A dynasty in sports happens when a team wins several championships over a relatively short period of time. That period of time is often 10 years or so. In the NFL it is convenient to say certain teams are teams of the decade. When a team is considered the best team of that decade, it can be assigned the status of a dynasty.
The NFL started in 1920's. The Akron Aros won the first NFL championship. The Canton Bulldogs won the NFL championships in 1922 and 1923. They moved to Cleveland and were renamed the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1924 and won another championship in their first year in Cleveland. The Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs were the team of the 1920's.
One overlooked dynasty is the Green Bay Packers from 1929 to 1939. During that time the Packers won 5 championships (1929,1930,1931,1936,1939). They are rightly seen as the team of the 1930's.
From 1932 to 1946, the Chicago Bears won 5 championships (1932,1933,1940,1941,1946). They were seen as the dominant team of that time period.
The Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions each won 3 championships in the 1950's. The Browns were lead by quarterback Otto Graham and running back Marion Motley. The Lions were lead by quarterback Bobby Layne and running back Doak Walker.The Browns and the Lions were the two best teams during the 1950's.
In the 1970's the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys competed for NFL supremacy. The Cowboys appeared in 5 Super Bowls and won 2 of them. The Steelers won 4 Super Bowls in 4 appearances. The Steelers became the team of the 1970's by virtue of their two victories over the Cowboys in Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII. The Steelers were known for their "steel curtain defense" and their excellent offense.
The San Francisco 49ers dominated the 1980's as they won 4 Super Bowls. The 49ers were lead by hall of fame quarterback Joe Montana and hall of fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. Together they became one of the most prolific quarterback/wide receiver tandems in NFL history.
In the 1990's the Dallas Cowboys won 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons. The Buffalo Bills also played in 4 straight Super Bowls, but were unable to win. The San Francisco 49ers were also a strong team. The Cowboys had one of the most complete teams in the history of the NFL. They were lead by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. They also had an excellent offensive line and a very good defense. Additionally, their special teams were excellent. The Cowboys of the early to mid 1990's were one of the most complete teams in NFL history.
The salary cap era has been dominated by the New England Patriots. With Bill Belicheck as coach and Tom Brady as quarterback, the Patriots have appeared in 7 Super Bowls since 2002. They have won 5 of them. Their only losses have been to the New York Giants. The Patriots have been the most consistent team in the NFL for the last 16 years. They have deftly managed the salary cap to remain competitive every year.
All of these teams are known for their success and consistency. However, no team stands out more than the 1960's Green Bay Packers. They are the most memorable dynasty in the history of the NFL. Between 1960 and 1967, the Packers appeared in 6 NFL championships, winning 5 of them. They also won the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967. The Packers of the 1960's remain the model NFL franchise.
Vince Lombardi was hired in 1958 to turn around the Packers. Lombardi was a 45 year old offensive coach for the New York Giants. He had waited a long time to become a head coach. He wanted the opportunity to show people how successful he could be. He had a wealth of knowledge about the game and he wanted to prove that he could run his own team and make his own team successful.
The year before he was offered an opportunity to coach the Philadelphia Eagles. He considered the offer, but decided it was not the right job for him. He showed interest in the opening at Army, but Army usually hired graduates of West Point, which disqualaified Lombardi from serious consideration.
However, when the Packers job became available in 1958, it proved to be the right fit for Lombardi. The Packers offered Lombardi a 5 year offer to coach the team. Lombardi accepted the offer even though his wife had initial misgivings because she had always lived in or near New York City. Moving two children to Green Bay, Wisconsin would be a challenge for Mr. and Mrs. Lombardi. However, over time both Vince and his wife adjusted to the change.
After Lombardi accepted the offer, he met with the board of directors of the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are the only major sports team that does not have an actual owner. Instead, they are owned by the community and run by a board of directors. It makes the Packers unique in the history of American sports.
