The Triangle

Issue date: 8/14/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Yong Kim Philadelphia Daily News/MCT Campus

Another year of Eagles' Training Camp has come and gone by in the mountains of the Lehigh Valley. For a fan living in the Philadelphia area, this year's camp must have sounded like a nightmare after hearing the daily injury report, but for fans like me who visited the team in Bethlehem, Pa., it was Christmas in July - and August.

Each year my father, brother and friends make the hour-plus trip to Lehigh's Goodman campus to see the guys in green prepare for the upcoming season. After waking up at 6 a.m., we got to the parking lot around eight and were welcomed by Merrill Reese, the radio voice of the Eagles, upon entrance to field.

For a football geek like me, one of the best parts of the training camp experience is being able to listen to the coaches and players communicate on and off the field. Because fan noise is at a minimum during the practice, fans have the ability to hear each individual play call. Each player collision provides a unique sound that cannot be replicated when watching on television, no matter how great your surround sound is.

One of the most entertaining parts of camp occurs while the players are taking a knee on the sidelines. The trash-talk is in full force, especially when the No. 1 defense takes on the No. 1 offense. This year, Asante Samuel and Donovan McNabb led their respective units in a friendly battle of words. The competitive banter is needed to break-up some of the frustration generated during a few grueling weeks of two-a-days.

But the players and coaches are not the only ones doing the talking during the practices. Because of the fan's close proximity to the practice field, the players can hear the chants and reactions of the crowds, whether they like to or not. There is nothing the fans get more excited about than when a player gives them a nod after a big play.

Players' personal attention to the fans does not stop after practice is over. Each day fans receive a chance to meet some of their favorite players at the autograph tent. The players engage the fans in conversations they never thought they would ever have. Most fans end up just staring in amazement at the massiveness of some of the players, something that cannot be fully appreciated anywhere else.

For die-hard fans, a visit to training camp provides an opportunity to evaluate inter-squad position battles between players. This year in particular, I was able to keep an eye on the free safety and wide receiver positions without having to watch SportsCenter or Daily News Live for updates. Fans have the ability to evaluate players themselves, rather than relying on Andy Reid's "descriptive" press conferences every couple days.

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