Wednesday, October 26, 2016

’61 Champs — ’62 Schedule

Here’s a little something to tide you over until we post some more substantial material. This ad for Thorp Finance Corporation features the 1961 NFL Champions along with a 1962 season schedule. That makes it as old as your Packerville, U.S.A. editor. A search did not provide any concrete evidence of the company still being around, at least under that name.

Week 8 TV Map

Free time has been short this month, and we missed a game at Lambeau for the first time in years due to our being in New York City last Thursday night. This week, almost everyone will get to see the 3:25 p.m. (CT) game vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon, as indicated by the large RED area on the U.S. map.
Map courtesy of 506 Sports

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Packers-Giants Weekend — Part II

 
It’s almost time for the next game, but we wanted to get some photos up from the Packers-Giants game last Sunday. We see people like this (above) all the time, and wonder, “do they realize that the person sitting behind them doesn’t want to look at his helmet sculpture all game long?” There are a lot of worse sight-blocking headgear than this that we see all the time. C’mon people, think of someone besides yourself.

WR Jordy Nelson is always out early, running and catching and stretching. 

WR Randall Cobb is also one of the early birds who warms up twice on game days. Once in this attire, and then again in full uniform with his teammates before the game. 

The moon rises above the south Lambeau Field scoreboard.

Packers fans think that it is so hard to attend a Lambeau Field game, but large numbers of opposing fans are at every game. 

The NBC “Football Night in America” crew is on the field for their pre-game broadcast. 

WR Randall Cobb and some of his teammates are huddled before taking the field for organized warmups.

New York QB Eli Manning warms up near the Packers’ sideline. 

Manning’s teammates — and all visiting teams — use the north end of the field for their pre-game duties. 

QB Aaron Rodgers leads a larger group of Packers out for their warmup time. 

WR Randall Cobb tosses the ball to QB Aaron Rodgers as he throws to warm up. With a receiver catching the balls thrown back to Rodgers, it eliminates the chance of a jammed finger before the game.

The national anthem, with flags and breast cancer awareness ribbon. 

The Packers’ offense on their first drive of the night. 

 RB Eddie Lacy getting the early running duties.

QB Aaron Rodgers changing things at the line of scrimmage. 

The offensive line working to get some yardage for Lacy. 

A time-out conference with Rodgers and Head Coach Mike McCarthy. 

The Packers’ defense gangs up on a Giants’ runner. 

The New York Giants’ sideline area. 

QB Eli Manning going to work for the Giants’ offense. 

The Packers’ sideline area

A capacity “Gold Package” (former Milwaukee ticket holders) crowd on hand. 

“AND THAT’S ANOTHER PACKERS... (Crowd): “FIRST DOWN!”

Teammates celebrate a touchdown from WR Randall Cobb

There was an overabundance of this… long officiating crew conferences before just about every call. 

QB Aaron Rodgers looking to pass. 

Rodgers gets up close and personal with the Giants’ bench area. 

Sunday night was the Packers’ Breast Cancer Awareness game. 

The Packers’ defense attempts to cover the Giants’ pass attack. 

A Packers’ timeout

The Packers’ offense takes a breather on the sideline. 

RB James Starks finds a tight seam to squeeze through, and the Giants’ LB is distracted elsewhere. 

A Giants’ timeout. 

The Packers’ offense in victory formation.

The gathering of players and personnel at midfield as the clock runs out. 

Always a good thing!

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Week 6 TV Map (FOX Late Game)


NFL Week 6 is upon us, and above you will find the TV coverage map for the Dallas at Green Bay game, set for 3:25 p.m. (CT). Everybody in the RED areas will see the game. Those who live in BLUE areas are out of luck. Sorry.
Map courtesy of 506 Sports

New Tailgate Village for 2017

 
The Green Bay Packers and Johnsonville Sausage on Wednesday announced plans for the Johnsonville Tailgate Village, the permanent tailgating and event structure set to be constructed in Lambeau Field’s east side parking lot in time for the 2017 football season.

Aimed at giving Packers fans a centrally located spot to gather and share in Packers gameday traditions, the Johnsonville Tailgate Village will be free and open to all fans on gameday. The space will build on the success of the Tundra Tailgate Zone, the current seasonal structure open to fans on gamedays, which has been in use during football season for nearly a decade.

The new, permanent Johnsonville Tailgate Village will be an extension of Lambeau Field, reflecting the stadium’s unique look and feel. On gamedays, more than 2,000 fans will be able to experience a high-energy atmosphere, featuring music and entertainment, large screen televisions, food and beverages and other activities for tailgaters. 

