Friday, April 13, 2012

L is for..........

L is for..........Lombardi.

I grew up in Wisconsin, so it goes without saying that I'm a huge Green Bay Packers fan. As a child of the 70s and 80s there wasn't much to cheer about, the Packers were consistently terrible. My generation had no idea what it felt like to cheer for a winner. All we could do was listen to stories of the glory days, passed down from parents to children, stories of the Lombardi era, when the Green Bay Packers were the epitome of success, right up there with the New York Yankees.

When I was 16, we moved to Green Bay, about a mile down the street from Lambeau Field. When you live in Green Bay, Lombardi and the Packers are everywhere. My old high school is on Packerland Drive. My brother and sister both attended Lombardi Middle School. We drove Lombardi Avenue nearly every day. Lombardi may have died in 1970, but his legacy is still very much alive in Titletown.

Lombardi  became the head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 1959, winning Coach of the Year honors in his first season. In 9 seasons, Lombardi's Packers racked up a record of 105-35-6. The Packers reached the NFL Championship game in Lombardi's second season, the only time the Packers would lose a title game during his tenure. Lombardi famously promised his men they would never lose another title game, and he was true to his word. The Packers went on to win 5 of the next 7 NFL Championships, including the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967. And that my friends is why they call it the Lombardi Trophy.

The Lombardi Trophy is a vagabond, making stops all over our glorious country, from Oakland to St. Louis to New York. Since 1967, the Lombardi Trophy has only made it home for brief stops, in 1996, and most recently 2010.

Who knows how long it will take for the Lombardi Trophy to make its way home again, but when it does, you can bet the ol' coach will be smiling down.
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19 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 13, 2012 at 6:21 AM

    I was bummed for my friends who are Packer's fans that they weren't able to repeat this year. They had a good season though.

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    1. trilesApril 13, 2012 at 2:21 PM

      I bet there weren't many other people feeling bad for Green Bay fans in Minnesota.

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  2. Donna K. WeaverApril 13, 2012 at 7:31 AM

    Now this is a name I know. He was truly a powerhouse and such an inspiration.

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    1. trilesApril 13, 2012 at 2:47 PM

      You're right, he inspired a lot of people, and not just athletes and coaches.

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  3. Luanne G. SmithApril 13, 2012 at 7:39 AM

    I can just imagine his name is everywhere in Wisconsin.

    Hoping to give your packers and the rest of the teams some trouble this year, now that we got Manning for a quarterback in Denver. :)

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    1. trilesApril 13, 2012 at 2:30 PM

      That's right, exciting time to be a Denver fan. I wouldn't bet against Peyton, that's for sure.

      Delete
  4. Tara TylerApril 13, 2012 at 8:27 AM

    long time no lurk =)
    nice to see you in the a to z! hodag is my fave!!

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  5. Julie FlandersApril 13, 2012 at 8:48 AM

    I have a feeling the trophy will make its way home again before too many years have passed. Certainly it will make it back to Green Bay before it ever makes it to Cincinnati.

    I love all the history surrounding the Pack, and have always thought it would be fun to visit Green Bay. Very cool.

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    1. trilesApril 13, 2012 at 2:32 PM

      I hope the Trophy makes a stop in Cincy soon.

      Delete
  6. Michael Offutt, Phantom ReaderApril 13, 2012 at 9:31 AM

    You shoulda posted some of his famous, super hyper-competitive quotes...you know the kind that say things similar to, "If you come in second, then you're a complete loser and should just slit your wrists".

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    1. trilesApril 13, 2012 at 2:43 PM

      It's true, Vince was one tough, demanding SOB. But the men who knew him best, his players, loved him.

      Delete
  7. EricApril 13, 2012 at 11:27 AM

    Very interesting stuff. I have heard some of it but not all, so thank you for this. It must be interesting indeed to live in Packerland.

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    1. trilesApril 13, 2012 at 2:39 PM

      I loved my time in GB. The connection with the team makes it a unique place to live.

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  8. IngerApril 13, 2012 at 2:37 PM

    Lombardi must have been quite the man! I'm sure the GBP will win soon again.
    Thank you so much for your comment on my Swedish posts, it really touched me because, I guess, I don't know if I'm able to convey how pretty it is there. Not the stunning mountains and fjords scenery of Norway, but just pure pretty. Thank you!

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  9. Nick WilfordApril 13, 2012 at 3:09 PM

    I don't know anything about American football. Interesting to see how pervasive it is, with the street names and everything. Hope your team are doing better these days!

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  10. DB StewartApril 13, 2012 at 4:36 PM

    Plus he has great quotes.

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  11. Kern WindwraithApril 13, 2012 at 5:12 PM

    His name is iconic, even for those who don't know very much about him (like me). Hope that trophy makes it back to Wisconsin soon!

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  12. TrishaApril 14, 2012 at 3:31 AM

    I support an AFL team that always loses, so I know how that feels! haha. But I always say "I've got a thing for losers!" I've never stopped being loyal to ma boys, no matter how many times they let me down!

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