620WTMJ to re-air 1994 'Halloween Massacre' Packers classic
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Archive photo: Milwaukee Journal
MILWAUKEE - The Green Bay Packers of 2011 are off the weekend of Halloween, but that's not stopping radio-listening Packers fans from experiencing a Halloween night tale from years ago that was frightful for the Chicago Bears, but downright delightful for the green and gold:
The "Halloween Massacre" at Soldier Field in Chicago on October 31, 1994.
Newsradio 620 WTMJ will exclusively rebroadcast the game as part of its yearly Packers Classic series starting at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
The weather was scary that Halloween night.
More than two inches of rain fell on Chicago that day. Winds of up to 60 miles per hour blew across the field.
The uniforms were scary.
The Packers' Halloween costumes were their 1939 road white uniforms with yellow shoulder pads, a yellow helmet and khaki pants that are much like today's 1929 throwbacks.
The Bears went even earlier, to their 1925 uniforms with blue and orange vertical and diagonal stripes.
By the end, many of both teams' uniforms ended in various shades of wet or muddy.
The announced attendance that night: more than 47,000, though we're guessing many showed up in Halloween costume, dressed up as empty seats.
Most of those who came as human beings probably spent halftime in concession areas staying dry, and missing the number retirement ceremony for all-time great Bears Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers.
The Packers were coming off a 1993 playoff season, but they were 3-4 and needed a win over the 4-3 Bears to get themselves back in the playoff race.
They did it in a very unconventional way for the typically aerial-oriented Packers: the run game.
Green Bay, powered by the running of Edgar Bennett, Reggie Cobb and - yes - Brett Favre, ran the ball through the slop three times as often as they threw it.
Chicago didn't, tossing 35 passes into the gusty winds, with not-so-happy results for those wearing orange and blue.
The result was the first win in what turned out to be a six-year win streak for the Packers over their archival, in a season where both teams made the playoffs.
On Sunday starting at noon, you'll hear the voices of Jim Irwin and Max McGee calling the action, along with Brian Manthey and Randy Wright at halftime. Meanwhile, Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Jay Sorgi will keep you updated on NFL action going on in 2011.
It's the Halloween Massacre, the Packers and Bears on October 31st, 1994 - too scary for TV, but you can hear it on the day before Halloween starting at noon on Newsradio 620 WTMJ.
Packers Classics on 620WTMJ. Trust us. You'll like the ending.
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