The Green Bay Packers played their first game in 1919. Their home field had no bleachers, and fans paid what they could afford. The Indian Packing Company sponsored the team, and thus the name was formed. Their opponents were a collection of teams from Wisconsin and Michigan. They won all but one game that first year. Their sponsor went out of business that first year, but the Packers retained the name. By season number two, stands were built on one end of the field for fans of this newly formed team.
By year number two, the Packers had joined the pro ranks. That first year at the pro level was the beginning of the now famous Bears verses Packers rivalry. The Chicago Bears would defeat the Packers that day. By 1922, the Packers formed as a corporation. Packers tickets were not the hottest item in Green Bay, but they would slowly gain in popularity.
In their first five years as a team, The Green Bay Packers moved from an old athletic field, to a makeshift field, to Bellevue Park. Their fan base grew so rapidly that the team needed a place to call their own. City Stadium was the exclusive home field for the Packers, and that would continue to be their home for the next thirty years. They did travel to Milwaukee's Marquette Stadium to play games that attracted a completely new fan base. That Milwaukee tradition continued, as they played their Milwaukee games at County Stadium into the 1990's.
In 1957, Packers fans enjoyed the newly built stadium. It was still named City Stadium, but this state of the art facility would continue to be the Packers home field to this day. The name was later changed to Lambeau Field, in honor of Curley Lambeau. Lambeau Field is now considered the Valhalla of NFL football. Green Bay Packers tickets are sold out for the next 40 years.
Former Green Bay Packers players read like a who's who of football greats. Packers listed in the NFL hall of fame include Herb Adderly, Willlie Davis, Forest Gregg, Tony Canadeo, Len Ford, Don Hudson, Curly Lambeau, Vince Lombardi, James Lofton, Rat Nitschke, Bart Starr, Reggie White, and Willie Wood. Five former Packers had their numbers retired, and Brett Favre's number 4 will soon join those five former greats. The popularity of the franchise helped to make Packer tickets an item that has been passed down through generations. Click the link below for the best Packer ticket options in Wisconsin.
The modern day success of the Green Bay Packers started with the acquisition of Reggie White. Reggie White drew other great players to Green Bay, including Sean Jones, Don Beebe, and more. In the 1990's, Mike Holmgren brought the Packers back to their winning ways. He took a shot on a gunslinger named Brett Favre. Brett Favre would go on to be one of only two NFL players to win the MVP award three times. Favre would also lead the team to two Super Bowl games. The greatest achievement for the modern day Packers would be their victory in Super Bowl Thirty-one.
Since that time, the Packers made it as far as the 2007 NFC Championship game. That playoff run gave the aging Brett Favre one more chance to play in the Super Bowl, but the Packers came up short. His career in Green Bay ended with an interception by Corey Webster of the New York Giants. Favre would go on to play one season for the Jets, but he never lived up to his former glory. He once again retired, but this time it was for good.
All eyes are on Aaron Rodgers, as he takes the lead role for the Packers. His first year as a starter proved that he has the capability to put up great numbers, but Green Bay defense gave up too many late game leads. The Packers did not make the playoffs for 2008, but hope is high as Ted Thompson begins to retool the defense.
