Bob Harlan, the former Green Bay Packers president and CEO who helped transform the franchise into a modern NFL powerhouse, died Thursday, March 5, at age 89.
Harlan led the Packers from 1993 to 2007, a period that brought playoff success, a Super Bowl championship, and a nearly $300 million redevelopment of Lambeau Field that turned it into one of the most celebrated stadiums in professional sports.
His impact stretched well beyond Green Bay, and in Milwaukee, where the Packers once played at the old County Stadium, fans and businesses still feel it.
At Steny's, one of Milwaukee's most popular sports bars, any given Sunday the room fills with green and gold. That kind of energy might not have existed without Harlan's influence on the franchise.
Watch: Milwaukee Packers fans remember the lagacy of Bob Harlan, former Packers President and CEO
Baylor Girton, a longtime Packers fan, said Harlan's absence is already being felt.
"It's just sad for sure whenever he was such a huge impact on the franchise for that many years," Girton said.
Girton and his brother Brody have been Packers fans for years. It was the winning that made them believers, and they credit Harlan for building that culture of success.
"How many more playoffs did they have for when he was there than before, it really showed; he just knew how to get the team there," Brody Girton said.
Harlan also helped formulate a nearly $300 million redevelopment of Lambeau Field, transforming it into a must-see destination for football fans everywhere, regardless of who they root for.
Daniel Burdick, manager at Steny's, said that reputation has spread far beyond Wisconsin.
"It's known around the country as the best stadium for going to and watching games," Burdick said.
Although all Packers home games are now played in Green Bay, several Milwaukee businesses — like Steny's — still shuttle fans up to Green Bay to be part of that one-of-a-kind stadium experience Harlan helped create.
"We also have three shuttles a year for the gold package that includes drinks and tickets all the way up there and back, and people sell out every so we do a lot of shuttling and it's popular with us here, drives a lot of business," Burdick said.
As Packers fans look ahead to September football and the hopes it brings, many are reflecting on the man who helped make it all possible — and mourning that he won't be there to see what comes next.
"He was a huge part of the Packers for the longest time, I feel like they've done a lot of great things the last several years and I really believe next year can be there year and it's just really sad that he's not going to be able to see that," Baylor Girton said.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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