Lambeau Field
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| Lambeau Field | |
|---|---|
| The Frozen Tundra | |
| Image:Lambeaufieldlogo.jpg Image:Lambeau-field.jpg | |
| Location | 1265 Lombardi Avenue Green Bay, Wisconsin 54307 |
| Broke ground | 1956 |
| Opened | 1957 Renovated 2003 |
| Owner | City of Green Bay |
| Operator | Green Bay Packers |
| Surface | DD GrassMaster |
| Construction cost | $960,000 USD $295 million USD (2003 Renovation) |
| Architect | Somerville Associates |
| Former names | City Stadium (1957-64) |
| Tenants | Green Bay Packers (NFL) (1957-Present) |
| Capacity | 72,928 |
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field. For that reason, it was also informally known as New City Stadium until 1965, when it was renamed for Packers founder, player, and long-time head coach, Curly Lambeau, who had died earlier in the year.
Lambeau Field was the first stadium built for the exclusive use of an NFL team, and is the longest continuously-occupied stadium in the NFL. The playing field at the stadium sits at an elevation of 640 feet (195 m) above sea level[1].
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Expansion, 1961-95
Demand for tickets at the new stadium easily outstripped supply. In 1961, four years after it opened, the stadium's capacity was increased to 38,669.
The Packers have been regularly increasing the seating capacity. The bowl was increased to 42,327 in 1963, to 50,852 in 1965 and to 56,263 in 1970, when the stadium was fully enclosed for the first time as the various stands were joined into one continuous oval around the field.
Construction of 72 private boxes in 1985 increased the seating capacity to 56,926, and a 1990 addition of 36 additional boxes and 1,920 theatre-style club seats brought the number to 59,543. In 1995, a $4.7-million project put 90 more private boxes in the previously open north end zone, for the first time giving the stadium the feel of a complete bowl and upping capacity to 60,890.
[edit] 2003 renovation
By the end of the 1990s, the Packers believed that they needed to update the facility to remain financially competitive in the NFL. Rather than build a new stadium, Chairman/CEO Bob Harlan and President/COO John Jones unveiled a plan to renovate Lambeau Field in January 2000. The renovations were to be partially funded by the team, and partially by a 0.5% sales tax in Brown County. Their plan won voter approval in September 2000, and construction began early the following year.
This massive $295 million reconstruction was designed to update the facilities and add more premium and suite seating, while preserving the seating bowl and keeping the storied natural grass playing field of the "frozen tundra." The renovation project was completed in 2003, bringing the current capacity to 72,928.
Lambeau Field has been occupied by the Packers longer than any other NFL team has occupied its own current stadium. In 2006, the Packers completed their 50th year at Lambeau, tying the all-time NFL occupancy record set by the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field (1921-70). (While Soldier Field in Chicago has been the site of a football stadium longer, it was not the home of the Bears until 1971.) In 2007, the Packers began their NFL-record 51st season at the stadium.Although the capacity has more than doubled since Lambeau Field was opened, demand for tickets remains high - season tickets have been sold out since 1960, and more than 74,000 names remain on the waiting list.
During the 2007 season, Lambeau Field was voted the number one NFL stadium in game-day atmosphere and fan experience by a Sports Illustrated online poll.[2]
[edit] Name and nickname
[edit] New City Stadium
The original name of Lambeau Field lasted through the 1964 season. Officially "City Stadium," the name "New City Stadium" was used informally to distinguish the stadium from its predecessor, which had become the home of the Green Bay East High School football team.
[edit] Lambeau Field
The new City Stadium was renamed "Lambeau Field" by the city on September 11, 1965, following the death of Packers founder Curly Lambeau earlier that year (and over the mild objections of Vince Lombardi, who expressed a desire to have the stadium named after him one day).
Besides founding the team in 1919, Lambeau played for the Packers in its early season and was the team's coach through 1949. During his tenure, he led the Packers to six NFL titles, second only to Chicago Bears coach George Halas who led his team to eight NFL titles.
