COURTSIDE WEATHER🥶/SPORTS🏈/HISTORY📗: -3 F FOR CHIEFS V. DOLPHINS PLAYOFF IN KC TONIGHT — That’s Not Even Close To The Coldest Playoff Game Ever, The 1967 “Ice Bowl!”

Green Bay Packer QB Bart Starr (15) sneaks in the winning touchdown as Packers beat Cowboys 21-17 in the “Ice Bowl” on Dec. 31, 1967. The coldest NFL Playoff game — by far!

Photo: PackersNews.com

COURTSIDE WEATHER🥶/SPORTS🏈/HISTORY📗: -3 F FOR CHIEFS V. DOLPHINS PLAYOFF IN KC TONIGHT — That’s Not Even Close To The Coldest Playoff Game Ever, The 1967 “Ice Bowl!”

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Special to Courtside Sports

Jan. 13, 2023

Alexandria, VA. When the Kansas City Chiefs take the Arrowhead Stadium field for their home playoff game against the Miami Dolphins in a few hours, it’s already being advertised as one of the coldest NFL playoff games in history. (Thanks to ethically-challenged fat-cat execs at NBC Universal, you’ll only be able to see the TV game if you subscribe to their streaming service, Peacock. But, media greed is another story.) For Fox Sports’s rundown of the coldest playoff games in history, see https://apple.news/AeZJd_34gSMyMhei2REuS1g.

Weather forecasts say the actual temperature could be as low as -3 F with a windchill of -13. But, that would be “Balmy Days” compared with the December 31, 1967, 1:00 PM CST kickoff of the NFL playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys (coached by the great Tom Landry) at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The actual temperature at kickoff was listed at -13 F. Although “wind chill” hadn’t yet become a craze, it has been calculated at -48 F.

According to participants, the temperature and wind chill actually fell during the game. “Minus-15 and minus-55 chill factor — the only time I’ve ever been exposed to that, and I don’t care that if it’s the last time,” according to Packer wide receiver Carroll Dale (3 catches, 43 yards.)

Here are two outstanding accounts of the details of the Packers’ 21-17 victory on their way to winning their (and the NFL’s) second Super Bowl: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/12/26/tales-from-the-cold-ice-bowl-still-chills-50-years-later/108919986/; https://tremlettonsport.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/untold-stories-the-1967-ice-bowl/. (Unfortunately, the otherwise excellent USA Today article will require you to navigate around some totally annoying pop up ads by Equifax.) Before the days of streaming shenanigans, CBS provided live network coverage with its team of Ray Scott, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Frank Gifford, and Tom Brookshier.

Behind Hall of Fame QB Bart Starr and legendary Head Coach Vince Lombardi the Packers were actually able to move the ball through the air in the first half, taking a 14-0 lead and going into the frigid halftime up 14-10.

But, it was a different story in the second half, with the Cowboy defense holding the Packers scoreless on 10 straight possessions, while taking a 17-14 lead. When the Pack took over on their own 32 yard line late in the 4th quarter, with 4:50 to go, a long cold winter in Green Bay was definitely on the dimming horizon.

Starr led the team to a first down and goal at the one with time running down. After two failed Donny Anderson runs, the Packers called their final timeout with :16 to go. That led to one of the most famous plays in NFL history — one that in the end defined Lombardi, Starr, guard Jerry Kramer, and the Packers.

I was watching the game at home in Wauwatosa, WI with my family on our 13” GE color tv. As my brother, Jim, likes to remind me, it was about this moment that, as the youngest driver, he was “designated” to take our grandmother home and, therefore, missed what came next.

Most of us were expecting a pass. Even if incomplete, it would stop the clock for a “chip shot” field goal on fourth down to likely send the game into sudden death overtime.

But, Starr fooled everyone by calling his own number. Going over a slight opening created by Jerry Kramer’s iconic block on 6’6” 260 pound Cowboy defensive tackle Jethro Pugh, Starr knifed into the end zone for what proved to be the deciding score. The extra point by Don Chandler was good, and the Packers led 21-17 with 13 seconds left.

That’s where most accounts of the game end. But, as Jim reminded me, “Many of us recall the Starr QB sneak as the final play but actually there were 13 seconds left and the Packers had to kick off and defend a couple of plays.”

