The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com
April 5, 2011Despite the ongoing lockout, the NFL is still expected to announce the regular-season schedule within the next two weeks.
Along those lines, the Green Bay Packers have told their fans to begin preparing to host the season-opening Thursday night game. That's no surprise because the tradition over the last several years has been for the defending Super Bowl champions to be the home team for that first game of the season.
In a letter to season-ticket holders, club president Mark Murphy wrote:
"We appreciate your continued support of the Packers, and I look forward to seeing you back at Lambeau Field this fall for another thrilling season. As defending champions, we're especially excited to host the NFL's season opener Thursday night, September 8. We have some tough issues to resolve between now and then, but I'm confident that we will be able to find a resolution that works for the players, owners and fans."