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The Green Bay Packers were founded on August
11, 1919. Curly Lambeau, the team's founder, solicited funds
for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company.
Although the Indian Packing Company only supported the team
through part of its first season, the Green Bay football club
has always been known as the Packers. Lambeau, a Notre Dame
alum, chose the teams' colors of blue and gold/yellow from
his alma mater. The colors where later changed to the current
green and gold/yellow.
The
Packers became a professional franchise in 1921. Financial
troubles plagued the team and the franchise was lost the same
year. The Packers found new backers the next year and regained
the franchise. The financial backers, known as the "Hungry
Five," formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.
The
Packers are now the only publicly owned company with shares
to buy and sell and a board of directors in professional sports.
The typical scenario is a team owned by one person; thus,
a "team owner." It has been speculated that this
is one of the reasons the Green Bay Packers have never been
moved from the city of Green Bay, a city of just over 100,000
people. By comparison, the typical NFL football city must
be populated in the millions to support a team. However, the
Packers have long had a large following throughout the state
of Wisconsin; in fact, for decades, the Packers played several
home games each year in Milwaukee. The Packers did not move
their entire home schedule to Green Bay until 1995.
In recent decades, the Packers have found
themselves with an extremely dedicated fan base. No matter
how good or poor the season, Lambeau Field has been a sellout
every game for years; the Packers have one of the longest
waiting lists for season tickets in professional sports. The
current wait time for season tickets is approximately 35 years.
That is, someone who entered their name on the waiting list
for Packers season tickets in 1970 is just now coming to the
top of the list in 2004. For this reason, it is not unusual
for parents to will their Packers tickets to next-of-kin.
The
Packers also draw the largest national TV audiences for the
NFL's Monday Night Football telecasts.
Packers
fans are commonly known as "cheeseheads," presumably
because Wisconsin is known for its cheese production. To poke
fun at this nickname, they wear foam triangles made to look
like cheese on their heads, which further re-enforces the
"cheesehead" designation.
Founded: 1919. Joined the NFL in 1921.
Formerly known as: Acme Packers
Home stadium: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Uniform colors: Green and gold
Helmet design: Yellow background, with a
white "G" in a green oval
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Arizona
Cardinals 
