11.07.2015 Views

Records & History - NFL.com

Records & History - NFL.com

Records & History - NFL.com

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

On Aug. 11, 1919, a score or more husky young athletes,called together by Curly Lambeau and George Calhoun, gatheredin the dingy editorial room of the old Green Bay Press-Gazette building on Cherry Street and organized a footballteam. They didn’t know it, but that was the beginning of theincredible saga of the Green Bay Packers.Lambeau and Calhoun struck the initial spark a few weeksbefore, during a casual street-corner conversation. It wasapparently a “Why not get up a football team?” remark, butonce they were interested, they wasted no time.First they talked Lambeau’s employer – a wartime industrycalled the Indian Packing Company, where he worked as a shippingclerk for $250/month – into putting up money for jerseys.Because the <strong>com</strong>pany provided jerseys and permitted theuse of its athletic field for practice, the club was identified inits early publicity as a project of the <strong>com</strong>pany. With this tie-in,the name “Packers” was a natural, and Packers they havebeen ever since, although the Indian Packing Company hadpractically faded out of the picture before that first seasonwas half over.The first season the team won10 and lost only one, against foesfrom Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.Games were played in an open fieldwith no fences or bleachers, and interestedfans “passed the hat.” But theteam was so successful by 1921 thatLambeau was backed by two officialsof the packing plant in obtaining afranchise (Aug. 27, 1921) in the newnational pro football league that hadbeen formed in 1920. Cash customersdidn’t quite pay the freight and theteam had to be forfeited at year’s end.This was the first in a long seriesof troubles that the now-famous teamovercame, for in 1922 Lambeaugained other backers and bought thefranchise back for $250, including$50 of his own money. Troublescontinued during that season. Onegame was rained out and the insurance<strong>com</strong>pany wouldn’t pay off because the official amount of rainwas one one-hundredth of an inch short of that required in the policy.However, another storm late in the season, when the Packerswere scheduled to play the Duluth Kelleys, threatened to throwLambeau further into debt. But A.B. Turnbull, Green Bay Press-Gazette general manager, advanced Lambeau the Duluth guarantee.He then lobbied town businessmen (“The Hungry Five”) behind theteam, and formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.From those modest and somewhat tenuous beginnings, thePackers have gone on to earn national stature and virtual world-widerecognition by winning more championships (13) over the intervening80-plus years than any team in pro football.These achievements, while representing a town of approximately100,000 in <strong>com</strong>petition with the country’s largest markets, haveendeared the Packers to the nation. The David vs. Goliath conceptand the team’s unique status as a publicly owned corporation haveintrigued generations.The Packers’ colorful saga spans 90 years from the “Iron Man”period of the first decade under founder Lambeau, to the present1919BIRTH OF A TEAM, AND A LEGENDCalhounLambeauEVENTS THAT LED TO THE PACKERS’ BIRTH• Lambeau family immigrates from Belgium to NortheastWisconsin in 1870s.• Earl “Curly” Lambeau, outstanding athlete at GreenBay East High School, enrolls at Notre Dame andmakes varsity as freshman under Knute Rockne.• Lambeau contracts severe tonsillitis after 1918 seasonand <strong>com</strong>es home. Told by doctor his tonsils can’t <strong>com</strong>eout until infection subsides, he misses 1919 springsemester, and eventually gives up collegiate careerwith Fighting Irish.• George W. Calhoun, who’d covered Lambeau whenhe starred at East, bumps into him on street; the twostrike up conversation, and decide to start team.• Lambeau’s employer, Green Bay’s Indian PackingCompany, donates $500 for blue and gold uniforms,and allows team to practice on <strong>com</strong>pany property.• Acme Packing Company purchases assets of IndianPacking Company, including its fledgling team. UnderAcme ownership, team enters new American ProfessionalFootball Association (renamed <strong>NFL</strong> in 1922).507day, which finds Mike McCarthy presiding as the team’s 14thhead coach.THE IRON MAN ERAWith good financial backing, Lambeau picked up collegestars from all over the country, plus some unknowns whoturned out to be “greats.” In 1929, tiny Green Bay won thefirst of three straight national professional football championships,pacing stalwarts from New York and Chicago in leaguestandings (the playoff system began in 1933). The 1929-31title teams featured all-time pro greats like Red Dunn, VerneLewellen, Cal Hubbard, Bo Molenda, Jug Earp, Mike Michalske,Johnny (Blood) McNally, Bill Kern, Arnie Herber, Lavvie Dilweg,Tom Nash, Milt Gantenbein and Hank Bruder. In many games,players would play for almost the full 60 minutes. These teamswere hailed all over the country as some of the greatest ever.THE HUTSON PERIODTrouble flared again in 1934, when a fan fell from thestands, sued and won a $5,000 verdict.After their insurance <strong>com</strong>panywent bankrupt, the Packers went intoreceivership and were just about tofold when Green Bay businessmencame to the rescue again, raised$15,000 in new capital and reorganizedthe club.About this time (1935), a ratherslight, lanky end by the name of DonHutson came to the club. He actuallysigned two contracts, with Green Bayand the Brooklyn Dodgers. But <strong>com</strong>missionerJoe Carr awarded Hutsonto the Packers, because Green Bay’spostmark was earlier.From his first game on, Hutsonbecame the terror of the league andthe secret of Green Bay’s next threechampionships.His arrival and correspondingattendanceincreasesallowed the team to buy itself out of receivershipin 1935. With Herber and Cecil Isbell passingand Hutson catching anything they threw at him,despite any kind of a stop-Hutson defense, GreenBay won championships in 1936, 1939 and 1944.MEN WHO I<strong>NFL</strong>UENCED THE PACKERS’ INFANCYHutson• George Whitney Calhoun, sports editor, Green BayPress-Gazette; team manager, publicist and traveling secretaryfrom 1919-47; used paper to personally target and recruitlocal athletes for first gathering in 1919, and to draw fans togame during financially shaky early seasons. Passed his hatalong sidelines at Hagemeister Park to raise money for team.• Earl “Curly” Lambeau, founder and first team captain;persuaded employers to purchase equipment and join AmericanProfessional Football Association (became <strong>NFL</strong>); starredas player from 1921-29; coached team for 31 seasons.• Frank Peck, Lambeau’s boss at Indian Packing Company,handed team $500 for first uniforms and equipment.• John Clair, chairman, Acme Packing Company, bought team andIndian Packing Company in 1919; convinced by Lambeau to applyfor franchise in new American Professional Football Association(<strong>NFL</strong>); forfeited financially unstable team after 1921 season.• Don Murphy, Lambeau’s friend; drove to Canton and 1922league meeting with Lambeau, who wanted to re-enter league(<strong>NFL</strong> banished franchise for using active college players in1921); upon arrival, Murphy sold his Marmon Roadster for$1,500, gave $200 to Lambeau to meet most of $250 re-entryfee (Lambeau chipped in $50 of own money), and used someof the rest to buy Green Bay train tickets. In return, Lambeauallowed Murphy to play in one game (he covered on season’sfirst non-league kickoff at Duluth, Sept. 24).• Andrew B. Turnbull, general manager, Green Bay Press-Gazette; first president of Packers corporation; kept team afloatin 1922, then rallied local businessmen to purchase stock andturn Packers into nonprofit corporation in August 1923.COMMUNITYTHE PACKERS STORYADMIN. &COACHESDRAFT &VETERANS FREE AGENTS 2012 REVIEWPACKERSSTORYLAMBEAUFIELD MISC.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!