GREEN BAY – Mike McCarthy threw his guys a curveball Wednesday, although that would be the wrong sporting metaphor.

The Green Bay Packers coach canceled the team’s scheduled minicamp practice and instead gathered his players together for a team-building exercise. According to various players’ Twitter accounts , that team-building activity was to be shooting clay pigeons.

In the past, McCarthy has canceled the final day of the three-day mandatory minicamp to do some sort of non-football activity. Two years ago – the last time there was a minicamp as last year’s was wiped out by the lockout – McCarthy cut short the final practice to stage a home run derby, which then-rookie offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga won. The team has also gone bowling under McCarthy, while under previous coach Mike Sherman the team did golf, bowling, paint-ball shooting and other non-football events.

Out clay shooting with the team. Don't know how safe this is but it beats practicing. #havingablast

— Greg Jennings (@GregJennings) June 13, 2012

#friendship #teambuilding #smiles #weapons

— Tom Crabtree (@TCrabtree83) June 13, 2012

@PackerReport #prayforus ha it'll be a good day and top safety precautions taken into consideration #mothersrestassured

— Dale Moss (@DaleMoss) June 13, 2012

Because of the cancelation, the Packers will practice on Thursday at Ray Nitschke Field, and in one change that is very significant to fans, the practice will be open to the public. It begins at 10:45 a.m. and had previously been scheduled to be closed.