Free John Brockington

While in Green Bay for the Detroit game, we brought home a stack of old Packers’ game programs from the 1970’s and 80’s, and inside one from 1975 was this sample 8x10 photo of John Brockington. Apparently, and according to the insert with it, there was a promotion for GAF Photo Service Dealers, highlighting their film services along with some coupons. There also was a listing of GAF photo service locations throughout Wisconsin. If you lived in Green Bay, you could get your photo needs taken care of at Empire Drug, Holzer Pharmacy, Krieder Pharmacy, Montgomery Ward, Schmitt Values Ltd., Schweger Drug, Thomas Drug, and Village Pharmacy. Without doing any research, we imagine many of these places don’t exist anymore.

Some Old Photos

We found some very cool images that we had never seen before in Sports Illustrated’s photo collection recently. The first three are from the 1970 N.F.L. season, in the Packers’ third year post-Lombardi. Above, Chicago running back Ross Montgomery looks for a way to get past some Green Bay defenders, most notably veteran and eventual Hall of Famer Willie Wood at right. In this November 15, 1970 matchup, the Packers prevailed, 20-19.

In Milwaukee’s County Stadium on October 4, 1970, linebacker Dave Robinson makes an interception of a Minnesota Vikings’ pass. Green Bay topped their division rivals that day by a score of 13-10.

Later that year, on November 22nd, the Vikings’ Clint Jones tries to get past a wall of Packers defenders near their own goal line. Minnesota would take the victory this day in Metropolitan Stadium, 10-3.

These final two images are from ten years later, during the 1980 season. In the span of a decade, Bart Starr had progressed from quarterback to retirement to assistant coach to Green Bay head coach. Here, he meets Pittsburgh head coach Chuck Noll after a Steelers’ 22-20 victory on November 2nd.

In this undated photo, Starr enjoys some moments with his players before a game in a rainy Lambeau Field.

The Initial Packers Hall of Fame

We picked up a vintage Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame postcard on our recent trip to Titletown, which we like because it shows the humble beginnings of the museum. It was the first hall of fame ever built to honor a single professional American football team. After receiving approval from coach Vince Lombardi, William L. Brault, a Green Bay restaurateur and Packers fan, founded the Hall of Fame in 1966. The “Hall” started off as a series of exhibits displayed in the concourse of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, although it was not a permanent residence, as the exhibits had to be removed each autumn to make room for the Green Bay Bobcats hockey team, which played its home games at the Arena. In 1967, the Packer Hall of Fame Association, a separate corporate entity from the team, was founded and annual induction banquets were subsequently launched in 1970. The Hall did not become a permanent site until 1976 when its new home, an addition to the Brown County Veterans Arena, was formally dedicated on April 3, 1976, by President Gerald R. Ford.

1963 First Down

Eyeing a possible first down ball placement in this November 10, 1963 photo from Green Bay’s City Stadium are Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton (#10) and Packers head coach Vince Lombardi. We don’t know if it was or was not indeed a first down, but Green Bay came out on top that Sunday afternoon by a score of 28-7. Also interesting to note is that John Roach started at quarterback for the Packers that day, subbing for an injured Bart Starr. 42,327 fans enjoyed the game in 50-degree temperatures on a sunny Wisconsin day.

Milt Gantenbein Catches a TD

We enter the “way-back machine” today to join the Packers in 1939, just as Milt Gantenbein has caught a touchdown for Green Bay. Other players for both teams are identified in that old-school graphic way of just pasting their names right next to them in the photo. Also, take a few moments to admire the goal post construction of the era. One could make a set on a Saturday afternoon with one trip to the local Home Depot and some leftover paint out in the garage.

Currie Gets Some Help

Today’s photo features Green Bay linebacker Dan Currie, #58, being helped from the field at an undisclosed away stadium, on an undisclosed date in the early 1960’s. Currie, from Michigan State, played for the Packers from 1958-1964, where he won two world championships.

