That's the population of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I know the Packers fan base extens across the state, but it's still hard to believe that a city barely over 100,000 people can so successfully sustain an NFL franchise. I always thought the city was bigger, but not so according to the 2006 census.
I lived in Wisconsin for two years (including the 97 SuperBowl win) and unless you have experienced it, you have no idea how great the fan support is. I would argue that no other fan base of any other professional team in the US can rival the loyalty. I was in sales, and visiting customers on Friday's in the fall was a riot. Casual Friday means Packers jerseys and Cheeseheads in the workplace. 95% of conversations on Friday afternoons and Monday mornings deal with the upcoming/last game, and everyone (men and women) follow the team. And while they only play games in Green Bay now, up until 95 they played 4 home games a year in Milwaukee, so they have large numbers of season ticket holders that live in the Milwaukee area which is obviously much larger. Basically, Packer football is it in Wisconsin for professional sports...Bucks and Brewers are not exactly legendary franchises.
I remember reading an article a couple of years back that ranked the fan support for all professional organizations. Green Bay topped the list, with the Spurs coming in at #2. Isn't there also no true owner of the Packers, meaning it's owned by the fans themselves?
the tax paying population of Green Bay Wisconsin owns the team, technically. I don't think they make a dime of it personally, I think any profits go to organizational costs and salaeries, and then to the stadium
And there is nothing as fun as being at the airport in Kansas City after the Big 12 Basketball Tournament wearing a Dallas Cowboys coat and running in to one of thier women. As we all know nothing is as sexy as a Marge Schott lool-a-like with a Marlboro dangling from her upper lip, filling me in on Pabst Blue Ribbon inspired/soaked "Packer Hospitality". Gives white trash a bad name.
Favre, owned by the city, great food, passionate fans. The Green Bay Packers are the best sports franchise in the world.
They care up there. I was up on a company trip 10 years ago at the cheesy (Wisconsin) Dells with the wife and we went into the hotel bar on Sat. afternoon in August. GB preseason game on, 4th Q with scrubs who would be cut the next week playing. Half the people in the bar are going nuts when they fumbled or missed a tackle. It was hilarious, but dam*** they do care.
No offense, because I'm kinda a "yelladawgdem" myself, but don't you think wearing a Dallas Cowboy coat and having an owner like "Jerra" kinda eliminates the whole "white trash" counter.
Shared revenue is why there is a competitive balance in the NFL. Green Bay could not exist in MLB, or at the very least, could not be competitive. It's one of many reasons why the NFL is light years ahead of MLB.
Wow did the salary cap haters highjack this post or what!?! Sounds like somebody has a case of the Mondays.
I didn't realize Bayless was discussing this. Then again, I didn't realize people actually listen to or watch him anymore.
I hope my sarcasm meter is broken. One of the most popular and revered franchises in all of sports should relocate to Portland, San Antonio, or LA?
Of Professional teams, (any sports) most loyal fan bases: 1. Green Bay Packers 2. St. Louis Cardinals 3. Kansas City Chiefs 4. Chicago Cubs 5. Boston Red Sox (more recently, lots of t-shirt fans, but still....)
In order for San Antonio or Austin to get a team, Schertz, NB, and San Marcos need to get a little bigger. The median income in San Antonio needs to go up a little.