Thursday, July 25, 2013

2013 Shareholders Meeting

The Green Bay Packers’ 2013 Annual Meeting took place on Wednesday, July 24th at Lambeau Field. This is an account of some of the sights from the day. Above, an early morning departure (5:00 a.m.) was designed to get us through Milwaukee before the worst of rush hour. Here we are heading north on I-43 towards the greatest city in the world.

Arriving at 8:45 a.m. brought us this view of the stadium after parking in a nearby neighborhood.

They’re going to need to take the Greg Jennings advertising signs down before Family Night next week. 

A new building on the stadium’s south end, outside all of the new construction. We’re not sure what its function is yet. Perhaps media-related?

Harkening back to the renovation started in 2001, Lambeau Field is a large construction zone, and will be through 2015. 

Work continues on the south/southeast end zone area. 

The Oneida Gate on the stadium’s east side is being re-done, allowing for expansion of the football facilities located “down under,” and a new players’ parking area. 

Shareholders make their way into Lambeau Field. Each “owner” could bring one guest, if desired. 

Above and below, these folks relax in the Atrium before the meeting started at 11:00 a.m.

The crowd and stage just before the meeting started. 

They’ve moved the championships years signage to the scoreboard area on the south end zone Jumbotron. Notice how there is room for three more under “2010.” 

GM Ted Thompson gives the most popular aspect of the day, the “football report.” 

The greatest owners in the NFL. 

The stage of management and executives. 

The last time you’ll see the Lambeau turf with no yard lines. 

After the meeting, Shareholders were welcome to self-tour the stadium, especially the new seating areas of the south end zone. We started up on the roof, where we saw the largest Packers logo that you’ll ever encounter on the back of the Jumbotron.

The view from the highest spot in the town of Green Bay. 

The seats wait patiently for the fans. 

The new construction meshes well with the existing structure. 

Looking east off the roof area, with the Don Hutson Center (the indoor practice facility) in view. 

Looking down on some of the ongoing construction on the south end. 

Some of the new seating from above.

An interesting view of the first eight championship years. 

An up-close view of the Jumbotron. 

The picturesque skyline of metropolitan Green Bay. 

Where else on the internet can you see photos of NFL stadium lighting structures? 

Following are a few images of the “Champions Club” suite area below the scoreboard. Unless this area will be included in the Lambeau Stadium Tours, us “commoners” will never see it again. 

 Owners check out the view from some of the “Champions Club” seating.

One of the “Champions Club” bar areas.

Nice historical touches to this elite area.

The exterior of this suite level.

A look at some of the new outdoor seating.

You won’t see things this empty on game days.

A wider view of the scoreboard area of the south end zone.

All the new outdoor sections have individual chair seats and cup holders.

Another view, from under the roof.

The view of the field from the top row of new seats.

Each row is decorated on the end with a Packers logo. Row 19 is the top row.

The top row of the new sections.

A close-up of the available room for four more Super Bowl victories. After that, we’re sure they’d love to find a way to add more.

The press box (west) side of the stadium.

A lower view of the new sections, showing the roof better. Some fans will be protected from the elements — but aren’t “the elements” part of football? Especially in Green Bay?

Wheelchair seating area and viewing platform.

A shot of the new speakers they installed in the last couple of years that have really improved the sound in the stadium.

Another view of the new structure.

Inside the “Legends” suites area.

Some cool, tasteful touches of Packers history on this level.

More of the “Legends” area.

The view from outside the “Legends” suites, seen from the seats below.

“Legends” lounge area.

“Legends” food service area.

More Greg Jennings signage that needs to be changed. He now wears purple and does not deserve to be in Lambeau anywhere — except in the visitors’ locker room.

We also checked out the “North Loft” area, another viewing area on the opposite end of the stadium.

Above and below, a couple of final Lambeau views from this lofty perch.

