GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers' 14th annual Family Night Scrimmage will be on Aug. 2 — but it'll no longer be a scrimmage.
The club announced the date early Thursday morning but with the announcement said that the event will now be a regular training-camp practice held inside Lambeau Field.
There will still be statewide TV coverage emanating from Green Bay's FOX television affiliate (WLUK, Channel 11) that will include Milwaukee's WITI-TV (Channel 6) and Madison's WMSN-TV (Channel 47). And there'll still be fireworks at the conclusion of the evening, and other family-oriented goings-on during the festivities.
But rather than unscripted, 11-on-11 scrimmage periods, coach Mike McCarthy has decided to make the event a regular camp practice, meaning most of the 11-on-11 periods will instead be scripted, save for the competitive 2-minute period that the team usually has at the end of regular practices.
According to the team's statement, the organization has "continually assessed its preparation methods in recent years" and "determined a full practice is necessary to accomplish its preparation goals for the regular season. The full practice will include 11-on-11 sessions that will feature live contact."
In some years, McCarthy has shied away from having the 11-on-11 periods include live tackling to the ground, but most of the scrimmages have included live tackling, including last year's.
The Packers suffered their most serious Family Night injury last year, when new starting left tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a live period with the No. 1 offense. Bulaga, the team's 2010 first-round pick who'd missed the second half of the 2012 season with a hip injury, was lost for the entire 2013 season. He has since moved back to right tackle after rookie David Bakhtiari played well in his place last season.
It seems unlikely that Bulaga's injury was a factor in the decision, since there will still be live periods this year. Packers coach Mike McCarthy won't speak with reporters again until the team's next open organized team activity practice next Tuesday.
Tickets for Family Night, priced at $10, go on sale June 23 at 9 a.m. CST. Fans can purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster, over the phone or via the internet. Tickets also can be purchased at the Packers' ticket office in person. There is no ticket limit on purchases. All individuals, regardless of age, require a ticket for admittance.
Parking for the event will be $5, with net proceeds to be donated to the Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program.
In case of inclement weather — something that has happened several times — no refunds will be issued unless all stadium activities are cancelled.
The entire training camp schedule is being finalized and will be released in the near future, the team said.
Jason Wilde wrote: