One year ago, the public release of the Green Bay Packers' financial statements was a much-talked about negotiating point between the NFL and the NFL Players Association during the interminable lockout.
This year, there isn't nearly the same drama surrounding the news. But the takeaway remains the same: NFL teams make a lot of money.
The Packers' net income soared to $42.7 million -- up $25.6 million from the previous year -- according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Net profit from operations totaled $27.9 million, which was up $20.1 million.
Breer: Singing a different tune
Last year, Aaron Rodgers scoffed at the importance of summer workouts. Albert Breer says Rodgers has changed his tune. **More ...**
To put it another way: the Packers set financial records for net income, profit from operations, total revenue and local revenue. Team president and CEO Mark Murphy said the team "rode the wave" from its Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I think that, along with the 15-1 regular season, really spurred us on," Murphy said. "What I would say is that the profits have been very positive, and we are really excited about it because we are investing those profits in the stadium and we are improving the fan experience through our renovation."
This is the part where we could try to tell you what this all means in the scheme of the greater NFL financial picture. But that's almost impossible to figure out, because the Packers are the only publicly held team that reveals all of its financial information. Plus, we're not very smart.
If nothing else, it appears that the early returns from the new collective bargaining agreement look positive. The Packers are one of the most successful teams on the field, and it looks like that's the case off the field, as well.