When “Curly” Lambeau first collaborated with George Calhoun to create the Green Bay Packers team in 1919, neither could have seriously imagined that they were forming the team that would one day be heralded as the franchise with the most NFL Championship ever. In fact, the idea first came to the duo as they conversed out on the street. As further illustration of the Packers’ less than glorious beginnings, Lambeau had to request that the Indian Packing Company – who employed him at the time – agree to pay the cost of team jerseys. Even after the Packers began to play their games, it still would be three years before Lambeau could finally secure their franchise contract with the National Football League – and he still needed investors to scrape together the entire $250 franchise fee!

The Packers Dynasty

As the most decorated team in the League’s history, the Packers have worn the NFL title crown a full twelve times. As a result, the city of Green Bay is known in football circles as Titletown, USA. Given their dynasties in the 1930s, and success in the 1990s and beyond, that name is well-deserved. For most fans, however, the strongest Packers dynasty was the one that was built during the Vince Lombardi years of the 1960s.

Restoring the glory

Lombardi inherited anything but a cohesive and productive football team when he took over as Coach in 1959. In fact, the team won only one of twelve games in 1958. Lombardi, who was hired away from his assistant’s role with the Giants, wasted no time or effort in changing the tone and tenor of the team’s approach to the game. The results were dramatic, as the 1959 Packers had a seven-win season, followed by their 1960 appearance in the western championship game against Philadelphia. Though they lost that 1960 postseason contest, the stage was set for the team to win titles in 1961 and again in 1962. Then in 1965, the team began a championship run that lasted for three years and three titles – two of which were the first two official Super Bowl contests.

The anatomy of a dynasty

From 1960 until Lombardi left in 1967, his Packers never finished in a position lower that second in their division. At the time considered the team to beat each season, the Lombardi Packers’ five titles over a span of seven years proved that belief to be quite accurate. Lombardi had brought an efficient system of discipline to the team that enabled his players to win ninety-eight of their one hundred and thirty-two games during a nine year run that still ranks among the best all-time. That record pales in comparison to Lombardi’s Packers success during the postseason: out of ten games played, the Packers lost only the first postseason matchup in 1960.

Preparation was the key

It is easy for many modern fans to view Lombardi through the lens of history and simply dismiss him as a rare example of football genius – one of those historic individuals who have the innate power to rally any team or organization to victory. When he almost offhandedly made his comment about winning and how it was the only thing of relevance, he served only to fuel that perception. Lombardi’s abilities were more than inspirational, however. He was a master of preparation, as is perhaps best evidenced by his team’s use of the Lombardi-created Packer Sweep. He forced his players to run the Sweep drill so repetitiously in practice that they performed it without error. Because of their practiced proficiency, opponents could almost never stop the play, although they almost always knew it was going to be run.

Freddie Brister begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting is a huge fan of all sports and recommends checking out his Green Bay Packers Watch and Los Angeles Dodgers watch at his shop.

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