Editing Green Bay Packers (section)

=== Curly Lambeau years (1919–1949) ===
The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11, 1919,<ref name="PackersTimeline" /> by former high-school football rivals [[Earl "Curly" Lambeau]] and [[George Whitney Calhoun]].<ref>Lambeau had played the 1918 season at Notre Dame under Knute Rockne and alongside George Gipp. He did not return to school the following year however due to illness which then led to the Packer's birth. {{cite book |last1=Names |first1=Larry D |editor1-first=Greg |editor1-last=Scott |title=The History of the Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years |volume=1 |year=1987 |publisher=Angel Press of WI |isbn=0-939995-00-X |pages=27–29 |chapter=The Myth }}</ref> Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the [[Indian Packing Company]], a [[meat packing industry|meat packing company]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christl |first=Cliff |author-link=Cliff Christl  |date=March 23, 2017 |title=The Acme Packers were short-lived |url=https://www.packers.com/news/the-acme-packers-were-short-lived-18677091 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801221116/https://www.packers.com/news/the-acme-packers-were-short-lived-18677091 |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=August 1, 2018 |website=Packers.com}}</ref> He was given $500 (${{Inflation|US|500|1919|r=-2|fmt=c}} today) for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named after its sponsor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hendricks |first=Martin |date=June 3, 2009 |title=A name 90 years in the making |url=http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/46741862.html/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801221149/http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/46741862.html/ |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=August 1, 2018 |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}</ref> The Green Bay Packers have played in their original city longer than any other team in the NFL.

On August 27, 1921, the Packers were granted a franchise in the American Professional Football Association, a new national pro football league that had been formed the previous year. The APFA changed its name to the National Football League a year later. Financial troubles plagued the team, and the franchise was forfeited within the year before Lambeau found new financial backers and regained the franchise the next year. These backers, known as "[[The Hungry Five]]", formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christl |first=Cliff  |date=May 26, 2016 |title=The truth and myth about 'The Hungry Five' |url=https://www.packers.com/news/the-truth-and-myth-about-the-hungry-five-17191426 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801221058/https://www.packers.com/news/the-truth-and-myth-about-the-hungry-five-17191426 |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=August 1, 2018 |website=Packers.com}}</ref>

