1939 NFL Championship

Lore & Background

The game was held in Milwaukee rather than Green Bay due to team owner Curly Lambeau's belief that a game in Milwaukee would generate greater attendance. Lambeau's decision paid off with a sold-out game. The newly-built 'Dairy Bowl' football stadium was dedicated at halftime with the breaking of a bottle of milk. On hand were Wisconsin Governor Julius P. Heil and Milwaukee Mayor Daniel Hoan.

Reader's Guide

The game was played at the 'Dairy Bowl' stadium, located in the infield of the Milwaukee Mile racetrack. The Packers opened as 8-to-5 gambling favorites, with odds tightening to 7-to-5 as gametime approached. The Packers led 7–0 at halftime and dominated the second half to win 27–0. Attendance was 32,379, the highest attended sporting event in the Milwaukee area's history at the time. Gross gate receipts were $83,510.35.

Did You Know?

• The Packers' victory gave them five NFL titles, two more than any other franchise at the time.
• The day before the game, the 1940 NFL draft was held at Milwaukee's Schroeder Hotel.
• The NFL had only four game officials in 1939: referee Bill Halloran, umpire Ed Cochrane, head linesman Tom Thorp, and field judge Dan Tehan.