Today was a typical summer day in Michigan. Hot and humid. It was the kind of August day that I used to leave work early and head up to the Pontiac Silverdome. Years ago, the Detroit Lions training camp was held at the dome. Fans could attend the workouts for free. It was a cheap entertainment for followers of the Honolulu Blue and Silver.
Back then, we watched about one hundred would-be Lions in a variety of drills. Most of these guys wouldn't make the NFL, let alone the Lions, but it was fun for the diehard fans. You got close to the players and coaches. Over the years, I chatted with Lions' beat writers and some of the players at camp. It was good public relations for a team that really needed it.
However, when Matt Millen arrived he hated the openess of Lions' training camp. Apparently, it was the Oakland Raiders way to keep fans away from camp. Thus, Millen viewed all of the fans as a distraction. So, camp was first moved to Saginaw Valley State University, but we showed up there, too. Finally, the Lions built a closed compound in Allen Park where practices are now held in private.
Sunday, Millen gives the fans their annual bone. The single open pratice will be held at Ford Field. I've gotten less bitter about this over the last few years, although this post may not reveal it. Sunny, warm August days like today remind me of Lions training camps now long gone. If only the losing seaons were such a distant memory.
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