Lombardi in TIME Magazine 1962

This week in 1962, Packers Head Coach Vince Lombardi was on the cover of TIME magazine. His team would meet the New York Giants for the NFL Championship on December 30th and outlast them 16-7 at Yankee Stadium. Here on the original blog, we share not just the cover but also the entire article (for the second time). Enjoy.
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Ray Nitschke — Movie Star

In November 1968, rock band The Monkees released a movie titled “Head.” The cast included LB Ray Nitschke, Green Bay Packers legend and Hall of Famer (both of them). Here, Nitschke sits on set with a young actor who co-wrote and co-produced the movie, Jack Nicholson. (Courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame)

1962 Championship Game and the New York Newspapers Strike

When the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants played the 1962 NFL Championship game in a frigid Yankee Stadium on December 30, 1962, there was no newspaper coverage in New York City itself. Why? Well, this story should explain it. As a quick background for our younger readers, sixty years ago newspapers ruled the roost of news coverage. Radio was perhaps second, and the newer medium of television... you can read about that below. (Note: pictured above is the western edition of The New York Times’ coverage of the Packers’ second NFL title in a row — click on the image to read in much a larger size).

A little more than two hours after midnight on December 8, 1962, hundreds of printers walked away from their clattering Linotype machines and their rumbling presses and departed en masse from The New York Times’s block-long composing room, on West 43rd Street. Everything they deemed essential — typewriters, adding machines, a public-address system, manila folders stuffed with union documents — was packed into cardboard boxes and carted away to strike headquarters, in Greenwich Village. The printers, most of them second-generation Irish, Italian, and Jewish men in their 40s, belonged to Local No. 6 of the International Typographical Union (I.T.U.), a confederation better known by its historic nickname, “Big Six.” The Times was shut down, and within hours so was every other major newspaper in New York City.

One of the most dramatic and vexing strikes in American history was under way. The showdown of 1962-63 pitted around 17,000 newspaper employees — pressmen, photoengravers, paper handlers, reporters, elevator operators, office boys — against the owners and publishers of seven New York City newspapers, who were determined to curtail the influence of Big Six and nine other clamorous unions. Over the next 114 days, 600 million newspapers would go unprinted; newspaper-obsessed New Yorkers would be forced to navigate their metropolis without them.

At its core, the New York newspaper strike was a battle over technology. The 1950s and 1960s saw the emergence of computerized typesetting systems that would revolutionize the newspaper composing room. Newspapers that prohibited unions, such as the Los Angeles Times, rushed to install cutting-edge computers such as the RCA 301. Newspapers with union contracts, including those in New York City, faced tempestuous resistance from labor leaders, who could easily see that automation would cost jobs.

Today, new technology is shaken American newspapers as the internet drains away more and more advertising revenue. Cities with dailies may soon face a newspaper blackout much darker than what New York experienced a half-century ago. For a brief period, New York was a laboratory that demonstrated what can happen when newspapers vanish.

In March 8, 1963, at the Commodore Hotel, the stalemate was finally broken, thanks in large part to the indefatigable exertions of the mayor’s chief labor negotiator. A joint expiration date for the union contracts, a weekly wage increase of $12.63; a shorter workweek; and an open-ended pledge from the publishers that the unions would share in the financial savings from Teletypesetter machines — which the publishers got the right to install, a crucial early step in the modernization of composing rooms. The 1963 contract saddled the New York publishers with millions of dollars in new costs, and the Times and the Herald Tribune were immediately forced to raise their price from a nickel to a dime. The New York market never really recovered from the great strike. A couple of months after its conclusion, New York daily circulation was down 10 percent from pre-strike levels. Later in the year, Hearst’s New York Mirror expired, and eventually the New York Herald Tribune, the New York World Telegram & Sun, and the New York Journal-American joined the Mirror on the heap.

Print’s loss was television’s gain. During the 1962-63 strike, many newspaper readers shifted their loyalty to the television, permanently. Local TV news stations sensed an opportunity and grabbed it.

