The Packers yesterday held their annual shareholders' meeting at Lambeau Field, and team President & CEO Mark Murphy revealed that the club has "gone back 70 years to select the color and design" of its next alternate uniforms, according to Tom Silverstein of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. The uniforms come from the '37-49 era and include "dull gold pants and dark blue tops with bright yellow on the shoulders, sleeves and number." They "may be familiar to adult Packers fans," as the team "wore a very similar version" in '94 for the NFL's 75th anniversary. Alternate uniforms "can be worn up to three times a season for the next five years, no more than twice a season at home." But the Packers will wear this uniform "just once this year: Oct. 18 at home" against the Chargers. Murphy said that "going retro" for the team's alternate uniforms "was a no-brainer." Murphy: "For us, I've always kind of viewed, the third jersey, it makes sense to have a throwback rather than a neon, brightly colored yellow, something like that. I think it really kind of accentuates the unique history and tradition that we have." Silverstein notes the team's alternate uniform for the past five years "was from the 1929-'30 seasons when the team was known as the Acme Packers." It featured "dark blue and yellow as well, but the number was blue and laid over a yellow circle on the chest" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 7/29).
COUNTY LAW: In Green Bay, Richard Ryman reports the Brown County lottery for individual-game tickets "would continue for the foreseeable future, with a caveat." The team "makes 4,000 tickets per home game available to Brown County residents for their support" of the 0.5% sales tax approved by voters for the '03 renovation of Lambeau Field. The team will continue the lottery "if it is used." Murphy said that the lottery is for Brown County residents, and the team "would be concerned if the tickets were resold to fans of visiting teams." Ryman notes that is "something the team tries to avoid on the sale of standing room only tickets as well." Murphy: "We have 115,000 people on our waiting list. That’s also a concern. It would be nice if we could provide more people with season tickets at some point" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 7/29).
TEA & CRUMPETS: In Green Bay, Ryan Wood writes the Packers "still have a London game high on their wish list, but it may be unlikely." Murphy yesterday said that the problem "is opponents realize how well Packers fans travel to away games." Meanwhile, team owners "are hesitant to give up a home game, especially if they know it's an almost guaranteed sellout." As much as the Packers "want to play overseas, they're unwilling to relinquish a home game because of the economic impact it would have on the NFL's smallest market" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 7/29).
