Inevitably, procedures at Packers games have come a long way since 1919-20, when the team subsisted on the contents of George Calhoun's hat. At that time, there were no ushers, cheerleaders, band or public address system, which hadn't yet been invented. There weren't even any seats, and admission was free.
From 1919-56, the Packers played their Green Bay games -- including their first league contest -- at virtually the same address. Their first home games were at Hagemeister Park, a vacant lot marked with a football gridiron, adjacent to East High.
There were no gates because there wasn't a fence. Spectators just dropped off the Walnut Street trolley and walked to the sideline, or drove their own cars and parked about 10 yards behind the ropes stretched around the playing field.
If they felt like it, they either sat in their automobiles or on top of them, but most preferred to get out and follow up and down the field. By moving as play progressed, one always had a "50-yard line" location and was handy to any donnybrook that might require a little help. In fact, when things got exciting, the crowd sometimes spilled right onto the field, surrounded the scrimmage in a big circle and virtually took part in every play. Teams didn't huddle in those days, or the fans would have been in that, too.
When the half ended, teams grabbed blankets and adjourned to opposite end zones where they relaxed and talked over the tactics of the next half. The crowd formed a ring around the players, a practice encouraged since it made a handy wind break. Fans weren't bashful about joining the discussions either, sometimes with surprising results. At least one early game was pulled out of the fire by a spectator's halftime suggestion.
In 1920, the city built a section of stands -- a small bleacher that held about 200 -- giving the Packers their first justification for charging admission. The next year, a portable canvas fence was erected around the perimeter and a regular admission charge inaugurated.
The decision to play games in Milwaukee (including State Fair Park and County Stadium) played a key role in the Packers' survival. It allowed the team to tap a larger market and thwart any efforts to establish another competing pro football team there. The Packers played games in Milwaukee for 62 straight years (1933-94) until opting -- mostly for financial reasons -- to move all games to Green Bay beginning with the 1995 season.
The Packers' seven home fields, 1919-94
GREEN BAY
Hagemeister Park, 1919-22...Classic sandlot, near Baird and Walnut streets, adjacent to East River...East High School and Joannes Park now occupy land.
Bellevue Park, 1923-24...Minor league baseball park, near Hochgraves Brewery, in 100-200 block of North Main Street.
City Stadium, 1925-56...Located behind East High School...Expanded several times to reach peak capacity of 24,500...Annually voted the NFL's best playing surface, because it sat just yards from the East River...EHS football team still uses downsized facility.
MILWAUKEE
Borchert Field,1933...Hosted one game...Minor league baseball park, home to NFL's Badgers from 1922-26...Located near Burleigh, Chambers and North Eighth streets...Torn down in 1954, it's now a children's playground.
State Fair Park, 1934-51...Location: West Allis, Wis., near West Kearney, Greenfield, South 77th and South 84th streets, on Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.
Marquette Stadium, 1952...Located on Marquette campus.
County Stadium, 1953-94...Home to baseball's Milwaukee Braves and Brewers...Off Interstate 94...Both benches were on east sideline...end zones ran north-south, from third base to right field...demolished in 2000 to make parking lot for Miller Park.
Interesting thread! I've only ever been to one NFL football stadium in my life.. Rich Stadium in Buffalo, NY for a concert. Have yet to ever see a live football game but would like to!
Interesting thread! I've only ever been to one NFL football stadium in my life.. Rich Stadium in Buffalo, NY for a concert. Have yet to ever see a live football game but would like to!
You've missed the bargin days Dave.
Back in the late 70's and early 80's I would drive up to Green Bay on a Sunday morning ,getting there around 11:00 to 11:30 am and start looking for tickets. With 15 minutes of game time I would get tickets for around $15.00 a seat and beer was $2.50 a bottle. Parking was free on the street . I sure like free and always will too
Those were the days , too bad the packers lost more games than they won back then But I got to see them play with the CRACK of their plastic guards.
...Them's got ears, let them hear
Them's got eyes, let them see
Turn your eyes to the lord of the skies
Take this airline plane
It'll take you home again
You've missed the bargin days Dave.
Back in the late 70's and early 80's I would drive up to Green Bay on a Sunday morning ,getting there around 11:00 to 11:30 am and start looking for tickets. With 15 minutes of game time I would get tickets for around $15.00 a seat and beer was $2.50 a bottle. Parking was free on the street . I sure like free and always will too
Those were the days , too bad the packers lost more games than they won back then But I got to see them play with the CRACK of their plastic guards.
