Packers' shareholders meeting and training camp in week ahead

Here it is, Packer fans, the week we've waited for since the end of last season's great run. In the coming week, Packers' shareholders will gather on Thursday morning (and, yes, you need a ticket to get in) at the currently un-frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to hear from Packers' management and coaches about the status of the team on and off the field. They'll also hear a bit from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell who'll be on hand, as well. No doubt, a major area of interest will concern the current and upcoming contract negotiations with the NFL Players Association.

While the annual shareholders event certainly is an important part of things, what most fans wait for, of course, is the start of training camp. That gets under way Saturday, July 31, at 2 p.m. with players in full pads on Ray Nitschke Field and is open to the public. If weather doesn't allow outdoor practice, things move inside to the Don Hutson Center where, because of space limitations, the practice is closed to the public. You can check out a day by day practice schedule here. You can also download a PDF version of the schedule here.

Now, if your green 'n' gold juices aren't flowing already, check out this article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel which begins the talk about the Packers' Super Bowl hopes and chances this season. The key, which is the same every year, really, is to start fast. No surprise there. With a tough schedule and questions on defense given Johnny Jolly's year-long (indefinite) suspension and Al Harris' return from his major knee injury, that means the offense has to come out with guns blazing. Barring injury, that will be a given.

But with camp a week away from today, it sure is nice to be able to realistically talk about the goal: Super Bowl.