MintBaconDrivel
8 years ago
Archive.

"Probably messier (or) as messy as the Lambeau departure, messier even than the Favre departure."

Perhaps that phrase seems impossible for the departure of the Green Bay Packers' legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, to be real.

However, Packers historian Cliff Christl recalls how acrimony ran rampant with the coach who brought Green Bay five NFL championships in the 1960's, but who ended that decade in Washington D.C. with the Packers' playoff opponent on Sunday.

"I think fans were unhappy that he was leaving. A lot of people would have liked to seen, if he wanted to get back into coaching, to just take over the reins of the Packers again," said Christl.

The process of Lombardi's departure organically started a year before his actual move to Washington, with his move off the coaching sidelines after nine years, the last three including a record-setting three straight titles in Green Bay.

"He announced his resignation in early February (1968) as head coach, shortly after winning Super Bowl II. That had been his goal throughout his coaching career, to win three consecutive NFL championships. He had succeeded, (then) decided to step aside and become general manager only," said Christl.

"Family friends have told me that by the start of training camp, he knew he had made a mistake. I don't know that he ever did very much at all as general manager that year. I don't think he wanted to interfere with (coach Phil) Bengston, so he kind of observed most things from a distance."

He observed a painful 1968 campaign, where the Packers went from a 9-4-1 Super Bowl champion the year before to 6-8 and out of the playoffs. It was the type of year that, many recall, made Lombardi regret his decision to leave coaching - for which an inner fire burned.

An outlet finally seemed available for that inner fire, on the east coast where Lombardi grew up. The New Yorker was being courted in Washington, D.C.

"The Packers played at Washington on November 24, 1968," said Christl.

"From what I've been told, there were discussions between the Redskins and Lombardi by that time. People had the impression he might be leaving. I think Edward Bennett Williams and Lombardi probably talked about the job at that point."

Those discussions finally spawned a move that shocked Packers Nation and gave Washington hope after 12 years without a winning season.

"Things weren't finalized until early February. That's when he announced he was leaving, shortly after the NFL Draft. It took about 4-5 days before things were resolved between the two clubs. The Redskins, at that point, were hungry for a winner," said Christl.

The legacy Lombardi left, in the end, cannot be overstated. However, Christl also remembers how Lombardi's last draft, and his lack of involvement in it, left the Packers' cupboard of talent bare for years.

"The NFL Draft that year had been held just prior to him leaving. (It was) one of the worst drafts in Packers history," explained Christl.

"Their first round pick was Rich Moore. He was a complete bust. (They) took a guy by the name of Dave Bradley, an offensive lineman, in the second round. He was a bust. (They) took a wide receiver in the third round, John Spills. He wasn't any good, either."

Lombardi, Christl says, didn't even sit in on the draft - a major point of contention on the Packers staff that he was leaving for Washington.

"He let Phil Bengston make his picks. Pat Peppler, who was the personnel director, was quite upset. Contrary to how they had operated under Lombardi, (where) the scouts and the personnel people would discuss these players, they weren't excited about drafting them, and Bengston went ahead and drafted them anyway. Lombardi wasn't even in the room to exercise his authority."

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Jay Sorgi wrote:


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yooperfan
8 years ago
Back in those days most of the information that we had here in the U.P. came from reading the "Milwaukee Journal" or the "Milwaukee Sentinal". We couldn't even get the "Green Bay Press Gazette" up here in those days.
We would gather at my friends dads gas station to discuss and argue all things Packers. This was a tough time for Packers fans. The Brett Favre fiasco didn't hold a candle to this mess. The mess created by Lombardi's departure lasted 20 plus years.
Friendships were lost and relationships strained.
Thankfully there was no internet back in those days.
R.I.P Vince.
Cheesey
8 years ago
I remember it, and how upset it made me to think that Lombardi would coach anywhere but Green Bay.
I was only 11 years old, and didn't understand all of the politics of the situation.
But I get how wrong it would have been for him to try to take back the coaching job from Bengston.
Besides, most of the great players in the Packers were either gone or over the hill. No coach could have got them to another super bowl.
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Fan Shout
packerfanoutwest (8h) : Jaire Alexander says he has a torn PCL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : Even with the context it's ... what?
Mucky Tundra (20-Nov) : Matt LaFleur without context: “I don’t wanna pat you on the butt and you poop in my hand.”
beast (20-Nov) : We brought in a former Packers OL coach to help evaluate OL as a scout
beast (20-Nov) : Jets have been pretty good at picking DL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He landed good players thanks to high draft slot. He isn't good.
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He can shove his knowledge up his ass. He knows nothing.
beast (20-Nov) : More knowledge, just like bring in the Jets head coach
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : What? Why? Huh?
beast (19-Nov) : I wonder if the Packers might to try to bring Douglas in through Milt Hendrickson/Ravens connections
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : The Jets fired Joe Douglas, per sources
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Jets are a mess......
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Pretty sure Jets fired their scouting staff and just pluck former Packers.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Jets sign Anders Carlson to their 53.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : When you cycle the weeks, the total over remains for season. But you get your W/L for that selected week. Confusing.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the totals are accurate..nrvrtmind
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : I don't follow what you are saying. The totals are not the same as last week.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : ok so then wht are the totals the same as last week?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : NFL Pick'em is auto updated when NFL Scores tab is clicked
Martha Careful (19-Nov) : The offense was OK. Let's not forget the Bear defense is very very good.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Who updates the leaderboard on NFLPickem?
beast (19-Nov) : Has the Packers offense been worse since the former Jets coach joined the Packers?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Offense gets his ass in gear, this could be good.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Backup QB helped with three wins. Special Teams contributed to three wins.
bboystyle (18-Nov) : Lions played outside thats why. They scored 16 and 17 in the only 2 outside games this year
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : The rest of the NFL is catching up to Packers ... kicking is an issue throughout league
packerfanoutwest (18-Nov) : Packers DL Kenny Clark: We knew 'we were going to block' Bears' game-winning field goal attempt
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Lions seem to be throttling everyone, but only (only) got 24 lol maybe the rain is why
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Packers vs Lions game doesn't seem so bad.
beast (18-Nov) : Dennis Green "They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!"
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : comment of the day Z2Cool "Bears better than we want to admit. Packers worse than we think. It's facts."
Mucky Tundra (17-Nov) : my worst case scenario: Bears fix their oline and get a coach like Johnson from the Lions and his scheme
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Bears get OL fixed amd we might have a problem
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Pretty sure they already have scouting reports on guys who aren't even starting for their college team. The future is now for me.
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : I tend to let Gute and Co. Worry about the future.
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Jaire and Evans Williams are both ACTIVE! Good news.
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : The badgers really need to change the whole offensive scheme. No draws no screens plus the quarterback is marginal
Cheesey (17-Nov) : If the Badgers had a decent QB, they would have won. The guy can't hit a wide open receiver
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : chop block
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : there was a very questionable job Block call that upon viewing replay was very borderline
beast (17-Nov) : How so? (I didn't watch)
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Badgers got hosed vs Oregon
packerfanoutwest (16-Nov) : damn,he hasn't played since week 2
Mucky Tundra (15-Nov) : poor guy can't catch a break
wpr (15-Nov) : wow. That three different things for the kid.
Zero2Cool (15-Nov) : MarShawn Lloyd has appendicitis according to Matt LaFleur.
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