Two years after he co-founded the Packers with Curly Lambeau, George Calhoun began writing a piece called The Dope Sheet, which served as the official press release and game program from 1921-24.
Honoring Calhoun, the first publicity director, the Packers are running this weekly feature as their release, which is being made available to fans exclusively on Packers.com.
A complete edition of the Dope Sheet will be available each week during the season in PDF format, located in the Packers.com Game Centers.
Here are some highlights from the Week 11 Dope Sheet:
THIS WEEK'S NOTABLE STORYLINES:
-On Sunday night, the Packers are 10-2 overall, winners of six straight.
-Green Bay meets the Texans for the first time, and makes its first trip to Houston since Dec. 13, 1992, a 16-14 Astrodome win over the Oilers.
-All three of Green Bay's top wide receivers (Donald Driver, Robert Ferguson, Javon Walker) have strong Houston ties. Driver and Ferguson maintain Houston-area homes. Most of Walker's family lives in the area. Needless to say, tickets will be at a premium in the Green Bay locker room this week.
-Brett Favre is 3-0 against Dom Capers, including the 1996 NFC Championship vs. Carolina, remembered by many as one of the most significant games in team history.
-The Packers have never lost in the city of Houston. They're 3-0, winning Astrodome games in 1972, 1983 (overtime) and 1992.
NATIONAL/STATE TELEVISION: ESPN, with play-by-play man Mike Patrick, color commentators Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire, sideline reporter Suzy Kolber, producer Jay Rothman, director Chip Dean and director of information Alex Stern, will air the contest nationally on cable. ESPN International will air the game in three languages to more than 180 countries. In Wisconsin, as part of the NFL's continuing committment to make every game available for free, Green Bay's WFRV (Ch. 5) and Milwaukee's WISN (Ch. 12) will simulcast the ESPN broadcast. Wisconsin is the only place in the NFL where ESPN broadcasts are simulcast in multiple local markets (Green Bay and Milwaukee are both considered home markets).
LOCAL RADIO: Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 62-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and Larry McCarren (color). The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.com.
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One/CBS Radio Sports, with Joel Meyers (play-by-play), Bob Trumpy (color), Allen Pinkett (sideline) and Howard Deneroff (producer). Tommy Tighe hosts pregame and halftime shows.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Texans:
(first meeting)
Packers in Houston:
All-time: 3-0 (all at Astrodome)
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike Sherman: 50-28-0, .641, fifth NFL season, fifth with Packers
Dom Capers: 44-63-0, .411, seventh NFL season, third with Texans
Head to Head: First meeting
vs. Opponent: Sherman 0-0 vs. Texans, Capers 0-3 vs. Packers
MIKE SHERMAN...Is in his fifth year as Packers head coach, and fourth as executive vice president and general manager. Sherman also:
-Earned his 50th career win Nov. 14, tied for 18th fastest in NFL history and second in Green Bay annals to Vince Lombardi.
-Inspired his players with a passionate speech on the eve of an Oct. 17 win at Detroit. The Packers, 1-4 at the time, haven't lost since.
-After Tom Rossley underwent a heart angioplasty Oct. 12, stepped forward and has served as primary play caller since.
-A Red Sox fan since his youth, is hoping Green Bay can rebound from an early deficit the way Boston did in climbing out of a three-game hole to defeat the Yankees, and eventually win the World Series.
-Became the last active head coach (minimum one season) to experience a three-game losing streak, on Oct. 3.
-Is now 6-0 against teams that played in the Super Bowl the previous season, including Sept. 13 at Carolina.
-Since 1970, only George Siefert, Chuck Knox and Joe Gibbs have posted a better regular-season mark over their first four years.
DOM CAPERS...The first and only head coach in Texans history, is in his seventh season guiding an NFL club.
-Joined the franchise in January, 2001, more than a year-and-a-half before its first game.
-Spent four seasons (1995-98) as the first coach in the history of the Carolina Panthers, another expansion franchise. In his second season with Carolina (1996), he won Coach of the Year, guiding the club to the NFC championship, a loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers. In 1995, his seven wins set an NFL record for an expansion team in season No. 1.
-Previously coached on staffs of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars, the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Entered coaching as a college assistant in 1972.
THE PACKERS-TEXANS SERIES: These clubs meet for the first time ever, including preseason.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS: Former Green Bay WR Corey Bradford signed as an UFA with Houston in 2002...Houston's J.J. Moses spent time on Green Bay's active roster and practice squad in 2002...Packers FS Darren Sharper is the younger brother of Houston LB Jamie Sharper...Packers equipment manager Red Batty served in a similar capacity for the Houston Oilers...Texans WR coach Kippy Brown served one season as the RB coach on Mike Sherman's first Packers staff (2000)...Houston O-coordinator and former Cleveland head coach Chris Palmer hired Bob Slowik, now Green Bay D-coordinator, as the expansion Browns' first D-coordinator in 1999...Texans head coach Dom Capers and D-coordinator Vic Fangio are two of several individuals, including Dave McGinnis and Jim Johnson, who coached under Green Bay's Vince Tobin.
