Best Packer Book Ever: When Pride Still Mattered

[starpass]

I just read 500 pages of the most BEAUTIFUL book ever--When Pride Still Mattered. It read like an autobiography of Vince Lombardi...
... errr St. Vince. I did not know that Lombardi was coached by one of the 4 horsemen of Notre Dame. His climb from obscurity to the limelight is amazing. His love for the players--Hornung his favorite and like a father figure to Starr...Best of all...I got to re-live the ICE BOWL again...I can still see my dad jumping up and down after the first TD. All the The championships and first two Super Bowls...It is a must READ for every packer fan.

 

[PWT36]

I was a young adult during the "Glory Years Packer teams era" coached by Vince Lombardi from 1959-1967. I also purchased Packer season tickets in 1961 when City Stadium capacity was increased to 38,600. City Stadium was renamed Lambeau Field in 1965.

I was at City Stadium (now Lambeau Field) for the "Ice Bowl" which was the National Football league Championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers . The game was held on New Years Eve December 31st, 1967. It was called the "Ice Bowl" because the temperature at game time was minus 13 degrees below zero and there were very high winds causing the wind chill factor to be minus 46 degree below zero. It was brutal out there at the stadium and some players had frost bite.

The Packer beat the Dallas Cowboys 21 to 17 in last minute of the game. Bart Starr Quarterbacked called "hjis own Number" and called QB sneak behind the block Packer guard Jerry Kramer in last minute of the game from the Cowboys one yard line on a very icey field.

The QB sneak call was at the suggestion of QB Bart Starr. Bart called a time out and went to the sideline to have conference with Vince Lombardi before the play was called.

The safe call might have been a field goal attempt which would have tied the game and put the game into "sudden death" overtime. But a Field goal could have been risk because of field and weather conditions at the time. QB Bart Starr told Coach Lombardi during the time out . he thought the QB sneak would work because of something he saw in the Dallas defense that would allow Packer Guard Jerry Kramer to block block his man just enough to allow him to get into the Endzone. Lombardi told Bart to run the play and "lets get the Hell out of here!!!!" --to which all 50,800 Packer fans agreed because of horrible weather conditions. The QB sneak call worked.

. Nobody in the stadium wanted overtime because of very cold and windy winter conditions . except for the Dallas Cowboys. It was the greatest New years Eve Celebration in Green Bay History after the Packer victory 21-17 over the Cowboys!!

The Packer advanced to Super Bowl II because of this victory over the Cowboys. . The Packers beat the Oakland Raiders33-14 in Orange Bowl on January 14th, 1968 to win Super Bowl; II, which was the Packer 2nd consecutive Super Bowl win. The Packers had beaten Kansas City Chiefs on 1/15/67 by 35 -10 to win Super Bowl I.

 

[Zero2Cool]

I love your reflections of the past, PWT, could you do it more often? Perhaps a weekly installment?

 

[spardo62]

Agreed, a must read for any Packer fan. It has been several years since I read the book, but I enjoyed being taken back in time and behind the scenes during the Glory Years.

 

[starpass]

Actually, you recount of this game is pretty accurate. The only thing you got wrong was the QB sneak call. Vince called for a dive to Chuck Murcine.
Bart called the play in the huddle...the dive to Murcine. When Bart got the ball...he did not hand off...he took it upon his own for the QB SNEAK. You are correct about another thing: The tape of the cowboys showed that Jethro Pugh stood up high on goal line stances...That is what the intel the packers had in the book about Pugh...Kramer, according to some observers...was actually off sides...Meaning: He was so cold and wanted to get the "Hell out of there"...that Kramer left a tad early...the flag never came. Game Over...this is the account from the book by Pulitzer award author Dave Moranis.

 

[yooperfan]

It is a great book.
I had Vince Lombardi Jr. signit for me when I went to hear him speak in July.

 

[Zombieslayer]

I was a young adult during the "Glory Years Packer teams era" coached by Vince Lombardi from 1959-1967. I also purchased Packer season tickets in 1961 when City Stadium capacity was increased to 38,600. City Stadium was renamed Lambeau Field in 1965.