[edit] Corporate naming rights
On November 7, 2000, a second referendum was presented to the same Brown County voters who earlier voted to allocate money for renovating Lambeau Field. This referendum asked whether or not naming rights to the renovated stadium should be sold in order to retire earlier the 0.5% sales tax created to cover construction costs. The referendum passed 53% to 47%, the exact percentage by which voters approved the sales tax.[citation needed]
After the vote passed, the Packers entered talks with the City of Green Bay, which owns the stadium, to further explore the options. A compromise was worked out in which the sale of naming rights would be considered if a corporation were to bid at least $120 million for those rights.[citation needed] As of yet, no such bids have been offered.
The Packers, although agreeing to be bound by the will of the voters, have consistently stressed that they would prefer Lambeau Field keep its traditional name, honoring the club's founder.[citation needed]
The Packers have sold naming rights to the five entrance gates. From the north going clockwise, they are: Miller Brewing (atrium gate), the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin (Oneida Nation gate, Oneida Street), Mills Fleet Farm stores (southwest gate), Associated Bank (west gate and private box entrance), and Verizon (northwest gate). Miller Brewing is also a sponsor of the atrium, and has a section in one end zone called the "Miller Lite End Zone," giving away tickets in that area with various beer promotions.
[edit] "The Frozen Tundra"
The stadium's nickname was spawned by the 1967 NFL Championship Game between the Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. The game was played in temperatures of -13°F (-25°C) with sharp winds, and has come to be known as the "Ice Bowl." The name supposedly came from a highlight film of the game that included in its narration the phrase, "the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field," spoken by "the voice of God," the late John Facenda. However, Steve Sabol of NFL Films has denied that Facenda used the phrase; it is believed that an imitation of Facenda by ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman popularized the phrase. An underground electric heating system had been installed the previous summer but when it was needed the most it failed to operate properly. The field had been covered overnight with the heater on but when the cover was removed in the sub-zero cold the moisture atop the grass flash-froze.
The underground heating and drainage system was redone in 1997. After the 2006 season, the surface, heating, and drainage system has been replaced. The new grass surface has synthetic fibers woven into the sod.[3]
[edit] Postseason
Lambeau Field has represented a significant postseason home-field advantage for the Packers. From its opening in 1957 until January 2003, when they fell 27-7 to the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers had never lost a postseason game at Lambeau Field. However, the Packers hosted just one postseason game (in the ad-hoc round-of-16 in the strike-shortened 1982 season) during a lean stretch of 27 years between the Ice Bowl of 1967 and a wild-card game in December 1994. Although the Packers have lost two of their last three playoff games at Lambeau Field, the overall postseason record is an impressive 12-2. The stadium has hosted 3 NFL championship games in 1961, 1965 and 1967 also known as the Ice Bowl.
The impressive record is attributable to both the dominance of the early Packers teams under Lombardi and the physical and psychological challenge that the cold Wisconsin winters present for visiting teams. The most famous example is the Ice Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31, 1967 for the NFL Championship. Still the coldest game in NFL history, at kickoff the temperature was -13 degrees Fahrenheit with a windchill of -46 degrees and it got even colder as the game went on. Despite the conditions, the game sold out and actual attendance was high[4]. More recently in the NFL playoffs, 1997 both the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers struggled to adapt to the cold, muddy conditions.
[edit] Traditions
[edit] The "Lambeau Leap"
Many Packer players jump into the end zone stands in a celebration affectionately known as the "Lambeau Leap." The Lambeau Leap was "invented" by LeRoy Butler after a Reggie White fumble recovery and lateral against the L.A. Raiders in December 1993, and later popularized by wide receiver Robert Brooks. [5][6]
Today, the Lambeau Leap is a popular touchdown celebration done by many players (on many different teams). Though it is always known as a Lambeau Leap when a Green Bay Packer does it, the term is also sometimes used when a player on another team does it.[citation needed]
Occasionally, a visiting player will attempt a Lambeau Leap, only to be denied by Packers' fans. The most recent of which occurred when then-Minnesota Vikings cornerback Fred Smoot intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown[7].
[edit] Stadium music
Originally, music at Lambeau Field was provided by the Packers' Lumberjack Band. The live band has been replaced by recorded music.
Whenever the Packers score a touchdown, the Todd Rundgren hit "Bang the Drum All Day" is played. This tradition began in 1995 and has since been copied by a few other teams around the NFL.
"Go! You Packers! Go!," the team's fight song, is played at Lambeau Field immediately following the Packers' player introductions and after each extra point scored by the Packers.
The "Go Pack Go" jingle is played usually whenever the team is on defense or during the start of a drive on offense.
