Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Grandstand Franchise — Part I

When we were considering starting up this blog in the first place, we remembered someone saying that you should create the blog that you’d want to read. So, that’s why we feature some things that may make you wonder. Today, we’re starting a multi-post series on “The Grandstand Franchise,” a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay-produced video on the history of the Packers that was produced for PBS in the early 1980s. It starts off with a montage of images, interspersing Packers footage with winter scenes around Green Bay. First of all, does anyone know who this gentleman is (above)?

Here’s Packers’ QB David Whitehurst going back to pass…

… and connecting with WR John Jefferson on a TD pass.

The video is narrated by famous 1960’s CBS broadcaster Ray Scott, who was the “voice of the Packers” in the Lombardi era.

This is the same shot without the type over the crowd. Do you recognize anyone in here?

The video’s title sequence.

This shot gives us a look at the early 1980’s Lambeau Field, before any of the skyboxes were added above the bowl’s top rim.

One of the two sponsors of the video presentation, at least when it was broadcast on PBS when we recorded it in the early 1990’s.

A shot of Lambeau Field’s middle sections.

Kellogg Bank was the second sponsor on this broadcast, as the camera shows the other interior end of Lambeau.

The rest of today’s images are from the video’s introductory sequence, featuring quotes from Green Bay football heroes from several generations. Above, Clark Hinkle as he appeared in his playing days. The Oneida Street practice field is named after him.

Hinkle as he appeared at the time of the filming. He comments seemingly resentfully here about how people think that the Packers started when Lombardi came to town, but that there was football long before that time in Green Bay.

The man behind it all — Curly Lambeau. There were others behind the creation of the Packers, as we’ll see later.

Charley Brock, as he appeared in his playing days.

The early 1980’s Charley Brock.

Longtime Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter and Packers’ media director (and later, team historian) Lee Remmel.

Another shot of Lambeau in his coaching days.

N.F.L. legendary receiver Don Hutson, as he looked in his playing days.

Don Hutson as he looked in the early 1980’s. The “Don Hutson Center,” the Packers’ current indoor practice facility, was obviously named after him.

Former Packers’ QB and head coach Bart Starr, who was fired by the time this video was completed.

Lombardi era offensive lineman Bob Skoronski in the 1960’s.

Businessman Bob Skoronski in the 1980’s.

Two then-current Packers were included in the video. The first was lineman Greg Koch, who was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2010.

The street-clothes version of Koch in the video.

The second player featured was WR James Lofton.

Lofton being interviewed off the field. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1999.

Here are two views of the Lambeau Field exterior with the cool lettering along the top.

A photo of a young Curly Lambeau.

Wrapping up the introductory part of the video, Ray Scott provides some insight while standing in the old Packers Hall of Fame. Join us next time as we delve into the early days of Packers’ football.