Lions at Packers, 1960

Now that the Packers have beaten the Lions, preserving Detroit's losing streak in Wisconsin (22 straight games over 21 years!), we can enjoy this Press-Gazette photo gallery from 1960.

Here we see Jim Taylor (#31) running the ball. Taylor's 151 yards (only 16 shy of the then-team record) were the difference in this game.

I love the heavy sans-serif numbers on Vince Lombardi's earliest uniforms.

I'd love to see the Packers bring them back. With jerseys shrinking by the day, removing the extra serifs might preserve as much green space as possible.

Speaking of the numbers, take a look at this shot:

Did you notice the two different number fonts? Take a look at it again:

Check out the sevens on Henry Jordan (#74) and Bill Forester (#71). Jordan is wearing the serifed style, which the Packers first used in 1959, returned to around 1962 and still use today.


Other Packers also wore the serifed numbers, including Dave Hanner (#79). It seems strange to use today that you'd have a mix of old and new jerseys on the field at the same time, but all indications are that was fairly common in the early 1960s.

Below, we see quarterback Lamar McHan handing off to Taylor. McHan had been the Packers' starting quarterback at the beginning of 1959 before being pulled in favor of his backup, Bart Starr. As 1960 began, Starr and McHan alternated duties behind center.

In this game, it was all McHan.

Not to say that Starr didn't see any action on this October day. He held for Paul Hornung on the points after touchdown:

Always a team player, that Bart.

The Packers finished the season 8-4, top of the Western Conference, before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the championship game. In the locker room afterwards, Lombardi told the players "This will never happen again. You will never lose another championship."

And he was right. The Packers would return to the championship game the following season, with Bart Starr in all 14 games and with a new "G" logo on the side of their helmets. They also won the game against the Giants, 37-0, and Lombardi's dynasty was born.