Records & History - NFL.com

PACKERS PATENTSFootball historians generally credit the Green Bay Packerswith inventing several aspects common in today’s game. Theteam is believed to be the first to ...• Implement daily practice (Curly Lambeau, 1920s).• Innovate the forward pass into pro game (Lambeau usedthe “unsportsmanlike” play at will at East High School,then after only semester at Notre Dame in 1918 broughtKnute Rockne’s “secret weapon” to early NFL).• Introduce a mascot at pro game (dog named Olive,because he liked to eat Durkee olives, 1919).• Install a stadium public-address system (City Stadium,1925; local radio shop owner Peter Platten installed speakerspowered by six-volt wet-cell batteries; former Packersplayer Jim Coffeen was team’s first PA announcer).• Have cheerleaders on sidelines (several games in 1931,from Green Bay East and West high schools).• Use pass patterns (Don Hutson, 1935, ran a deep post tocatch first career pass, 83-yard TD vs. Bears, Sept. 22, 1935).• Charter an airplane to fly to a road game (1940).• Have “tailgating” fans (some evidence suggests it wasintroduced at Bellevue Park, 1923-24, but no doubt perfectedin new City Stadium’s spacious parking lots, 1957).• Packers defeat Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-19, at Lambeau Field inregular-season finale (Dec. 24), clinch first NFC Central Divisionchampionship since 1972.• Packers beat Falcons, 37-20, in NFC Wild Card game, maintainteam’s perfect (9-0) home playoff record (Dec. 31).1996• Packers stun defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco,27-17, in divisional playoff at 49ers’ 3Com Park (Jan. 6).• Treasurer John R. Underwood reports then-record organizationprofit of $5,440,628 at annual stockholders’ meeting (May 29).• Packers complete $4 million Lambeau Field project in August,installing second replay board and two new scoreboards to fullyenclose stadium.• The design of a stamp bearing likenessof former Packers coach VinceLombardi is unveiled in Lambeau Field(Nov. 3).• Packers clinch second consecutiveNFC Central Division championshipwith 41-6 victory over Denver (Dec. 8).1997• Packers vanquish 49ers, 35-14, in divisional playoff at LambeauField (Jan. 4).• Packers beat Carolina Panthers in NFC Championship Game,30-13, earn first Super Bowl trip since 1967 (Jan. 12).• Packers defeat New England Patriots, 35-21, in Super Bowl XXXI atLouisiana Superdome in New Orleans (Jan. 26), claim 12th NFL title.• With the wind chill registering a frigid 0 to 10 degrees belowzero during a three-hour parade through the city, an estimated200,000 enthusiastic fans welcome Packers home from SuperBowl victory. Another 60,000 jam Lambeau Field for officialprogram hailing the world champions (Jan. 27).• Packers extend contract of Wolf as executive vice president/generalmanager for three additional years, through 2002 (April 8).• Treasurer John R. Underwood reports, at annual shareholders’meeting, then-record net income for Packers Corporation of$5,877,061 for fiscal 1996 (May 28).• Work is completed on installation of new playing surface, includingmodern heating and irrigation systems, at Lambeau Field(June 15).• Don Hutson, most-feared pass receiver in pro football history,dies at age 84 (June 26).• Packers establish own website, packers.com (July 23).• Packers’ two practice fields are namedClarke Hinkle Field and Ray Nitschke Fieldin honor of two of team’s Pro Football Hallof Fame members, Wolf announces (July24).• Favre signs a seven-year contract, longestin Packers history, and one making him – attime of signing – highest-paid player in thehistory of pro football (July 25).• Gross Avenue in Village of Ashwaubenonis renamed and dedicated as HolmgrenWay in honor of Packers head coach (Aug.17). Street, poetically, intersects LombardiAvenue.515• At a special meeting, Packers’ shareholders approve the issuanceof additional stock for the first time since 1950 (Nov. 13), withoffering of 400,000 shares at $200 per share.• Packers’ designated national clearinghouse receives 55,000phone calls concerning new stock issue within 24 hours followingannouncement of sale (Nov. 14).