“Legend in Granite" KABC-TV7 (1973)

Ernest Borgnine as Vince Lombardi. I remember watching this as a kid. This isn’t my copy, but I did record it on video years later off of WTTW-PBS 11 in Chicago, of all places. Original commercials as a bonus!

Fort Lauderdale Stadium

The Packers won Super Bowl II on this date in 1968, but did you know that they practiced at the Yankees’ spring training site the week before?

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Happy Ice Bowl Day!

Today is the 53rd anniversary of the “Ice Bowl” — the 1967 NFL Championship game. Considered one of the top moments in NFL history, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 with a Bart Starr QB sneak touchdown with only 13 seconds left to play. 

The conditions were less than idea, according to the National Weather Service: “The game was played in brutal cold and windy conditions. The kickoff temperature in Green Bay was -13°F, with a wind chill of 36 below zero. Temperatures were so cold, in fact, that referees had to shout signals so that the metal whistles wouldn't stick to their lips. Even so, nearly 51,000 fans watched the coldest game in league annals.”

We’ve read extensively about the Ice Bowl, and there are varying accounts as to what the wind chill was at its lowest point. From the Packers’ perspective, the cafe under Ariens Hill is named “46 Below,” with this description: “This bistro is named in homage to the Ice Bowl, the legendary 1967 NFL Championship game at Lambeau Field during which the wind chill temperature famously plummeted to 46 below zero.”

Regardless, the game will live forever in NFL lore, but will one day be no longer remembered by the generation which attended it, watched it, listened to it, and read about it at the time. Hopefully, future generations of Packers fans will marvel at what happened that day, and at the ability of fans to watch the game in those conditions without any of the cold weather gear that came about decades later.

For any weather history geeks out there (from the National Weather Service):

— The coldest and longest cold stretch (nine days) during the 1967-1968 winter season began the day of the Ice Bowl. Seven of nine days during that stretch did not exceed 0°F.

— The winter in which the Ice Bowl was played (1967-1968) ranked 2nd all-time for the least snowiest (20.6 inches). The record is 19.2 inches during the winter of 1960-1961.

— The Ice Bowl ranked 1st all-time for the lowest average temperature for any December 31 in Green Bay: -6.5°F for the day.

— The Ice Bowl ranked 1st all-time for the lowest minimum temperature for any December 31 in Green Bay: -19°F reached just before midnight that evening.

— The Ice Bowl ranked 5th all-time for the lowest maximum temperature for any December 31 in Green Bay: +6°F reached at midnight early that morning.

Below are a few video screen captures of crowd scenes just before the game-winning play, from CBS live coverage, of which only a few minutes are know to exist. Networks routinely taped over broadcasts to save money, even if what they taped over was irreplaceable history. The “bottom line” is always the most important thing.

View our 50th Anniversary tribute to the Ice Bowl HERE.

See the 1967 NFL Championship game program HERE. 

College All-Stars vs. Green Bay Packers

To help cleanse the palettes of Green Bay Packers fans everywhere following the loss to San Francisco on Sunday night, we present this long-form post featuring the game program of the 29th Annual All-Star Football Game from August 1962, which pitted the nation’s best college players against the defending NFL champion. That year, it was the Packers defending their 1961 championship, won against the New York Giants seven months earlier. The game was annually played at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

The collegiate staff of coaches — led by Otto Graham — leading the youngsters against the professionals. At the time, Graham was the head coach of the Coast Guard’s football team. Other coaches are Don Doll (USC), Dick Stanfel Notre Dame), Johnny Sauer, Dante Lavelli, and Mike Scarry University of Cincinnati).

Biographies of the collegiate staff of coaches.

Now we have the coaching staff of the 1962 Green Bay Packers. Head Coach Vince Lombardi, Phil Bengston (Defense), Bill Austin (Offensive Line), John “Red” Cochran (Offensive Backfield), and Norb Hecker (Defensive Backfield).