==== NFL champions (1929, 1930, 1931) ====
After a near-miss in [[1927 Green Bay Packers season|1927]], Lambeau's squad claimed the Packers' first NFL title in [[1929 Green Bay Packers season|1929]] with an undefeated 12–0–1 campaign, behind a stifling defense which registered eight shutouts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=M’Glynn |first=Stoney  |title=Dec. 8, 1929: Packers earn first league title |url=http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/205724981.html/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801220855/http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/205724981.html/ |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=August 1, 2018 |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}</ref> Green Bay would repeat as league champions in [[1930 Green Bay Packers season|1930]] and [[1931 Green Bay Packers season|1931]], bettering teams from New York, Chicago and throughout the league, with all-time greats and future Hall of Famers [[Mike Michalske]], [[Johnny McNally|Johnny (Blood) McNally]], [[Cal Hubbard]] and Green Bay native [[Arnie Herber]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 14, 2017 |title=History of Champions: Packers are No. 1 in NFL |url=https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2017/01/14/history-champions-packers-no-1-nfl/96552152/ |access-date=August 1, 2018 |website=Press Gazette Media |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125033300/https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2017/01/14/history-champions-packers-no-1-nfl/96552152/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="y694">{{cite web | last=Jones | first=Brian | title=Packers explain why three championship trophies missing in HOF | website=247Sports | date=June 22, 2017 | url=https://247sports.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/article/green-bay-packers-explain-why-three-championship-trophies-are-missing-from-hall-of-fame-53284003/ | access-date=August 29, 2024 | archive-date=November 30, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241130204450/https://247sports.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/article/green-bay-packers-explain-why-three-championship-trophies-are-missing-from-hall-of-fame-53284003/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Among the many impressive accomplishments of these years was the Packers' streak of 29 consecutive home games without defeat, an NFL record which still stands.<ref>{{cite web|title=Team Records: Games Won|url=http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/history/pdfs/Records/2013/Team_Records.pdf|publisher=National Football League|access-date=December 12, 2016|archive-date=February 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219185958/http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/history/pdfs/Records/2013/Team_Records.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== NFL champions (1936, 1939, 1944) ====
[[File:Don hutson packers.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Don Hutson]] with the Packers; his jersey number was the first retired by the Packers (1951)|left]]
The arrival of the end [[Don Hutson]] from [[Alabama football|Alabama]] in 1935 gave Lambeau and the Packers the most feared and dynamic offensive weapon in the game. Credited with inventing pass patterns, Hutson would lead the league in receptions in eight seasons and spur the Packers to NFL championships in [[1936 Green Bay Packers season|1936]], [[1939 Green Bay Packers season|1939]] and [[1944 Green Bay Packers season|1944]]. An [[One-platoon system|Iron Man]], Hutson played both ways, leading the league in interceptions as a [[Safety (American football position)|safety]] in 1940. Hutson claimed 18 NFL records when he retired in 1945, many of which still stand.<ref name="b780">{{cite web | last=Stephenson | first=Creg | title=Don Hutson, the Babe Ruth of wide receivers and Alabama's greatest football player | website=AL.com | date=July 1, 2016 | url=https://www.al.com/sports/2016/07/don_hutson_the_babe_ruth_of_fo.html | access-date=August 29, 2024 | archive-date=August 29, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829172514/https://www.al.com/sports/2016/07/don_hutson_the_babe_ruth_of_fo.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In 1951, his number 14 was the first to be retired by the Packers, and he was inducted as a charter member of the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1963.<ref name="s530">{{cite web | last=Kruse | first=Zach | title=Uniform numbers retired by the Green Bay Packers | website=Packers Wire | publisher=USA Today | date=July 10, 2024 | url=https://packerswire.usatoday.com/lists/uniform-numbers-retired-green-bay-packers-brett-favre-bart-starr-don-huston-aaron-rodgers-curly-lambeau-ray-nitschke/ | access-date=August 29, 2024 | archive-date=August 29, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829172744/https://packerswire.usatoday.com/lists/uniform-numbers-retired-green-bay-packers-brett-favre-bart-starr-don-huston-aaron-rodgers-curly-lambeau-ray-nitschke/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="s323">{{cite web | last=Lea | first=Bud | title=Last of the Legends: Don Hutson one of a kind | website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | date=July 16, 1997 | url=https://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/206355991.html | access-date=August 29, 2024 | archive-date=August 29, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829172701/https://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/206355991.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

After Hutson's retirement, Lambeau could not stop the Packers' slide. He purchased a large lodge near Green Bay for team members and families to live in. Rockwood Lodge was the home of the 1946–49 Packers. The 1947 and 1948 seasons produced a record of 12–10–1, and 1949 was even worse at 3–9. The lodge burned down on January 24, 1950, and insurance money paid for many of the Packers' debts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/9669836/mysterious-fire-1950-saved-green-bay-packers-espn-magazine|title=Blaze of Glory|last=Fleming|first=David|date=September 27, 2013|access-date=December 9, 2014|publisher=[[ESPN]]|archive-date=February 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207175756/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9669836/mysterious-fire-1950-saved-green-bay-packers-espn-magazine|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Tony Canadeo 1950 Bowman.jpg|thumb|A 1950 depiction of [[Tony Canadeo]], whose No. 3 was retired by the Packers in 1952]]
Curly Lambeau departed after the [[1949 Green Bay Packers season|1949 season]]. [[Gene Ronzani]] and [[Lisle Blackbourn]] could not coach the Packers back to their former magic, even as a new stadium was unveiled in 1957.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gene Ronzani Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/RonzGe0.htm |access-date=August 29, 2024 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en |archive-date=March 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314210410/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/RonzGe0.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lisle Blackbourn Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/BlacLi0.htm |access-date=August 29, 2024 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en |archive-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815151232/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/BlacLi0.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The losing would descend to the disastrous [[1958 Green Bay Packers season|1958]] campaign under coach [[Ray McLean|Ray "Scooter" McLean]], whose lone 1–10–1 year at the helm is the worst in Packers history.<ref>{{cite news |title=In throes of winter, a team in disarray is reborn |first=David |last=Maraniss |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=19990914&id=3P8cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lI4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5049,7209886 |newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]] |location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin |date=September 14, 1999 |page=2B |access-date=July 6, 2011 |archive-date=April 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427141539/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=19990914&id=3P8cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lI4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5049,7209886 |url-status=dead }}</ref>