Packerlifer
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Who did the Packers play in their first appearance on ABC's Monday Night Football back in 1970? If, without looking it up, you said the San Diego Chargers you win a piece of candy for your skills at Packers' trivia.
The Packers had played Monday night games against the Cardinals in 1967 and the Cowboys in 1968, as the NFL experimented with the concept of MNF, but it was not until the completion of the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970 that Monday Night Football became a regularly scheduled feature and a landmark icon of American culture. With Howard Cosell and "Dandy Don" Meredith in the booth with play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson (who would be relaced by Frank Gifford in the second year.)
The Packers-Chargers match up was just the fourth all-time in the series of ABC MNF and the scheduling was a little more than coincidental. Both clubs had been marquee teams of their respective leagues in the 1960's, though by '70 both were clearly faded dynasties. The game had sort of a "hail and farewell to the '60's " theme to it.
It was also the first time since Super Bowl II that the Packers would square off against a club of the AFL and there was considerable pressure for the Pack to remain undefeated against the younger league. (Green Bay in fact wouldn't lose to an AFL club until a loss at Lambeau to the Raiders in 1972. Counting the Super Bowls, that was a 5-0 record to start. )
http://www.packershistory.net/1970PACKERS/GAME4.html
The dominance of the Packers in the NFL in the '60's is, of course, legendary and needs no recitation again here. But over in the new AFL the Chargers, for the first half of the decade at least, were almost the younger league's equivalent of Green Bay.
The Chargers played in 5 of the first 6 AFL Championship games, though they managed to win only one. A 51-10 trouncing of the then "Boston" Patriots in 1963. There was as yet no Super Bowl but then and now there are many respected people who believe that they rather than the 1968 New York Jets could have been the first AFL champion to beat the NFL champion in a meeting if there had been one.
http://talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/1963-super-bowl-match-up/
San Diego's coach Sid Gillman went so far as to have "World Champions" not just AFL Champions carved on the title trophy. Gillman is considered something of the "father" of modern offensive pro football. He was an innovative offensive mind who opened up the game from what it had been as a defense-dominated, ground it out on the ground slugfest and made it a more wide open passing game. He produced one of the greatest "coaching trees" in pro football history that has continued to the present day and includes Packers' head coaches Mike Holmgren and Mike McCarthy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Gillman
The Chargers did make it to one Super Bowl, in 1994, where they lost big to the Steve Young and Jerry Rice led 49ers 49-26. But in the 45 years since the merger they have reached the playoffs 13 times and played in four conference title games.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Chargers
There have been several significant ties between the Packers and Chargers going back to the beginning with San Diego. Tobin Rote, Green Bay's quarterback for most of the 1950's, finished his pro career as a Charger and led those explosive Sid Gillman championship teams in the AFL. He alternated with and was eventually succeeded by John Hadl; who would find his way to the Packers in a trade via the Rams in 1974.
The Packers acquired another notable Charger in a 1981 trade that brought all-pro wideout John Jefferson to Green Bay to help give the Packers of the early '80's one of the most explosive passing games in the league.
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/29328669.html
The Packers and Chargers have played each other ten times and the series has been pretty much all for Green Bay. The Packers are 9-1 all-time. They have never lost in six trips to San Diego and are 3-1 at Lambeau Field.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=gnb&tm2=sdg&yr=all
http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2...s-chargers-series-history-green-bay-leads-9-1
The Packers had played Monday night games against the Cardinals in 1967 and the Cowboys in 1968, as the NFL experimented with the concept of MNF, but it was not until the completion of the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970 that Monday Night Football became a regularly scheduled feature and a landmark icon of American culture. With Howard Cosell and "Dandy Don" Meredith in the booth with play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson (who would be relaced by Frank Gifford in the second year.)
The Packers-Chargers match up was just the fourth all-time in the series of ABC MNF and the scheduling was a little more than coincidental. Both clubs had been marquee teams of their respective leagues in the 1960's, though by '70 both were clearly faded dynasties. The game had sort of a "hail and farewell to the '60's " theme to it.
It was also the first time since Super Bowl II that the Packers would square off against a club of the AFL and there was considerable pressure for the Pack to remain undefeated against the younger league. (Green Bay in fact wouldn't lose to an AFL club until a loss at Lambeau to the Raiders in 1972. Counting the Super Bowls, that was a 5-0 record to start. )
http://www.packershistory.net/1970PACKERS/GAME4.html
The dominance of the Packers in the NFL in the '60's is, of course, legendary and needs no recitation again here. But over in the new AFL the Chargers, for the first half of the decade at least, were almost the younger league's equivalent of Green Bay.
The Chargers played in 5 of the first 6 AFL Championship games, though they managed to win only one. A 51-10 trouncing of the then "Boston" Patriots in 1963. There was as yet no Super Bowl but then and now there are many respected people who believe that they rather than the 1968 New York Jets could have been the first AFL champion to beat the NFL champion in a meeting if there had been one.
http://talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/1963-super-bowl-match-up/
San Diego's coach Sid Gillman went so far as to have "World Champions" not just AFL Champions carved on the title trophy. Gillman is considered something of the "father" of modern offensive pro football. He was an innovative offensive mind who opened up the game from what it had been as a defense-dominated, ground it out on the ground slugfest and made it a more wide open passing game. He produced one of the greatest "coaching trees" in pro football history that has continued to the present day and includes Packers' head coaches Mike Holmgren and Mike McCarthy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Gillman
The Chargers did make it to one Super Bowl, in 1994, where they lost big to the Steve Young and Jerry Rice led 49ers 49-26. But in the 45 years since the merger they have reached the playoffs 13 times and played in four conference title games.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Chargers
There have been several significant ties between the Packers and Chargers going back to the beginning with San Diego. Tobin Rote, Green Bay's quarterback for most of the 1950's, finished his pro career as a Charger and led those explosive Sid Gillman championship teams in the AFL. He alternated with and was eventually succeeded by John Hadl; who would find his way to the Packers in a trade via the Rams in 1974.
The Packers acquired another notable Charger in a 1981 trade that brought all-pro wideout John Jefferson to Green Bay to help give the Packers of the early '80's one of the most explosive passing games in the league.
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/29328669.html
The Packers and Chargers have played each other ten times and the series has been pretty much all for Green Bay. The Packers are 9-1 all-time. They have never lost in six trips to San Diego and are 3-1 at Lambeau Field.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=gnb&tm2=sdg&yr=all
http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2...s-chargers-series-history-green-bay-leads-9-1
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