Let me get this out of the way right now.

I have never been a fan of the Packers Family Night scrimmage. Somehow, the idea of paying  money to buy a ticket to sit in Lambeau Field and watch a walkthrough scrimmage without tackling has never appealed to me.

Some will say that it allows people who don’t have the means to go to a game the ability to sit in the stands and watch the Packers practice. I get that, and have always countered back with Training Camp practices are free and open to the public. And, as an added bonus, there is actually tackling, something that does not happen during Family Night.

So what is so appealing about Family Night? The fireworks at the end? Thanks, but if I was around Lambeau Field I could always look up in the sky and see them from a backyard, park, or even a parking lot for free.

Because of this disconnect between Family Night and my own personal beliefs, I was excited to hear about the changes being made to Family Night for this year. For the first time, this night would not serve as a scrimmage. This would be an actual practice, complete with tackling.

Similar to previous years, tickets will need to be purchased to attend the festivities. Again, this is something that I do not understand. Paying money to watch a practice when they are free across the street at Ray Nitschke Field throughout August is something that escapes me.

The fact that there will be actual tackling should be a welcome sight. Fans should love hearing the crack of the pads even if Ted Thompson does not. Seeing their favorite players going full speed in front of a packed Lambeau Field should be enough to get all 90 player’s adrenaline pumping at a good pace.

The scary thing about making this a practice is weird things have been known to happen at the Packers Family Night when it was nothing more than a scrimmage, without tackling.

Weird things like it always seemed to rain like it was monsoon season. Or having your newly appointed left tackle tear his ACL, thus ending his season. Or fans booing their starting QB while their former one is watching from within Lambeau Field.

Weird things happen during the Packers Family Night. Like clockwork, every year, something happens at this event which will have implications on the season.

While the appeal of Family Night might escape me, it does not have to escape everyone. To many, this is the only time they may be able to visit Lambeau Field during the year. Family Night does provide a relatively cheap way to experience all of the sights and sounds of gameday in Green Bay. Let’s all hope that this is all that is seen during this year’s event, and none of the weirdness that has plagued this night in previous years.

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John Rehor is a writer at PackersTalk.com.

He can also be heard as one of the Co-Hosts of Cheesehead Radio.

You can follow John on twitter at jrehor or email him at johnrehor@yahoo.com.

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