What Lambeau Field Will Sound Like in 2020

How the game will sound (in empty stadiums this year):

The Competition Committee will have to determine the decibel levels that can be used while games are being played, but rest assured that there will be some sort of low hum consistently inside the venues. The league doesn’t want to make it easy for teams to find patterns’ in opponents verbal signals and cadences. “There’s got to be an audible hum of some sort,” one GM told me. “There can’t be silence. There’s too much teams can learn from each other if there’s no noise and you hear everything they’re saying.”

On TV, the goal is to make Lions-Packers at Lambeau Field in 2020 in Week 2 sound similar to Lions-Packers at Lambeau in Week 6 last year. “We’ve hired an audio engineer in every market. Of course, it’s one of those things you never expect to have to do, but the pandemic has forced us to innovate. And NFL Films is not only great at the pictures—they’re great at collecting authentic audio.” In each venue, the audio engineers will make the sound available to TV crews. A first down by the home team may generate a modest cheer, a takeaway a bigger cheer, and a touchdown a bigger one than either—and a turnover a groan, or whatever a groan sounds like. The audio will be taken from actual plays in that stadium from the last four seasons.

— Peter King’s (NBC) “Football Morning in America” column, August 31, 2020

2019-2020 Green Bay Packers Annual Report

In this lull before the 2020 season starts, we thought we’d share the Green Bay Packers’ 2019-2020 Annual Report. Before the shareholders meeting in July each year, the team releases its financial data to the media, but there’s much more information here on all of the aspects of the organization. If you own one or more shares of Packers stock, you can receive the annual report each year by request.

More “Expert” Opinions

We’re back with a couple more NFL preview issues where the experts tell us how they predict the NFL season will play out — providing we go a whole season. The first publication went with a panel of seven writers, so we compiled them into a consensus:

USA TODAY SPORTS NFL PREVIEW

NFC North Division Standings:
Green Bay Packers (a unanimous vote)
Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears

NFC Division Winners:
Dallas, Green Bay, New Orleans, Seattle

NFC Wild Cards:
Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Seattle

NFC Championship:
New Orleans over Seattle

AFC Division Winners:
Buffalo, Baltimore, Kansas City, Indianapolis, 

AFC Wild Cards:
Pittsburgh, Tennessee, New England

AFC Championship:
Baltimore over Kansas City

Super Bowl LIV:
Kansas City over Seattle



SPORTS ILLUSTRATED NFL PREVIEW

NFC North Division Standings:
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears

NFC Division Winners:
New Orleans, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Green Bay 

NFC Wild Cards:
Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles Rams

NFC Championship:
New Orleans over Philadelphia

AFC Division Winners:
Kansas City, Baltimore, New England, Indianapolis, 

AFC Wild Cards:
Buffalo, Tennessee, Pittsburgh

AFC Championship:
Baltimore over Kansas City

Super Bowl LIV:
Baltimore over New Orleans

Camp is Underway — So We Hear (Part 2)

If the press is considered “the fourth estate,” then the rest of us unprofessionals that cover the Green Bay Packers online must be the sixth or seventh estate. Regardless, we were over at Ray Nitschke Field this morning before practice started. Here we see the the gate outside the Don Hutson Center where media and V.I.P. guests enter.


The very few people (other than those employed by the Packers) who get to watch them practice in 2020 enter Ray Nitschke Field through this gate.


Practice for everyone else looks like this.


Those with credentials also enter through the northernmost Ray Nitschke Field bleachers gate.


A glimpse of the hidden realm.


But wait... a security breach allows a view of the field before practice starts.


The sad part of the coronavirus as it relates to annual visitors to Packers Training Camp.


Instead of riding bikes, some Packers players park by the Green Bay Packers Turf Department.


We’ve not noticed this before since the resurfacing of Clark Hinkle Field— what looks like the Lambeau Field SISGrass Hybrid turf on the left and total synthetic turf on the right.


Looking at Lambeau Field across Clark Hinkle Field which the Packers will utilize for in-season practices, at which point the fences will be covered by tarps to discourage spying.

Camp Is Underway — So We Hear...

Took a walk today around the stadium area that would normally be buzzing with thousands of Packers fans watching practice, excited about a new season.


Something very new in the last month is the addition of mesh fence covering that obstructs views of the players’ parking area. The only way this could be COVID-19 related is if it is designed to keep fans from congregating around when players are near. That mesh is not going to stop any germs.


