Russ Winnie
A pioneer in his field, he was the first broadcaster for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), announcing their games for WTMJ from 1929 to 1946.[4] "But on his way downstairs in an elevator he heard music coming from WTMJ studios, then located in the Journal Building," sportswriter Ray McBride said.[4] In the fall, Wadham's Oil and Grease Company, who helped broadcast WTMJ, wanted to sponsor sports, and Winnie was named their official announcer.[1][5] In November 1929, Winnie served as the announcer for the first commercially broadcast game of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL)."[9] At a banquet following the Packers' 1936 championship, he re-enacted one of his touchdown calls, and a Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter noted afterwards that "the crowd rocked with pleasure."[1] While announcing was usually a one-man task in his era, he was assisted by his wife Evelyn in the broadcast booth for the last 14 years of his career, even though women were not allowed in the press box at the time.