oldschooler Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [size=6][b]First training camp in Cincinnati a success[/b][/size] By Jay Morrison Staff Writer CINICINNATI — Sunday’s practice at Paul Brown Stadium marked the conclusion of the Cincinnati Bengals’ first training camp held downtown at their own facilities. More than 2,000 fans attended the evening session that began just as the Reds were wrapping up a 5-4 win against the Cubs next door at Great American Ball Park. The total attendance for the 16 practices was 29,360, well above the 5,320 who attended 14 practices at training camp in Georgetown, Ky. “From my standpoint, it’s gone excellently,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “I think everybody upstairs feels very, very good about it. Hopefully the fans and everyone else that have experienced it feel just as good about it.” The Bengals held training camp at Wilmington College from 1967-1996, and at Georgetown College from 1997-2011 before opting to stay home this summer. “There were four or five months of planning that went into the logistics of all of this,” said Bob Bedinghaus, the Bengals director of business development. “For those of us who are involved in the planning behind the scenes, the neatest thing is we pulled it off without any real problems.” Bedinghaus said the biggest concern was that too many people would show up for the practices on the fields across the street from PBS, where attendance was limited to 1,600. But they were at or near capacity only three times. Attendance was unlimited at the practices inside PBS, most of which were coordinated with Reds games to offer fans a chance to attend both. “The thing with the Reds worked out OK,” Bedinghaus said. “I think the timing was a little off. It was a great PR push for the Reds and for us, the idea of a doubleheader. But some of the games were so separated in time. “Are you really going to come down here and spend a couple of hours in the sun and then wait an hour and a half or two hours to then go over to a Reds game for three hours? (Next year) we might try to condense them closer together, the starting times.” While the attendance numbers were far greater than 2011, last year’s NFL lockout had a lot to do with that. In 2010, the Bengals drew 29,448 to Georgetown. One of the changes Bedinghaus said the team is considering for 2013 is to open the pep rally on the eve of training camp to non-season ticket holders. Bedinghaus also said the team is considering holding a practice in Dayton next year. In 2010, the Bengals drew 13,000 for a practice at Welcome Stadium. Injury update: Rookie linebacker Vontaze Burfict returned to practice Sunday after suffering a concussion in Thursday night’s 24-19 win at Atlanta. Meanwhile, tight end Jermaine Gresham missed Sunday’s practice after hurting his right knee Thursday in Atlanta, although Lewis said the injury doesn’t appear serious. “He just has kind of a sprain of the knee,” Lewis said. “He’s got a little twist, so we’ve just got to let him get all of the strength back before we bring him out here to play football again.” http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/sports/first-training-camp-in-cincinnati-a-success/nRFgL/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 great to see attendance go up nearly 600% in one year due to the move. Hopefully they'll get closer to the point where the big name teams in the league are, drawing 10,000 for one practice and 55,000 for a Mock Game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [size=6][b]First Bengals' downtown training camp deemed success[/b][/size] By Paul Dehner Jr. | CBSSports.com August 19, 2012 9:37 pm ET The Bengals wrapped their first training camp in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday in front of just over 2,000. Cincinnati Bengals' officials said they plan to return next to downtown next year. Call it a win. Nobody could have guaranteed as much when camp opened 16 practices ago. More than four months of planning involving all corners of the Bengals front office were needed to pull off the first-time event in the shadows of the city skyline. Overall, 29,360 passed through Paul Brown Stadium and the adjacent practice fields. The number nearly equaled the most well-attended training camp in the 15-year span at Georgetown, Ky. In 2010, 29,448 made the hour-and-a-half trek south to see the T.Ocho Show. No local fans needed an extra tank of gas. The medical staff could work with their own equipment. The IT department didn't need to relocate and reconfigure their system. The coaches could work at the offices they call home. The marketing department could co-promote dates with Reds games. And the fan experience was better. “Really (happy) with how well the practice fields worked out,” said Bob Bendinghaus, director of business development. “The concessions and souvenirs. It is a very up-close experience, maybe more so than Georgetown. The experience in the stadium was comparable to Georgetown.” As for what the players thought of practicing within shouting distance of their homes provides an easy answer. “I could take my naps (at home),” WR A.J. Green said, then giving a knowing laugh when asked if he enjoyed this camp experience. “Oh yeah, definitely. Much better than Georgetown.” Finding a negative review of the first downtown camp might be tough. Consider the city of Hamilton County, long an opponent of the Bengals and their favorable stadium lease, was able to collect the parking fees, as well as food and beverage revenue to the burgeoning Banks area. The move even took small steps toward bridging the contentious relationship between the two sides. Small steps -- but steps. The first-run of this show went off without a major hitch, according to Bendinghaus, although they did leave with ideas to improve the camp next season. There will likely be fewer practices in the stadium with the idea they'll bring bigger crowds. The Bengals hope to improve the timing with the dates to produce Reds-Bengals doubleheader. Too much time inbetween kept the dual attendance relatively minimal the first four attempts. Yet, in Sunday's final day when the Reds ended nearly the same time the Bengals began, more baseball fans flowed into PBS than at any of the previous practices. Pushing the practices out of the heat of the day will also likely be done. Running live-action 11-on-11 at 3 p.m. in the dead of August didn't go over well with Marvin Lewis and his staff. Maybe not having training camp in isolation will turn out to be a good thing. “But maybe you don't need training-camp mentality,” he said. “Maybe you need rest and relaxation and study time and everything that way, which is good.” Influencing Lewis' preparation philosophy? That's when you know the downtown-camp project was a success. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/nfl-rapidreports/19831644/first-bengals-downtown-training-camp-deemed-success Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [img]http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1301735/ajgreen.gif[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mongo Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1345469060' post='1148773'] [img]http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1301735/ajgreen.gif[/img] [/quote] As much as I love that catch and touchdown, I still get sick waiting for his knee to blow out or something in the replay... Scary tackle in my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Lucid| Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [quote name='oldschooler' timestamp='1345465994' post='1148753'] [b]It was reflected in Pro Shop sales, where they beat every training camp since '09, except for the 2010 T.O. Fest.[/b] [url="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Camp-PB-grows-in-Marvin-Gardens/d16c9d7d-e8c3-478c-8e01-22843d1aa5a8"]http://www.bengals.c...01-22843d1aa5a8[/url] [/quote] [img]http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=100930&stc=1&d=1073085241[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [img]https://p.twimg.com/A0vsuLnCYAAoID6.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigris Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1345470668' post='1148779'] [img]https://p.twimg.com/A0vsuLnCYAAoID6.jpg[/img] [/quote] Got the Falcon one handy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [quote name='Tigris' timestamp='1345481147' post='1148816'] Got the Falcon one handy? [/quote] its the cover of the program for home games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memphis_Bengal Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 [quote name='mongo' timestamp='1345469979' post='1148777'] As much as I love that catch and touchdown, I still get sick waiting for his knee to blow out or something in the replay... Scary tackle in my eyes. [/quote] OMG you're not the only one except I thought it was his ankle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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