cowboykillerzRGiii wrote:I dont think the Packers work like that, do they? -snip-
The Packers are the only community-owned franchise in American professional sports major leagues.[23] Typically, a team is owned by one person, partnership, or corporate entity, i.e., a "team owner." The lack of a dominant owner has been stated as one of the reasons the Packers have never been moved from the city of Green Bay. It has long been operated as a non-profit organization.[24]
Green Bay is far and away the smallest media market not only in the NFL, but in all of North American professional sports. The city of Green Bay had only 104,057 people as of the 2010 census,[25] and only 600,000 people live in the Green Bay television market. By comparison, the typical NFL city has a population in the millions or higher hundred-thousands. The Packers, however, have long had a large following throughout Wisconsin and parts of the Midwest; in fact, for decades, the Packers played four (one pre-season, three regular-season) home games each year in Milwaukee, first at the State Fair Park fairgrounds, then at Milwaukee County Stadium. The Packers did not move their entire home schedule to Green Bay until 1995. County Stadium's replacement, Miller Park, then being planned, was always intended to be a baseball-only stadium instead of a multipurpose stadium.
Based on the original "Articles of Incorporation for the (then) Green Bay Football Corporation" put into place in 1923, if the Packers franchise were to have been sold, after the payment of all expenses, any remaining money would go to the Sullivan-Wallen Post of the American Legion in order to build "a proper soldier's memorial." This stipulation was enacted to ensure the club remained in Green Bay and that there could never be any financial enhancement for the shareholders. At the November 1997 annual meeting, shareholders voted to change the beneficiary from the Sullivan-Wallen Post to the Green Bay Packers Foundation, which makes donations to many charities and institutions throughout Wisconsin.
In 1950, the Packers held a stock sale to raise money to prevent the team from moving out of Green Bay.[24] No shareholder was allowed to purchase over 200 shares, a safeguard to ensure that no individual could assume control of the club. In 1956, area voters approved the construction of a new city owned stadium. As with its predecessor, the new field was named City Stadium, but after the death of founder Curly Lambeau, the stadium was renamed Lambeau Field on September 11, 1965.
Another stock sale occurred late in 1997 and early in 1998. It added 105,989 new shareholders and raised over $24 million, money used for the Lambeau Field redevelopment project. Priced at $200 per share, fans bought 120,010 shares during the 17-week sale, which ended March 16, 1998. The fifth sale in the team's history began on December 6, 2011 and ran through February 29, 2012. During this sale, 269,000 shares were sold at $250 per share.[26] During the 2011 stock offering, international sales in Canada were issued for a short while and accounted for approximately 2,000 shares. This was the first time in Packer history that international shares were sold. All proceeds from the offering went toward the expansion of Lambeau Field, a $143-million project that included approximately 6,700 seats, new HD video boards, a new sound system, and two new gates.
Shares of Packers stock do not include the same rights traditionally associated with common stock or preferred stock, although the shares are referred to as "common stock" in the offering document. They don't include equity, dividends, can not be traded, have no securities-law protection, and stock ownership brings no season ticket privileges. While newly purchased shares can be given as gifts, once ownership is established, transfers are technically allowed only between immediate family members. Packers shareholders, however, are entitled to voting rights, an invitation to the corporation's annual meeting, and the opportunity to purchase exclusive shareholder-only merchandise. A 1,000-to-one stock split prior to the 1997 sale ensures that the original 1950 stock buyers hold the vast majority of the voting power.[24][26][27]
The team's elected president represents the Packers in NFL owners meetings, unless someone else is designated. During his time as coach, Vince Lombardi generally represented the team at league meetings in his role as general manager, except at owners-only meetings, where the team was represented by president Dominic Olejniczak.
Green Bay is the only team with this form of ownership structure in the NFL; such ownership is in direct violation of current league rules, which stipulate a limit of 32 owners of one team and one of those owners having a minimum 30% stake. However, the Packers corporation was grandfathered when the NFL's current ownership policy was established in the 1980s,[28] and are thus exempt. The Packers are also the only American major-league sports franchise to release its financial balance sheet every year.[citation needed]
Kinda wish I'd bought a share.
First game I ever saw was the Ice Bowl. Instantly hated the Cowboys and loved the Pac. Big Colts fan when they were in B'more. Hate the Ravens.
After 'Skins in NFC I pull for PAC. In AFC it's IND (old Colts) and PIT (COW beaters and old NFL).
we are V fortunate to have a place for them 
!