Deck the Hall

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers waits to be introduced before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Last night, on Sunday Night Football, the Packers and Lions joined the NFL's league-wide commemoration of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 50th anniversary.

In the spirit of the occassion, Lambeau Field was festooned with Hall of Fame logos and there were pre-game festivities. In attendance was former great Willie Davis, representing the twenty-one players and coaches (second in number only to the Bears) who are enshrined in Canton.

On the field, both teams wore a Hall of Fame patch over their hearts:

Green Bay Packers' Randall Cobb leaps over Detroit Lions' Don Carey (32) as he runs back a kick during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

This made for some crowded real estate, especially amongst players like Ryan Grant who cut their jerseys down, impinging on the neck stripes:

Green Bay Packers' Ryan Grant runs during the second half of an NFL football game Sagainst the Detroit Lions unday, Dec. 9, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 27-20. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

I can't help but wonder why the NFL waited until December to commemorate this anniversary, since induction ceremonies are held in August. The dedication and inaugural class enshrinement was held on September 7, 1963. Perhaps they thought that saving it for late in the season, separating it from the regular season-kickoff hoopla, would allow for greater focus.

I will admit that Lambeau Field in December lends itself to conditions entirely appropriate for remembering the game's glorious history:

Green Bay Packers' Randall Cobb reacts after catching a pass for a first down during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

"Vote Ray Guy"

This weekend, all NFL players are wearing a patch to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

We'll see the Packers' version tonight, but I wanted to pass along this customization by Vikings punter Chris Kluwe:

In case you haven't been following this particular story, here's what Klewe is talking about.

I am loath to admit that I admire a Viking, but Klewe is making it exceptionally hard not to.

Finally Starting to Get It

Win McNamee/Getty Images

For years, concussions have been a major topic of conversation around football. The NFL is changing rules to eliminate concussions. Players are wearing new and better types of helmets to prevent concussions.

For years, that has allowed us to avoid the real issue.

Today on Bloomberg.com, Jonathan Mahler is trying to drag the conversation back where it belongs, with a piece entitled "There Is No Concussion Crisis in Football".

The biggest NFL story of the week may not have been Jovan Belcher’s horrific murder-suicide in Kansas City, Missouri, but the release of a small study in the scientific journal Brain. And we may yet learn that the two are intertwined.

The four-year study looked, posthumously, at the brains of 85 athletes and soldiers. Fifty were former football players, 33 in the National Football League. The study found that the incurable degenerative disease known as CTE -- chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- is just as likely to be caused by a routine hit to the head as it is by a big, concussive blow.

"This is a disease of total, overall repetitive brain trauma," one of the researchers said.

In other words: Football doesn't have a concussion problem. It has an existential one. By calling it anything else, we are doing the brain-trauma issue a grave disservice.

Thank you, Mr. Mahler. Thank you.

I've been saying this for years. My skin crawls every time an ESPN personality waxes on about concussions, or about how the latest wonder helmet prevents them, as if a helmet could stop the brain from moving around inside the skull.

Football is a violent game that came of age at a time when the men who play it were smaller, slower and less protected. As the game has grown, players have gotten faster and bigger (William "the Refrigerator" Perry wouldn't be able to earn his nickname today). They have become more armored, which has allowed them to shake off the immediate effects of hits that would have knocked their fathers out of games.

I'm glad that the NFL, after years of ignoring the issue, has finally decided to admit the problem. I'm glad that they've started making rule changes to eliminate helmet-to-helmet contact as much as is possible. I'm glad that they're continuing to evaluate new ways of making the game safer, even if it means eliminating kickoffs.

I'm especially glad that national writers such as Jonathan Mahler are trying to keep the conversation honest.

There's Something About Those Socks...

Last night, I watched Washington humble the Giants on Monday Night Football. While enjoying a little schadenfreude after last week's debacle in the Meadowlands, I was struck by the Redskins' socks:

Well, their socks and their pants. Gotta love Braisher stripes, wherever you find them.

If those pants look like they belong to the Packers, there's a reason for it. They were introduced to Washington by their new coach, who had brought the same æsthetic to Green Bay a decade earlier.

Dark jerseys with two sets of Braisher stripes on the sleeves? Check. Gold pants with Braisher stripes down the side? Check. Socks to match the sleeves? Check.

