1983 was the last time Packers fans had to deal with a blackout

GREEN BAY (WITI) -- It has been 30 years since the Packers failed to sell out a home playoff game. The last time, the Cold War was in full swing, President Ronald Reagan was in office and the Packers were blacked out on local television -- and there is a chance that it could happen again.

The Packers say they still have 3,000 tickets that need to be sold. The deadline before a blackout has been pushed back until 4:00 Friday, January 3rd.

If those 3,000 tickets are not sold, the playoff game at Lambeau Field would be blacked out in Milwaukee and Green Bay.

It is all thanks to NFL rules that state that teams that don't sell all of their tickets can't show the game.

It hasn't happened often. In our neck of the woods, the occasion is downright historic.

In the basement of the Milwaukee Public Library, in an archive section that is four floors deep, Librarian Kristina Gomez helped FOX6 News to take a look at the last time the Packers game was blacked out.

The year was 1983. The Milwaukee Sentinel from back then shows 11.9 percent financing options for your car or truck, serious concern about radiation from a falling Russian spy satellite and the Packers having trouble selling tickets.

The Thursday before the game -- the team's first home playoff game in 15 years, 18,000 tickets were still up for grabs. There were reasons, including the sluggish economy -- and the Packers not communicating well enough to buy them by a certain date. Also -- the Packers couldn't email or Tweet their fans to push ticket sales, and there were obviously no internet sales.

The game ended up being blacked out, and it's too bad, because the Packers were nearly perfect in victory over the then St. Louis Cardinals.

It's a playoff victory that many were hoping would be the last they'd miss.

Granted the tickets are sold and the blackout doesn't come to fruition, you can catch the game Sunday only on FOX6!