That’s it for this report from Green Bay. We are heading back up on Saturday morning for a one-week stay at Packers Training Camp 2013. You will find photos from that week here, hopefully on a regular basis.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Diary of a Super Bowl Season (1998)

From the book description: “Eugene Robinson was the embodiment of the Green Bay Packers. Not only was he the rock of the defense at free safety, he's a solid man off the field who helped make Packers fans proud of their team. A musician, record producer, computer programmer, and man of the church, Robinson takes readers through a pair of journeys in Eugene Robinson: Diary of a Super Bowl Season. From training camp to the Super Bowl and from undrafted free agent to the Pro Bowl. Robinson's story is about work, dedication, focus and family. As spoken to Kevin Isaacson, author of award-winning Packers book Return to Glory, this story is a season-long lesson on football and recitations on life. Take the journey.”

Robinson had some problems before a later Super Bowl in which he was a player for the Atlanta Falcons. That, however, is another story for a different blog. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Diary of a Super Bowl Season
By Eugene Robinson with Kevin Isaacson (1998)
Krause Publications Inc.
238 pages

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Ready for 2013

Two sets of tickets arrived in the Packerville, U.S.A. headquarters on Friday (“Green” package tickets) and Saturday (“Gold” package tickets). After a significant investment first in the “Green” package “user fee,” we now settle in to paying for all ten home games each year from now on. 

This Wednesday, we’re heading up to the annual Shareholders Meeting at 11:00 a.m. inside Lambeau Field. Afterwards, we will be touring the new seating structure in the South end zone. Our new “Green” package seats are in the original “bowl” of the stadium, in seats that were either vacated by a ticket holder who chose to take the new “upper deck” seats, or chose to no longer be a season ticket holder.

Next Saturday morning, we are heading back up for one week of Packers Training Camp 2013. We plan to have plenty of photos of all the festivities here on the Packerville, U.S.A. blog, so stay tuned.

Brett Favre: A Biography (1998)

From the book description: “Brett Favre is a tough, uncompromising quarterback whose leadership and superior play have led Green Bay to two straight Super Bowls. In 1997, he become the National Football League's first three-time Most Valuable Player, winning the award for three straight years. In addition to his record-breaking performances on the field, Favre is famous for his youth-oriented community service, including the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation he started in 1996.

“In Brett Favre: A Biography, read about one of football's legendary quarterbacks, a young man whose talent, toughness, and resolve have played an integral part in bringing the storied Green Bay Packers back to their former greatness.” 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Brett Favre: A Biography
By Bill Gutman (1998)
Simon Spotlight Entertainment
176 pages

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Leap of Faith 3 (1998)

After covering the Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers and the impact of their faith, Steve Rose turns his focus on the all-time Packers’ “Hall of Faith” in Leap of Faith 3. Packers of several eras are covered in his third book about the subject. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Leap of Faith 3: The Packer Hall of Faith
By Steve Rose (1998)
Winners Success Network Pub
170 pages

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Green Bay Replay (1997)

From the book description: “There is something refreshing about Dick Schaap's ready admission that he's had a long-standing romance with Green Bay and its football team. "I do not come to this book with clean journalistic hands," he cops. And so much the better. In an era of cold, corporate sports and cold, cynical sportswriters, the Packers are the nation's only civically owned major franchise, and Schaap, one of the best observers of the sporting scene, adores them for it. Green Bay Replay: The Packers’ Return to Glory, his chronicle of the 1997 Super Bowl championship campaign, warmly examines the town's special relationship with its team, and the team's special relationship with its past as it affectionately links current stars such as Brett Favre and Reggie White with their spiritual ancestors — Bart Starr and Willie Davis — from the dynasties of the Vince Lombardi-led '60s. A little soppy? Sure. But so what? There's no law that says baseball's the only sport allowed to split the uprights of emotion.”  

Front and back flaps.  

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Green Bay Replay: The Packers’ Return to Glory
By Dick Schaap (1997)
William Morrow; 1st edition
289 pages