In 1994, I started writing a Windows help file called Super Bowl History. As I was doing the research for that, I kept stumbling across old Packers statistics. Since I'm such a big Packer fan, I decided to start organizing all those statistics. Until September of 1995, those stats just resided in various files on my PC. Then I started getting into HTML and web publishing, so, on October 1, 1995, I opened The South End Zone as a means to organize all my statistics and to share them with Packer fans around the globe.

As you browse The South End Zone, it's important to remember this purpose: to provide information and statistics. That's it. Nothing more. My audience is you and you're probably a Packer fan, and I keep that in mind with every page that I write.

I'm not out to win awards or compete with other sites on content and presentation. I'm just having a blast doing this and being a part of the worldwide online community of Packer fans! Though I develop web sites for a living, the South End Zone is not a profit center for me. It does have its costs though, so I have advertisers to take care of that (just like network television).

The Name

The site is named after the location of a very famous play that put guys like Jerry Kramer and Bart Starr in the record books. Confused? Read up on the Ice Bowl.

Sources and Accuracy

Since I started researching football statistics, I have come to an interesting conclusion:

Example of sources contradicting each other:

I have two official Green Bay Packer sources that report different capacity figures for Lambeau Field.

Example of a source contradicting itself:

I have another source that lists the scores of all of the Packers games in 1933. It clearly shows the scores for all 13 games that season, but it shows their record as 6-7-1. You cannot have a record of 6-7-1 if you only played 13 games.

Now, I believe that many of the contradictions that I see must simply be typos. For this reason, I rarely depend on total figures that I see. I always double check them with the detail that makes up those totals. So if a source shows that the Packers scored 272 points in 1930, and I add up all the scores and it comes to 280, then I use the 280 figure. I use spreadsheets and a calculator to triple check these situations where I see an inconsistency.

The best source that I have for verifying facts and figures, and the one that I trust the most, is Official National Football League Record & Fact Book It is published every year by Workman Publishing Co. of New York.

I must state for the record, though, that I do not just copy a page out of any book and post it in The South End Zone. Most of the information I provide is a composite from several sources, including my own stats. I have extensive spreadsheets that I use to calculate my own statistics. For example, if a book tells me that Mike Holmgren has won 29 games in his first 3 years with the Packers, I don't just put that stat on a page and say "Here, look how many games Mike Holmgren has won." My spreadsheets detail the result of every game Mike has coached. Based on the game scores that I have entered, the spreadsheet tells me that he has won 29 games. I then use the official sources to help proofread and catch errors.

My point here is that I really do spend some time putting this information together, and I hope that as a result of these efforts, you can come to trust the data here at The South End Zone. If you happen to see a number anywhere on these pages that does not look right, or if you are just curious to find out where I got a figure from, please let me now. I will be more than happy to share the specifics on any stat that I provide. I would also like to correct any errors or typos you may find.

Updating Statistics

Obviously, during the football season, any good football site should be updated every weekend to reflect the new scores and results. I cannot guarantee when each of my updates will be. Sometimes other commitments prevent me from making a timely update to a page; I have also experienced internet network problems that have hindered me. All I can say is that it is my intention to update the scores and statistics as soon as humanly possible after each game ends. There may be exceptions to that rule but I will try to keep that to a minimum.

Comments and Suggestions

I can't stress enough how much I appreciate your feedback. I am always looking for new ideas for the site. If you have some unique Packer photos to share, tell me. If you've got an idea for a new page, tell me. My e-mail address is at the bottom of every page. So let me know what you think.

- Scott