Happy 50th Anniversary to Rick and Dawn!

What's on Tap for 2026?

The 2026 NFL season promises to bring all kinds of excitement to football fans. From the Seahawks mounting their title defense, to the Packers trying to reclaim the NFC Norris Division throne, there are plenty of intriguing stories. Will Myles Garrett's move to LA be enough to coax Aaron Donald out of retirement? (we wrote this a few weeks ago...update, yes, yes it was enough) Will #1 pick and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza be able to turn around the Raiders organization? Will Caleb Williams wake up and realize he is a Bears QB and perform more like Cutler, Trubisky, and Rex Grossman?

Just like the Packers, the Post Pattern will stick to the fundamentals of what we do best. We'll provide some Packer commentary, picking updates, trips to the Vault, and the ever popular Buboltz Kids Sports Update. The BKSU will also make Post Pattern history as we follow Micah and Blake to Las Vegas for an international competition. We can not confirm nor deny that they stole Nick Papagiorgio's ID.

Our Vault trip will be a bit different this year. As we were preparing for the season, the original expectation was that the 1982 Post Pattern / NFL season would be our destination. However, upon closer inspection of our remaining artifacts, there is only 1 issue from that season in our archives. It happens to be the first issue of that season, and for all of you historians out there, you may recall the NFL Players Association went on strike following the Week 2 games in 1982. Perhaps the Post Pattern staff decided to hold out for better wages as well (if they did, the current staff is not benefitting from their holdout), because it was the last issue we have of that season. As such, we will share the 1982 issue as well as the 1983 full edition (of which we have 5 issues) this year.

We are also thrilled to welcome a new picker to the race (in addition to Elise). Cousin Brett will pass the mic to the latest Mystery Picker, who will be our 3rd MP since the relaunch. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any clues in upcoming issues that may reveal this mystery mogul's identity.

Just think about that for a bit...Could you imagine life without the Green Bay Packers? Many people today don't realize this was very much a possibility. Thankfully, Bob Harlan rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He knew the changing economics of the game demanded the team adapt to the new landscape otherwise they risked becoming insolvent. He made the decision to stop playing games in Milwaukee and moved all home games to Lambeau Field (thus creating the "green" and "gold" packages we know today). Milwaukee County Stadium didn't have box seats and with the Packers hurting for cash they needed every dollar they could get. Harlan also architected a new stock sale, which generated $24M in badly needed revenue that helped the team remain afloat (those stock certificates likely hang in many of your homes today, including mine...thanks Aunt Barb!).

The master stroke of Harlan's financial genius though was the massive $295M redevelopment of Lambeau Field. As the Packers clearly didn't have the funds required, Harlan aggressively campaigned around Brown County to drum up support from voters for a sales tax increase. In a down economy, Harlan helped convince 53% of the voters to pass the measure (over the 15 years of the tax, it cost the average family of 4 over $3,000). Those funds became the capital needed to drive the renovation of Lambeau Field we still enjoy today. While some clubs (I'm looking at you Chicago), completely bungled their stadium renovations, the Packers project to modernize Lambeau is widely known as one of the most successful retrofits of an existing stadium in history. 

Under Harlan's leadership the Packers won 2 Super Bowls. He retired as the winningest team president in the history of the NFL. But more importantly, Harlan quite possibly saved the franchise. Bob Harlan passed away on March 5th at the age of 89. I recall having conversations with Gramps about his admiration for Harlan, both for his business skills as well as his character as a human being. Harlan, a man of humility, tended to deflect credit he received for the Packers success, calling himself just a "caretaker" .

The Post Pattern would like to dedicate this issue to the memory of a great man, the caretaker of the Green Bay Packers, Bob Harlan.

A Tour of Packers Trivia

At times, it can be a bit difficult to come up with content for the publication. Where do you turn when you are looking for a great addition to the Post Pattern? Everyone's favorite tour guide of course! Listed below are some amazing (and at times unreal) Packer nuggets courtesy of the Post Pattern's resident Packers historian, Uncle Rick.

Did you know-

1.Lambeau Field, built in 1957, was the first stadium in the country built for professional football.

2.⁠ ⁠The first time that the Packers wore the “G” on their helmets was for an intra- squad game played at Old City Stadium in August of 1961. The game was played there because the field at New City Stadium had just recently been reseeded.

3.Paul Hornung, the Packers first round pick in 1957, also lettered in basketball while at Notre Dame.

