Green Bay

Green Bay Packers

Over the course of the last ninety years of professional football, there has not been a more storied franchise than that of the Green Bay Packers. Born in 1919, the team was the brainchild of Curly Lambeau. He, along with his partner George Calhoun, had first gotten the idea to form a professional team while they were talking on the corner of a street in Green Bay. After getting Lambeau’s Indian Packing Company employers to agree to pay for the team’s initial uniforms, the Packers began to play. After a false start in acquiring an NFL franchise in 1921, Lambeau finally cemented the team’s membership in the League in 1922 – for a mere $250.

The Packers Dynasty

Since that time, the team has won an NFL-record 12 championship titles and given their home city the well-earned moniker of “Titletown.” Though they have had many periods of success over the last nine decades, there is little argument with the fact that their strongest period of dynasty was in the 1960s – under the leadership of the legendary Vince Lombardi.

Restoring the Packers

When Lombardi arrived at the Packers organization, the team had just suffered through a period of decline that was capped by the 1958 loss of ten of their twelve games (with one game being a tie). Lombardi’s arrival from the assistant coaching ranks at the New York Giants sparked an immediate turnaround in the team’s fortunes. His 1959 team won seven of twelve games, with the 1960 squad going on to play in the NFL’s western championship – a game they lost to Philadelphia. From that point onward, however, the Packers were all but unstoppable in the 1960s as they won titles in 1961 and 1962, and then followed that up with a three-peat performance from 1965 to 1967 – with the latter two championships also being the first two Super Bowls.

A true dynasty

Under Lombardi’s coaching tenure from 1960 until 1967, the Packers finished either first or second in their division each year. During that time, the team was thought of as the epitome of football success. The franchise’s five championships in the space of seven seasons was clear evidence that Lombardi’s disciplined, military style system obviously worked. During his nine years with the team, the Packers won 98 games, lost only 30, and had 4 ties. His postseason record was even better, as the Packers won 9 of their 10 postseason games – with the only loss being that 1960 matchup with Philadelphia.

Preparation was the key

When most people think of Lombardi, they imagine an offensive and defensive genius who could will his team to win through the sheer force of his personality. He is, after all, the coach who is most famous for repeating the quote about winning being the only thing that matters. The real secret to his success was, however, his ability to prepare his team each and every week. Take the famous Packer Sweep running play, for example – a play designed by Lombardi. His players practiced that one play so many times that they could literally run it successfully even though everyone in the stadium – including their opponents – knew they were going to do it.

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