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'The Big Lebowski' tells Packers they're going bowling instead of practicing

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers took the day off from football Tuesday in favor of bowling and, according to the team website, it drew a favorable reaction from the players.

Coach Mike McCarthy let the players know they would be heading to a local bowling alley when a clip from the movie “The Big Lebowski” rolled during their morning meeting, Packers.com reported.

A team-building event has become a tradition under McCarthy, who has taken his players bowling, to play paintball and skeet shooting in the past.

“It was a very happy team meeting this morning,” McCarthy told the team website. “As soon as they saw ‘The Big Lebowski’ come on the screen, the veterans knew what was happening. A lot of fun.”

Last year, McCarthy took the team to a local shooting range for a day of sporting clays. It was the same activity that in 2012 prompted then-Lions coach Jim Schwartz to take a shot at the Packers by saying, "We had no sporting clays today or no amusement parks or water [parks]. [It was a] work day of minicamp."

The only difference this year was McCarthy used an OTA day for the activity instead of minicamp, meaning the Packers could practice all three days of their mandatory camp next week. In past years, McCarthy has used one of those three practice days for an off-site activity.