Green Bay Packers, the third-oldest franchise in the National Football League (NFL) which debuted in 1919 is going strong in this year's contest. The team which convincingly defeated Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, October 8 will next lock horns with Minnesota Vikings on October 15, 2017. The fan base of Green Bay Packers is increasing day by day, and nowadays, people in Asian countries too follow the games of this team.
As the popularity of the team has reached new heights, it will be very interesting to read some unknown and interesting facts about Green Bay Packers.
The one and only publicly owned sports franchise in the US
Earl "Curly" Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun founded Green Bay Packers in 1919. George Whitney Calhoun was a journalist who worked as a news editor with a local publication, while Lambeau was a shipping clerk at the Indian Packing Company. The Green Bay Packers is the only sports franchise in the United States which is publicly owned. The number of shareholders in the franchise now is more than 1,00,000, which makes it the team of the public.
The revenue sharing model followed by Green Bay Packers is something rare in the world of Sports, and it is undoubtedly the perfect epitome of the way in which socialism should be carried out without any bias. Being the only non-profit franchise in American sports, the team is considered as a household asset among Green Bay residents.
Several nicknames in its decade long journey
When the team was found in 1919, it was known as Indian Packers among fans. Later in 1920, the Indian Packing company was bought by Acme. Interestingly, Acme too showed interest in supporting the team, and the players graced the ground for the first time in NFL with "Acme Parkers" imprinted on their jerseys.
In the course of time, the team got many nicknames from fans including, 'Blues', 'Big Bay Blues', 'Bays', and 'The Pack'.
Green Bay Packers: The most successful team in NFL history
Green Bay Packers, without any doubts, is the most successful team in the history of National Football League. The team has won 13 League Championships, four Superbowl Championships, and 18 divisional championships.
The special case of Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung is considered as one of all time greats in professional football history. In 1961, the Green Bay Packers team sought the help of President John F.Kennedy to allow Hornung to play an NFL match. At that time, Hornung was called upon for army service but considering the request of coach Vince Lombardi, JFK sanctioned permission for the lead blocker to play the game, and the rest is history. In the match against New York Giants, Pack won 37-0, while Hornung scored 19 points for his side.