• Packers clinch postseason berth for record fifth straight year(Dec. 1) with 27-11 victory over Minnesota Vikings.• Packers capture third consecutive NFC Central Division title via17-6 victory over Buccaneers in Tampa (Dec. 7), earn first-roundbye in playoffs and right to host divisional playoff.1998• Gaining berth in NFC Championship for third straight year,Packers defeat Tampa Bay, 21-7, in divisional playoff (Jan. 4).• Packers earn second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl with23-10 victory over 49ers at San Francisco in NFC ChampionshipGame (Jan. 11).• Last-minute drive falls short of tie, Packers lose to DenverBroncos, 31-24, in Super Bowl XXXII at San Diego (Jan. 25).Record, worldwide audience of 800 million, in 147 countries,views game on TV.• More than 25,000 fans turn out in Lambeau Field to welcomePackers home from Super Bowl XXXII (Jan. 27).• Legendary linebacker Ray Nitschke, a member of the Pro FootballHall of Fame, dies in Florida at age 61 (March 8).• Harlan announces that stock sale, which ended March 16,yielded nearly 106,000 new shareholders, more than $24 million(March 17).• With huge increase in number of “owners,” Packers makecorporate history, hold shareholders’ meeting in Lambeau Fieldfor first time (July 8). Record crowd of 18,707 attends. For thethird consecutive year, Treasurer John R. Underwood reportsthen-record net income for the Packers Corporation, $6,718,628for fiscal 1997.• Packers travel to Japan, the team’s first trip overseas in its80-year history, defeat Kansas City Chiefs, 27-24 in overtime, inAmerican Bowl game at Tokyo Dome (Aug. 2).• Packers extend regular-season, home-field winning streak to aclub-record 25 games – the second-longest streak in NFL history– with 23-15 win over Tampa Bay (Sept. 13).• Home-field winning streak ends at 25 against Minnesota, 37-24,on rainy Monday night (Oct. 5).• Packers clinch playoff berth for team-record sixth consecutiveseason (Dec. 19).1999• Favre engineeers 89-yard drive to give Packers 27-23 lead with1:56 left in NFC Wild Card playoff at San Francisco, but 49ersscore with three seconds left to win 30-27 (Jan. 3).• Holmgren resigns to become executive vice president of footballoperations/general manager/head coach of Seattle Seahawks(Jan. 8).• Ray Rhodes, former Eagles head coach and ex-Green Bay defensivecoordinator, named Packers’ 12th head coach (Jan. 11).• John M. Jones named senior vice president of administration,succeeding Michael Reinfeldt (Feb. 10).• Reggie White, a Pro Bowl selection for a record 13 consecutiveyears, announces his retirement, ending one of the most distinguishedplaying careers in NFL history (Feb. 15).• Lambeau Field is named by Sports Illustrated in June as theeighth-best venue in the world to watch sports, the only NFLstadium to make the publication’s list of 20.• Largest crowd ever to see Packers play a game in Wisconsin,78,184, watches Green Bay defeat Denver, 27-12, in preseasoncontest at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. (Aug. 23).• White, the sure-fire Hall of Fame defensive end who played sixdistinguished seasons for the Packers from 1993-98, is honoredat halftime of nationally televised game with Tampa Bay. An emotionalWhite tells the crowd, “I have been honored and privilegedto have been a Packer, and I will always be a Packer” (Oct. 10).2000• Wolf relieves Rhodes as head coach (Jan. 3).• Mike Sherman, Seattle offensive coordinator and 21-year coachingveteran, named as 13th head coach in Packers history byWolf (Jan. 18).• Packers President Bob Harlan announces plansfor proposed $295 million redevelopment ofLambeau Field (Jan. 22).• Gov. Tommy Thompson, on Lambeau Field,signs state legislature’s stadium renovation billinto law, making possible a 0.5 percent salestax to fund $160 million in construction bondsor loans for the redevelopment of Lambeau Field(May 13).ShermanCOMMUNITYADMIN. &COACHESDRAFT &VETERANS FREE AGENTS 2012 REVIEWCHRONOLOGYPACJKERS CHRONOLOGYLAMBEAUFIELD MISC.