Despite the treacherous weather, almost all of the then approximately 51,000 seats at Lambeau were filled with hardy fans, and few left before the final whistle blew. (The inoperability of metal whistles during the Ice Bowl actually resulted in the NFL’s decision to permanently switch to plastic whistles.)

Ironically, Bart Starr was known for his passing, leadership, and “on field smarts,” but definitely NOT for his running. The one-yard winning TD that day at Lambeau was his only rush of the day (he also got sacked eight times for losses of 76 yards by Dallas’s “Doomsday Defense,” and lost a fumble resulting in the Cowboys’ first touchdown).

The Ice Bowl cemented the legend of Lombardi, Starr, and the 1960’s Packers. But, it also gave rise to some myths.

Myth #1: The Packers’ Invincibility in Frozen Games. Not surprisingly, as described in the Fox Sports article linked above, the Packers have participated in three of the seven coldest NFL Playoff games. But, the Ice Bowl remains their only victory. They lost to the Giants 23-20 in 2007 in Brett Farve’s last game as a Packer. They also lost to the San Francisco 23-20 in 2013 during the Aaron Rodgers era.

Myth #2: The Packers Are Dominant In Lambeau Playoff Games: As I noted in a previous blog post, even with Rodgers and Farve, the Pack won only one Super Bowl in 21st Century, in 2010. https://immigrationcourtside.com/2024/01/08/🏈-sports-on-to-dallas-with-love❤️-pack-down-rival-bears-17-9-clinch-playoff-slot-as-qb-stars-jones-runs-defense-hangs-tough/. That year they were the last seed (#6) and got the Lombardi Trophy by winning 4 playoff games on the road.

Although they have had other chances at Lambeau playoff games since 2000, they never have never been able to duplicate their winning trip to the 2011 Super Bowl where they bested Pittsburgh. Interestingly, and perhaps fortuitously for Packers fans, this year’s Jordan Love led playoff team resembles the 2010 squad.

They have the worst seed (now #7), thereby eliminating any possibility of another game at Lambeau. Like the 2010 team, they are heavy underdogs who had to win out over the last few games of the season to even make the playoffs.

Myth #3: The Packers have “owned” the Cowboys in the Playoffs. Significantly, the Pack won the first two playoff meetings, in 1966 and 1967, on their way to their first two Super Bowl Championships. And, they have won the last two memorable playoff games with the Cowboys, played in 2015 (26-21) and 2017 (34-31).

But, in between, the Cowboys won four straight (1983, 1994, 1995, 1996). Indeed, when the Packers won their lone Super Bowl under Farve, 1997, they did not face Dallas in the playoffs.

So, actually, the Packers and the Cowboys are 4-4 in playoff games with Dallas strongly favored in tomorrow afternoon’s late matchup on Fox.

Which leads me to my final point. In an era of “enlightenment,” when player health and fan safety are supposed to be paramount, why not postpone tonight’s KC-Miami matchup to more suitable weather when the players can perform somewhere near their best and the fans can actually enjoy the game rather than just having to survive it?

After all, the competition is about football, NOT attempting to set coldness records or “out ice the Ice Bowl.” In an unusual burst of rationality, tomorrow’s untenable showdown between Pittsburgh and Buffalo at the latter’s snow-bound home has been postponed at the request of NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, due to public safety concerns.

If tonight’s Chiefs v. Dolphins contest is marred on or off the field by a preventable weather-related injury or fan problems, authorities in Kansas City and the NFL might wish that they had acted with more common sense and prudence. I’m sure that those of us Packer fans who remember watching the Ice Bowl in the comfort of home enjoyed the game more than the players or, for that matter, the 51,000 freezing fans!

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

01-13-24

SPORTS: WILLIE WOOD (1936-2020): Packer Great, NFL Hall of Famer, DC Native Helped Break The “Color Barrier!”

https://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2020/02/03/green-bay-packers-hall-fame-safety-willie-wood-dies-83/1650921002/

Michael Cohen in the Green Bay Press Gazette:

Willie Wood was a fiercely athletic safety for the Green Bay Packers whose interception in Super Bowl I remains a cherished highlight for the organization.

Wood died Monday at an assisted living facility in his hometown of Washington, D.C., the Packers announced. He was 83.

Wood had been suffering from advanced dementia for years.

“The Green Bay Packers Family lost a legend today with the passing of Willie Wood,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said. “Willie’s success story, rising from an undrafted rookie free agent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is an inspiration to generations of football fans. While his health challenges kept him from returning to Lambeau Field in recent years, his alumni weekend visits were cherished by both Willie and our fans. We extend our deepest condolences to Willie’s family and friends.”

The dynamic Wood was regarded as one of the best defensive backs in NFL history, a player whose vicious hits and plentiful interceptions dominated an entire decade in the 1960s. He played 12 seasons from 1960-71 — all with the Packers — and ranks second in franchise history with 48 career interceptions (trailing only Bobby Dillon’s 52). Wood is the Packers’ career leader in punt-return yardage with 1,391.

Wood was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

“The game has lost a true legend with the passing of Willie Wood,” Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker said. “He had an unbelievable football career which helped transform Green Bay, Wisconsin into Titletown U.S.A. Willie was a rare player who always fought to be a great teammate and achieve success. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent and became one of the greatest to ever play the game. The Hall of Fame will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration to future generations.”

Wood’s streak of 166 consecutive games played ranks fourth behind quarterback Brett Favre (255), offensive lineman Forrest Gregg (167) and long snapper Rob Davis (167), a testament to the durability and attitude Wood hoped would define his game.

“Determination probably was my trademark,” Wood said. “I was talented but so were a lot of people. I’d like people to tell you I was the toughest guy they ever played against.”

Green Bay Packers safety Willie Wood almost intercepts a long pass by the Giants in the fourth quarter of the Bishop’s Charity game at Green Bay in 1969. Woods fell backward as he kept the ball away from Aaron Thomas on a pass from quarterback Y. A. Tittle. (Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel files)

Wood, who began his career as a quarterback, followed a circuitous route to Green Bay. A year of junior college in California gave way to a three-year career at Southern California with modest numbers and little national buzz. Wood went undrafted as an undersized black quarterback and relied instead on Bill Butler, his coach at the Washington, D.C., Boys Club, to write letters to pro teams campaigning on his behalf.

“Mr. Lombardi, if you could see this kid unshackled you would really agree with me,” Butler said in a letter to coach Vince Lombardi in December of 1959. “If you hadn’t contemplated giving him a chance, just try him one time and I’ll guarantee you’ll be glad you did.”

Wood switched to defense and went through training camp with the Packers in 1960. He made the team as a rookie free agent and contributed immediately as a punt returner on special teams.

RELATED: Packers legendary quarterback Bart Starr dies at 85

RELATED: Hall of Fame Packers tackle, former coach Forrerst Gregg dies

RELATED: Packers Hall of Fame fullback Jim Taylor dies at 83

One year later, however, the legend of Wood was born. He replaced injured starter Jess Whittenton at safety late in the 1961 season and entrenched himself as one of the premier defensive backs in the league.

Wood made the Pro Bowl eight times in the next 11 seasons and led the Packers in interceptions five times. He earned AP All-Pro honors six times and was a unanimous selection in 1965 and 1966.

Wood retired after the 1971 season and took a job as an assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers. He went on to become the first black head coach in professional football by taking over the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League in 1975. Five years later he became the first black head coach of the Canadian Football League as well.

“The thing is, my dad never wanted to leave football,” Andre Wood, a son of Willie’s, told The New York Times in an article published in 2016. “He needed a stable way to make a living. But I know he would have stayed in the NFL coaching track had he been asked to. But he wasn’t.”

DOUGHERTY: Willie Wood took safety road to Hall of Fame

Perhaps his finest moment came in Super Bowl I when the Packers played the Kansas City Chiefs. Wood undercut an ugly throw by Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson for an easy interception that, after a 50-yard return, set up a touchdown in what finished as a blowout win for the Packers.

“My dad was so proud of his Super Bowl moment, but I used to tease him about being tackled from behind on the play,” Willie Wood Jr. told the Times.

“And his response would be, ‘Yes, but I was there.’”

Wood, however, had no recollection of that play and hardly remembered his playing career at all. As detailed by the Times, the aging Wood spent the last decade in an assisted living facility in Washington. While he originally entered for chronic pain in his neck, hip and knee, Wood eventually developed dementia that sapped his memory and limited his cognitive functions.

He sometimes went days without speaking, according to the article.

“It’s difficult to not be able to talk to him,” Willie Wood Jr. told the Times. “He was a great father. As good an athlete as he was, he was 10 times that as a father.”

Wood often wore a Packers hat during his time at the assisted living facility, even though he could not describe the exact connection between himself and the organization. But Wood knew he loved football, and when a reporter from the Times asked if he would play the sport again if given the chance, Wood’s answer was simple.

“Without waiting even a beat,” the article said, “Wood firmly nodded.”

“You liked it that much?”

“He nodded again.”

Wood is survived by his two sons and a daughter. Funeral arrangements are pending.

The Willie Wood file: Facts and figures

Born: Dec. 23, 1936, in Washington, D.C.

School: Southern California. Wood spent one year at Coalinga Junior College in the San Joaquin Valley before transferring to USC. He played quarterback all three years for the Trojans with modest success, finishing his collegiate career with 772 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. Wood had 330 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns as well. He made the Packers’ roster as an undrafted free agent in 1960.

Hall of Fame: Packers Hall of Fame, Class of 1977; Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989.

Packers playing career: An undrafted rookie, Wood battled 24 defensive backs for a spot on the roster. He played mostly on special teams as a punt returner during his first season. Filled in for the injured Jess Whittenton in 1961 and made five interceptions in the second half of the year. Also led the league in punt return average (16.2 yards) and returned two punts for touchdowns. Wood took off from there and had a career-high nine interceptions in 1962 to earn the first of eight Pro Bowl selections (1962, 1964-70). He earned AP All-Pro honors six times and was a unanimous selection twice, in 1965 and 1966. Best known for his vicious hitting and iconic interception in Super Bowl I that set up a touchdown in a game the Packers won, 35-10. Played 166 consecutive games over the course of his career. Finished with 48 interceptions, two defensive touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns. Tackling statistics were unavailable during Wood’s era. He wore jersey number 24.

Post playing career: Wood retired after the 1971 season and took an assistant coaching position with the San Diego Chargers. Four years later he became the first black head coach in professional football when he ran the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League. In 1980, Wood became the first black head coach in the Canadian Football League as well. He was in charge of the Toronto Argonauts for two seasons. Wood spent the last decade in an assisted living facility in his hometown of Washington. He suffered from dementia and, according to an article in The New York Times, remembered almost nothing of his football career. He sometimes went days without speaking.

Quote: “Determination probably was my trademark. I was talented but so were a lot of people. I’d like people to tell you I was the toughest guy they ever played against.” — Willie Wood

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I was fortunate enough to see Willie Wood play in person several times when the Packers played some games at the old Milwaukee Country Stadium. Although small by NFL standards even for those days, he was known for his athleticism, toughness, and jumping ability. He could touch the crossbar with his elbow from a standing start!

PWS

02-04-20

IN MEMORIAM: BART STARR (1934 – 2019): Packer All-Time Great Was A Winner On & Off The Field — Fierce Competitor, One Of The Most “Cerebral” NFL QBs Ever, Remembered As Respectful, Humble, Generous!

https://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2019/05/26/bart-starr-green-bay-packers-quarterback-dies-obit/513133002/

Pete Dougherty reports for the Green Bay Press Gazette:

The quarterback who guided the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships and was as popular as any figure in franchise history has died.

Bart Starr, who served as the extension of coach Vince Lombardi on the field during the Packers’ glory days of the 1960s, has died, his family said Sunday in a statement. He was 85.

Starr’s health had been in decline since he suffered a mini-stroke while giving a speech in Madison in 2012. After suffering another stroke, a heart attack and multiple seizures in 2014, he underwent stem cell treatments in 2015 and ’16 and rebounded to some degree.

“We are saddened to note the passing of our husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Bart Starr,” the family statement said. “He battled with courage and determination to transcend the serious stroke he suffered in September 2014, but his most recent illness was too much to overcome.

“While he may always be best known for his success as the Packers quarterback for 16 years, his true legacy will always be the respectful manner in which he treated every person he met, his humble demeanor, and his generous spirit.

Next Slide

“Our family wishes to thank the thousands of friends and fans who have enriched his life – and therefore our lives – for so many decades and especially during the past five years. Each letter, text, phone call, and personal visit inspired him and filled him with joy.

“His love for all of humanity is well known, and his affection toward the residents of Alabama and of Wisconsin filled him with gratitude. He had hoped to make one last trip to Green Bay to watch the Packers this fall, but he shall forever be there in spirit.”

