July 28, 1956 Oshkosh Northwestern
August 9, 1956 Oshkosh Northwestern
August 13, 1956 Oshkosh Northwestern
An intra-squad game in Menasha today would be unthinkable. But then, this was another time, a time before big contracts and TV telecasts and a national fan base, and perhaps an attachment to the local community that could not exist in such a pure form anymore. The game was different, played by men who had to get off season jobs to keep their lives and families going and who played without facemasks. Heck, this isn't even that long after the leather helmet era! No, considering the way the NFL is packaged today, it's hard to imagine this ever happening.
The Packers had had a bleak decade since their last winning record in 1947 and in 1956, would finish 4-8. Two years later, they would manage to win only a single game. But things were already starting to look up. The second article makes mention of a surprise rookie player by the name of Bart Starr. And 1959 brought Vince Lombardi in as head coach and we all know how well THAT turned out.
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