Green Bay Packers still hope to find a way to celebrate their Super Bowl victory at the White House, next month. In most instances, the event would have taken place in the spring, but the players were locked out by NFL owners until Monday, so the event was postponed.Packers CEO Mark Murphy said the organization has been working behind the scenes to arrange a visit before the start of the regular season. "We had contact," Murphy said. "Nothing that's been finalized."
Murphy said that the Packers would have to pull off the visit during training camp because once the regular season started there wouldn't be time to do it. It's possible the Packers could arrange it the day after one of their two road preseason games Aug. 13 at Cleveland and Aug. 26 at Indianapolis. "We're trying to find a time in August," Murphy said.
In the meantime, Murphy said the team will go ahead with its annual Lambeau Field preseason practice (Family Night scrimmage), only this time it will not include a full-contact scrimmage. It will be a normal night practice that fans will pay $10 to attend. McCarthy has decided he doesn't want full tackling a week after players report, especially given the players haven't been taking part in football activities since the Super Bowl.
"Really, it's a question with the off-season we've had, really with the players having no off-season workouts and with changes with the collective bargaining agreement, we're better off with a practice than scrimmage," Murphy said of the Aug. 6 event. "From the fans' standpoint, it's going to be great. It's such a unique thing in the NFL. "We'll have all the activities in the stands in terms of contests and entertainment and there will be entertainment in the parking lot, and we'll wrap it all up with the fireworks."