Starr’s place in Packers lore is cemented by his role in Lombardi’s 1960s Packers dynasty, which remains the most successful seven-year stretch in NFL history with five titles, including wins in the first two Super Bowls.

“The Packers Family was saddened today to learn of the passing of Bart Starr,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said in a statement. “A champion on and off the field, Bart epitomized class and was beloved by generations of Packers fans. A clutch player who led his team to five NFL titles, Bart could still fill Lambeau Field with electricity decades later during his many visits. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Cherry and the entire Starr family.”

RELATED: The Ice Bowl and beyond: Packers legend Bart Starr’s six greatest games

RELATED: Bart Starr legend grew from humble beginnings

He is most famous for leading the legendary drive and scoring the touchdown on the iconic play in Packers history, the quarterback sneak against Dallas that won the Ice Bowl in 1967.

The Ice Bowl drive and sneak were the culmination of the Lombardi-era Packers’ will to win, toughness and discipline that Starr embodied as quarterback of those teams.

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr donated his Super Bowl II championship ring and other items to the Hall of Fame during, what his family says, was his last trip to Green Bay on Oct. 23, 2017. Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

“That’s the sign of a champion,” Cowboys tackle Ralph Neely told the Green Bay Press-Gazette after the Ice Bowl. “They needed a score, and Starr got it for them.”

Starr’s jersey No. 15 is one of only six numbers retired in Packers history.

. . . .

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Go to the link for the complete article with more pictures and videos of Starr’s fabled career.

Growing up in Milwaukee, I was fortunate to see Starr and the Lombardi-era Pack play “live” on several occasions. In those days, unlike now, the Packers played three “home” games at Milwaukee County Stadium. While we didn’t have season tickets, my parents had a few friends who did, so occasionally two tickets would come our way.

While Starr’s most famous play was the successful quarterback sneak against the Cowboys in the “Ice Bowl,” he was also noted for crossing up defenses on third down plays. I remember sitting with my Dad, feet freezing, at County Stadium for a late season game between the Pack and the Cleveland Browns, who at that time had “all world” running back Jim Brown and a stout defense.

The Pack had a third and one in their own territory in tight game. In those days, most offenses were focused on running, rather than the wide-open pass-oriented game of today. That was particularly true of the Pack under Lombardi. “Grind it out” and punish your opponents with tough physical play was more or less the “Lombardi culture.” With future Hall of Fame running backs Jimmy Taylor and Paul Hornung, and one of the premier offensive lines ever, everyone in the stadium, including the Browns, expected a run up the middle or maybe one of the famous “Packer Sweeps” with “pulling guards” leading the way for Taylor or Hornung.

Starr changed the play at the line. On the a snap, he took three streps back and hit his receiver (probably Boyd Dowler, but perhaps Max McGee) with a strike resulting in an untouched trip down the field into the end zone. Classic Starr! It changed the momentum of the game, allowing the Pack eventually to prevail.

I think Starr’s relationship with the legendary Vince Lombardi was the key to Packer success. While Lombardi was undoubtedly a coaching “genius,” he also was a “larger than life figure” who “sucked the air” out of any room he was in. Additionally, he was known for being rather frank and brutal in assessing failures to perform up to his high expectations.

I doubt that most of today’s “top tier” quarterbacks could have existed in Lombardi’s system. And, without somebody like Starr, who understood the “big picture” of what Lombardi was doing, and always delivered under pressure, I don’t think Lombardi and the Pack could have reached the heights of football dominance in the 1960’s as they did.

R.I.P Bart! Thanks for the memories, the excitement, and the inspiration of a life well-lived.

PWS

05-26-19

I also highly recommend ESPN’s Ian O’Connor’s moving tribute to Starr “The Toughest Football Player Who Ever Lived” that shows how Starr’s greatness went far beyond statistics and on field successes. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26826288/bart-starr-was-toughest-football-player-ever-lived

PWS

05-26-19

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY: NFL HISTORY: PACKER GREAT RG JERRY KRAMER ENTERS PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME! — Threw Perhaps Most Famous Block In NFL History, Leading B. Starr’s “Sneak” Into End Zone For Victory In 1967 “Ice Bowl!” — Vince Didn’t Even Have That Play In The Book!

