Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Hello,
My name is Andy Terrick, and I am the Series Co-Editor along with David Cicotello on McFarland's Historic Ballparks book series. The next volume is slated to be about Milwaukee County Stadium. It's to be a baseball-centric book, but we feel the need to touch on the football related aspect, as well, given the long history that Green Bay had with the place. I'm trying to find out if there is anyone who might hold interest in writing a chapter that will be very Packers/football oriented. It can venture into other football topics beyond the Packers, as well, keeping close to the boundaries of the County Stadium theme.

This book's editor has a couple of interesting thoughts on what he wants discussed, but we're open to the writer's thoughts, as a straight out history may not be the best fit. So, I wanted to reach out to see if anyone in this group might be willing to take the opportunity to contribute to this project.

Thanks for your time,
Andy
Historicballparks@gmail.com
andyterrick@gmail.com

If he's interested I think Eric Goska would be a perfect candidate. He and Mr.Hickock I think are best equipt to speak to Packer history here.

One weird fact: the first time that the Browns played a regular season game in Green Bay was in 2001. Every other time, the game was in Milwaukee, while the Browns did play preseason and the 65 Championship game in GB.

County Stadium was the last stadium where both teams' benches were on the same side. The Met in Bloomington also did this for the Vikings. There were others.

The Packers did not play a Monday Night Football game in Lambeau until 1979 because of insufficient lighting. Packer home MNF games were played in Milwaukee instead.

For a considerable period the Packers had a better record in Milwaukee than in Lambeau. Purportedly because the Milwaukee fans were harder on the team, more likely to boo.

Packers played the Bears every year, but only once in Milwaukee. That came in 1974. Bears and Packers did play on MNF in 1974, but that was the game in Chicago. Packers won 20-3 with the big highlight being a Steve Odom 95 yard punt return.

NWebster wrote:If he's interested I think Eric Goska would be a perfect candidate. He and Mr.Hickock I think are best equipt to speak to Packer history here.

Ralph and Eric Goska for sure. I would add Joe Zargoski to the list as well.

When the Packers moved to County Stadium in 1953 (from Marquette Stadium), that meant that Milwaukee games had significantly more seating capacity than games in Green Bay. The NFL then put pressure on the Packers to replace City Stadium I (also the field of Green Bay East high school) with City Stadium II (later Lambeau.) With that the capacity of Lambeau was still lower than County Stadium until 1965.

Stadium capacity perhaps was also an issue in awarding the 7th Packers home game to Milwaukee when the NFL expanded from 12 to 14 games in 1961.