Infographic: Packers at Seahawks

In advance of tonight's game in Seattle, Packers.com released this amazing infographic preview:

The Packers' design team has been killing it in recent years. I hope these infographics become a regular feature.

Infographic: Brett Favre's Packers Career

With the announcement that Brett Favre will be inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame, and his #4 will be retired by the team, Packers.com put together this stunning infographic of the Gridiron Man's career in Green Bay.

Wow. So many memories.

Packers to (Finally) Retire #4?

ESPN.com has this news today:

Favre to Packers' HOF; No. 4 retired

by Rob Demovsky
Source: ESPN.com

Aug. 3, 2014

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Nearly six years after he was traded by the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre and his former team will come together for the first time on Monday, in what is being billed as a joint announcement by the former quarterback and the Packers Hall of Fame.

The announcement will be that Favre will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in the summer of 2015 and the uniform No. 4 that he wore for the Packers from 1992-2008 will be retired, according to a statement on Favre's website. It was not immediately clear when exactly the number retirement ceremony will take place.

The Hall of Fame, which is independent of the Packers but houses its museum at Lambeau Field, holds its induction ceremony annually in July. The museum is currently closed for construction as part of the renovations in the stadium's Atrium. It is scheduled to re-open next April.

"It was a tremendous honor to play 16 years for the Green Bay Packers. Now to have my name placed among others such as Starr, Hornung, Kramer, Taylor, Lambeau, Nitschke, Lombardi, Davis, White and Hutson is a special honor that I share with all of my teammates and coaches, and that would not have been possible but for the foresight of Ron Wolf, the greatest GM in the history of the NFL," Favre said in the statement.

Monday's announcement will take place at 1:30 p.m. local time at Lambeau Field and will include appearances by Packers Hall of Fame Inc. president Perry Kidder, Packers president Mark Murphy and former Packers president Bob Harlan, who is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame executive committee. Favre will not appear at the event but will speak via telephone, the team said in an announcement Sunday night.

The signs of a reconciliation between Favre and the Packers have been apparent over the past year. Murphy said this offseason that the two sides had discussions about a return visit to Lambeau Field by Favre this past season, but it did not work out. Murphy has said several times that he hoped to have Favre inducted into the team's Hall of Fame and have Favre's number retired before he is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Last month, in an interview on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Favre said Harlan has been working as a liaison between him and the Packers Hall of Fame regarding his induction.

"In spite of what people may think -- and I really don't pay attention to what people are saying, I just know the facts -- the facts are that I feel like the relationship is a good relationship," Favre said. "I've had contact with Mark Murphy on a regular basis in regards to how we're going to do this, the ceremony. Bob Harlan ... is working diligently. He's kind of spearheading the Packer Hall of Fame/jersey retirement ceremony, and I have been working with him diligently on getting this done."

Favre came to Green Bay in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons on Feb. 11, 1992. He led the Packers to two Super Bowls, won one and won three NFL MVP awards. He announced his retirement on March 6, 2008, but decided later that summer that he still wanted to play. By then, the Packers had decided to go forward with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback, a decision that divided Packers fans.

What followed was a drawn-out and, at times, ugly standoff that did not end until general manager Ted Thompson traded Favre to the New York Jets on Aug. 6, 2008. After one year with the Jets, Favre retired again but was convinced to come back and play for the Minnesota Vikings. He played two seasons in Minnesota, then retired for good.

"As time goes by, that's how I will be remembered -- as a Packer -- and that's how I want to be remembered," Favre said in the ESPN 1000 interview.

It's about time. I know there were hard feelings all around when he left—especially when he orchestrated his way to the (ugh) Vikings&mdahs;but that seems to have calmed all around. Amazing what winning the Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers has done for the fans. And Brett is certainly saying the right things now.

It's also good that the Packers are getting ahead of this before his inevitable induction into Canton. Better that the issue be settled and he can go into the Hall of Fame as a Packer, without any hesitation or reservation.

Infographic: 2014 Training Camp

Training camp starts in three days, and Packers.com is ready with this infographic preview:

Auction Gold: Lee Joannes' Super Bowl I cufflinks!

Wow. There's an amazing find in Heritage's current auction:

1967 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl I Championship Gold Cufflinks....

Originally owned by former Packers president Lee Joannes!

