A Packer podcast about the OGs of the NFL WAGS

I will always be grateful my daughter Katherine suggested we use professional podcast equipment to record our interviews as we began preparing to write our book, Lambeau Ladies — the Boundary-Breaking Women Behind Lombardi’s Packers.

She always knew these stories would make an excellent podcast. As soon as I heard their voices — Barbara Gregg’s determined drawl, Gwen Jeter’s steely gentleness, Ruth Ann Skoronski’s wise twinkle, Barbara Adderley’s dignified intelligence, Ruth Pitts’ lively honesty, and so many of the others — I knew Katherine was right.

We meant for this six-episode podcast to be a taste of the story smorgasbord our book offered. Thanks to the editing prowess of Leah Frires and sound mixing by Andy Forsberg, the podcast also offers its own brand of entertainment. There’s even a clever jingle by Hillary Reynolds.

Transcending all of those necessary details are the distinct voices of the women who tell their fascinating stories of a pivotal time in their lives, in the country, and in the NFL.

Some of the woman came to Green Bay during the Before Times, when the team found such rare success on the field, the players and their wives had to dodge insults hurled from frustrated fans. Under Coach Ray “Scooter” McLean, the Packers wrapped up the 1958 season with a 1-10-1 record.

Coach Lombardi and his wife Marie arrived the following year and turned the entire franchise around. Barbara Knippel, then wife of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer, and Ruth Ann Skoronski, wife of Packer Hall of Famer Bob Skoronski, experienced the whiplash that happened during that transition and they speak with grace and humor about the jolt into the spotlight and better living quarters they experienced.

In the midst of the nation’s civil rights movement, the ladies found themselves negotiating social challenges they never imagined and they did it while living in a fish bowl. They speak about challenges they faced, the lessons they learned, and the lifelong friendships they formed.

We’ll be posting episodes beginning in two weeks on all your favorite platforms. You can follow us now on Spotify: Lambeau Ladies on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts: Lambeau Ladies on Apple Podcasts and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lambeauladies.

Treat yourself to an episode and transport yourself back to the Glory Years.

And, as always,

Go Pack Go!