John Eisenberg in his book "That First Season" chronicles the first season of Lombardi in Green Bay. Eisenberg wrote about the first meeting between Lombardi and the board of directors of the Green Bay Packers. At the meeting with the board of directors, Lombard was forthright and direct. He said "I want it understood: I'm in complete command here. I expect full cooperation from you. You will get full cooperation from me in return. I've never been associated with a loser and I don't expect to be now. You have my confidence. I want yours. I'm not against anything that will help the Packers." His initial statement showed the self confidence teams need in a head coach. It also shows a willingness on his part to help the team in whatever way is possible. He showed self confidence and respect at the initial meeting. This self confidence and respect won over the board of directors. They realized that hiring Lombardi was the right decision.
Lombardi proved to be a very efficient coach. He did not waste time and he did not allow the players to waste time and energy. Every practice and every activity had a purpose. Eisenberg points out that Lombardi told the board of directors "I hope to hold workouts down to an hour and a half, an hour and fifteen minutes if possible. The players will know exactly what they're supposed to at every minute." Lombardi wanted to account for every practice and every minute. He had a purpose for everything they did at practice. Filling the practices with quality time was paramount to Lombardi. If the players did what was expected of them at practice, then they could do what was expected of them during the games. The Packers would play liked they practiced. If they had efficient practices, then they would have efficient games.
Lombardi was not only demanding of the players, he had high standards for the coaches as well. According to Eisenberg, he told the coaches "I'm a perfectionist. I'm going to demand your best. There's absolutely no excuse for anything other than that." Such comments strongly encouraged the coaches to put forth their best effort. The players and coaches were accountable to Lombardi, who in turn was accountable to the board of directors and the fans of the Green Bay Packers.
Before the first season started, Lombardi and his staff watched all of the games from the previous season on tape. He wanted to see what the players were like and what strategy was best for the future. Lombardi decided to build his team around a power running game. He called Paul Hornung, who up until that time had played multiple positions for the Packers. Lombardi wanted Hornung to be a full time running back. Hornung would be a big part of the Packers' running game. After the first phone conversation with Lombardi, Hornung experienced a renewed interest in football. He experienced a renewed commitment to the game. He would be ready to contribute to the Packers' success.
Next, Lombardi called his 24 year old quarterback, Barr Starr. They had a good conversation, and Starr told his wife that the new coach sounded very organized. Regarding Starr, Eisenberg said "No Packer worked harder than Starr....Blessed with a quick mind, he easily memorized playbooks, mastered the nuances of different offensive systems, and was always ready to play." Every team needs a smart quarterback who can direct the offense. A good quarterback is like a coach on the field. Ironically, Starr himself, would one day coach the Packers. He was the right quarterback for the Packers at this time. He and Lombardi would work well together in leading the Packers to success.
Lombardi opened up the first training camp with the words "Three laps around the goal posts." Lombardi's words set the tone for a team that had previously lacked discipline and focus. Starr, in particular, had been concerned about the team's previous lack of discipline and attention to detail.However, it was clear to the coaches and the players that Lombardi's Packers would be different.
Before the season started, the Packers traded for Emlen Tunnell of the New York Giants, who was the first African American man to play for the New York Giants. While the league was slow to accept racial diversity, the New York Giants were leaders in this area. Lombardi respected every person, liked Tunnell and felt that he could help the Packers. Regarding Lombardi's commitment to racial diversity, Tom Bartsch says "Lombardi began getting what he wanted by assessing the Packers' current roster and deciding who could and could not help the team win. This required a man of vision who knew what his team would look like, and how an individual player's skill would fit into the overall scheme. That Lombardi did so without predjudice set him apart. He wanted the best football players, not the best white football players, or black football players, or blue football players. He didn't care about the color of a player's skin. He cared about a player's character and ability." Lombardi benefitted from the good example of the New York Giants in the area of racial diversity. His personal faith also helped him to be against racism. In any event, Lombardi respected each player and wanted to include all players who could help make the Packers a better team.
