Summer Means Previews

Regardless of the ongoing lockout, we are starting to see some N.F.L. preview magazines on the newsstands. Yesterday in Milwaukee, we picked up The Sporting News’ issue, which has QB Aaron Rodgers and LB Clay Matthews on the Wisconsin “regional” cover. There are 17 different covers, so we always try to pick up football preview magazines while in God’s Country. Down here where the Packerville, U.S.A. offices are located, we have only the issue with a pouting Jay Cutler on the front. We’re certainly not going to waste our cash on something like that. Oh, and by the way... The Sporting News picks the Packers to repeat as Super Bowl champions!

Also on the newsstands, and it was highlighted in the national sports media headlines this past mid-week, is the latest copy of ESPN — The Magazine. This double issue ranks 122 professional sports franchises in several categories, and guess who is ranked on top? You guessed it — your very own Green Bay Packers!

The rankings were based on the following: Bang for the Buck (Wins during the past three years [regular season plus postseason] per revenues directly from fans, adjusted for league schedules); Fan Relations (Openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management); Ownership (Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community); Affordability (Price of tickets, parking and concessions); Stadium Experience (Quality of arena and game-day promotions as well as friendliness of environment); Players (Effort on the field and likability off it); Coaching (Strength of on-field leadership); Title Track (Championships already won or expected in the lifetime of current fans).

There has been no action on the practice fields this offseason, but the Packers have still added another “championship” to go along with their Super Bowl XLV title.

To read the whole article on the Packers being the best franchise, click here.

To see the complete list of rankings, click here.

And where do our N.F.C. North Division rivals rank?

Chicago Bears — 74th

Detroit Lions — 94th

Minnesota Vikings — 106th

(Rank of 122 total)

The Hardware Has Arrived!

In case you weren’t looking for it in the news last evening, the Green Bay Packers’ Super Bowl championship rings were presented in a ceremony at Lambeau Field. Above and below are some various views of the commemorative hardware.

It’s too bad that they don’t present Super Bowl rings to folks who run historical websites devoted to the team (although all full-time employees — yes, even the custodians — got a ring). The Packers Pro Shop has many “fan” rings available, however, as well as special exclusive versions for both shareholders and season ticket owners. You can take a look at all the selections here.

Here is a nice view of the new rings, plus the team’s previous Super Bowl rings:

Some information from Jostens, the ring manufacturer:

Four Super Bowls. One Legacy.

“Members of the Green Bay Packers organization received their Super Bowl XLV World Championship rings at a celebration on June 16, 2011 in the Lambeau Field Atrium. The Packers selected Jostens to create the team's 4th Super Bowl Championship ring to symbolize their win in Super Bowl XLV and capture iconic elements of the Packers' football legacy.

The ring is cast in platinum with a crest featuring the Green Bay "G" logo cast in 18-kt. yellow gold set on a green stone tablet. Thirteen diamonds are embedded in the logo, each one representing a Green Bay NFL Championship. The familiar logo is illuminated by round brilliant cut diamonds and four marquis cut diamonds adorn the perimeter of the ring, representing the Packers' four Super Bowl triumphs.

The Green Bay Packers' relationship with Jostens dates back to legendary coach Vince Lombardi, who chose Jostens to commemorate the Packers' historic victory in Super Bowl I in 1967. The newest ring will join the team's collection including rings representing team victories in Super Bowl I (1967), Super Bowl II (1968) and Super Bowl XXXI (1997).

Jostens is proud to have created 29 of the 45 Bowl ring to date.”

This doesn’t feature the Packers only, but it’s a nice video showing some of the process of making Super Bowl rings for the National Football League teams:

And, in case you need yet another view of the Super Bowl XLV ring, here it is:

Congratulations to all who received their rings last evening!