1967 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl I Championship Gold Cufflinks.  It was Milwaukee Journal sportswriter Oliver E. Kuechle who coined the moniker, "The Hungry Five," a somewhat pointed commentary on the quintet of Green Bay Packers board members who seemed always to be in desperate need of cash to keep their fledgling team afloat. Today their founding franchise of professional football stands as one of the most iconic in American sports, but the team's very survival remained very much in question in those earliest years when most gridiron fans considered the collegiate game to be the only one that mattered. But together with coach and star player Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Press-Gazette publisher Andrew Turnbull, attorney Gerald Francis Clifford and team physician Dr. W. Webber Kelly, grocer Lee Joannes formed a united front against looming bankruptcy, serving as team president during the darkest days of the Great Depression. Each pioneering executive is properly immortalized in the Packers Hall of Fame.

Beyond the odd signed legal document and team correspondence, almost nothing exists in the collecting hobby from Joannes today despite his supreme relevance to the very existence of the Green Bay Packers. Presented here is a thrilling exception to that rule, a pair of gold cufflinks awarded to Joannes following the Pack's victory in Super Bowl I. Those familiar with Championship hardware from this first edition of football's most celebrated contest will note the striking resemblance to the rings presented to Starr, Hornung and the gang, but these are the only cufflinks we've ever encountered. It is safe to say that they are considerably more rare than the rings from which their design is cribbed.

Packer-green emeralds are set inside a clever design incorporating the shapes of both a football and a globe, encircled by raised text announcing, "1966 World Champions Green Bay Packers." The circular portion of each cufflink is stamped on verso with the Josten's logo and a "10K" gold content, while the clasps are stamped "1/20 12K GF," the result of two ring faces having been fashioned into tasteful sleeve adornments. Each cufflink survives in pristine original condition.

The small handful of Super Bowl I rings that have appeared on the hobby's auction block have commanded solid five-figure prices, and this offering is every bit their equal--some would argue that the connection to a "Hungry Five" member, and the duplication of the ring's primary design, would give these cufflinks the edge. It's unquestionably one of the most exciting Packers offerings to tempt the advanced collector in recent years, accompanied by a letter of provenance from esteemed Titletown collectibles purveyor Packer City Antiques. Letter of provenance from Packer City Antiques. LOA from PSA/DNA.

"Rare" is an understatement. Lee Joannes is a towering figure in Packers history. Some lucky collector is going to treasure this connection to our team's Founding Fathers.

It's also worth noting that these cufflinks reflect the original design of the Packers' Super Bowl I rings, before Vince Lombardi replaced the emerald with a diamond. Outstanding.

As much as I love Lombardi's style, I actually prefer the emerald to diamond; the green added to yellow gold really brings the Packers' colors to life.

As we get nearer to another Packer season, it's worth pausing to remember those heroes who brought the first NFL-AFL Championship Trophy home to Green Bay:



The auction ends next week: bid early, bid often.

Romans Go Home

The NFL has released the logo for Super Bowl 50, and that's what they're calling it.

So no "Super Bowl L" for us.

Of course, no logo release would be complete without a hefty dose of brandspeak, and the NFL is certainly not immune.

While continuing to feature the Vince Lombardi Trophy as the centerpiece of the Super Bowl logo, the use of “50” makes a bold statement about the Super Bowl and the historic 50th game. The gold “50” aligns with the preeminence of the Super Bowl, the silver trophy, and reflects the host region's historic Gold Rush in the broader setting of the Golden State.

That's known as the "National Version" of the logo; there's also a "Regional Version" incorporating not only the host stadium but several local landmarks:

The logo design builds on the permanent Super Bowl identity established in 2011 for Super Bowl XLV that positions the Lombardi Trophy with the host stadium. The Super Bowl 50 regional logo features the Lombardi Trophy in front of Levi's Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers. Reflected in the gold 50 are some of the iconic landmarks of the San Francisco Bay Area ghosted by the fog.

We are told that the Roman numerals will return for Super Bowl 51 — er, make that "Super Bowl LI" — in Houston. Until then, Romans go home!

"Fans Show True Colors"

Paul Lukas has a new article on ESPN.com about fans getting team logo tattoos.

It includes this delightful tat on the shoulder of Packer fan Thomas Laning:

Courtesy Thomas Laning

Team-logo tats are not in and of themselves terribly interesting, but the addition of a cheesehead elevates this into something clever.

Ha Ha!

News out of Radio City Music Hall: with the twenty-first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, safety out of Alabama.

