DaytonDailyNews.com

The Cincinnati Bengals are getting prepared for "The Big Squeeze," a truncated training camp that will be here and gone before you know it.

It starts July 28 and ends Aug. 15. In between, the Bengals travel to Green Bay for the nationally-televised Monday night preseason opener Aug. 11.

Despite the prime-time exposure, that date at Lambeau Field doesn't help the Bengals. It hurts them — a bunch.

It's all because of an NFL rule that prohibits teams from reporting to training camp more than 15 days prior to their first preseason game.

And so, while 30 NFL teams open camp between July 23-25 because their preseason openers are Aug. 7-9, the Bengals and Packers are forced to wait until July 28.

Of all the NFL's stupid rules, the 15-day window for reporting to camp before preseason openers is the worst.

Cleveland hosts the New York Jets on Aug. 7, meaning the Browns get to open camp on July 23. That's a five-day head start on the Bengals.

The Browns will conduct seven — yes, SEVEN — practices before the Bengals step on the field at Georgetown (Ky.) College.

Oh, and the news gets worse for the Bengals and Packers. Their four preseason games are within 18 days (Aug. 11-28). The Browns' contests span 22 days (Aug. 7-28).

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell needs to wake up, smell the coffee and impose a league-wide uniform reporting date to training camp because, as it stands now, the playing field isn't level. Welcome to the N(o) F(air) L(eague).

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253

or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.