2004 Green Bay Packers

Easily the most magical name in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers have regained in recent years the success the team knew for decades. Last year's NFC North championship promises big things for 2004. Games at Lambeau Field are impossible to get into because of the fervor of Packers fans, so if you have a chance to score some tickets, you had better take advantage of it.

The Packers predate the NFL. The team was founded in Green Bay on August 11, 1919, by two young players, George Calhoun and Curly Lambeau. The Indian Packing Plant, Lambeau's employer, donated uniforms and the use of an athletic field. During the team's first season in 1920, players earned their salaries by passing hats among spectators.

In 1921 Lambeau's Packers joined the new American Professional Football Association, which soon became the NFL. Lambeau played until 1927, becoming an early master of the forward pass. Green Bay won three consecutive league titles from 1929 through 1931, and three more crowns in 1936, 1939, and 1944.

After Lambeau left the team in 1949, the franchise declined. During the 1960s, however, head coach Vince Lombardi transformed the team into one of the most powerful dynasties in professional football history. Star-studded lineups featuring quarterback Bart Starr, halfback-kicker Paul Hornung, offensive lineman Forrest Gregg, linebacker Ray Nitschke, and running back Jim Taylor captured five league championships in seven seasons'”a record unmatched in NFL history.

Lombardi built strong lineups on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and under his guidance the Packers won five league crowns from 1961 to 1967. They also won the first two Super Bowls, humbling two American Football League (AFL) champion teams: Following the 1966 season the Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the 1967 Super Bowl, and a year later they beat the Oakland Raiders 33-14.

During his nine seasons in Green Bay, Lombardi's teams won more than 75 percent of their games, including nine of ten playoff contests. Lombardi's .740 career winning percentage is the highest among coaches with at least 100 victories.

In January 1992 the Packers hired Mike Holmgren as the team's head coach. In 1995 the club won the division crown and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys.

Green Bay's success continued as Favre threw 39 touchdown passes to lead Green Bay to 13 victories and its second consecutive division title in 1996. In the playoffs the Packers captured the NFC championship and defeated the New England Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI. The following season the Packers continued to dominate the NFC, with another 13 wins and the Central Division title. After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs, however, Green Bay faltered in the Super Bowl and lost to the Denver Broncos.

• 1967 Super Bowl I Defeated Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10
• 1968 Super Bowl II Defeated Oakland Raiders, 33-14
• 1997 Super Bowl XXXI Defeated New England Patriots, 35-21
• 1998 Super Bowl XXXII Lost to Denver Broncos, 31-24