Not only did Vince Lombardi create new home uniforms that were near-carbon copies of his Packer look, but he extended the similarities to the roads as well.

White jerseys with single-color numbers and color/gold/color/gold/color stripes on the sleeve. They even have the same color/gold/color neckline.

Just swap burgandy for dark green, and Vince Lombardi could make his new team look like his old one, even if they weren't ready to play like them.

Lombardi was famously color-blind (literally, not just in his views of racial equality). He would have seen his Packers reflected in the Redskins of 1969.

This similarity could have been Lombardi wanting to borrow a little of that old Green Bay magic, or it could have had something to do with kicking his little brother Joe, a regional salesman for Rawlings Sporting Goods, some work (diehard Washington fans noticed that also meant changing their customary dark burgandy to Rawlings' lighter, redder shade).

In any case, Washington kept their Lombardi uniforms into the 1970s, and resurrected the pants and socks a couple years ago, originally as part of a throwback uniform and now as part of the regular home set. And if the Packers couldn't beat the Giants, at least their æsthetic heirs could. Small consolation, but I'll take it where it comes.

The Packers eliminated Braisher stripes from their socks in 1984, as part of Forrest Gregg's "new head coach" overhaul. Based on what I saw last night, it might be time for the Pack to look at following Washington's lead and bringing those back.

1939 Team Photo

This photo was published in the Milwaukee Journal's color Sunday supplement on November 12, 1939.

Always a leader among professional football teams, the Green Bay Packers this year are again in the thick of the championship battle. Since this picture of the squad was made there have been several additions and releases of players. Cecil Isbell, star halfback, was not present for the photo. Shown are:

Front row (left to right) — Paul Engebretsen, guard; Francis Tewdell, guard; Pete Tinsley, guard; Buford Ray, tackle; Charlie Schultz, tackle; Paul Kell, tackle; Clarence Thompson, halfback; Don Hutson, end.

Second row (same order) — Capt. Milt Gantenbein, end; Eddie Jankowski, fullback; Buckets Goldenberg, guard; Arnie Herber, quarterback; Joe Laws, quarterback; Andy Uram, halfback; Russ Letlow, guard; Dick Weisgerber, halfback; Hank Bruder, quarterback; Frank Balazs, fullback.

Third row — Ernie Smith, tackle; Jack Brennan, guard; Frank Steen, Clarke Hinkle, fullback; Larry Craig, end; Bud Svendsen, center; Charlie Brock, center; Bill Lee, tackle; Al Moore, end; Harry Jacunski, end; Asst. Coach Richard (Red) Smith.

Back row — Ernie Smith, tackle; Jack Brennan, guard; Frank Steen, end; Tom Greenfield, center; Larry Buhler, fullback; Warren Kilbourne, tackle; Carl Mulleneaux, end.

—Journal color photo

You'll notice that the caption is a bit off. They've skipped the first two people in the third row, reprinting the first three people in the back row instead.

So who are our two mystery men? The first unidentified person is obviously Head Coach Earl Louis (Curly) Lambeau. The second eludes me. The Packers' website doesn't list anyone wearing #18 in 1939. Quarterback Hank Bruder wore the number in 1938, but there he is in the second row wearing his new #5.

I have another team photo from 1939, this time featuring the Packers' new white alternate jerseys, and there we find the answers.

There he is: second row, third from the right.

The caption identifies him as "Mulleneaux". Not wide receiver Carl Mulleneaux, who played for the Packers from 1938-41 and 45-46; he's there in the back row, fifth from the right, wearing #19. No, this was Lee Mulleneaux, Carl's brother.

Lee was in his eighth NFL season in 1939, having previously played for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Gunners, Pittsburgh Pirates (now Steelers) and Chicago Cardinals. He came to the Packers from Chicago partway through the 1938 season and played six games for the Blue and Gold that year.

Lee Mulleneaux was injured early in 1939, possibly during Training Camp. It doesn't appear that he ever played in a game that season—he has no stats on NFL.com—but he reamained on the inactive list, and when the Packers won their fifth World Championship in December, the players voted to give Lee a full share of the championship purse.

Lee retired after that season, his brother Carl went on to have a Packer Hall of Fame-worthy career in his own right, and our mystery for the day has been solved.

