It’s one of the biggest, most-storied rivalries in the NFL. Two teams, in cities within driving distance of each other, each much different. The Chicago Bears rank third in market size in the league. The Green Bay Packers, are at the bottom of the list. The Packers, in fact, are the smallest major league professional sports team in North America.

Fans for both teams are loyal. When they meet (and because they are in the same division it’s twice a year) it’s a big deal. They will meet for the 211th time, Sunday in Green Bay, at Lambeau Field.

As a former staff photographer for The Daily Herald and National Sports Daily, I’ve been fortunate enough to cover the rivalry a “few” times. With the Packers, in two Wisconsin cities. I use “few” because I’m not sure how many games between the two I worked at Soldier Field in Chicago, but I’ve been to Lambeau twice, and old County Stadium in Milwaukee once (Packers vs. Vikings). The Wisconsin games are memorable.

I’m 99.9% certain my first visit north was September 25th, 1988. It was my second fall at the Daily Herald and I’d gained enough experience and trust to cover a road game. Newspapers had big budgets in those days. We’d send 2-3 photographers to home games, and one shooter for away games. More, if it was a playoff contest. How well were papers doing, you ask? I flew from O’Hare to Green Bay on United Express, the regional carrier. Flying to Green Bay and back in one afternoon…I saw air fare receipts for as much as $700-$800. The Herald could have taken photos off the wire from the Associated Press or United Press International, but it was a “pride thing.” Papers wanted exclusive photos, and the goal was to out shoot the competition.

The man sitting beside me on the flight WAS the competition. Ed Wagner of the Chicago Tribune. Eddie was one of three ace sports photographers for the Trib. He was a great guy. He could tell jokes all day. And he’d pretty much covered it all. Stuff of legend. He called people “kiddo” whether they were older or younger than himself. I picked it up from “Wags” and use the term to this day. Eddie had one bad eye but would routinely get “the shot”. During the flight I shared my excitement that this was the first time I’d traveled for the Herald. He picked up on that and we chatted away, talking about sports photography and the paper industry. He must have had access to a crystal ball. Without any tone of discouragement at all, I remember him saying at some point, “Let me tell ya kid. Open a hot dog stand.”

As a boy I was a huge Packers fan. From about 1964-1969. Yet walking into Lambeau that day, there was no time (and I was too nervous) to gaze around and soak in all the history. In which end zone did Bart Starr make the quarterback sneak to win the “Ice Bowl” in 1967? I don’t know to this day. I need to go up and take a tour sometime. It IS a cool stadium with great atmosphere.

I worked the game, made the flight home, got back to the office, processed film (we were using color transparency film then), and an editor and I chose which photos to publish. I had a good day, so did the Bears. They won 24-6.

The second trip across the state line was October 28th, 1990. This was a job for The National Sports Daily, and I drove from Chicago to Milwaukee for a game between the Packers and Vikings at County Stadium. The Packers played one game a year in Milwaukee for many years. My work for that game wasn’t just football action. I was specifically instructed by the editors in New York to get plenty of photos of Vikings placekicker, Donald Igwebuike. Word was out he was in legal trouble. Sure enough, he was indicted soon after for assisting in smuggling heroin. He was acquitted in April of 1991.

It was a warm, sunny fall day. What made County Stadium unique was both team benches being on the same side of the field. There were 2-3 stadiums in the 1960s that implemented this set up, County Stadium was the last to do so. At all NFL stadiums (at least back then) photographers could roam anywhere we wanted, either sideline, the end zones, etc., BUT were not allowed beyond either the 30 yard line. The bench area and behind it was strictly off limits except for TV and the team photographer. To move from one end to the other, we had to “funnel” our way through a tight area at Solider Field. For this game in Milwaukee, we could work the entire length of the field. It was super nice! The Packers last game at County Stadium was in 1994. The experience for me that day was literally once in a career.

It was back to Lambeau one more time. The National Sports Daily had folded and I had returned to The Daily Herald. It was the Bears at Packers again and the date was October 25th, 1992. The Daily Herald had begun to use color negative film by then.

Sitting at the gate in O’Hare, waiting to board the plane to Green Bay, I glanced over a few feet to see… Packers legend Paul Hornung! He had been “The Golden Boy” for the Packers for many years. #5 was, and is, one of the most beloved players to wear green and gold of all time. He got tangled in gambling scandal in 1963 which tarnished his reputation for awhile, but he was all but forgotten by most. I sat there studying him, he was reading a newspaper. It was a gambling publication! I am NOT making this up.

I couldn’t resist the chance to approach greatness, but waited until we boarded. And I decided not to stroke his ego by talking about him, but by asking about Jerry Kramer, who had been my favorite Packer. It worked, he looked mildly put off. “I don’t know, I think he (Kramer) is still ranching in Montana,” Hornung responded. It would not be my last encounter with Hornung that day.

As always and before, it’s all business. The pressure to produce is there. Not much time to gawk or socialize. looking. Working the game, not enjoying it as spectators. There were some good moments and good action during the four quarters. The Bears won 30-10. How I performed would be determined when the film was processed that evening, upon my return to the paper.

I was parking my rental car at the airport when another car arrived in the same vicinity. I watched as it moved closer. Rather than fully negotiate the lot, it jumped a curb and parked three or four spaces from me. Who gets out of the car but… Paul Hornung and Dick Butkus. Apparently, they’d crossed paths at the game and shared a ride to the airport. They looked at me as to determine whether I was a threat to turn them in, scold them, or whatever. They looked like kids who’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. I grinned at them and we all went about our business. It was a cool moment.

Normally it would be a photo editor or senior photographer who would wait in the office to help the returning photographer with processing, editing, and getting prints to the sports department. For whatever reason (probably because no one wanted to work late on a Sunday) my co-worker, Daniel White, was on board to assist, and he was great. In most cases, one photo would be chosen for the front of the news section, one for the front of the sports section, and (my day included) a handful of photos would be saved and devoted for a full “picture page” a day or two later. I’d had a decent day at Lambeau. A full page ran on the following Tuesday.

The Bears were 2-0 when I photographed at Lambeau. I’ll be home and warm on Sunday. I’m calling for a Packers win.

P.S. In this digital age it is possible to save (literally) every frame we make. In the “film days,” most of us kept only the VERY best, portfolio worthy negatives. Everything else was retained by the publication. What you see here is what I felt was the best of the best of my film (or newspaper tear sheets) I have zero material from that game at County Stadium, and that’s a real shame. I blame myself for not making a few frames showing the context of both benches on one side of the field.

"Bears, Packers, Vikings, Oh My"

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