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Camping with Big C

By Carlos "Big C" Holmes
Cox News Service
07/09/2006

NFL Training Camp season is rapidly approaching and I will soon take to the road again to bring you, the football fan, in-depth coverage of what the opponents of the Bengals and Browns are up to as they prepare for the upcoming NFL season, as well as report on our area talent and how they are faring in various camps.

The first stop on my camping trip this summer will be the Lehigh Valley and Bethlehem, Pa. to watch the Philadelphia Eagles soar. Here I will be looking to catch up with Xenia, OH native Trent Cole, who had an impressive rookie season, leading all NFL rookie defensive linemen with 5.0 sacks and finishing second on the Eagles. I will also be keeping a watchful eye on how well the Eagles perform in their natural habitat.

• Did you know? A bald eagle egg is slightly smaller than a domestic goose egg.

My next stop will be Westminster, Md. where I plan to swoop in on the Baltimore Ravens nest to check out their new-look offense with the addition of former Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair. The Ravens revamped defense will receive a lot of attention from me as well.

• Fact or Fiction: Legend has it that a raven's favorite food is the body of a dead man. Yuck!

Next up will be a trip to Ashburn, Va. to take a look at the Redskins and their new receiving corps. The Redskins loaded up on receivers during the off-season, adding two electrifying pass catchers in Antwaan Randle El and Brandon Lloyd. With Randle El and Lloyd on board, Santana Moss will no longer have to be a one-man-show in the team's passing game. Question is will there be enough balls to go around? I plan to find out.

• Did you know? Although most people are aware of the controversy surrounding the name of the Washington Redskins as possibly being offensive to Native Americans, you might not know that the team was coached in 1933-34 by Lone Star Dietz, who was part Sioux Indian.

After leaving Redskins' camp, it's off to Latrobe to visit the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers to see how they are preparing to defend their title.

• True or False: In 1962, Republic Steel, located in Cleveland, approached the team about using the Steelmark as their helmet logo. The team adopted the idea even though the company was based in the City of their bitter rivals.