Football Season Is Over

Well, football season is over. Now we enter the months of sporadic activity, endless speculation — and extreme over-analyzation. The NFL will now decide how to prevent a defensive, lower-scoring Super Bowl from ever happening again.They’ll continue to take steps to turn the game into full “entertainment mode” instead of “sport mode” (i.e. mandatory “color rush” uniforms, etc.). The video above shows the ideal game of football that the NFL is striving for (stated with tongue firmly in cheek). I guess your editor could be called a “crotchety old man,” but the game is not the game we grew up loving in many ways, for better or worse. The violence that made it so popular is now the thing that is threatening it the most.

We’ll continue to post in the off-season, so check back regularly to see what we’re up to. Our ninth birthday on the internet (January 28th) came and went without any fanfare, but maybe we’ll do something special next year. Stay tuned.

We appreciate all of our readers, and love to hear your comments. Thanks to everyone for your input, suggestions, and kind words!

Go Pack Go!
Film clip is from the 1954 film “I Love Melvin” (thanks to Uni Watch for the heads up).

NFL Play of the Year

The NFL Play of the Year has been awarded to the Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers “Hail Mary” in the Packers-Lions game in Detroit on December 3, 2015. Congratulations, Mr. Rodgers (both of you)!

Thanks from the Packers

In case you missed it while licking your wounds from Saturday night’s loss in Arizona, the Packers sent out this message on Sunday.

Last Word on the Redskins

 

Before we all move onward to the Cardinals game, we thought we’d post this from the 1973 Green Bay Packers Yearbook. It gives an account of the 1972 Divisional Playoff in Washington, D.C. against the Washington Redskins. It also weaves in an account of the 1960 NFL championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles... Vince Lombardi’s first playoff game in his Green Bay tenure. The ’72 result against the ’Skins was different than last Sunday’s game, indeed.

Super Bowl I: The Lost Game

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, SUPER BOWL I WILL BE RE-AIRED ON TELEVISION
SUPER BOWL I: THE LOST GAME TO PREMIERE ON
NFL NETWORK ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 AT 8:00 PM ET

Former Packers Jerry Kramer, Dave Robinson, Willie Davis & Antonio Freeman Join NFL Media Analysts to React To & Dissect This Historic Game

​Forty-nine years to the day after the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs squared off in Super Bowl I, NFL Network will be the first network to ever replay this historic game on television. 

Super Bowl I was broadcast by both NBC — the official broadcaster of the AFL — and CBS — the official broadcaster of the NFL and remains the only Super Bowl to have been broadcast live in the United States by two television networks. Considered to be the Holy Grail of sports broadcasts, the CBS and NBC tapes of the game were either lost or recorded over and no full video version of the game has existed…until now. 

In an exhaustive process that took months to complete, NFL Films searched its enormous archives of footage and were able to locate all 145 plays from Super Bowl I from more than a couple dozen disparate sources. Once all the plays were located, NFL Films was able to put the plays in order and stich them together while fully restoring, re-mastering, and color correcting the footage. Finally, audio from the NBC Sports radio broadcast featuring announcers Jim Simpson and George Ratterman was layered on top of the footage to complete the broadcast.

The final result represents the only known video footage of the entire action from Super Bowl 1 and NFL Network will show it to the world for the first time on the 49th anniversary of the game between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs, January 15. 

Super Bowl I: The Lost Game will air on Friday, January 15 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network. The three-hour program is enhanced with pregame, halftime and postgame segments, modern broadcast graphics and coverage, social media interaction, facts and information, with studio contributors and guests live reaction and storytelling throughout.

Host Chris Rose and Steve Mariucci anchor the broadcast and are joined by a plethora of NFL Media talent, such as Terrell Davis, Daniel Jeremiah, Steve Wyche, and Elliot Harrison. Additionally, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end for the Packers Willie Davis and former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman join in-studio, while former Packers greats Jerry Kramer and Dave Robinson join the show from remote. 

In addition to the broadcast of the game, Super Bowl I: The Lost Game includes the following features: 

• Wired sound from Packers head coach Vince Lombardi

• Footage of a postgame interview with Chiefs head coach Hank Stram and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle being interviewed by Pat Summerall

• In-depth discussion on how the Super Bowl I broadcast was lost and then re-assembled using NFL Films footage

• A feature on the merger between the well-established National Football League and the upstart American Football League, giving birth to the modern-day NFL and the uniquely American spectacle called the Super Bowl.