4.⁠ ⁠Curly Lambeau passed away on June 1, 1965 after helping mow the lawn at his girlfriend’s home in Sturgeon Bay. P.S. He was 67. She was 27.

5.⁠ ⁠Don Majkowski wore #5 (Paul Hornungs #) as a rookie. He then switched to #7.

6.⁠ ⁠The Packers needed a stock sale in 1935 to stay afloat, after a fan fell out of the bleachers at Old City Stadium, and sued the team.

7.⁠ ⁠The Packers All Century Team, selected by the Green Bay Press Gazette on December 31, 1999, had Don Hutson as the “Player Of The Century”. It also included Sterling Sharpe and James Lofton as receivers.

8.⁠ ⁠Ray Nitschke wore #33 as a rookie in 1958.

9.⁠ ⁠Grandpa attended his first Packer game in 1948 at Old City Stadium.

10.⁠ ⁠12 members of the 1961 Packers Championship team( 13 if you include Vince Lombardi) are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That is the most of any one team.

11.In 1948, the Eagles owner proposed a new league that would have eliminated Green Bay. (* Editors note * Even MORE reason for Green to lead the charge to eliminate the "tush push"...this isnt' rugby!)

12.Howard “Smiley” Johnson, a US Marine, was the only Packer player to die in WWII.

13.In 1948, the defending champion Chicago Cardinals scrimmaged against the Packers at Rockwood Lodge,  now the site of Bayshore Park.

14.⁠ ⁠Ticket prices at Lambeau Field have changed a lot in 70 years.

Section 102, row 4

1957 - $2.25 per game.

2026- $155.00 per game.

15.⁠ ⁠In 1952 the Packers played their “Milwaukee “ home games at the Marquette University stadium.

16.⁠ ⁠1984 was the last year of the “Kids Section” at Lambeau Field. Prior to that, you could drop your kids off there, and come back to pick them up at the end of the game!

17.⁠ ⁠Herb Adderley was drafted in 1961 as a flanker ( wide receiver).

18.⁠ ⁠The last Packer to appear in a game without a face mask was Ben Agajanian - kicker- in the 1961 title game in Green Bay.

19.⁠ ⁠Max McGee and Fuzzy Thurston opened the “Left End” steakhouse in Manitowoc in 1965. 

20.⁠ ⁠The Packers held training camp at UW Stevens Point from 1954-1957.

21.⁠ ⁠Since the 1940s, the Sullivan Wallen American Legion Post #11 has been the teams permanent color guard.

22.⁠ ⁠In 1958 the Packers colors were green and white.

23.⁠ ⁠Victor McCormick Hall at St. Norbert College, and the Minahan- McCormick office building downtown (since torn down), were named

for Victor McCormick, who was reputed to be trying to buy the Packers in 1949.

24.⁠ ⁠Because landlords wouldn’t rent to African Americans, Willie Davis, Elijah Pitts, and Herb Adderley had to share a one bedroom apartment in 1961 behind an exterminating company on Velp Avenue.

25.⁠ ⁠On October 10, 1948- WTMJ broadcast its first Packer game to a small Milwaukee audience.

Back to the '80s - Uniform Edition: You (Still) Decide!

Over the last 5 Post Pattern issues of the 2025 season we took a look at some of the best uniforms in the NFL from the 1980's. The NFL was clearly paying attention to us and recently announced that on Thursday, October 15th the Broncos will host the Seahawks with BOTH teams wearing their '80s throwbacks. We are thrilled to hear this and congratulate the NFL on making this very smart decision.

In honor of that announcement, we are relaunching our 80's Uniform survey. We made voting easier than last time, simply go to this link and rate each uniform from 1 to 5 stars. We'll share the results once polling is closed.

Heard in the Crowd

• "We need cornerbacks who are willing and capable tacklers" - MFL in a recent press conference

• "I guess I'm being punished right now" - Keisean Nixon's comment about why he is competing for his starting job

• "Why are you doing this?" - Jason Wilde to Tucker Kraft on why he's practicing, after major knee surgery, without a new contract

• "This is a violent sport...guys bangin' heads, messed up backs, necks...guys keep fighting and clawing to come back into this locker room. That's the reason I do it...I want my children to see the lengths I would go to to fight for the things I love"

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Letters to the Editor

I feel it...this is the year our inbox is going to be FLOODED with letters from our readers. Have a good question for our staff? Maybe a funny story to share? Have some stock advice? Ping our staff and we'd love to share your thoughts!

(Letters can be sent to alspals1977@gmail.com, nicksimmons21@gmail.com, or text to 608-335-8088.)