Books: Packers on the printed page Three new books take different approaches to team history By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle Several new books about the Green Bay Packers have come out this fall, continuing a long line of writing about one of the National Football League's best-known teams. The long history of the Packers has inspired writers both inside the team and outside. Of course, the 1996 Super Bowl champions inspired a flock of books, as have the 1960s Lombardi champions. Three books out this fall, however, take a more general look at the team. Alphabetically by author, they are: "Tales from the Packers Sidelines," by Chuck Carlson ($19.95, Sports Publishing Inc. This book is part of a series by the publishers covering several pro and college teams. Carlson, a longtime sports columnist for the Appleton Post-Crescent, tells them well; most, however, will be familiar to everyday fans. Still, his style is entertaining enough, and the book has enough honesty to tell some bad stories with some good ones. "Green Bay Packers: A Measure of Greatness," by Eric Goska ($32.99, Krause Publications.) Goska, who writes for several publications, is one of the top Packers historians around. This book isn't really new, however; it's an update of his "Packers Legends in Facts," a solidly-done reference book looking at the team season-by-season. This version adds the more recent years, but keeps the seasonal team photos and statistics that made it a good reference volume. "Packers by the Numbers: Jersey Numbers and the Players who Wore Them," by John Maxymuk ($19.95, Prairie Oak Press). Maxymuk takes a different approach to the team's long history, with each chapter devoted to a jersey number worn by a Packers player (15 for Bart Starr, 66 for Ray Nitschke and so on). He then expands on each one to cover a different topic, either biographical or issue-oriented; the chapter on Bob Mann looks at how Green Bay and black athletes have adapted to each other. Other chapters use players as a starting point to look at individual seasons, the NFL draft, TV coverage and the history of Lambeau Field. He cheats a bit, sometimes listing players under a less well-known number when there's a conflict, but he makes up for it with a complete listing of players for each number, as well as personal views of the best and worst ever to wear that particular jersey. The author, a freelance writer and librarian from New Jersey, obviously is a fan without blinders and has a sense of humor.