“We’re the Only Team in North America Like That”: Wembley Bound Aaron Rodgers Flexes Packers’ Unique Identity Which Is Commonly Found in European Leagues

Aaron Rodgers and Co. will play their first-ever international regular season game on Sunday, October 9. The quarterback is already thrilled to set the tone in a new environment and a foreign country where the game is much admired. Before the match-up, the veteran flexed the uniqueness of the franchise and his ownership of the team.

The Packers will face the Giants in Week 5 of the 2022 season in London. Both teams have recorded a 3-1 score, and it will be a novel experience for both teams to lock horns in front of a foreign crowd. Rodgers packed his bags early and reached the venue in hopes of understanding the culture.

He wanted to interact with the fans and mark his appearance at a pub to taste some of the local beverages. While speaking in the press conference ahead of the clash, Aaron Rodgers asserted the greatness of the Green Bay franchise and how they are unique compared to other NFL teams.

Aaron Rodgers speaks about leading a fans-owned team just like the European premier leagues

For all those who don’t know, the Packers are the only publicly owned, not-for-profit, major league professional team in the United States and North America.

While speaking to the reporters about the organization, the quarterback mentioned that they don’t have a true owner. “We don’t have an owner. We’re the only major North American sports team without a true owner.” the quarterback said.

“There are a lot of shareholders but the team is really owned by the city, and it makes a really close bond between citizens of Green Bay and really the region, the state of Wisconsin, and the Packers organization. So it’s a really special bond. It’s unique. I believe there’s a team and a major sport in Europe that has a similar situation, but we’re the only team in North America like that.” he added to his explanation.

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This type of culture is prevalent in the European premier leagues, where a community owns the entirety of the teams. The Madrid and Barcelona football clubs are some of the prime examples supporting this kind of ownership.

Rodgers flexes his ownership, being a shareholder of his team

Unlike teams like the Dallas Cowboys, owned by Billionaire Jerry Jones, Green Packers are a small community of many fans. The entire franchise is owned by the shareholders, with stakes bought by the fans.

Four years later, in 1923, after the team was founded, the Packers were on the verge of bankruptcy. So they decided to sell out the shares and raise money through it.

Each share cost more than $200, and the culture is continued even today. However, it is just a piece of paper and a badge of pride for the Packers fan base to have part of ownership because it doesn’t pay its shareholders the dividends or can’t be traded. When asked if Rodgers owned the shares of his own team, the quarterback said,

“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t buy one personally I had one bought for me, it’s cool. So I guess I own the team I play on.” Moreover, the policy doesn’t allow any stakeholder to become more powerful, thus maintaining the integrity of the fundraising process.

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