Biographies of the Green Bay Packers coaches.

Former coaches of the College All-Star teams: Noble Kizer, Purdue (1934); Frank Thomas, Alabama (1935); Bernard Bierman, Minnesota (1936 and 1945); Gus Dorais, Detroit (1937); and Bo McMillin, Indiana (1938 and 1946).

Former coaches of the College All-Star teams: Elmer Layden, Notre Dame (1938); Edward Anderson, Iowa (1949) and Holy Cross (1950); Carl Snavely, Cornell (1940); Bob Zuppke, Illinois (1942); Harry Stuhldreher, Wisconsin (1943), and Curly Lambeau, Green Bay (1955, 1956, and 1957). 

Former coaches of the College All-Star teams: Lynn Waldorf, Northwestern (1944); Frank Leahy, Notre Dame (1947 and 1949); Bud Wilkinson, Yale (1951); Bobby Dodd, Georgia Tech (1952 and 1953); and Jim Tatum, University of Maryland (1954).

The Collegiate All-Stars’ starting QB in the 1961 game, Bill Kilmer (UCLA), will receive the Most Valuable Player of that contest.  

The almost complete roster of the 1962 Collegiate All-Stars.

Nothing advertises the coming color television revolution quite like a black and white ad.

There are many pages featuring posed publicity photos of the college and professional players, featuring a favorite of the era — disembodied heads! here we see FB Earl Gros, Louisiana State; HB Angelo Dabiero, Notre Dame; G-T Charles Hinton, North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University); T Dan Sullivan, Boston College; and QB Don Fuell, Mississippi Southern (now University of Southern Mississippi — which eventually gave us QB Brett Favre).

C Bill Saul, Penn State; T Bob Bill, Notre Dame; HB Chuck Lamson, Wyoming; T-G Fate Echols, Northwestern; G Jim Skaggs, Washington.

1962 Green Bay Packers players: T Henry Jordan (Virginia), T Dave Hanner (Arkansas), E Boyd Dowler (Colorado), B Herb Adderley (Michigan State), and C Ken Iman (S.E. Missouri).

Who says the NCAA and the NFL weren’t concerned about helmet safety 57 years ago?

Collegiate All-Star players: C Larry Onesti, Northwestern; C Mike Lucci, Tennessee; T-G R. L. (Pete) Case, Georgia; and T Bill Hudson, Memphis State.

Collegiate All-Star players: T Clark Miller, Utah State; B Glenn Glass, Tennessee; T Merlin Olsen, Utah State; C Wayne Frazier, Auburn; and T Billy Wilson, Auburn.

1962 Green Bay Packers players: T Bob Skoronski (Indiana); C Jim Ringo (Syracuse); HB Tom Moore (Vanderbilt); QB Bart Starr (Alabama); and E Ron Kramer (Michigan).

Collegiate All-Star players: E Bill Hull, Wake Forrest; E Reg Carolan, Idaho; C Daniel Birdwell, Houston; HB Lance Alworth, Arkansas; and FB Bob Ferguson, Ohio State. 

Collegiate All-Star players: G-T Roy Winston, Louisiana State; E Bill Miller, Miami (Fla.); HB James Saxton, Texas; E Gary Collins, Maryland; and HB Wendell Harris, Louisiana State.

The 1962 All-Star Queen and her court, as well as the Jaycee All-Star Football Committee.

If Otto Graham says the Wilson football is good enough for him, it’s good enough for us.

Your game program’s center spread with the rosters for both teams.

Collegiate All-Star players: T Ken Byers, Cincinnati; LB Frank Buncom, Southern California; E Frank Parker, Oklahoma State; T Ray Jacobs, Howard Payne; T John Meyers, Washington; B Tom Dellinger, North Carolina State; T Ed Blaine, Missouri.

In case you want to order those 1962 Chicago Bears season tickets, here you go.

