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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > July > 30 > Entry
Camp insider: Up-close & personal
RAIN, SMOOTHIES & COLD TUBS;
A ROOKIE COPES WITH PRESSURE;
CHICKSTER’S LITTLE BIT OF SOUL
===”Yours is the only blog I’ve got bookmarked. When I go to DaytonDailyNews.com and read ‘The Chickster’s’ prose, I dim the lights, pour myself some chardonnay and cuddle up by the fire.” — Tim Carley, public relations liaison, PlayersRep Sports Management===
I’m standing underneath the stadium grandstands at Georgetown (Ky.) College on Wednesday morning — wet but not soaked — and this is what I’m doing after the first of two Bengals’ workouts:
I’m interviewing outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks; I’m watching one of the national writers give some man-love to quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese; and I’m seeing players get handed “Smoothies” by the training staff on their way to the locker room.
There were two kinds of “all natural, no preservatives” Smoothies available — strawberry-banana and strawberry-mango. The strawberry-banana went “like hotcakes,” one of the trainers told me, leaving only the strawberry-mango.
Bengals VP Troy Blackburn sprint-walks by and I ask him if we can expect “white smoke” today with a Keith Rivers signing, and he shakes his head (NO!).
Moving on underneath the grandstands, as I’m dodging the drip-drip-drip of the raindrops, I snag linebacker Jim Maxwell and quarterback Jordan Palmer for quick interviews, and then I stumble on four players in cold tubs.
Rookie offensive tackle Anthony Collins (Kansas), rookie guard Justin Britt (Alabama), defensive end Eric Henderson (Georgia Tech) and linebacker Rashad Jeanty (Central Florida).
Cold tubs cool the body down after a hot, sweaty practice, and helps players recover quicker from the aches & pains, and the bumps and bruises, caused by football.
I’ve never interviewed a cat in a cold tub before. But I leaned over the edge and stuck my tape recorder near Britt, who said he’s coping well with the mental and physical strain of his first training camp.
“It’s hard,” Britt said. “That’s why I’m blessed with having a brother in the NFL (Wesley Britt is a four-year offensive tackle for the New England Patriots; a fifth-round pick (No. 167 overall) in 2005).
“I call him just about every other night. He gives me the right tips. He helps me out a lot.”
As I prepare to exit from underneath the grandstands, a double-row gauntlet of media studs line the pavement, safely out of the rain.
“You know what this reminds me of?” I ask ‘em.
No, what?” they say.
“SOUL TRAIN.”
I do an extremely weak dance featuring arm & hand movement, body gyration and hip rotation — I pinch my nose like I’m doing “The Swim” — and somebody calls me a name.
“CHICK CORNELIUS,” a reference to Don Cornelius, the host of “Soul Train” from 1971-96.
I take it as a compliment.
As Mr. Cornelius always said in parting, “We wish you love, peace and soul!”
Same thing I wish to all loyal LUDWIG AT LARGE readers.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MORNING WORKOUT
—-T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Perry and Willie Anderson chilled. Just call it “preventative maintenance.”
—-During a blitz period, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer hurled his visor to the floor, angry that his secondary was pillow-soft in coverage.
—-Veteran tailback Rudi Johnson got stripped by safety Chinedum Ndukwe, causing running backs coach Jim Anderson’s temper to erupt.
—-Non-drafted tailback James Johnson (Kansas State) continued to show why HE WILL MAKE THIS TEAM. He’s fast, quick, tough, has good hands as a receiver out of the backfield, and is blessed with good vision.
—-SIRIUS NFL radio studs Jim Miller and Solomon Wilcots were on the sidelines, watching before they took to the airwaves. For a quarterback who has endured 14 surgeries, Miller gets around pretty good.
Here’s wishing you love, peace and soul, my brothers & sisters.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By SmirkingInCincy
July 30, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
If TJ is angling for a long-term contract, he had better watch how much “preventative maintenance” he takes, or else he will hand the Brown/Blackburn triumverate the evidence that they want/need to say no… and to watch him walk.By dsto
July 30, 2008 5:29 PM | Link to this
What, and let the only reliable reciever they have go? TJ is the one they can count on.By whodey
July 30, 2008 8:31 PM | Link to this
Any word on how the rookie Cory Lynch is looking? I would LOVE to see him make the team! He won every Buckeye’s heart last year.By Ken Dippel
August 2, 2008 12:17 AM | Link to this
Cory Lynch will make this team! He is doing fine! He is a hard hitter! My biggest concern is still Keith Rivers. He is still UA and training camp is about over!