Clinton-Dix made a minor splash a couple weeks ago when he posted a photo of himself wearing a Packers t-shirt. Looks as though Ted Thompson liked the look on him.

The newest Packer is shown here holding a jersey bearing a proud number one. This is traditionally held up by the team's first draft pick every season. Even if NFL rules allowed a safety to wear it in a game, it would be unlikely; the number has only been worn by one Packer player: the immortal Curly Lambeau himself. Readers with sharp memories might remember that it has been issued in training camp, though.

Clinton-Dix will instead wear #21, and that jersey is already available from the Packers Pro Shop.

Note also the price point - looks like the Pro Shop has finally raised its prices to match Nike's new minimum price points.

Infographic: 2014 Draft Preview

Packers.com posted this amazing infographic previewing the 2014 Draft, which starts today in New York.

Outstanding.

1959 Blazer and Basketball Uniform, Now on Display at the Hall of Fame!

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame just received a major donation from a former player.

Running back Bill Butler played for Green Bay for only one season, but items he has held onto from that year will have an outsized effect on the team's physical archives.

Ex-Packers player donates rare Lombardi-era team apparel
Written by Adam Rodewald Press-Gazette Media
Apr. 30, 2014

A retired Green Bay Packers player has given his rare Vince Lombardi-era team blazer and basketball uniform to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame archives.

Bill Butler talks Tuesday about the donation of his 1959 Packers basketball team uniform to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. / Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette Media

Former running back Bill Butler said he was glad to see them put on display where others can enjoy them.

“Basically, this coat and this basketball uniform have been hanging in my closet for 55 years. Now I don’t have to move it anymore, and if I want I can come up here and see it,” he said. “I’m glad the Hall of Fame wants it, and I hope people enjoy it.”

The 1959 Green Bay Packers road game blazer, right, and the 1959 Packers basketball team uniform donated Tuesday by former player Bill Butler to the Packers Hall of Fame. / Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette Media

Butler was a 19th-round draft pick by the Packers in 1959, Lombardi’s first year as coach and general manager.

The Berlin native led the Packers in kickoff and punt returns in 1959, and led the NFL with 635 combined return yards. He scored his only Packers touchdown on a 61-yard punt return in the fourth quarter of a 28-17 loss to the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field on Nov. 8, 1959.

That year, each Packers player and coach received a custom tailored jacket to be worn for team photos, media events and other occasions.

The 1959 Green Bay Packers road game blazer worn by former player Bill Butler. / Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette Media

Butler received his Packers basketball uniform while playing for the traveling team in the offseason. The team raised money and awareness for local charities.

The 1959 Packers basketball team uniform worn by former player Bill Butler. / Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette Media

The Green Bay Packers' basketball team in the winter of 1959-60. Top row, from left, Jack Morton, Dan Currie, Jim Temp, Bob Skoronski and Gary Knafelc. Bottom row, from left, Al Carmichael, Babe Parilli, Bill Butler, Tom Bettis and Lew Carpenter. Butler donated his basketball jersey and shorts to the Packers Hall of Fame on Tuesday. / Courtesy of Jim Temp

“We’ve never before had one of these blazers from the 1950s. Needless to say, we’ve never had one of the basketball uniforms,” said Tom Murphy, archivist for the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, a nonprofit corporation independent from the team.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to get this donation (from Butler),” Murphy said.

Butler said he insisted the Hall of Fame take his apparel, and he didn’t need to think twice about giving it away.

“From the time I started (playing football) in fifth grade, I have all the clothing and written articles. I just have stacked it up over the years. I’m kind of a pack rat. And, after 55 years, I’m not going to miss it in my closet,” he said.

Butler, 76, coached football at Green Lake High School and retired in 2009 as the defensive coordinator at Ripon High School.

He played only one season for the Packers. He was chosen by Dallas in the 1960 NFL expansion draft and played that season for the Cowboys. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1961, the Minnesota Vikings from 1962 to 1964 and the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1965.

Butler’s donated apparel is on display at a temporary exhibit in the Neville Public Museum while the Lambeau Field Atrium undergoes renovations.

That is absolutely amazing. And in outstanding condition, for having been "hanging in (his) closet for 55 years".

We've seen the travel blazer before, but never so good a view of the embroidery itself. A simple, sharp graphic.

And the basketball uniform? Outstanding. I wonder if they were known as the "Packer-derms" back in 1969.