The Green Bay Packer fan base has a reputation of being the NFL’s best fans. They are so involved in Packer football that they legitimately own the team. There is no Jerry Jones or Al Davis occupying any Lambeau luxury box, but there are 111,968 fans who own shares of the league’s smallest town’s team. That’s no joke. It is called Green Bay Packers, Inc. It is just like the New York Stock Exchange – only these people aren’t interested in selling their shares.
Green Bay Packers, Inc. first put their team up for sale to the fans in the 1950s. The team sold quickly because of their success in the pre-Super Bowl era. The original share holders were alone in owning the franchise until team president and CEO Bob Harlan put more shares up for sale in the early 1990s. And again, the shares sold like hotcakes – this time the Packers had no recent championships to lure in potential buyers, but they did have a young quarterback who had a hold on hearts in Green Bay and the rest of America. His name was Brett Favre.
Much of the Green Bay Packers’ current fan base and second generation buyers can attribute their devotion to the Pack as a result of Brett Favre’s tenure. He took the game’s most storied franchise back the Super Bowl and brought the ultimate prize – the Lombardi Trophy – back to Green Bay where it all began.
For sixteen years, Lambeau stands were filled with green and white #4 jerseys. Sportscenter not only recapped the gun-slinger’s touchdown throws but they let the cameras role as he ran around the field like a little kid. Brett Favre had more fun playing the game of football than anybody ever. And the town of Green Bay had the most fun watching him.
Long story short: Favre announced his retirement in February 2008 and the city of Green Bay wiped every tear off his face. He then – only months later – decided that he wanted to unretire. Packers GM Ted Thompson told Brett that it was nothing personal but the Packers were ready to give their young quarterback Aaron Rodgers his chance at leading the team. Brett’s response: Demanding a trade and playing a year with the New York Jets and two seasons with Green Bay’s bitter rival – the Minnesota Vikings.
All it took was one look at Favre in a purple jersey and the Green Bay fans loathed their golden boy. Brett Favre went from being a face on the Packers’ Mount Rushmore (along with Lombardi, Starr, and Nitschke) to being a player that they want to forget. It was Brett’s request to get back into a uniform that led to Brett’s demise in Green Bay.
And it led to the rise of Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers has only been the Packers’ starter for three seasons, but in those seasons he has already helped the cheese heads forget about Favre. During today’s NFC Championship game against the Bears, FOX showed a few of Rodgers’s statistics including career passer rating and playoff passer rating. He was tops all-time in both statistics.
Rodgers led the Pack over the Bears today and clinched a spot in Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers. What makes this Green Bay team so intriguing is that it can only go as far as Rodgers takes them. He played this season without his starting running back and his favorite target in tight end Jermichael Finley. Both were lost in the early weeks to season-ending injuries. The Packers defense is ranked 5th in the league but those numbers may be a bit inflated thanks to six games against an offense-deprived NFC North (excluding Adrian Peterson).
Nonetheless, Rodgers has gotten the Packers back to the final game and it only took him three years of being the starter to do it. Brett Favre took the Packers in his fifth season as the starter and again the following. He led the Packers to a win over the Patriots in his first appearance in the Super Bowl.
What does Aaron Rodgers have to do to surpass Brett? Make it to two Super Bowls? Win two Super Bowls? What if he only wins one?
Regardless, Aaron Rodgers has made the transition from one quarterback to the next a seamless one for the people of Green Bay. Looking back to the day Favre retired, nobody could have ever seen Rodgers making Favre’s departure this easy.
If current team president and CEO Mark Murphy were to open more shares of Green Bay Packers, Inc. to the fans, chances are they would sell in a heartbeat. Partly because of the team’s history and partly because they are back in the Super Bowl, but mostly because football is all that they have in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Football and Aaron Rodgers.
Buy as many shares of Aaron Rodgers while you can because if he can beat the historic Steelers defense on February 7, his stock will be through the roof.
- DQ