Kramer # 64 In Foreground Leads Way As Pack Vanquish Dallas Cowboys 21-17 on Dec. 31, 1967 For NFL Title — “Icebowl” Was Played In -13 Temperature In Green Bay!

Bottom right– Jerry Kramer, aged 82, as he looks today, 51 years after the Icebowl!

From Today’s Green Bay Press Gazette, Pete Dougherty reporting:

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2018/02/03/long-wait-over-packers-jerry-kramer-voted-into-hall-fame/1089232001/

“MINNEAPOLIS – Jerry Kramer finally made it.

In his 11th time as a finalist, the former Green Bay Packers guard was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Kramer needed 80 percent of the vote from the 47 voters who were in attendance, which meant that no more than nine could vote against him. The Hall doesn’t reveal the vote totals, but Kramer hit the requisite 80 percent.

According to Hall protocol, after the vote was completed Saturday afternoon, David Baker, the president of the Hall of Fame, visited the hotel where the nominees were staying and notified each individually whether he was in.

“I said that (knock on the door) is it,” Kramer said. “And the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen (Baker), the big hunk down here at the end was standing there with the cameras and stuff behind him. I was over the top. It was something I was afraid to believe in, I was afraid to hope for. So I kept trying to keep those emotions out there somewhere. But hey, I’m here and I’m part of the group. Thank you very much.”

The other members of the 2018 class were fellow senior finalist Robert Brazile, and contributors candidate Bobby Beathard, as well as five modern-era candidates: Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Brian Dawkins, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.

KRAMER: ‘Somebody helped me’ on legendary Ice Bowl block

DOUGHERTY: It’s now or never for Jerry Kramer’s Hall of Fame hopes

RELATED: The Ice Bowl, 50 years later: An oral history

Kramer, 82, becomes the 13th member of the Packers’ dynasty in the 1960s that won five NFL championships in seven years to be voted into the Hall. The others are coach Vince Lombardi, fullback Jim Taylor, tackle Forrest Gregg, quarterback Bart Starr, linebacker Ray Nitschke, cornerback Herb Adderley, defensive end Willie Davis, center Jim Ringo, running back Paul Hornung, safety Willie Wood, defensive tackle Henry Jordan and linebacker Dave Robinson.

Kramer said he had dinner with Robinson on Friday night, just as they had dinner the night before Robinson was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. And Taylor was with him Saturday.

Packers coach Vince Lombardi is carried off the field by Jerry Kramer after Green Bay defeats the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II on Jan. 14, 1968. (Photo: Associated Press)

“I miss ’em,” Kramer said of his other Hall of Fame teammates. “But I wish they were here, I wish we had an opportunity to be here together. Bart has been sensational in writing letters and doing all sorts of things, and Hornung has been sticking up for me for 20 years. So many of the guys, Willie D (Davis) is a great pal, and Robbie (i.e., Robinson) and Wood and Adderley and so many of the guys in, and (Nitschke) was such a great pal, Forrest Gregg … we’ve had a lot of guys, 10, 12 guys in the Hall. Jimmy is here and that’s about it, Jimmy Taylor. But I miss those guys. I’ve shared so much with them over the years and it would be nice to share this with them.”

Kramer also is the 25th Hall inductee who spent most of his career with the Packers. That’s second most in league history, behind the Chicago Bears’ 27.

It has been a long road for Kramer to get to the Hall. He was a modern-era finalist (i.e., among the final 15 candidates) nine times in the 14-year period from 1974 through ’87 but never was voted in. Modern-era players and coaches have been retired anywhere from five to 25 years.

Then in 1997, he was the seniors committee nominee (for players who have been retired for more than 25 years) but failed to reach the 80 percent threshold among the selection committee for Hall induction.

But at long last, he’s in.

“I don’t think it can get sweeter,” Kramer said. “It’s the ultimate honor in the game, in our game. It’s the top of the heap. It’s the crown of the trail of this whole process, it’s here. If you make it here you’ve made it in professional football. So whenever you’ve made it here it’s a wonderful moment and a wonderful time and a wonderful event. … I told Mr. Baker that this is it, it doesn’t get any better than this. He goes, ‘Jerry, this is just the beginning.’ So I can’t wait to see how it turns out.”