I Can't Stand No "Mo".

Ugh. What an ugly game last night at the Meadowlands.

Setting aside the Packers' play—of course, not easy to do—this should have been a good-looking game. The Giants have a truly classic uniform, and a number of their players wore blue undershirts, giving the illusion of actual jerseys (something I've long been advocating for Green Bay). There were, however, two æsthetic developments worthy of our attention in last night's debacle.

The first is the newly-moustachioed faces of Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers. The pair grew their lip fuzz as part of "Movember", a month-long cancer awareness initiative held this month every year.

Nice hat, Aaron.

The second item of note from last night was the black coat McCarthy was wearing.

Seriously, Nike?

Black?

"On, you Green and Gold AND OBSIDIAN, to Glory" get added to the fight song while I wasn't looking?

I understand that they want to sell as much stuff as humanly possible, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the team's æsthetic heritage. There's something very wrong when two coaches, representing teams with great and historical looks, meet at midfield and you have a hard time telling them apart.

All in all, a night best forgotten as quickly as possible.

Last Game at Old City Stadium, 1956

The Green Bay Press-Gazette is currently running a great feature (written by the always-sterling Jeff Ash) on the last game at Green Bay's old City Stadium, which was played 56 years ago today.

Of course, it would not be complete without a photo gallery, and the P-G does not disappoint.

Green Bay Packers receiver Gary Knafelc (84) hauls in a pass against the San Francisco 49ers at old City Stadium on Nov. 18, 1956. He's flanked by 49ers safeties Bob Holladay (27), left, and Dicky Moegle (47), right. The Packers lost 17-16. It was the last NFL game played at old City Stadium. Press-Gazette archives

The Packers are wearing their dark blue-green jerseys with dark gold helmets, numbers and Northwestern stripes on sleeves and socks. A classic uniform, even if the team's play couldn't quite live up to it. As the caption notes, the Packers lost the game after trailing for the entire second half. Not that the Green Bay fans saw; as Ash notes, the game had 7,000 empty seats and was blacked out of Green Bay television screens. The fans following at home had to do so via the Press-Gazette's radio station WJPG, with Tony Flynn and Wisconsin sports fixture Earl Gillespie.

The view looking north from old City Stadium during the Green Bay Packers' last game there on Nov. 18, 1956. A less-than-capacity crowd of 17,986 saw the Packers lose 17-16 to the San Francisco 49ers. Press-Gazette archives

That particular game was notable not only for its celebration of the Packers' past—saying good-bye to their home of over thirty years—but the glimpse at the team's future, as rookie quarterback Bart Starr made his first NFL start.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr (15), making his first start, looks downfield against the San Francisco 49ers at old City Stadium on Nov. 18, 1956. 49ers linebacker Matt Hazeltine (55) rushes at right. Press-Gazette archives

As befitting these sturdy, if not flashy, uniforms, the game was marked by a brutal ground game. The Packers struck first, as Starr connected with Billy Howton for a 39-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. After completing six passes for 63 yards, Starr was pulled in the second quarter for veteran Tobin Rote.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Tobin Rote (18) looks downfield against the San Francisco 49ers at old City Stadium on Nov. 18, 1956. From left are 49ers defensive linemen Bruce Bosley (77) and Ed Henke (75), Packers guard Forrest Gregg (75) and 49ers defensive tackle Leo Nomellini (73). Press-Gazette archives

Good to see another future Hall of Famer in those uniforms, this time Forrest Gregg. It's a reminder that Lombardi's dynasty teams had its roots in a far less glamourous era.

The offense sputtered under Rote, and after Fred Cone's field goal staked the Bays to a 9-0 lead, the 49ers came back to control the game.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Y.A. Tittle (14) dives over the goal line on a 1-yard touchdown run during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at old City Stadium on Nov. 18, 1956. Packers linebacker Tom Bettis (65) is closest to Tittle. Packers defensive end Nate Borden (87) is at right. Press-Gazette archives

In addition to the uniforms, we also get a fantastic view of the Packers' sideline capes in action:

San Francisco 49ers halfback Hugh McIlhenny (39) changes direction to try to evade Green Bay Packers safety Val Joe Walker (47) on an 86-yard touchdown run during the third quarter at old City Stadium on Nov. 18, 1956. From left are 49ers center George Morris (52), Packers defensive end Gene Knutson (81) and 49ers receiver Billy Wilson (84). The Packers lost 17-16. It was the last NFL game played at old City Stadium. Press-Gazette archives

There's one more photo from this gallery I'd like to share with you, although it doesn't relate to the Packers' uniform history. As befitted the final game in their old stadium, the Packers cast their eye backwards with a halftime ceremony featuring team co-founder George Whitney Calhoun, who was presented with a scroll honoring his contributions to the city.

