The Packers, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, are the third oldest franchise in the NFL. Formed in 1919, they are the only non-profit, publicly owned pro sports team in American football.

A Storied History

The Packers won their first championship after going undefeated in 1929 thanks to a record of 12-0-1, a feat which they would repeat 1930. During this time, the Packers would win 30 consecutive home games in a row.

Between 1935 and 1945 the Packers would win three more championships on the performances of Don Hutson, who claimed 18 different NFL records by the time he retired in 1945, and was one of the first inductees into the Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

In 1958, the Packers would see their worst season ever, a 1-10-1 season that stands today as the worst season in Green Bay’s history.

But 1959 was the beginning of the Vince Lombardi era, where the Packers had a miraculous turn. They would go on to be known as “the team” of the 1960s, winning five championships over a seven year stretch, which included the first two Super Bowls.

From the late 1960s to the early 1990s, The Green Bay Packers struggled to find any success on the football field. Out of 24 seasons, the Packers only had five seasons above .500, and only made it to the playoffs twice in this timeframe. Poor decisions by the coaching staff seemed to be the norm in this period, and the Packers burned through 5 different head coaches during these years, each one worse for the team than the last.

In the Modern Era

The Brett Favre era began in 1992, when the Packers received Brett from the Atlanta Falcons. Favre delivered the first win of the Packer’s 1992 season with a comeback victory over the Bengals of Cincinnati. Favre would end up breaking the record for consecutive starts by starting in 297 straight games, and didn’t miss a single game during his time with the Packers.

Tickets to see the Green Bay Packers take on the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wildcard game on January 5th, 2013 are on sale now. If you’ve never experienced the excitement of watching a pro football game in person, then this is the game you’ll want to see!