Eisenberg emphasizes that Lombardi wanted the Packers to be in better shape in order to meet the demands of football. Lombardi believed that the Packers would have an advantage if they were in better shape. He incorporated exercises before practices to help the Packers to improve their conditioning.
Eisenberg says that Lombardi lead the team through a series of calisthenics. He guided them through "push-ups, sit ups, and jumping jacks, then had them run in place." Lombardi wanted the players to get the most out of practice and to be ready for the games. He wanted players who would not tire during the games.
After calisthenics, the players worked with their position coaches for half an hour. Eisenberg says that "Each group moved through drills focusing on fundamentals, running, throwing, catching, and blocking." Lombardi's emphasis on the fundamentals made the players less likely to make key mistakes during the games. As the saying goes, "more games are loss than they are won." In other words, mistakes sometime prevent teams from winning. The team that wins is the one that makes the fewest mistakes.
The night before the first full squad practice, Lombardi addressed the players. According to Eisenberg, Lombardi said "Gentlemen, we're going to have a football team here, and we're going to win some games. Do you know why? You are going to have confidence in me and my system. By being alert, you are going to make fewer mistakes than your opponents. By working harder, you are going to out-execute , out block, and out tackle every team that comes your way." Lombardi's self confidence became contagious. Through Lombardi's assertive, consistent and unapologic leadership, the Packers developed more confidence in themselves. Lombardi expected them to be more focused than their opponents and to play better on every play in every facet of the game.
Lombardi also gave the players a curfew and explained they would be fined if they broke the curfew. Lombardi believed that discipline off the field lead to more discipline on the field. He believed if the players kept their curfew, it would help the team to practice and play better.
As a head coach, Lombardi also saw himself as a teacher of the game of football. Eisenberg says "In the evenings, Lombardi stood at a blackboard and slowly introduced his offense, painstakingly explaining every player's role on every snap." Lombardi's attention to detail helped him to be a good coach and teacher. Since he was attentive to every detail, the players also became more attentive and focused.
The Packers lost the 1960 NFL championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles 17-13. The Packers lost despite outgaining the Eagles in yards from scrimmage 401-296. The Packers also had a 22-13 advantage in first downs. However, Hornung missed a field goal in the first quarter and Lombardi elected to go for it and missed on fourth down twice instead of kicking field goals. It was the only time the Packers would lose an NFL championship game under Lombardi.
In 1961, the Packers beat the Giants for the NFL championship game 37-0. The game was played in Wisconsin during the day on New Years Eve in 20 degree weather. Hornung lead the way for the Packers as he scored a touchdown, kicked three field goals and kicked three extra points.
In the 1962 NFL championship game, the Packers once again defeated the Giants. However, this time the score was much closer, 16-7. Hornung was injured for this game,but right guard Jerry Kramer filled in as a kicker and booted three field goals and one extra point. The Green Bay Packers had now been in three straight NFL championships, and they had won two in a row. Lombardi's transformation of the Packers was in full swing.
The Packers were unable to win their third straight NFL championship in 1963. They had to play for third place in the "playoff bowl" in 1963 and 1964. Lombardi hated having to coach in that game, because he believed first place was the only thing that mattered. He believed that first place alone was acceptable for the Packers. They won the "play off bowl" in 1963 and they lost the game in 1964.
In 1965, the Packers were back in the NFL championship game. They beat the Browns 23-12 behind three field goals by Don Chandler, a rushing touchdown by Paul Hornung and a touch down pass by Bart Starr. After a two year absence, the Packers were once again world champions. This was their third NFL championship with Lombardi as coach.
Before the 1966 season, the NFL and AFL merged into one entity. The winner of the AFL playoffs and NFL playoffs played each other in the first Super Bowl. The Packers defeated the Chiefs 35-10 to win the first Super Bowl. Max McGee, the star of the day, had 7 receptions for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns - including the first touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Packers had added to their legacy with a victory in Super Bowl I.
