Thursday, January 13, 2011

1965 Title Game Program — Part I

When we posted the multi-part film highlights of the 1965 championship game a couple of weeks ago, you may have noted the adverse weather conditions on that day in Green Bay. As a result, almost all of the game programs you can find are water-damaged in some way. Such is the case with our copy that we obtained a number of years ago, as you can see by the cover above.

And now, an important word from then-N.F.L. commissioner Pete Rozelle.

Head coach Vince Lombardi and his 1965 Western Division champions staff.

The 1966 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1965. It was the last draft in which the N.F.L. and the A.F.L. drafted their players separate of one another. As a result, many players selected by teams from both leagues would choose to play for the more established N.F.L., or in a rarer case, the A.F.L. The expansion Atlanta Falcons were awarded the first pick in the draft as well as the final pick in each of the first five rounds. The league also provided the Falcons with an expansion draft six weeks later

Here is the 1965 coaching staff of the Eastern Division champion Cleveland Browns. They won the title with an 11-3-0 record.

Art Modell owned the Cleveland franchise from 1961-1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996-2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast sporting goods store chain Modell's in 1889. He is also the son of late Modell's executive Henry Modell. Unlike the Browns' previous owners, Modell immediately took an active role in the management of the team, and fired legendary coach Paul Brown on January 9, 1963. He did so because Brown ignored his suggestions and overshadowed Modell. Paul Brown had won 7 league championships prior to Modell's acquisition of the team. After firing Brown, Modell quickly named Brown's assistant, Blanton Collier, as the new coach on January 16, 1963. Of course, he became the most hated man in Cleveland when he moved the team out of the city after the 1995 season.

As the programs of the day usually did, there are portrait shots of favorite players throughout, but this page is also interesting as it has an ad for “Pappy’s,” a Milwaukee-area establishment which was owned by former Packer great Charles “Buckets” Goldenberg, who played for the team from 1933-1945. Many Green Bay players from the earlier era stayed in the state when their career was over. A fullback his first two years as a Packer, Goldenberg was converted to guard on the recommendation of Mike Michalske. He played in the 1936, 1938, 1939 and 1944 N.F.L. championship games. The Packers won three of those title games. After playing for 13 seasons, from 1933-1945, he owned a successful Milwaukee restaurant and served for many, years on the Packer Board of Directors.

Local sporting goods store features Packer players’ endorsements.

More mini-portraits of your 1965 team.

The local newspaper (still the only one in town) offers encouragement to the team. Part II of this 1965 championship game program comes your way tomorrow.