The temporary(?) new trailer by the players’ locker room entrance that we assume is virus-related has banners which read “DO YOUR PART. PROTECT YOURSELF. PROTECT YOUR TEAM. MUST WEAR FACE COVERING TO ENTER.”


Generators for the trailer, and players’ vehicles beyond that.


Four staffers hanging around the players’ locker room entrance. We did not approach because we did not want to be asked to leave.


NO kids with bikes. NO fans. NO players. Training Camp 2020.


Players entering their parking lot via the tunnel which goes under the Oneida Nation Gate.


Players being checked for temperature, virus test swabbing, and whatever.


Very few people in the Packers Pro Shop or around the stadium Atrium.


Normally, we’d be posting photos from practice and all activities around the beginning of Training Camp. Hopefully, next year. And hopefully, we’ll have a season this year.

Scenes from the Pandemic Training Camp

After being self-quarantined since March, we needed to get in a short trip to Green Bay. And so we did — up on Sunday, back on Wednesday.


A look at Lambeau Field was we cross the Highway 172 bridge over the Fox River.


The next day it was a socially-distanced trip to the very empty (of people) Packers Pro Shop. This is the first time we’ve seen the Jordan Love name and number on a jersey.


QB Aaron Rodgers mannequin masked up for your safety. 


Some scenes from the residential townhomes being built in the Titletown District, west of Lambeau Field.


We did not tour a townhome, but you can if you want to.


A rendering of finished townhomes along Brookwood Drive.


Looking east, down through the work site towards Lambeau Field.


Work being done on the far west end of the Titletown District, likely future office space.


The townhomes in context, across from the playground area.


The townhomes across from the playground area.


It is staggering to see the effect of no public Training Camp on Green Bay. Where there are normally thousands of people, there is complete emptiness.


What appeared to be members of a local high school team utilizing the Titletown football field. Unfortunately, it looks as if they won’t have a season this year due to the pandemic.


Here you can see (above and below) the proximity of the townhomes to the football field.



Work being done to the public plaza part of the residential area of Titletown.


A rendering of the finished Titletown District in autumn. Hopefully without a global pandemic.


View from the far west end zone of the football field towards Titletown and Lambeau Field.


Looking west through the football field.


Another view through the playground towards the townhomes.


More vast emptiness.


Hinterland Brewery, between the Titletown Tech glass building and Lambeau Field, was doing good business outside. But every place else was empty.


More vast emptiness.


The view during dinner on Monday evening.


Looking back through Titletown at sunset.


The Clarke Hinkle practice field along Oneida Street appears more finished than the last time we saw it (when it was piles of dirt). Not sure if the process is totally completed or not.


All fences of Ray Nitschke Field are covered for Training Camp to prevent people gathering to watch. This is how Clarke Hinkle Field is covered during the season to prevent spying during practice.


A shot under the fence tarp at the south end of Ray Nitschke Field. The employee mowing the grass did not see us, or we’d be in Packers Jail.


The facility is completely blocked from fans viewing any practices. It is very odd to see it this way at the end of July.


Ray Nitschke Field.


Entrances covered — which they never are during previous camps.


Sad.


This area should be teeming with Packers fans.


Covered fences at the north end of Ray Nitschke Field.


Another view under the tarp, showing the empty stands which will stay empty in 2020.


Another view of Clarke Hinkle Field’s new field.


The new Resch Expo building is in mid-construction where the old Brown County Arena stood along Oneida Street, just east of Lambeau Field. The Packers hope this will be a key piece to snagging the 2024 NFL Draft in Green Bay.


Rendering of the finished Resch Expo building from the southwest.


View of the Resch Expo from the Lambeau Field parking lot.


Rendering of the finished Resch Expo building from the northeast.

The new Lambeau Field signs with message boards are completed. This one is along Oneida Street.


From what we can deduce, this trailer is for COVID-19 screening, etc. before the players enter the facility. It is located inside the players’ parking compound. This trailer has never been there before.


The players’ parking compound.


This is normally a spot to get player autographs and photos, but not this year.


The players’ entrance into the facility.


I didn’t have the telephoto lens, but you can just make out the “STOP” sign’s contents.


Another view of the COVID-19 trailer.


Your Packerville, U.S.A. editor in an almost completely empty Lambeau Field Atrium. During a normal Training Camp, there would be a couple hundred fans in here, with three or four tours taking place at the same time.


Super-socially-distanced dining at the 1919 Kitchen & Tap.


You know the Green Bay Packers. You know the city of Green Bay. Well, this is The Bay.

Thanks for visiting. We’ll update as events warrant.