Where Packers Rank In Sports’ Longest-Standing Nicknames

Have the Green Bay Packers always been the Packers? And where do they rank on the list of longest-standing pro sports nicknames?

Curly Lambeau walks the sideline during a game against the Bears at City Stadium on Sept. 28, 1941. / Green Bay Press-Gazette-USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ spot on the list of the longest-standing nicknames in major professional sports in North America comes with a Washington Football Team-style historical asterisk.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette’s first story about the city’s new professional football team was published on Aug. 13, 1919. Because its major sponsor was the Indian Packing Co., the nickname “Packers” was a natural. In 1921, the Acme Packing Co., which had purchased the Indian Packing Co., took over as the primary sponsor.

As recorded in the minutes of the American Professional Football Association’s meeting in August 1921, “Motion made, seconded and carried that Acme Packers of Green Bay, Wisconsin, be admitted to membership.”

The front of the team’s jerseys that season read “Acme Packers” in all caps.

Now, the asterisk: In their final game of the 1921 APFA season, Green Bay was busted for using three Notre Dame players who played under aliases. The punishment was severe: The Packers “were forced” out of the league.

While guilty as charged, the team was made a scapegoat for paying college players.

As written by Bob Braunwart and Bob Carroll of the Pro Football Researchers Association:

“J.E. Clair of the Acme Packing Company, the boss of the Green Bay Packers, took the floor [at the league meeting]. Yes, the Packers had indeed fielded college players in 1921. Yes, they were from Notre Dame (again!). Absolutely, they had layed under assumed names. No, there were no extenuating circumstances. Yes, the Packers were heartily sorry. And, yes, they asked permission to withdraw from the National Football League.

“That permission was voted quicker than you could say ‘Packer Backer.’ Mr. Clair was returned his $50 – the price of an NFL franchise in those days – and the Packers had been officially punished.”

About six months later, in June 1922, the APFA was renamed the NFL and the Pack was back.

Well, that’s not exactly true.

With Curly Lambeau paying $50 franchise fee, the team was readmitted to the league, with Lambeau as president and The Press-Gazette’s George Calhoun as secretary. Because Acme Packing Co. was in all sorts of financial trouble, the team wanted to distance itself from its former sponsor.

So, as told by Packers team historical Cliff Christl, the team returned as the “Green Bay Football Club.” Team stationery read “Green Bay Football Club” with “(Formerly Packers)” in a smaller type.

The Dope Sheet – the team’s long-standing game preview – called itself “The official program and publication, Green Bay Professional Football Club.” In early editions in 1922, the team was called “The Big Blues,” the “Bays” and a combo of “big blue Bays.” However, by late in 1922, Christl found no mention of those blue- and bay-based names.

In his stories for The Press-Gazette, Calhoun refrained from calling the team the Packers. He went with Green Bay Football Club,” the “Bays” and other references.

However, The Press-Gazette as a whole generally stuck with Packers when using a nickname. And fans, as well as newspapers from other NFL cities, continued calling the team the Packers.

In 1923, the team reorganized to The Green Bay Football Corporation and Packers returned as the nickname of choice.

The Packers will return from their bye to play at the Chicago Bears on Nov. 17. The Bears started as the Decatur Staleys in 1919, moved to Chicago in 1921 and became the Bears in 1922.

Longest-Standing Team Nicknames

(among major professional sports teams in North America)

Cincinnati Reds (baseball): 1878.

Pittsburgh Pirates (baseball): 1891.

St. Louis Cardinals (baseball): 1900.

Detroit Tigers (baseball): 1901.

Chicago Cubs (baseball): 1902.

Chicago White Sox (baseball): 1904.

Boston Red Sox (baseball): 1907.

New York Yankees (baseball): 1913.

Montreal Canadiens (hockey): 1917.

Green Bay Packers (football): 1919.

Chicago Bears (football): 1922.

New York Giants: 1925.

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