The versatile, 13,242 square-foot event area will offer guests a variety of amenities including a full kitchen for event catering, indoor restrooms, and heating, radiant floors and air conditioning to create a comfortable temperature in any season. For events, the dining and event space will comfortably seat more than 500 guests for a variety of functions.

In the warmer months, the flexible, festive space will open up to a 4,300 square-foot party deck, as well as the outdoor fan walkway and Lambeau Field parking lot, with large overhead doors, allowing fans to gather and enjoy activities in both areas seamlessly. With floor to ceiling glass walls facing Lambeau Field, fans inside and out will feel like part of the action.

—Green Bay Packers Press Release

Saturday, October 08, 2016

Packers-Giants Weekend — Part I

 
We’re back in Green Bay after two weeks and a lot of busyness in the real world. On Thursday evening, we arrived to have a long football-themed weekend. Above is a sunset photo of the West side of Lambeau Field.

Work progresses on the Lodge Kohler hotel in the Titletown District, across Ridge Road from the stadium. 

Progress is also being made on the Hinterland Brewery (seen above). Ground was broken on Thursday for the new Bellin Health Sports Clinic facility, and all three are set to be open by the start of 2017 Training Camp. 

On Saturday afternoon in the Lambeau Field Atrium, former P Craig Hentrich (left) signs autographs along with TE Mark Chmura (right).

Packers’ company cars can be spotted by their “GBP####” license plates. 

Looking at the coaches and players parking lot from the deck above the entrance. 

The Don Hutson Center practice facility, where we could hear the air horns during Packers’ Saturday pre-game practice. 

The seasonal Tundra Tailgate facility will be replaced with a new permanent structure next year.

This is the way the players and coaches get into their lot, with the security gates in the foreground and Lombardi Avenue in the distance.
 
   
The East side of the stadium on a game weekend Saturday afternoon. 

The gates of the stadium await the fans tomorrow evening. 

This is where the Packers’ stay the night before home games. Yes, they stay in a local hotel for home games. The coaches and staff can sleep better knowing where their players are.

Game weekend Lambeau Atrium hours

Lots of people waiting to buy tickets for Lambeau Field tours and the Packers Hall of Fame

Fans enjoying lunch in the atrium. 

 A healthy business was being done at the 1919 Kitchen and Tap as well.

Two-thirds of the atrium was set up for a Saturday evening gathering of New York Giants fans. Really?

Above and below, we see the itinerary for Lambeau Field on the Saturday before the Packers-Giants game. 


Can too many photos be taken of the giant Lombardi Trophy

In case you didn’t know where you were. 

See above. 

The giant Lombardi Trophy from the outside. Hey, when you have four of them, you can do something like this. 

Lambeau Field on a beautiful early Fall day.

Formerly called “Highland Avenue” prior to 1968. Did you know that? 

Here’s a look at the fences along Lombardi Avenue, facing the Lambeau Field Atrium. This one is the original painted fence, done for years before these other people got the same idea.

The city of Green Bay has designated the original fence as a “Historic Site.”

And here are the others, walking West along Lombardi Avenue



Oh yeah... we also took photos of the “party houses” as the city called them. These, for decades, were normal family homes that happened to face Lambeau Field on their rear sides. Then, people with a lot of money started buying them and refurbishing them into game weekend party houses for rent. There are some folks still in their normal homes on the street, probably only until the right offer comes along.

You would think these owners would’ve timed their construction better to take advantage of football season. 

This one has also been around for a few years. 

It also has this original Lambeau Field turnstile that the guests walk through on the way to the game. 

The over-sized Lombardi Trophy is a nice touch. 

The local FOX affiliate, WLUK Channel 11, purchased this home and re-furbuished it in the last year. This seems a bit odd as all the others are private owners with lodgers on game weekends. Seems a bit over the top. There is no concept that corporations can’t ruin.

The FOX11 house. 

This might’ve been the first party house. But we might be wrong. 

Another fence getting closer to Ridge Road. 

Nice retro-logo decoration on this party house. 

The other end of the fence shown above. 

The three most important flags in the state of Wisconsin. 

The Don Hutson Center, with the Clarke Hinkle Field fences blocked off to guard against spying on practices during the season. 

The South end of the practice field. 

Yep, they were flying South. 

The West side of the practice field, along Oneida Street. 

Looks like the population was updated. 

In the neighborhoods South of Lambeau Field

The South end of the stadium, rarely seen in photographs.