Tammy Baldwin: “today I rise to honor Mark Murphy, chief executive officer of the Green Bay Packers, as he prepares to retire on July…”

“today I rise to honor Mark Murphy, chief executive officer of the Green Bay Packers, as he prepares to retire on July 13. For 15 seasons, Mr. Murphy has led one of the most revered franchises in professional sports, ushering the team into an era of incredible success. Founded in 1919, the Green Bay Packers are one of the oldest teams in the National Football League--NFL--and the league's last remaining ``small-town team.'' But make no mistake, a small town does not mean a small fanbase. Packers fans are as loyal and enthusiastic as they come. Every Packers game since 1960 has been sold out, and the waitlist for season tickets is nearly 150,000 names long. Over the team's long and storied history, the Packers have enjoyed many successful seasons. Decorated with 13 league championships, the team has nine pre-Super Bowl NFL titles and four Super Bowl victories. With more than 360,000 stockholders, the Packers are proudly the only community-owned team in all of American professional sports. Because of the team's public ownership, being CEO of the Packers is a unique and demanding job, but Mr. Murphy's background could not suit him better for the position.”