 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PACKERS HOLD ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
posted 07/12/00
 |
| Packers President Bob Harlan answers questions from shareholders during the meeting. |
The Lambeau Field redevelopment effort was the main focus of Wednesday's annual Green Bay Packers shareholders meeting at the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena.
General Manager Ron Wolf began the meeting by telling the 2,015 stockholders in attendance what they can expect from the 2000 Packers.
He first broke down the team position-by-position, and after calling Brett Favre "the best player, now, in all the National Football League," Wolf summed up this year's squad.
"We're going to be tough to defend offensively," he said. "Our defense has got to step up and play hard-nosed football. This is going to be a good test on our new coaching staff to get those guys to do that."
As for the coaching staff, Wolf praised Head Coach Mike Sherman and his assistants, saying, "We've upgraded ourselves there."
He then concluded his speech by offering his feelings on the stadium renovation.
"Up to now, I've kept quiet about the stadium issue," he said. "In the last five years, the landscape of the NFL has changed. It's about money now. It's about money if you're going to remain competitive or become competitive.
"The question is simple," Wolf added. "Do you want to remain a winner or do you want to go back to the '70s and become mediocre? We need your help to maintain the level of excellence associated with the Packers of the 1990s."
Residents of Brown County likely will be asked to decide in a September 12 referendum whether to partially fund a $295 Lambeau Field renovation with a 0.5% sales tax.
Team executives are comfortable that a successful referendum would allow the Packers to be a viable and competitive franchise for years to come. However, without public funds, the team would face certain financial hardship.
Although the Packers were ninth in the league in revenue in 1996, their ranking has continued to spiral downward due to other teams' new or renovated stadiums, which increase income with luxury suites, club seats and increased marketing opportunities.
Packers treasurer John Underwood said that, if nothing is done regarding stadium renovation, the team's $50 million in cash reserves will be completely depleted by the year 2005, and the team would be among the bottom teams in the NFL in total revenue.
Senior Vice President of Administration John Jones asked the shareholders to consider the consequences of not helping to pass the referendum.
"Our (financial) survival is, very frankly, uncertain without the new stadium," Jones said. "We have the greatest small market saga in the history of sports, but that proud history is in danger without a new stadium."
Bob Harlan, the team's president and chief executive officer, urged the audience to consider the unique association between the Packers and the city of Green Bay. The franchise is the only one of its kind in professional sports that does not have an owner who can threaten to relocate the team.
"I find it amazing," said Harlan, "to think that Green Bay, Wisconsin is in the National Football League and the city of Los Angeles, California is not."
This was the first year the meeting has been hosted in the arena, which sits across the street from Lambeau Field. In 1998, over 18,000 shareholders and guests attended the first shareholders meeting at Lambeau Field, while last year's meeting in the stadium attracted more than 7,000 people. Wednesday's meeting was held indoors so that bad weather would not be a factor.
Shareholders Meeting Audio
Ron Wolf gives the Football Report (Real Audio)
John Jones gives the Lambeau Field Report (Real Audio)
Jack Meng gives the Green Bay Packers Foundation Report (Real Audio)
Q & A with Shareholders (Real Audio)
Bob Harlan, John Jones & John Underwood meet with the Media (Real Audio)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
