Final Field Preparations

Before we move on to the actual football game aspects of the “Ice Bowl,” we present today a series of three images of the Lambeau Field grounds crew removing the tarps off the field before the players from each team come out for warm-ups. In the first image (shown above) from the South end zone where the winning touchdown would be scored a few hours later, we see the tarps being rolled onto metal drainage pipes.


Here we see a close-up image of the crews at work, bundled up as best they can in 1967 attire to battle the frigid elements.


Another view of the crews, looking towards the North end zone, where we see the Packers’ administration building, the decorative bunting with Packer helmets hung for the championship, and the “open” end of the stadium seating. At this point, your Packerville editor’s seats don’t exist, as they are right above the “tunnel” ramp where the Packers used to enter the playing field here in the North end zone.

Ice Bowl Morning Continued

In today’s Blog posting, preparation work for the 1967 NFL championship game — the “Ice Bowl” continues. First, we see a view of the frigid stadium from the Lambeau Field press box, looking towards the North end zone, which was not completely enclosed until a couple of years later.


Here, also viewed from the press box, we see some Lambeau Field workers using brooms to sweep the top layer of icy snow off of the mid-field portion. Just why they were doing this by hand instead of using a vehicle with a rotating brush attachment like we saw in the 1965 NFL championship highlights film is unknown.


Green Bay Packers head coach and general manager Vince Lombardi is seen surveying the field conditions a few hours before the NFL title contest.


Shown here is one of the control boxes for the underground heating coil system that was purchased by Vince Lombardi from — almost hard to believe — the grandson of Chicago Bears founder George Halas. For whatever reason this day, the heating system could not keep up with the arctic conditions and the playing field froze solid.


Along the entrance ramps to the playing surface at Lambeau Field, these warnings were posted to make everyone aware of the “danger” of electrified turf.

Ice Bowl Morning

On this 40th anniversary day of the “Ice Bowl” NFL championship game played on December 31, 1967, we present more images form NFL Films’ coverage of the contest. First, we see cars arriving off the Ridge Road entrance to the Lambeau Field parking lot. In the distance, the stadium can be seen with the open north end zone and the team’s administration building, which also housed the Packers’ locker room facilities.





Shown above are several images of fans and Lambeau Field personnel coping with the extreme cold of that day.

Ice Bowl Early Morning

Today we take a look at several images from the early morning of December 31, 1967 — the morning of the “Ice Bowl” NFL championship game. Shown above is the famous rotating bank time/temperature shot captured by NFL Films that showed the temperature that day.


Here we see the Dallas Cowboys disembarking from their chartered buses outside the visitor’s locker room at Lambeau Field — obviously wondering what they’ve gotten themselves into.


Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi arrives that morning, carrying his rubber boots that he brought from home. He is looking through the open North endzone of Lambeau Field out towards the playing field, probably wondering if his heating system has worked properly to keep the field from freezing (it didn’t).


Vince Lombardi at a closer up view as he passes in front of his car and heads into the Packers’ administration building at the North end of the stadium.


And lastly for today, we see an NFL Films crew shooting as they drive west on Highland (now Lombardi) Avenue towards the stadium parking lot entrance.

The Saturday Before

Since the 40th anniversary of the Green Bay Packers franchise-landmark game is Monday, today we begin our series on the “Ice Bowl” championship game played at Lambeau Field on December 31, 1967. In town for the NFL title game that weekend were the Dallas Cowboys — the team the Packers had also beaten for the 1966 NFL world championship.

For this series, we will rely mainly on images culled from the NFL Films coverage of the game. Most of the photos you see from the game have been used over and over through the years, with very little “new” images being released. By going back to the film footage of that weekend, we will be able to show images that most people have not seen.

To start off, we show at the top of today’s blog entry an image of the NFL mid-field logo on the definitely “frozen tundra” at Lambeau Field.


Here we see a photo of Green Bay as it appeared in December 1967. This view is looking across the Fox River.