And we know you'll agree that based on these 100 reasons, in no particular order, that the Packers are the greatest sports franchise in the history of the universe:
1.We won Super Bowl I
2.We won Super Bowl II
3.We won Super Bowl XXXI
4.Three words: No Jerry Jones (or any other rich owner)
5."G" on the helmets proves God is a Packers fan
6.Fuzzy's #63 Bar & Grill
7.There's always something for TV stations to talk about; Packers' victories keep newspapers in business
8.Only indisputable fact that proves Wisconsin's superiority over Illinois
9.Tailgaters create the world's finest cuisine in Lambeau's parking lot
10.Only Green Bay could make a jerk like Brett Favre seem like a nice guy (for a while)
11.Lambeau Field's inexpensive season tickets, assuming you're not one of the 83,000 people on 90-year season ticket waiting list
12.The only football team with a Broadway play about our coach
13.Mark Chmura's sweet keggers
14.Parking on lawns boosts local economy
15.Blaze orange is the third team color
16.Forgot your flask? The guy next to you probably has one or two
17.Packers bars, all around the world
18.It's hard to beat the sight of a 300-pound lineman a on kid's bike
19.Shirtless fans in sub-zero weather
20.You can't buy stock in the Seahawks
21.Gilbert Brown's grave digger burger at Burger King
22.Reggie White's direct line to God
23.Charles Martin body-slamming that punk Jim McMahon -- who ended his career playing for Green Bay (and still got booed)
24.Clay Matthews' flowing locks
25.Barry Sanders held to -1 yard in playoff game on Dec. 31, 1994 ...
26.... and Yancey Thigpen's dropped touchdown on Christmas Eve the next year
27.The Monday Night Miracle
28.Don Freakin' Beebe
29.Brett's changing the play at the line of scrimmage ... Rison is wide open ... touchdown!!
30.Bart Starr made Rawhide Boys Ranch a household name
31.The Instant Replay game
32.The Raji shake
33.Most storied franchise in NFL history despite Randy Wright
34.Tony Mandarich (just kidding)
35.Esera Tuaolo, one of the few players in the NFL to admit he's gay
36.Fritz Shurmur, may he rest in peace
37.Vern Biever's legendary photographs
38.Season tickets are family heirlooms
39.Domes are for Vikings (and Minnesotans)
40.Packers gave Green Bay something to talk about other than toilet paper
41.One more football team than Los Angeles
42.The Packers Hall of Fame
43.Lee Remmel
44.The franchise that justified the construction of I-43
45.Zubas and mustaches
46.Stadium full of snowmobile suits
47.Mike Holmgren: we still miss ya, coach
48.The muted sound of 146,000 mittens clapping
49.Reggie White / Sean Jones sandwiches
50.Packers Sundays boost state's entire economy
51.Lil' Wayne loves 'em
52.Singlehandedly keeping the Schnapps industry afloat
53.Our bench warmers are other team's franchise players
54.Chris Farley was a Packers fan
55.The Lambeau Leap ...
56.... invented by the beloved LeRoy Butler
57.The only team that could make make "Bang the Drum" cool
58.Thirty years of awful teams, and Lambeau was still sold out
59.Reasonable scalpers
60.Back to back to back MVP
61.Someone has to beat the Bears every year
62.Jim Irwin
63.Max McGee, may he rest in peace
64.Larry McCarren
65.In the unlikely event of a water landing your cheesehead can be used as a flotation device (true story)
66.Fandom stretches into UP and Minnesota ... and beyond
67.Only meat packing-related team name in pro sports (we think)
68.Renovated Lambeau still feels like Lambeau ...
69.... and explaining to visiting fans that they finally made it to heaven
70.World's largest wide receiver statue
71.20 years, two quarterbacks (except for Matt Flynn)
72.Kuuuuuuuuhn!
73.Kooooooonce!
74.Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge, Mike Holmgren Way, Lombardi Avenue, Brett Favre Pass
75.Da da dat, da dada dat, Go Pack Go!
76.Titletown has a nice ring to it
77.Tickets so sought-after that disputes over them can tear families apart
78.It's the Lombardi trophy
79.Starr, Dowler, Touchdown!
80.Lambeau Field is so awesome it's in two cities at once
81.Even though Lambeau only held 52,000 at the time, over 120,000 people claim to have been at the Ice Bowl
82.Sitting in the same seats our grandparents sat in 60 years ago
83.The "Bears still suck" chant
84.Priests end Mass early so everyone can make noon kickoff, and it's acceptable to wear Packers jerseys to church (even in the off-season)
85.Bob Harlan used to answer his own phone
86.We even watched during the Lynn Dickey era
87.Fickle, but focused and fanatical fan base
88.Old-school jerseys and merchandise among best sellers in NFL
89.Wayne "There is your dagger!" Larrivee left Chicago for Green Bay
90.Donald Driver, a stand-up guy
91.Kroll's burgers before the game
92.Desmond Howard's Heisman pose
93.Buying a beer for a visiting fan and watching the look of amazement on their faces
94.No professional cheerleaders to distract players
95.Chester Marcol brought tailgating inside Lambeau
96.More NFL championships than any other team
97.High standards: even legends like Paul Hornung, Willie Davis and Jim Taylor do not have their numbers retired
98.John Facenda made Lombardi seem even more bad-ass
99.Aaron Rodgers could turn out better than his predecessor (who we shall never speak of again)
100.Super Bowl XLV Champions (trust us)
And we know you'll agree that based on these 100 reasons, in no particular order, that the Packers are the greatest sports franchise in the history of the universe:
1.We won Super Bowl I
2.We won Super Bowl II
3.We won Super Bowl XXXI
4.Three words: No Jerry Jones (or any other rich owner)
5."G" on the helmets proves God is a Packers fan
6.Fuzzy's #63 Bar & Grill
7.There's always something for TV stations to talk about; Packers' victories keep newspapers in business
8.Only indisputable fact that proves Wisconsin's superiority over Illinois
9.Tailgaters create the world's finest cuisine in Lambeau's parking lot
10.Only Green Bay could make a jerk like Brett Favre seem like a nice guy (for a while)
11.Lambeau Field's inexpensive season tickets, assuming you're not one of the 83,000 people on 90-year season ticket waiting list
12.The only football team with a Broadway play about our coach
13.Mark Chmura's sweet keggers
14.Parking on lawns boosts local economy
15.Blaze orange is the third team color
16.Forgot your flask? The guy next to you probably has one or two
17.Packers bars, all around the world
18.It's hard to beat the sight of a 300-pound lineman a on kid's bike
19.Shirtless fans in sub-zero weather
20.You can't buy stock in the Seahawks
21.Gilbert Brown's grave digger burger at Burger King
22.Reggie White's direct line to God
23.Charles Martin body-slamming that punk Jim McMahon -- who ended his career playing for Green Bay (and still got booed)
24.Clay Matthews' flowing locks
25.Barry Sanders held to -1 yard in playoff game on Dec. 31, 1994 ...