Lambeau Steps

We didn’t get around to updating the blog yesterday for health reasons, and today we have an “artistic” shot of the Lambeau Field bowl steps as one sees them while climbing the original 60 rows. You never know what you’ll see here in “Packerville.”

An Old Cecil Isbell Clipping

Cecil Frank Isbell played college football as a halfback at Purdue University from 1935 to 1937. The Green Bay Packers selected Isbell in the first round of the 1938 N.F.L. Draft. He played with Green Bay from 1938 to 1942 and was best known for passing to Don Hutson. Isbell led the Packers to the N.F.L. Championship in 1939. After retiring from playing, Isbell served as the head football coach at his alma mater, Purdue, for three seasons from 1944 to 1946, compiling a record of 14-14-1. He then coached the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference from 1947 to 1949, and the Chicago Cardinals for two games in 1951, tallying a career professional coaching record of 10-23-1. Isbell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1967.

Game Day in Green Bay

Today, we attended our 87th Green Bay Packers game, which the Packers won 28-26. We thought our readers who have not been to a game at Lambeau Field might enjoy some photos of what it’s like on a Sunday morning in Green Bay. Actually, the image above is from Saturday afternoon before we enjoyed a fine time of shopping in the Packers Pro Shop.

Former Packers’ tackle Ken Ruettgers (1985-1996) and linebacker Mike Douglass (1978-1985) sign autographs in the Pro Shop on Saturday afternoon.

Now we’re on to Sunday morning. In the neighborhood where we normally park, there are signs like these here and there. This means you!

Looking towards Lambeau Field from the residential neighborhood on the North side.

Plenty of tailgating going on two and a half hours before game time. Smell those brats?

Another “Ville” in the Lambeau neighborhood. Perhaps we’ll get a “Packerville” sign up there someday.

Tailgating going on in the Lambeau parking lot on the North side of the stadium.

“Programs! Get your programs here!”

Some new banners up this year (above and below) for the regular season.

A good use for a former ambulance vehicle... a tailgating machine!

The fence along Lombardi Avenue which features a different message each season... and has for decades.

A view of the Lambeau Field Atrium.

The Lambeau Field Atrium “tower.”

The ticket office doesn’t get much action, other than fans with ticket problems. Fortunately, we’ve not experienced any of those.

This is the Verizon Wireless Gate, where we go in each time... after a light police search for security reasons, of course.

A couple of old motor home vehicles that are all painted up specifically for tailgating on game day.

An old school bus will serve the same purpose just fine as well.

But that won’t do for some fans — they need to arrive in style.

We don’t know what’s up with this fellow... and we’re not sure we want to know.

This is the open south end of Lambeau Field, where they are pondering adding up to 10,000 seats and other areas for “standing room only” tickets. None of this will probably move forward until the league’s labor issues are settled.

Getting closer to game time as the parking lot is getting full.

There are plenty of places to park in people’s yards for a fee along the residential streets in the neighborhood.

We, however, prefer to get there early and park for free along the street. A beautiful autumn day in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Now we’re off to our seats to enjoy some Packers’ football.

Lastly, here’s the program cover for today’s game, featuring tight end Jermichael Finley on the front. We’re proud to have a game program from all 87 games we’ve attended in Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Madson. Oh well, everybody needs a hobby.

Taylor Scores One on the Bears

For the second day in a row, we’ve got a shot of our Glory Era Packers against the Chicago Bears. Jim Taylor (#31) scores a diving touchdown while some of his teammates watch. We see Paul Hornung (#5, on the ground), Forrest Gregg (#75), Ron Kramer (#88), Jerry Kramer (#64), Max McGee (#85), and Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston (#63). As with yesterday’s post of Ray Nitschke, we could’ve used Jim Taylor on Monday night.

Your “Packerville” editor is heading to Green Bay in the morning to enjoy a weekend in Titletown, and will be attending the Lions’ game on Sunday. We’ll have the next blog post ready on Sunday evening upon our return.