Kramer is tied for fourth on the list of most times being a finalist before induction. Lynn Swann was a finalist 14 times before he was voted in, followed by Carl Eller (13) and Hornung (12).

Kramer joined the Packers as a fourth-round draft pick out of Idaho in 1958, the year before Lombardi took over as coach. He started all 12 games as a rookie and then when Lombardi took over became a key player as a pulling guard in the coach’s famed sweep.

Kramer achieved his greatest fame for his block on the Dallas Cowboys’ Jethro Pugh that helped open the way for Starr’s game-winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak in the Ice Bowl for the 1967 NFL championship. It’s perhaps the most famous block in NFL history.

Former Green Bay Packers guard Jerry Kramer shares memories from the Ice Bowl, which was played 50 years ago on Dec. 31, 1967. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Kramer played all of his 11 seasons with the Packers. Along with being named to the league’s 50th anniversary team, he also was on the NFL’s all-decade team for the ‘60s. He was named first-team all-pro five times (1960, ’62, ’63, ’66 and ’67) and went to three Pro Bowls (’62, ’63 and ’67).

Besides playing right guard, Kramer doubled as the Packers’ kicker for parts or all of the 1962, ’63 and ’69 seasons.

In ’62 he made 81.8 percent of his field-goal attempts (9-for-11) and finished fourth in the league in scoring (91 points). Then in the Packers’ 16-7 win over the New York Giants in the NFL championship game that season, he scored 10 points (three field goals and an extra point).

This was almost surely the last time Kramer would get a shot at the Hall. Because he has been retired from the NFL for more than 25 years, he could become a nominee only through the seniors committee, and this year was his second time making it through as the senior candidate.

He was only the fourth nominee to twice come through the committee, and with many deserving seniors candidates in wait, there was no chance he’d get a third shot. So this essentially was his last opportunity to receive pro football’s highest individual honor.

Kramer and the rest of the Class of 2018 will be inducted Aug. 4 in Canton, Ohio.

Aaron Nagler of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin contributed.”

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Man, I remember the “Icebowl” as if it were yesterday! I was home from college, following the first semester of my Sophomore year at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. I was preparing to leave right after the New Year for a “Semester Abroad” program at the Lawrence Campus in Bonnigheim, Germany! A rather big deal since I had never before flown in an airplane, anywhere!

Our whole family was crowded around the 13″ GE color TV in our living-room on Revere Avenue in Wauwatosa, WI. Since there were only a few seconds left in the game, and the Pack had no timeouts left, I thought they would probably kick a field goal to send the game into overtime, or throw a short pass that if incomplete would have stopped the clock for a last second field goal (or course, a “sack” by the Cowboys would have ended the game.) I’ve watched lots of Packer games, but the Icebowl was probably the best victory ever!

Later in January, we listened on Armed Forces Radio in our dorm in Germany as the Packers beat the Raiders in the”Superbowl II.” Sort of anti-climactic after the “Icebowl!”

As noted in the article, Kramer is the 13th player from the “Lombardi Era” Packers to enter the Hall of Fame, and the 25th Packer overall!

Although, sadly, the Pack aren’t in this year’s Superbowl, there are still some Packer connections. Of course the “Lombardi Trophy,” awarded to the winner is named for legendary Green Bay Coach Vince Lombardi.

And, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Coach Doug Pederson, played a number of seasons as backup QB to recent Packer Hall of Fame QB Brett Farve. Of course, the backup job to Farve didn’t involve much “real game action,” since Farve was in the midst of a NFL record 297 consecutive starts as QB. However, Pederson appears to have been a “good learner” from a coaching and strategy standpoint. Apparently, those years of “holding the clipboard” behind Farve paid off. Big time!

PWS

02-04–18

COURTSIDE WEATHER🥶/SPORTS🏈/HISTORY📗: -3 F FOR CHIEFS V. DOLPHINS PLAYOFF IN KC TONIGHT — That’s Not Even Close To The Coldest Playoff Game Ever, The 1967 “Ice Bowl!”

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Special to Courtside Sports

Jan. 13, 2023

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

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Kramer # 64 In Foreground Leads Way As Pack Vanquish Dallas Cowboys 21-17 on Dec. 31, 1967 For NFL Title — “Icebowl” Was Played In -13 Temperature In Green Bay!

Bottom right– Jerry Kramer, aged 82, as he looks today, 51 years after the Icebowl!

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