It might be hard to grasp for a person passing by.
Cars lined up as far as the eye can see, on lawns, in Pizza Hut parking lots, and just about anywhere else there is room.
Smoke billows from the aisles, rising in the Midwest air making even the clearest of fall days a little hazy. If you can't smell the brats and beer by now, you need to have your sinuses checked. If you can't hear at least one car playing polka music, you haven't been walking long enough.
I'm talking about Green Bay, WI any Sunday from September to January (Yes that includes Christmas and New Year's).
The NFL's smallest town at around 100,353 people, Green Bay has, for years, been referred to as, "Titletown USA." Regardless of what any ESPN voting block says, the name could not be more appropriate for the city.
The best place to start in defense of that statement should come from perhaps the most famous Packer icon not wearing a No. 4 jersey: Lambeau Field.
Built in 1957, the stadium with the frozen tundra has been sold out since 1960, nearly 50 years and a remarkable 277 games including the playoffs.
Yet, the Packer fan base does not have a reputation as being obnoxious, mean-spirited, or even rude. In fact, Lambeau Field recently claimed the top spot in Sports Illustrated's Game Day Experience poll for its mix of history, fan friendliness, and team competitiveness.
Perhaps those ought to be the criteria for claiming Green Bay as "Titletown."
The Green Bay Packers were founded in 1919 by the famous Earl "Curly" Lambeau, in whose name Lambeau Field stands. The "Green Bay Packers" name functions as the oldest continuous franchise name in the NFL. They joined the NFL in 1920, just a year after it was created.
Since then, the Packers have won a record 12 NFL Championships, including nine prior to the advent of the Super Bowl.
Many believe Vince Lombardi to be on the greatest, if not the greatest coach in NFL history. Not to mention names like Starr, Taylor, Hornung, and Nitsche, who all evoke vivid memories of an epic clash with the Landry-led Cowboys in the famed "Ice Bowl," the Packer sweep, and the hard-nosed, disciplined football that made the Packers so great in the 1960's.
Perhaps no franchise, outside of perhaps the Yankees, can claim a larger role in the formation of its sport's history.
My guess is, a number of NFL fans could not pick out Green Bay on a map, or even more specific than, "Somewhere between Chicago and Canada." However, people in Wisconsin couldn't care less.
There isn't room on the ticket list for new fans anyway. Right now, the waiting list for season tickets contains more than 74,000 names for a stadium that holds 72,928. That means that even if a replica of Lambeau Field was built, there would still not be enough seats for every fan on the waiting list.
But don't expect to see aowner roaming the sidelines of the tundra. The Packers are publically owned by more than 110,000 people, making the Green and Gold the only publically owned franchise in professional sports.
That makes it highly unlikely the team will ever move, nor will drastic changes be made against the wishes of the fan base, because the fans literally own the team.
A city like Chicago, who boasts the Bulls with MJ, the Bears with names like Halas and Payton, could easily argue they deserve the crown of "Titletown."
4 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Casey H about 1 year ago
Well done. Green Bay "Titletown" forever.
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Andrew Kneeland about 1 year ago
Very nice writeup. You have me convinced.
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MJ Kasprzak about 1 year ago
Awesome--we swayed a Vikings fan! (One of the few I like, too--just kidding.) Seriously, well done. I would also point out that other towns may boast more championships, but not in comparison to the number available--if you have only one professional team (and don't even claim college championships--the Raiders could beat the Florida Gators, so it's not a WORLD championship!), that's all the wins available. That is the only reason Montreal (failures of relocated Expos) doesn't get it for the Canadiens--your one oversight was that you forgot to mention them--perhaps you find hockey as easily as people find Green Bay on a map?
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Peter Bukowski about 1 year ago
MJ, I didn't forget hockey, although I did take a small jab at it when I dismissed the accomplishments of the Blackhawks. Part of the reason, well most of the reason, is simply that America doesn't really care about hockey, particularly when you consider MMA and NASCAR draw more viewers than the NHL. Titletown has to have the fanbase and support to go with the tradition and winning.
It isn't that I can't FIND hockey, I just choose to allow it to remain hidden. Much of the U.S. agrees which is why Detroit, despite the success of Redwings and Pistons, cannot be Titletown because their main draw is hockey and no one was even at their playoff games recently. That doesn't sound like Titletown to me
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