The House of Pain hit "Jump Around" is often played during one time-out at Lambeau, resulting in widespread jumping around by the crowd. This tradition began following the popularity of the same song/crowd-participation tradition at University of Wisconsin football games.
[edit] Other events
Since the renovation, the stadium has been used for other purposes, including snowmobile racing. The 2005 snowmobile racing event took place over the turf, but even with proper snow cover, it ruined the playing field. In 2004, the event was held in the parking lot due to a lack of snow.
[edit] Football
When built, Lambeau Field was also slated to be used by Green Bay's public high schools, as old City Stadium had been. However, a key 1962 game between the Packers and Detroit Lions was affected when two high schools played in the rain the preceding Friday, damaging the field. After that, Lombardi asked the schools to avoid using Lambeau. Since then, few non-NFL football games have been played there. In 1969, Green Bay's Premontre High School (the alma mater of Lombardi's son, Vince Jr.) hosted (and won) the state private school football championship, and in 1982 and 1983, St. Norbert College hosted Fordham University (Lombardi's alma mater) in a benefit game to fight cancer.
[edit] Hockey
Following the success of the "Cold War" collegiate hockey game held in 2001 at East Lansing's Spartan Stadium, hockey teams from Wisconsin and Ohio State met in the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic, an outdoor game played on a temporary rink inside the stadium on February 11, 2006. The Badgers defeated the Buckeyes 4-2 before a capacity crowd of 40,890. There were some problems as the ice began to crack during play, but overall it was a success, ending with the Badgers doing the "Lambeau Leap" following their victory.
Shortly after the game, newspaper reports said the Wisconsin football team might be interested in moving a non-conference road game to Lambeau Field. The Packers have also shown interest in this possibility, though such a game is unlikely to occur until after the 2007 season.
[edit] Soccer
The city stadium authority and the Packers have floated the idea of hosting the United States men's national soccer team at the stadium.
[edit] Concerts
Since the renovation, no concerts have been played at Lambeau. The last concert to be held at the stadium was Survivor, in 1985 to a crowd of 13,000. The main reasons for this are concerns of the team relating to potential damage of the playing surface and also more desirable venues in Wisconsin, notably Miller Park in Milwaukee and Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
[edit] Seating capacity
Lambeau Field:
The Packers have one of the longest waiting lists for season tickets in professional sports with about 74,000 people as of May 3, 2007.[8] Lambeau has been sold out on a season-ticket basis since 1960 (259 consecutive games at the start of 2007, including playoffs). [9]
[edit] External links
- Lambeau Field.com - official website
- Green Bay Press Gazette - Lambeau memories at 50 - 2007
- Lambeau Field timeline from PackersNews.com
- PackersNews.com - Lambeau Field
- Packers yearly results
- Packers game results
- Lambeau Cam from Packers.com
- Don't bet on UW football at Lambeau, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Feb. 15, 2006
- Packers to start shopping Lambeau name around, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov. 8, 2000
- Terraserver.microsoft.com - aerial photo (1992) - and USGS topo map
- ESPN.com, "Lambeau or Bust: NFL Experience Incomplete Without a Trip to Green Bay"
[edit] References
- When Pride Still Mattered, A Life of Vince Lombardi, by David Maraniss, 1999, (ISBN 0-684-84418-4)
- South Carolina Hall Of Fame: Robert Brooks
| Preceded by City Stadium 1925-1956 | Home of the Green Bay Packers 1957-present | Succeeded by Current |
Green Bay Packers
|
|---|
| Franchise | History | Players | First-round Draft Picks | Seasons | Statistics Lambeau Field | Board of Directors | Hall of Fame | Bears–Packers Rivalry |
| Head Coaches |
| Lambeau | Ronzani | Blackbourn | McLean | Lombardi | Bengtson Devine | Starr | Gregg | Infante | Holmgren | Rhodes | Sherman | McCarthy |
| League Championships (12) |
| 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1996 |
| Lore |
| The Ice Bowl | The Snow Bowl | Instant Replay Game | The Mud Bowl |
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Categories: Articles needing additional references from September 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since September 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | 1957 architecture | Green Bay Packers | National Football League venues | Outdoor ice hockey venues in the United States | Sports in Green Bay | Sports venues in Wisconsin
