A punt, pass and walk down memory lane with the Acme Packers

Don’t be surprised when you see the Green Bay Packers in something other than their usual green and gold this Sunday as they take on the Buffalo Bills at Lambeau.

In eight of the past nine seasons, the Packers have worn a throwback uniform at Lambeau during Throwback Week, recently opting for uniforms inspired by the 1930s era team. A self-proclaimed nerd for all things history and nostalgia, I personally am a huge fan of this week. Not only is it a nod to generations past who have helped to build and create the team that we know and love today, but it’s a way to get a glimpse into all of the things about the team and the game itself that have changed since.

We’re all pretty familiar with the navy and gold throwback look, but how much do we really know about the team who adorned those OG uniforms?

In honor of Throwback Week, I’ve decided to share some fun facts about the Acme Packers - yes, that’s right - the Acme Packers, our very own namesake.

Once upon a frozen tundra, there was a local pro football team who were in need of a sponsor. Funds for uniforms and equipment back then weren’t easy to come by. In 1919, the Indian Packing Company, then in a booming wartime industry, agreed to take on that role under the direction of one Mr. Earl [Curly] Lambeau. One thing you can put in your pocket for a rainy trivia day: the team went by the “Green Bay Indians” at first, but by the end of their first year, the press started referring to them as the Packers. No bias here, but we’re glad that name stuck.

For two years, the Packers practiced on a large vacant lot just west of the packing plant and played all of their home games in Hagemeister Park. Neither locations was fancy by any means, but they got the job done. With a standout record of 10-1, the Packers proved to be a force worth reckoning.

In 1920, just a few weeks after the Packers’ second season ended, the Indian Packing Company was sold to the Acme Packing Co. of Chicago. The name of the team changed, as did the emblems on the uniforms and the management. On August, 27, 1921, under the ownership and management of Messrs J. Emmett and John Clair, the Acme Packers of Green Bay, Wisconsin were finally admitted to membership of the American Professional Football Association (what would eventually become the NFL).

In 1922, J. Emmett surrendered his rights to the team (there may or may not have been rumors of him moving back to Chicago and starting his own franchise), and the short-lived Green Bay Football Club with Lambeau as its fearless leader, was admitted once again to the league, this time as the Green Bay Packers.

The rest, as they say, is history.