Packers no-show for Barry Sanders’ workout,…

A Picture Worth 1,000 Words – It’s a story that hasn’t been told before, based on a newspapers.com search, and it might explain the look on coach Lindy Infante’s face (above) when the 1989 draft ended. Just short of three weeks before the Packers chose Tony Mandarich with the second overall selection, Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders was declared eligible for that year’s draft. Eight days later, the Packers were one of no more than 10 teams invited to attend Sanders’ personal workout for selected scouts in Stillwater, Okla. It was there where he was clocked at 4.39 and 4.43 in the 40-yard dash and created enough of a stir to be considered in the top five, maybe even one of the top two picks when the draft kicked off on April 23. However, the Packers scout assigned to attend Sanders’ workout never made it, according to a member of the Packers’ football operation at the time. Ron Wolf, then scouting for the Raiders, said he had heard the same story but a slightly different version. He was told the Packers scout had taken his dog with him on the trip, got delayed and showed up late, although he didn’t know how late.

A Bite of Text – When asked by (The Milwaukee) Journal in October 1986 if his main purpose for cleaning house was to guard against losing his team (Forrest) Gregg replied, “You bet your sweet apple pie it was.”

Robbing the Databank – In Bart Starr’s nine seasons as coach, the Packers were 2-27 against teams that finished with 10 wins or more and 13-47-1 against teams that finished with a winning record. In 1986, Gregg’s third season as coach, the Packers went 0-5 at Lambeau Field and scored only three touchdowns in those five losses. They scored on passes of 5, 6 and 3 yards. Yes!!! If you had attended all five home games at Lambeau that year, you would not have witnessed a Packers touchdown of longer than six yards. Under Infante, the Packers suffered through two seven-game losing streaks and another seven-game streak, where he was the coach for five of the losses and Gregg for the other two. Only Curly Lambeau suffered a longer losing streak as Packers coach. He lost a record nine straight from 1948-49.

A Secret to Share – It seems safe to write that most fans who witnessed the Packers’ 48-47 victory over Washington in a nationally televised Monday night game in 1983 have never forgotten it. But how many remember the Packers’ previous Monday night showing three weeks earlier against a New York Giants team that would finish 3-12-1? The Packers lost that one, 27-3, as announcers Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith mocked their performance throughout the game and wondered if Vince Lombardi wasn’t turning over in his grave, only miles away from Giants Stadium.

Memory to Cherish – When the Packers overcame a 10-0 deficit to beat Detroit, 31-17, in the final home game in 1981, Starr gathered his players at midfield and said, “Now, go say thank you to the fans.” In one of those only-in-Lambeau moments, players and coaches headed to different parts of the stadium to grab hands and express their appreciation for the fans’ support.

Deathbed Moment – In May 1987, 19 years into the post-Lombardi drought, Frank Deford, arguably the most respected sports journalist of that time, concluded in a story for Sports Illustrated: “The answer to Green Bay’s dilemma is simple. It should sell the franchise to Milwaukee for $60 million or whatever.” At the time, Packers fan were disenchanted with years of losing football and off-the-field issues that were staining the reputation of not only the franchise, but also its home city. Plus, more and more draft prospects were letting it be known that they wanted nothing to do with playing in Green Bay.

If You Were a Fan – If you were a season-ticket holder in the late 1980s, if not well before that, you probably couldn’t give your tickets away, much less sell them, when you couldn’t make it to a game. In 1986, for example, the Packers averaged an unprecedented 5,500 no-shows for their seven home games, including 9,113 for the rival Vikings on an almost ideal, 32-degree early December day. Before the game, Boots Baker, owner of the King’s X, a longtime hangout for Packers fans on Green Bay’s N. Broadway St., had a customer drop off 13 tickets he couldn’t sell. “What can I do with them?” the ticket owner asked. “I said, ‘Got a fireplace?'” Baker told the Press-Gazette.

Shattering Myths – One of the misconceptions perpetuated even by some of the team’s own offensive players is that the Packers of the early 1980s were an offensive juggernaut victimized by a lousy defense. Granted, during the four years that coordinator Bob Schnelker ran the offense, it finished in the top 10 twice in total yards. In 1983, Starr’s last season as coach, the offense finished second and in 1984, Gregg’s first season as coach, it finished sixth. But in 1981 and ’82, John Meyer’s second and third seasons as defensive coordinator, the Packers finished ninth and eighth in team defense compared to 23rd and 12th in offense. In fact, in Starr’s nine years as coach, the offense ranked higher than the defense only twice.

Best Player – James Lofton set team records for most career receptions and most receiving yards. He still holds the Packers’ record for most games with 100 or more yards gained on receptions. He did it 32 times in his seven seasons with the Packers. His average gain on his 530 catches in Green Bay was 18.2 yards. Among the Packers’ eight Pro Bowl receivers since Lofton, Javon Walker’s 15.6 career average in Green Bay was the best. The only other two to surpass the 15-yard mark were Antonio Freeman and Greg Jennings.

Overlooked by History – The B Team which represented the Packers for three strike-replacement games in 1987. In a season where the regular team was 3-8-1, the B Team was 2-1 and embraced by victory-starved Packers fans, who stood and chanted, “B Team, B Team, B Team,” after a 16-10 win over the Eagles on Oct. 18 at Lambeau Field. The strike had been settled two days earlier, and fans knew it was the B Team’s last game. But they were none too excited about welcoming the A Team back. After all, it was in the midst of a 13-game losing streak at Lambeau Field.