An aerial view of Lambeau Field — the site of the next day’s championship battle — as it rested quietly on Saturday, December 30th.


Another large view of Green Bay, Wisconsin as it looked in 1967.


On Saturday, the day before the game, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith is shown cupping his hands after being asked how he thought the game would go on Sunday. He cupped his hands together to say that the Cowboys winning was going to be “easy money.” But that was before the cold front moved in overnight.

The Ice Bowl Cometh

Monday marks the 40th anniversary of the famed “Ice Bowl” NFL championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. On New Year’s Eve — December 31, 1967 — the two teams met in horrible weather conditions. Conditions that were worse than that which the 2007 Packers faced in their 35-7 loss in Chicago last Sunday. Some argued that the game should be postponed. But NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle decreed that the game be played, since the winner needed to be decided for the second annual Super Bowl game to be held in Miami, FL on January 14, 1968. The AFL champion was to be decided later that day as well.

Starting tomorrow, “Packerville” will feature photos and stories from that game for many days. For just how long this special series lasts is undetermined at this point. Enjoy the look back at this monumental game in Packers history.

Santa Watches the Packers

For Christmas Eve and Day, we have another Packer-related photo of Santa Claus. The caption for this photo reads:

“Tom Lagers, dressed as Santa Claus, watches the Green Bay Packers on television, December 12, 1960. Green Bay Packer fans are so well known for their loyalty to their team that even Santa is a fan! In 1960, Paul Hornung led the NFL in scoring with 176 points — 15 touchdowns, 15 field goals, and 41 extra points. Although they lost the NFL championship to the Eagles, the Packers were rated first in the NFL West with a record of 8 wins and 4 losses.”

Source: The Green Bay Press-Gazette Collection of the Neville Public Museum of Brown County.

Santa at City Stadium

Completely ignoring what happened in Chicago today, we present a photo of Santa in the Packers’ stadium in the old days. The original caption to the photo reads:

“Santa Claus visits Green Bay’s City Stadium while children, parents, and the news media look on in this circa 1950 photograph. Since Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas", in 1822, Santa Claus has been associated with Christmas. During World War II and after, Santa became the most popular symbol of the season. Cards, songs, and decorations revolved around the figure, while crowds of children attended Christmas events just to speak with him.”

Source: The Henry Lefebvre Collection of the Neville Public Museum of Brown County.

The Bears at Wrigley

As the Green Bay Packers prepare to meet the Chicago Bears tomorrow at Soldier Field, we present a photo of the two teams playing in the 1960’s at Wrigley Field. We’re not exactly sure of the year, but the players are obviously from the Lombardi era.

Chicago player Doug Atkins (#81) has apparently pulled in an interception — perhaps on a deflected ball — and is in a scrum at the line of scrimmage. Now having become “defenders” are Packers’ offensive players Forrest Gregg (#75), Bob Skoronski (#76), Bart Starr (#15), and Ken Bowman (#57). Since the youngest of the Packer players is Bowman, this photo is no earlier than 1964, his rookie season.

Let’s hope that no such play — a Bears’ interception — will come to be in tomorrow’s contest. Having been beaten once already this year by Chicago, we do NOT want to be “swept” by them in this highly surprising 12-2 season while we’re on our way to the Playoffs.

Mud Bath with the 49ers

While the Packers have had some recent famously muddy games with the San Francisco 49ers (1996, 2001 Playoff games at Lambeau Field), today we feature a photo of Packers’ Hall of Fame running back Jim Taylor during a game with the 49ers in 1960. In those days, it was customary for Green Bay to play their last two or three games on the West Coast to avoid the frigid Titletown winter weather.

On the day this photo was taken, the Packers beat San Francisco 13-0 in front of 53,612 wet fans in Kezar Stadium in 49° weather. Taylor gained 161 yards on 24 carries, and had one pass reception for six yards.

The Packers would finish with an 8-4-0 record, winning the Western Conference. They met the Philadelphia Eagles in Lombardi’s first championship game with Green Bay, but lost that contest 17-13.