• An interview with Super Bowl I CBS producer Bill Creasy on why the second half kickoff was kicked twice

All 145 plays of game footage from Super Bowl I: The Lost Game were compiled from NFL Films video shot at the game. The NFL Films crew for Super Bowl I were John Butterworth, Joe Fain, Morris Kellman, Stan Kirby, Stanley Leshner, Dave Marx, Skip & Ken Nelson, Walt & Jim Porep, and Art Spieller. There were only two ground cameras and just one sound camera, the rest of the staff were top cameras or assistants. By comparison, there will be approximately 35 NFL Films cameras at Super Bowl 50 and an additional support crew of well over 50 other NFL Films personnel.

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From Around the Internet...

Our History with the Redskins

The 1972 NFC Divisional Playoff did not have the results that Green Bay Packers fans wanted, but it’s part of our history nonetheless. The Packers won the NFC Central Division with a 10-4 record, and went to Washington to play the 11-3 Redskins, winners of the NFC East on Christmas Eve. The Packers lost 16-3, due largely to the fact that their vaunted run game was shut down. The game was played in front of 53,140 fans at old RFK Stadium. The first video above is some 8mm film shot by a fan from the stands.

From the 1972 Washington Redskins official highlight film, we have a summary of what happened (starting at 13:27).

Sunday will mark the third time the Packers will meet the Redskins in a playoff scenario. Prior to the 1972 game, there was the December 13, 1936 contest between Green Bay and the Boston Redskins (played in New York), which was won 21-6 by the Packers for the NFL title, their fourth championship overall.

Vikings at Packers

With the last two home games being rainy days, it ’s been a while since we shared photos from Lambeau Field. Sunday night’s Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers game was cold but dry, so we were able to get back to taking photos from the Packerville, U.S.A. seats in the north end zone. Above, walking to Lambeau from the west along Brookwood Drive. 

The view from the north end zone, as you walk in from the concourse level. You may not know that about half of the seating in the bowl is below ground level. 

A Mr. & Mrs. Packerville, U.S.A. selfie at the concourse level. 

Someone’s helmet, awaiting the action. 

Out-for-the-season WR Jordy Nelson during pre-game warm-ups. He was catching passes, but we noticed that he did not run, jump, or put any stress on his knee. He let balls go that a player normally would jump or stretch to catch. 

NBC’s Sunday Night Football crew doing the pre-game broadcast from the visitors’ sideline. And in case you’re wondering, yes, they did take the tent down before the game started, so as to not block the view of the fans seated in that area.

Newly-acquired LS Rick Lovato and P Tim Masthay during warm-ups. 

WR Jared Abbrederis and a Packers’ staff member. 

The Packers coming out for warm-ups about 45 minutes prior to kick-off. 

Team huddle outside the tunnel, with the NFL Films crews documenting the action. 

QB Aaron Rodgers going through his pre-game drills along the Packers’ sideline. 

There were a lot of these people in the stands, but seemingly not as many as in recent years. 

Getting to the game action images, here RB Eddie Lacy (#27) gets some early yardage. 

QB Aaron Rodgers and the offense coming our way in the first half. 

And a closer view of the same subject matter as above. 

QB Aaron Rodgers (#12) scrambles out to his left, trying to find an open receiver, with G Josh Sitton (#71) providing protection. 

On a time out, QB Aaron Rodgers watches something on the HD video board. 

The Packers’ offensive huddle, heading south on the field. 

Panoramic view of the offense with QB Aaron Rodgers handing off to RB James Starks (#44). 

A fake handoff to RB James Starks, setting up a pass play. 

QB Aaron Rodgers eludes Vikings’ DT Tom Johnson. 

QB Aaron Rodgers making sure that adjustments are made prior to the snap. 

The offense warms up on the sideline after another unsuccessful drive. 

Vikings’ QB Teddy Bridgewater looks over the Packers’ defensive alignment. Rookie LB Jake Ryan (#47) is at right. 

QB Aaron Rodgers gets protection for a few seconds deep in his own territory.

P Tim Masthay is back and ready for a punt. 

The Vikings’ bench area. 

DB Micah Hyde (#33), S Morgan Burnett (#42), DT Mike Daniels (#76), and an unidentified player make a stop on Vikings’ RB Adrian Peterson.

WR Jeff Janis back for a kickoff return. 

QB Aaron Rodgers making a throw.

It’s time out time again, with discussion on the next plays to come. 

Vikings’ QB Teddy Bridgewater looking to throw as LB Julius Peppers breaks free from his blocker. 

DB Micah Hyde (#33) makes a fair catch on a Vikings’ punt. Probably a good idea with the enemy standing right there. 

The Vikings’ offensive huddle. 

Vikings’ QB Teddy Bridgewater is hit by an unidentified pass rusher as he tries to get rid of the ball. 

A good hole for RB James Starks. 

Unfortunately, the final score as the Minnesota Vikings leave the field as NFC North Division champions. 

Our last look as we leave Lambeau Field for the final time of the 2015 season.