Green Bay Packers co-founder George Whitney Calhoun, center, is honored at halftime of the game between the Packers and the San Francisco 49ers at old City Stadium on Nov. 18, 1956. Calhoun is assisted by Jim Cook, a former Green Bay East High School star who played for the Packers in 1921. Press-Gazette archives

Not his more famous partner Curly Lambeau, interestingly enough. This was just six years after Curly's feud with the Packers' Board of Directors finally boiled over into his ouster, and although he had retired from coaching by this time (following stints with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins), the bad blood hadn't quite settled.

The disappointing loss left both teams level at 2-6 as the Packers began their customary end-of-season road trip. They won at Detroit and Chicago (Cardinals), but lost both halves of their West Coast swing (a rematch with the 49ers and a final game at the Rams) to close out 1956 at the very bottom of the Western Conference, 4-8. The seeds of greatness might have been being sewn on that chilly November field, but it seems unlikely that the fans knew it at the time.

There's more at the Press-Gazette's site, check it out.

Evolution of the NFL Football Helmet

The NFL has posted a very interesting graphic, charting the evolution of the football helmet from Curly Lambeau to Wes Welker. Great to see three references to the Packers. You can't tell the history of the NFL without Green Bay.

I am a little disturbed to see the note about the Revolution helmet in the '00s. I know it makes us all feel better to talk about reducing concussions , but 1) we can't innovating our way out of the NFL's current health crisis, and 2) it's not about concussions. But perhaps that's a longer discussion for another time.

The Dark (Blue-Green) Days of the 1950s

Reader Jeremy Weber sends these two photos of the Packers' 1950s uniforms in action against the Cleveland Browns. The first one comes from a game in Cleveland on October 23, 1955:

Special Collections, Cleveland State University Library

Cleveland Browns' Otto Graham (#14) shakes loose from Green Bay Packer Bobby Dillon (#44) as the Browns defeat the Packers 41-10 at Cleveland Stadium.

Jeremy adds "love the clear facemask on Dillon". And I agree. The ever-indispensible Helmet Hut has this to say about this style:

Prior to the mid 1950s most players would only wear a face mask after suffering a facial area injury. By the end of the decade face masks were worn primarily to prevent facial injuries and used by almost every player. In the early 1950s Riddell introduced this clear Lucite face mask bar. The mask was securely attached to the helmet by three bolts on each side of the helmet, one of which also served as the snap to buckle the leather chin strap. Unfortunately the mask would occasionally shatter upon direct impact causing Riddell to replace it with the tubular plastic mask which was almost indestructible.

The second photo was taken November 4, 1956 at Milwaukee County Stadium.

Special Collections, Cleveland State University Library

HB Joe Johnson gains 10 yds & first down on Browns 38 before being dumped by Tommy James. Coming up to help on the pass completion from Starr is (70) captain Don Colo." -- photo verso. The Browns won the game 24-7.

The uniform Messrs. Dillon and Johnson are wearing is this "midnight green" beauty, with gold numbers and Northwestern stripes:

This uniform remains largely forgotten by Packer fans, if not the team itself. Not surprising, in that it represents a dark time in the team's history—the Packers went 6-6 and 4-8 in these two seasons—but I like it on its æsthetic merits.

Fool's-Gold Gloves

It's too late for Halloween, but for the fan who really wants to dress up like a Packer comes this little gem, now available from the NFL Shop.

Setting aside the small matter of the pink-out scam across the bottom, for only $100 you can have the same touchdown-celebration gloves that your favorite Packer player wears.

Or if you really love the design, but find $100 receiver's gloves just a teensy bit impractical, you could always buy a t-shirt with a picture of the gloves on it.

Yep, that's a real thing.