Green Bay Packers play...

Backgammon!

by Michael Strato - 16 November 2006

And it’s not just one or two players but rather it seems that about 40% of the Green Bay Packers team get into the game, now more frequently than ever, on a stunning backgammon table recently installed in the locker room of the American football team that has won the most championships in NFL history.

Packers offensive linemen Chad Clifton (L) and Mark Tauscher playing on the new backgammon table in the Packers locker room last week.

The above photo is Copyright © 2006 by www.Packers.com and is used here with special permission.

A little research reveals that when Green Bay Packers are interviewed by fans in live chats or in random questionnaires, the topic often comes around to backgammon. A sample? When quarterback Doug Pedersen was asked in 2002:

“What's your favorite game day ritual?”

His response was:

 
"I enjoy a couple games of backgammon. I usually play some of the offensive linemen. I beat them from time to time. They're pretty good. Of course my usual competitor was Bill Schroeder, but I guess I've got to find a new guy to play this year."

The City of Green Bay, Wisconsin is off of Lake Michigan and the team’s name "Packers" comes from the Indian Packing Company that first sponsored the team back in 1919.

For a city with a population of just over 100,000 inhabitants, the Packers has won the most championships in American Football, 12 in total, and are the only team to win three straight titles in a row, a feat they performed twice, in 1929-30-31 and again in 1965-66-67. They also won the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967 and again in 1997.

If you every go to Green Bay, you might find a game of backgammon at the Backgammon Pub and Restaurant at 2920 Ramada Way. Who knows, maybe you will even find yourself sitting across the board from one of the linemen from the Green Bay Packers!

And you better hope that they have not heard of GNUBG?

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