Collegiate All-Star players: T Joe Carollo, Notre Dame; E Robert Mitinger, Penn State; C Irvin Goode, Kentucky; HB Leroy Jackson, Western Illinois; and HB Henry Rivera, Oregon State.

1962 Green Bay Packers players: LB Dan Currie (Michigan State); LB Ray Nitschke (Illinois); E Bill Quinlan (Michigan State); HB Lew Carpenter (Arkansas); and LB Tom Bettis (Purdue).

1962 Green Bay Packers players: T Forrest Gregg (Southern Methodist); HB Paul Hornung (Notre Dame); HB Hank Gremminger (Baylor); LB Bill Forester (Southern Methodist); and HB John Symank (Florida).

1962 Green Bay Packers players: T Norm Masters (Michigan State); G Jerry Kramer (Idaho); E Gary Knafelc (Colorado); FB Jim Taylor (Louisiana State); and QB John Roach (Southern Methodist).

1962 Green Bay Packers players: G Fred Thurston (Valparaiso); E Max McGee (Tulane); E Lee Folkins (Washington); HB Jesse Whittenton (Texas Western); and E Willie Davis (Grambling).

Here is a unique ad that you would not see in a game program today. To set the tone, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the closest the Soviet Union and the United States came to actual all-out nuclear war, began about a month and a half after this football game.

Collegiate All-Star players: QB Bobby Ply, Baylor; HB Ronnie Bull, Baylor; QB John Hadl, Kansas; HB Ernie Davis, Syracuse; and Curtis McCinton, Kansas. 

Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, wore Jim Brown’s No. 44 at Syracuse, and was selected with the first overall pick of the 1962 National Football League draft by the Washington Redskins. They then traded him to the Cleveland Browns, whose owner Art Modell planned to pair Davis with Jim Brown in the team’s backfield (can you imagine?). Davis never played a game for the Browns, however, as he was diagnosed with leukemia before this College All-Star Game in August 1962. He underwent a variety of treatments in an attempt to return to football, but they were all unsuccessful; he died in a Cleveland hospital in 1963. Davis was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

— Source: Britannica 

Collegiate All-Star players: T Bobby Plummer, Texas Christian; E Gregory Mather, Navy; E Charles Bryant, Ohio State; T Clyde Brock, Utah State; G Ray Pinion, Texas Christian; and QB Roman Gabriel, North Carolina State.

Biographies of the Green Bay Packers players.

1962 Green Bay Packers players: T Ron Kostelnik (Cincinnati); B Willie Wood (Southern California); and T Tom Kepner (Villanova).

Biographies of the Green Bay Packers players.

Biographies of the Green Bay Packers players.

1962 Green Bay Packers players: B Paul Dudley (Arkansas); HB Elijah Pitts (Philander Smith); and B Roger Holdinsky (West Virginia).

The almost complete roster of the 1962 Green Bay Packers.

Now that the football part is done, we thought we’d share some of the ads from the game program to give you a bit of a 1962 time capsule. Above, an ad for the Chevrolet Impala Convertible, with a “Jet Smooth Ride,” whatever that means.

Another convertible, the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, with Hydra-Matic drive.

Perhaps you’re a Cadillac person, in which case you’ll like this.

A forgotten piece of American automobile history now, the Studebaker company would cease production in 1966.

1962 — when train travel was still a common way to travel for business and pleasure.

Sinclair gas stations still exist, although not as common as they were then. In Green Bay, the Shell station at the intersection of Lombardi Avenue and Ashland Avenue still has a green Sinclair dinosaur outside, decorated with Packers accents, of course.  

My parents have told stories of them going to Riverview Park in the Fifties, but it closed when I was five (in 1967) and I have no memories of it.

Cigarette ads with no Surgeon General’s Warnings. Heck, in 1962, most doctors smoked as well.

Buick ponied up the big bucks for a color ad. This is when cars were cars.

Ahhh, those were the days.