Shootin’ Hoops in 1963

Over at one of the best sites dedicated to sports uniforms — Uni Watch — we came across this great photo of the 1963 Green Bay Packers basketball team. Pro football teams often have squads in the offseason that play basketball for charity and goodwill, and the Packers were no different. Recently, Green Bay players had a team named the “Green Machine.” One would think that with all those multi-million dollar knees, the team would discourage such an activity. Looking at the photo above, we can see several starters and a couple of Hall of Famers who enjoyed another sport in the non-football months during those classic Lombardi years.

Robinson By Request

We had a request recently from a reader who asked if we had any photos of the end of the 1966 N.F.L. title game, where Green Bay’s Dave Robinson sacked the Cowboys’ QB Don Meredith. In doing so, Meredith’s wobbly pass was intercepted in the end zone by the Packers’ Tom Brown, ensuring a 34-27 victory over the Cowboys, and their second championship in a row (the fourth overall in Lombardi’s tenure). These two images come from the 1967 Green Bay Packers Yearbook.

Get Out of Fuzzy’s Way!

Coming at the camera in an early-60s publicity shot is legendary Packers’ G Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston. A long-time fixture of the Lombardi teams, Thurston played on the other side of the center from his fellow guard and friend Jerry Kramer. Having weathered some financial and health setbacks, Fuzzy still lives in Green Bay as the proprietor of “Fuzzy’s 63” bar, as well as Titletown Tickets and Tours. If you’re looking for a way to get into Lambeau Field to see a game, there’s one option for you. We’ve been to his establishment several times, and had him sign a few autographs, etc. We also enjoyed his book of a few years ago, “What a Wonderful World: The Fuzzy Thurston Story,” (below) which we didn’t realize was so rare that it is now going for $240 on Amazon. Our copy is autographed, so maybe we’ll hang onto it for a while.

Bart and Paul

Today in our visit back to the 1960’s, we see QB Bart Starr and HB Paul Hornung sitting on the bench at a home game. A fine photo, but not much more background to share.

Closing Out the 60’s

As we come across interesting video clips now and then, we like to put them up here for everyone to enjoy. This is another segment of the program “This Week in Pro Football” from 1969. Narrated by Pat Summerall, it features action from the December 7, 1969 game against the Cleveland Browns at their home, Municipal Stadium. The Packers came up short, 20-7, with QB Don Horn at the wheel. The team’s decline in the years of Phil Bengston continued.

Paul Hornung Sandwich

Now being served at Lambeau Field — the “Paul Hornung Sandwich,” served between two Baltimore Colts with a side order of muddy clumps of grass. A popular item on a Fall day in Green Bay. The lockout continues and we heard today that if they agreed on anything, it will take four to six weeks to iron out the actual agreement. The other disturbing news yesterday was that the N.F.L. is looking at an eight-game season scenario. On the bright side, if we have a season, The Sporting News has a great prediction.

“Matt Dillon’s” Tie to Titletown

James Arness, the towering actor best known for portraying “Marshal Matt Dillon,” the strong and commanding symbol of frontier justice on the landmark TV Western series Gunsmoke, died Friday. He was 88. Arness died of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, Calif., said a family spokesperson. Arness is pictured above outside the Northland Hotel in downtown Green Bay.

Arness visited Green Bay on the last weekend of September 1957 for the dedication of the then brand-new City Stadium. The actor rode in a parade as Green Bay closed the old stadium on the east side and dedicated the new facility on the far west side. An estimated 18,000 people showed up, but “about two-thirds (were) children who were more interested in ‘Matt Dillon’ than football nostalgia," the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.

The Legend — Ray Nitschke

To cheer up our readers during this seemingly endless lockout/labor situation, we thought we’d post an extra-large image (suitable for framing!) of legendary Packers’ linebacker Ray Nitschke. It’s too bad that Ray had to leave us back in March of 1998. He did at least get to see Green Bay return to glory after the 1996 season, but we wish we could have seen him sitting with Bart Starr at the game in Dallas this past February. Remember through all of this off-season’s uncertainty, folks — it’s spelled P-A-C-K-E-R-S, but it’s pronounced “World Champions!”