County Stadium on October 14, 1979. The Detroit Lions are in town to play Green Bay and we’ve just bought a program from a vendor out in the parking lot (can you smell the wafting scent of grilled bratwurst?). Let’s thumb through the program and see what was going on with the team in ’79.

Here’s some background on where the teams stood at this point in that season, and what was expected in the game.

Bart Starr was in his fifth season as Packers’ head coach, and he had a 23-40-1 overall coming into this contest with the Detroit Lions.

The kids’ might want to put a few of these items on their Christmas list. N.F.L. merchandise has come a long way since the late Seventies, hasn’t it?

A nice full-page photo of DE Mike Butler to cut out and hang with your other sports stars on your bulletin board.

Apparently part of a series, we have a fine illustrated portrait of DE Ezra Johnson.

The latest in 1979 gaming technology.

Here’s your 1979 Green Bay Packers numerically, with tiny portraits.

And here’s all the statistical data in roster form for your ’79 team.

This is an interesting article about how N.F.L. teams traveled in the olden days. There are some anecdotes about the Packers within the story.

This “Packers Flashback” looks back at the 1965 Western Conference Playoff. We hope the defender was flagged for interference on this play... or was mugging legal in those days?

The program finishes with some game action photos from the ’79 season. Here we have RB Terdell Middleton.

RB Eric Torkelson goes high on special teams to try and block a Minnesota field goal.

LB Rich Wingo hunts down Vikings’ RB Rickey Young.

On this 56-degree day at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, the Packers beat the Lions 24-16 in front of 53,930 fans, improving their season record to 3-4 as of Week 7. They would go on to finish with a 5-11-0 record on the year.