![]() Perhaps the most notable years of success, the 1960s, were the glory years of head coach Vince Lombardi, who came to Green Bay after the Packers had suffered through more than a decade of losing seasons. Because of this, Green Bay provides a home for the Packers better than any other city ever could.Īffectionately and appropriately dubbed “Titletown,” Green Bay has seen its Packers win 13 championships over the last 95 years. The miracle of the team’s corporate structure ensures that the Packers will never be moved to a different city they will belong to the people of Wisconsin and their stockholders forever. Other cities with NFL teams are large and culturally diverse places with professional baseball, basketball and hockey teams. Yet this publicly owned, absurdly small-market team has allowed its fans to feel a sense of belonging and family that goes unrivaled anywhere else in the NFL. Packers stockholders own stock that will never increase in value, never pay dividends and can never be sold. This exceptional ownership model allows both parties to benefit. “We’ve had five stock offerings … each time, the fans have come forward and helped the team financially to be put in a better position.” “It’s a community that has literally saved the team from bankruptcy,” says Aaron Popkey, director of public affairs for the Packers. The Packers’ early dependence on the citizens of the Green Bay area to keep the team afloat allowed for the formation of one of the most unique ownership models in professional sports. The team’s nearly 100-year history is characterized as much by financial struggles and faltering leadership as it is by success against all odds. The Green Bay Packers played their first season in 1919, making them one of the oldest professional football teams in the country. That Green Bay pride is nearly as old as professional football itself. It’s more of a Green Bay pride thing, to do as much as you can for your football team.” “It doesn’t mean anything, but it’s just cool. “I’m still excited,” he says with determination, unfazed by the daunting number of fans who stand in his way. Currently, he is 89,786 spots away from his own set of season tickets. Karl Kallio was put on the waiting list as a Christmas gift in 2004 when he was 12 years old. It is an opportunity to belong to an inclusive community of passionate fans. Being a part of the waiting list is an opportunity to be a part of one of the most beloved sports teams in the country. For those waiting, their spots are more than numbers. But the Packers send annual postcard updates to these loyal fans, notifying them of their position on the list. In fact, the Packers ticket office says there are more than 100,000 people waiting their turn to purchase a set of the coveted season tickets. “I never really got to go to any games when I was a kid because, even then, Packers tickets were just ridiculous to get a hold of,” he says.īecoming a season ticket holder has only gotten more difficult over the last 50 years. She passed her adoration for the Packers along to her son, as he grew up watching Bart Starr throw touchdowns on television. Despite his mother’s history with the team, Christensen didn’t see much of the stadium’s interior. She was hand-picked by Curly Lambeau himself when he saw her perform at Green Bay East High School. His mother, Germaine, was a majorette for the Packers Lumberjack band in 1938. “There’s the thing for my season tickets, we’ve finally moved up.” Not the least bit embarrassed, Christensen adds, “I had tears in my eyes.”įor Christensen, the Green Bay Packers have been a part of his family’s history nearly since the team’s birth. “I opened that mailbox and right on top was a bright white envelope with the Green Bay Packers logo and I seriously started to shake,” he says, recalling his joy at receiving the letter. He had been waiting for the letter since the 1960s when he spent his childhood Sundays sitting on the curb near Lambeau Field, listening to the stadium roar. ![]() In his mailbox, instead of finding bills or notices from the bank, he found a letter from over 1,000 miles away. Still reeling from the recession, his thoughts were crowded with worry over whether or not his printing company could withstand the economic downturn. Three years ago, it was a normal day for Green Bay native Glen Christensen as he walked to the mailbox outside his home near Dallas.
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