Jerry Kramer, the star offensive lineman kept a journal of the 1967 season- the last season that Lombardi coached the Packers. The journal depicts the confidence the Packers had in their coach and in themselves. In the preseason the Packers defeated the Browns 30-21. However, they trailed 14-0 early. Nevertheless, Kramer's journal reflected the confidence the Packers had in themselves even when they were down 14-0. Kramer said "Some people thought we were in trouble, but we knew we were going to win. We go into every game we play knowing we're going to win. And we always do. We never lose a game. Sometimes, of course, the clock runs out while the other team still has more points than us, but we know that the game isn't really over, that if we kept playing we'd end up ahead." The Packers viewed themselves as winners. Lombardi's confidence was contagious. Kramer's words show that the Packers could not accept defeat.
On September 10th, Kramer wrote "Obviously, I spend a lot of time thinking about defensive tackles. Football is a team game, but especially for the linemen and the receivers, there's a dramatic and important, individual game within the game. To help your team succeed, as a team, you have to succeed as an individual." Kramer expressed the high standard that he had as a player. Football is a series of individual challenges. When a team's individual players successfully meet their challenges, then they help the team to win. Kramer understood his challenges as an offensive lineman. Many, if not all of the Packers, understood their individual assignments. This helped them to become the best team of the 1960's.
In 1967, the Packers were trying to win their third straight NFL championship. According to Kramer, a week before their opening game Lombardi said the following to the Packers: "Gentlemen, no team in the history of the National Football League has ever won three straight world championships. If you succeed, you will never forget this year for the rest of their lives. Gentlemen, this is the beginning of the big push." Lombardi helped the Packers to understand what was at stake. He helped them understand what a major accomplishment three straight world championships would be.
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Although the Packers were well coached and they gave maximum effort, they still had struggles. On October 2nd, Kramer wrote "Bart's had such a frustrating season. He's had nine passes intercepted; most years he doesn't give up that many interceptions in a season. Until today, I didn't realize how frustrated Bart was, how intense he was." The Packer players aimed to be the best they could. They were driven and motivated to be the best. Like all teams, they had their struggles and players became frustrated.
On October 3rd, Kramer wrote about how concerned Lombardi was with their inconsistent play. Despite the Packers' undefeated start, Lombardi was concerned about their performance. Kramer said "Coach Lombardi seemed more disturbed than angry during our meeting this morning. He said there's a general lack of enthusiasm on the club, a lack of desire, something he can't quite out a finger on." Coach Lombardi had such high standards. Even though the Packers had not lost a game, he was still concerned about the team's play.
While the Packers were motivated to win every game, they also had a human side. The team had prayer meetings for the players and the players prayed for themselves and others. Kramer said "Personally, I enjoy the chance to pray before a game. I have two special prayers of my own: 'Don't let me make a fool of myself' and 'Don't let anybody get hurt.' I rarely pray for victory, but if we're in a big game, I sometimes say 'I don't like to ask you this, Lord, but...'. So, despite their toughness and strength, the Packers did not want players hurt. They wanted to win, but not inflict injury on their opponents.
While coach Lombardi could be tough on the players, he was also aware of the progress the team was making. On October 12, Kramer wrote "Coach said this morning that our timing is coming along, that our halfbacks are starting to hit the holes a little better. He said the whole program is beginning to escalate, that were moving toward our peak." Coach Lombardi noticed the team's flaws and their strengths. He was aware of the team's progress and their need to improve even more. This awareness helped him guide the Packers to their titles and accomplishments. Awareness is an important quality in a coach. A coach needs to se the team's strengths and weaknesses. A coach needs to know what is working and not working. A coach needs to help a team maintain what is working and improve what is not working.
Despite, their accomplishments, the Packers at times doubted themselves. On October 19th, Kramer wrote "I'm pretty certain that we don't have any real problems, but I'm not absolutely certain. A little doubt's creeping into my mind. I'm starting to question my own ability, my teammate's ability. I'm wondering, most of all, how good a team we've really got. I think a lot of the other guys are asking themselves the same questions. No one's saying anything out loud, but I can feel it, I can sense it." Despite their hard work and dedication, the Packers were still uncertain if they were good enough to win another championship. While the doubt was there, they continued to work and prepare for games. Their effort never waned.