I was at City Stadium (now Lambeau Field) for the "Ice Bowl" which was the National Football league Championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers . The game was held on New Years Eve December 31st, 1967. It was called the "Ice Bowl" because the temperature at game time was minus 13 degrees below zero and there were very high winds causing the wind chill factor to be minus 46 degree below zero. It was brutal out there at the stadium and some players had frost bite.

The Packer beat the Dallas Cowboys 21 to 17 in last minute of the game. Bart Starr Quarterbacked called "hjis own Number" and called QB sneak behind the block Packer guard Jerry Kramer in last minute of the game from the Cowboys one yard line on a very icey field.

The QB sneak call was at the suggestion of QB Bart Starr. Bart called a time out and went to the sideline to have conference with Vince Lombardi before the play was called.

The safe call might have been a field goal attempt which would have tied the game and put the game into "sudden death" overtime. But a Field goal could have been risk because of field and weather conditions at the time. QB Bart Starr told Coach Lombardi during the time out . he thought the QB sneak would work because of something he saw in the Dallas defense that would allow Packer Guard Jerry Kramer to block block his man just enough to allow him to get into the Endzone. Lombardi told Bart to run the play and "lets get the Hell out of here!!!!" --to which all 50,800 Packer fans agreed because of horrible weather conditions. The QB sneak call worked.

. Nobody in the stadium wanted overtime because of very cold and windy winter conditions . except for the Dallas Cowboys. It was the greatest New years Eve Celebration in Green Bay History after the Packer victory 21-17 over the Cowboys!!

The Packer advanced to Super Bowl II because of this victory over the Cowboys. . The Packers beat the Oakland Raiders33-14 in Orange Bowl on January 14th, 1968 to win Super Bowl; II, which was the Packer 2nd consecutive Super Bowl win. The Packers had beaten Kansas City Chiefs on 1/15/67 by 35 -10 to win Super Bowl I.

Man, I LOVE reading your stories. I so much wish I was there.

 

[PWT36]

Zombie & Zero: Appreciate the kind comments, that is why I post on Packer forum. I love to related to posters on this packer forum who did not have the chance to witness all the Packer history , that I have since the mid 1940's, when I was a youngster growing up on east side of Green bay. I lived just 4 blocks from old City Stadium (Packers home playing field from 1925-1956.). It has been an amazing ride thru Packer history and NFL history for me during those over 60 years.

Many Packer fans who do not live in Green Bay, probably don't realize that the Packers are part of the very fabric of Green Bay Community and have been since 1919. You know when you are in Green Bay. Green Bay Streets are named after famous Packers such as Vince Lombardi , Don Hutson, Reggie White ,Bart Starr, Tony Canadeo, and other Packers.

Many Green Bay Businesses have in their business name, reference to the Packers , such as Packer land, Packer City, and Titletown. Examples: Packerland Packing Company & Titletown Reality.

Of coarse, Green Bay signs at Cty Limits of the city , have printed on them Green Bay -Home of the Packers.

It is amazing story that a mediumsize city in Wisconsin has a Franchise in major league sports (NFL) and competes with the largest cities in USA and is known internationally. And has done so since 1921. Green Bay/Brown County Metro area has population of 220,000 in 2007 but when Green Bay got it's franchise in NFL in 1921 , Green Bay population was under 30,000.

Green Bay's City stadium had a capacity of about 25,000 in 1940 and Green Bay population was 42,000 at that time.
Lambeau Field now has a capacity of just over 70,000. The Packer profit in 1957 was in $20,000 range the Packer profit was jusat over $20M this fiscal year.

The Packer player's income in 1919 when the Packer were founded as semi pro town tream was $16.25 for the whole 1919 season for each player. In the 1930's the rookie player could expect to be paid $50 a game. The highest pay the great star player (End Now know as a WR -Don Hutson) made playing for the Green Bay Packers in mid 30's was $250 a game. Don Hutson highest in pay in the early 1940's was $16,000 a season. The Packers & NFL football has grown up in those 86 years since NFL was founded in 1921. !!