26.... and Yancey Thigpen's dropped touchdown on Christmas Eve the next year
27.The Monday Night Miracle
28.Don Freakin' Beebe
29.Brett's changing the play at the line of scrimmage ... Rison is wide open ... touchdown!!
30.Bart Starr made Rawhide Boys Ranch a household name
31.The Instant Replay game
32.The Raji shake
33.Most storied franchise in NFL history despite Randy Wright
34.Tony Mandarich (just kidding)
35.Esera Tuaolo, one of the few players in the NFL to admit he's gay
36.Fritz Shurmur, may he rest in peace
37.Vern Biever's legendary photographs
38.Season tickets are family heirlooms
39.Domes are for Vikings (and Minnesotans)
40.Packers gave Green Bay something to talk about other than toilet paper
41.One more football team than Los Angeles
42.The Packers Hall of Fame
43.Lee Remmel
44.The franchise that justified the construction of I-43
45.Zubas and mustaches
46.Stadium full of snowmobile suits
47.Mike Holmgren: we still miss ya, coach
48.The muted sound of 146,000 mittens clapping
49.Reggie White / Sean Jones sandwiches
50.Packers Sundays boost state's entire economy
51.Lil' Wayne loves 'em
52.Singlehandedly keeping the Schnapps industry afloat
53.Our bench warmers are other team's franchise players
54.Chris Farley was a Packers fan
55.The Lambeau Leap ...
56.... invented by the beloved LeRoy Butler
57.The only team that could make make "Bang the Drum" cool
58.Thirty years of awful teams, and Lambeau was still sold out
59.Reasonable scalpers
60.Back to back to back MVP
61.Someone has to beat the Bears every year
62.Jim Irwin
63.Max McGee, may he rest in peace
64.Larry McCarren
65.In the unlikely event of a water landing your cheesehead can be used as a flotation device (true story)
66.Fandom stretches into UP and Minnesota ... and beyond
67.Only meat packing-related team name in pro sports (we think)
68.Renovated Lambeau still feels like Lambeau ...
69.... and explaining to visiting fans that they finally made it to heaven
70.World's largest wide receiver statue
71.20 years, two quarterbacks (except for Matt Flynn)
72.Kuuuuuuuuhn!
73.Kooooooonce!
74.Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge, Mike Holmgren Way, Lombardi Avenue, Brett Favre Pass
75.Da da dat, da dada dat, Go Pack Go!
76.Titletown has a nice ring to it
77.Tickets so sought-after that disputes over them can tear families apart
78.It's the Lombardi trophy
79.Starr, Dowler, Touchdown!
80.Lambeau Field is so awesome it's in two cities at once
81.Even though Lambeau only held 52,000 at the time, over 120,000 people claim to have been at the Ice Bowl
82.Sitting in the same seats our grandparents sat in 60 years ago
83.The "Bears still suck" chant
84.Priests end Mass early so everyone can make noon kickoff, and it's acceptable to wear Packers jerseys to church (even in the off-season)
85.Bob Harlan used to answer his own phone
86.We even watched during the Lynn Dickey era
87.Fickle, but focused and fanatical fan base
88.Old-school jerseys and merchandise among best sellers in NFL
89.Wayne "There is your dagger!" Larrivee left Chicago for Green Bay
90.Donald Driver, a stand-up guy
91.Kroll's burgers before the game
92.Desmond Howard's Heisman pose
93.Buying a beer for a visiting fan and watching the look of amazement on their faces
94.No professional cheerleaders to distract players
95.Chester Marcol brought tailgating inside Lambeau
96.More NFL championships than any other team
97.High standards: even legends like Paul Hornung, Willie Davis and Jim Taylor do not have their numbers retired
98.John Facenda made Lombardi seem even more bad-ass
99.Aaron Rodgers could turn out better than his predecessor (who we shall never speak of again)
100.Super Bowl XLV Champions (trust us)
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But I got to see them play 
Linear Mode
