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With an off day from practice today, Friday's cheese curds are focusing on off-the-field items surrounding the Green Bay Packers.
First up is the unveiling and reopening of the Packers Hall of Fame, which takes place this morning. Between that renovation and the recently-released plans for the new Titletown District adjacent to Lambeau Field, there should be plenty of reasons for fans to spend time in and around the hallowed stadium that don't involve taking in a football game.
Meanwhile, if we turn our attention over to the players, we find two former Wisconsin Badgers teammates taking very different directions after head injuries. One, a Packer, is trying to work his hardest to get back on the field, while the other has become something of an unwilling symbol for people trying to make football safer.
Packers Hall of Fame set to open Friday, August 21 | Packers.com
The entrance now is on the main floor of the Atrium, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is taking place this morning at 8:30 Central.
10-acre public plaza heart of Packers’ Titletown District | Packersnews.com
Get ready for some serious development around Lambeau Field. Hinterland Brewery, Bellin Health, and a hotel run by the Kohler company will be the centerpieces of the new are surrounding the stadium.
Father of WR Jared Abbrederis not concerned by potential concussion history | JSOnline
At least, he's not concerned about his son's long-term health. Whether or not he can make the Packers' roster...well, that may be a different story.
How former San Francisco 49ers Chris Borland's retirement could change NFL forever | ESPN.com
And then there's Borland and his family, who are on the other side of the coin. Wisconsin fan or not, Borland's story from the past six months and beyond is worth reading. He raises a ton of questions about the NFL and football in general, but he is actively trying to avoid being a spokesperson for "making the NFL safer." In his opinion, the nature of the game is inherently violent, and that isn't something that can be changed.
David Bakhtiari confident he'll keep '35 for 35' streak alive when season starts | ESPN Wisconsin
The third-year tackle hasn't missed a game in the regular season or playoffs, and his plan is to keep his streak going when week 1 rolls around. He is unlikely to play on Sunday, but he feels good about the trainers' schedule for his knee.
Uniform No. 68 fitting for Green Bay Packers' Fabbians Ebbele - ESPN
It matches his height at 6 feet, 8 inches, and though he is struggling with one of the new drills the offensive linemen are asked to do, his length certainly is more of a help than a hindrance.
Eight Things the NFL Botched This Off-Season | Cheesehead TV
How many of these things do you agree with as being mistakes?
Le'Veon Bell: I'm a lot quicker and more explosive now - NFL.com
Perhaps we'll see a little bit of that on Sunday when the Packers are in Pittsburgh. Even though he's sitting out the first two games on a suspension, Bell should be one of the first picks off the board in every fantasy draft this year.