History of The Green Bay Packers - Lombardi Era (1959-1967)

Lombardi Era (1959-1967)

Several other factors helped the Packers return to success in the following decade. After Pete Rozelle became NFL Commissioner in 1960, he made sure that every franchise got all its games broadcast on television, as up to that point only big-market teams like the Bears and Giants enjoyed this privilege. TV helped raise revenue for small-market teams like Green Bay, and also because of the introduction of revenue sharing, which ensured that no NFL franchise would have to worry about bankruptcy.

The Lombardi era got off to a promising start when the Packers shut out Chicago on the 1959 opener, ultimately finishing 7-5 for their first winning record in 12 years. A 21-0 shutout of Washington on November 22 was the last Packers game to date that did not sell out.

In 1960, the Packers finished 8-4 and won their first division title since 1944. They also contested the championship game for the first time since that year against Philadelphia. The Eagles were playing on their home turf at Franklin Field however, and they won the championship game 17-14. It would be Vince Lombardi's only postseason loss.

After an 11-3 record in the newly-expanded 14-game season, the Packers again won their division and went to the 1961 championship game, this time at New City Stadium. They shut out the Giants 27-0 for the team's first title since 1944 and their 7th total.

The Packers would do even better in 1962, winning 13 of 14 games, including 11 in a row. This included a rematch with the Eagles in Franklin Field. Green Bay avenged the 1960 championship game by snuffing their opponent 41-0 in a game widely referred to as "Lombardi's Revenge". It would be the last Packers victory in Philadelphia until 2010. They reached the championship game again, this time in Yankee Stadium. On a frigid December day, Green Bay ground down the Giants 16-7 to win a second straight title.

A three-peat eluded Green Bay in 1963 as RB Paul Hornung was suspended by the league for betting on games. Without him, the team still finished 11-2-1, but was swept by the Bears, who won the division and ultimately the championship. The Packers were then forced into the embarrassing situation of having to go to Miami for the so-called "Playoff Bowl", an exhibition game the NFL held every January during 1960-69 between the second-place finishers of each conference. They beat Cleveland 40-23, but Vince Lombardi was not happy about it, calling the Playoff Bowl "The Shit Bowl. A loser's game for losers. Because that's all second place is."

The Packers appeared to have run out of gas in 1964, winning only eight games, losing five, and having one tie. Once again they had to contest the meaningless Playoff Bowl in Miami, this time with the Cardinals, who won 24-17. Lombardi was again infuriated, calling it "a rinky-dink game in a rinky-dink town between two rinky-dink teams."

During the 1965 off-season, Curly Lambeau died and the Packers renamed New City Stadium Lambeau Field in his honor. The Packers rebounded by winning ten games and losing three, but the season ender with San Francisco was a tie, forcing them to play the Colts in Baltimore to determine the conference champion. In a close defensive struggle, the two teams tied at 10-10 and went into overtime, where Green Bay won it on a 25-yard FG. Afterwards, they returned home to host Cleveland for the championship games, winning it 23-12.

The Packers of the 1960s were one of the most dominant NFL teams of all time. Coach Vince Lombardi took over a last-place team in 1959 and built it into a juggernaut, winning five league championships over a seven-year span culminating with victories in the first two Super Bowls. During the Lombardi era, The Packers had a group of legendary stars: the offense was led by quarterback Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Carroll Dale, Paul Hornung and Jerry Kramer; the defense was led by the likes of Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, and Herb Adderley.

The greatness of the Packers of the '60s really began one year earlier with the hiring of head coach Vince Lombardi. In their first game under Lombardi on September 27, 1959, the Packers beat the heavily favored Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The Packers got off to a 3–0 start but lost the next five and then won their last four games to achieve their first winning season since 1947.

The next year, the Packers, led by Paul Hornung's 176 points, won the NFL West Title and played in the NFL Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles at Philadelphia. In a see-saw game the Packers trailed the Eagles by four points late in the game. The Packers began their final drive, aiming for glory, but it was not to be as Chuck Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor just nine yards short of the goal line as time ran out. In the locker room after the game, Lombardi told his men that this would be the last time the Packers would lose the championship game with him at the helm. That prediction became fact, as the Packers would never again lose the NFL Championship game under Lombardi.

The Packers returned to the NFL Championship game the following season, as they faced the New York Giants. This time the game was no contest as the Packers exploded for 24 2nd quarter points as Paul Hornung, having recently returned from the Army, scored an NFL Championship record 19 points as the Packers beat the Giants to win their first NFL Championship since 1944.

Not resting on their 1961 Championship, the Packers stormed back the following season, jumping out to a 10–0 start en route to an amazing 13–1 season. The Packers faced the Giants in a much more brutal championship game than the previous year, but the Packers prevailed on the surprising foot of Jerry Kramer and the determined running of Jim Taylor. The Packers beat the Giants 16–7 and Titletown U.S.A. reigned supreme.