On October 22nd, the Packers trailed the Giants 14-0. However, they came back and played well the rest of the game. Regarding the Packers' second half performance, Kramer said "Every play worked in the second half, everything we tried, particularly through the left side of the Giant line." They came back and defeated the Giants 48-21. After their victory, the Packers celebrated. Kramer said "We hadn't celebrated so hard in years. It was an indication that we were all a little more concerned about our football team than we wanted to let on, that, without saying anything, we were really beginning to wonder, beginning to doubt. The Giant game made us feel a lot better." Though the Packers had doubts, they overcame their doubts through a good performance against the Giants. Teams have challenges, but good teams overcome them. The 1967 Packers were a good team.
On November 5th, the Packers visited the Baltimore Colts. The Colts won the game 13-10. Kramer said "The locker room was awfully quiet afterward. Everyone felt disgusted with the way we'd lost the game." Despite the loss, the team really appreciated how they had been prepared by coach Lombardi for the game. Kramer recounted words spoken by Bart Starr: 'You know it, Jerry, and you know it, Max, but perhaps the young guys don't: This man is one great coach. He's got a brilliant mind. He prepares us better for a football game than any other team in the National Football League. Going into the game against St.Louis, we knew exactly what we could do, what we couldn't do,how to do it. The same thing today. I've never seen a more complete book on a team than Coach Lombardi had on Baltimore. It was really a beautiful thing to see." Even in defeat, the Packers realized that Lombardi adequately prepared them for the game. They realized that they were the most prepared team in the NFL.
On November 9th, Kramer quoted one of Lombardi's best sayings. Kramer said "Lombardi offered us another one of his sayings today. 'The greatest accomplishment' he said, 'is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.' This saying emphasized the importance of perseverance and effort. In sports, individuals and teams, need to continually rise to the occasion. Teams and individuals need to consistently work to overcome obstacles and difficulties. Under Lombardi's leadership, the Packers were able to do this often.
On November 12th, the Packers defeated the Browns 55-7. Kramer said "Everything, and everybody, worked for us." Sometimes a team is so prepared that the game plan seems perfect. Sometimes a team is so prepared that a team cannot be stopped or slowed down. In early November, the Packers were building momentum.
On November 15th, as the Packers prepared for the San Francisco 49ers, Kramer reflected upon the Packers victory over the Browns. Kramer said "Our performance in the Cleveland game meant a lot to me. It showed how well we could face a real challenge - the Browns had been leading their division- and it showed how well we could bounce back from defeat, even though our first string running backs were out with injuries." This victory showed the resilience of the Packers. They were able to come back from a difficult defeat. They were able to beat a tough opponent.
The Packers would go onto to defeat the 49ers, Bears and Vikings before finishing their seasons with losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburg Steelers. The Packers finished 9-4-1. They were going to the playoffs and hoped to play in the second Super Bowl after winning the first one the year before.
The Packers would defeat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL championship game for the second straight year. It was their third straight NFL championship overall. The game against Dallas was played in below zero weather, in what would later be called "The Ice Bowl." The game was won in the closing minute on a one yard quarterback sneak by Bart Starr.
After defeating the Cowboys in the NFL championship game, the Packers met the Oakland Raiders in the second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 14th, 1968 in the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida. The Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders 33-14 to win their second straight Super Bowl. The Packers had put an exclamation point on their decade of dominance.
After the game, Lombardi congratulated the players and conveyed to the team how proud he was of them and their accomplishments.Kramer basked in the moment. He wrote "I wanted to keep my uniform on as long as I possibly could." Another successful season had concluded for the Green Bay Packers and Kramer wanted to appreciate the moment.
In the almost 100 year history of the NFL many teams have striven for excellence. However, no team reached excellence more often and more consistently than the Green Bay Packers of the 1960's.
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