Training Camp Will be Open to the Public...
 

According to [URL=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/06/22/bc.fbn.redskins.gibbs.ap/index.html]CNNSI[/URL], training camp will be more open to the public than originally thought....

"Gibbs announced that training camp practices will be open to the public through Aug. 12, which would give the fans more access than he had indicated previously. Fan appreciation day is Aug. 7, two days before the preseason opener in the Hall of Fame game against Denver in Canton, Ohio."

Sweet... I live five miles from Ashburn!

First day open to us is July 31.

For you guys that have been to training camps before. Do you get to interact with teh players after practice. Are they usually friendly and come and sign autographs and whatnot?

I'll be there. Maybe we should do a "Warpath Gathering". What do you guys think?

Sounds awesome. Hopefully Ill be in town then.

Fan Appreciation Day is Aug 7. That falls on a Saturday. That would be a good day to meet up.

I'm planning on being there July 31

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]I'm planning on being there July 31[/QUOTE]


Matty your the head honcho of the Warpath. Why don't we try to set something up and get all the fellas together?

If I get to go any day , it will proboly be 7/31.

i'd be down with the 31st

I don't think we want to do it on fan appreciation day. Those are usually packed. Plus, its a Saturday, and JG is back! I can see this being the highest attended training camp ever.

[QUOTE=SKINSnCANES]For you guys that have been to training camps before. Do you get to interact with teh players after practice. Are they usually friendly and come and sign autographs and whatnot?[/QUOTE]
Some of the players are really good about hanging around after practice and signing autographs. Others try to avoid the fans at all costs. Last year, guys like Lavar, Matt Bowen, Fred Smoot, Ramsey, Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen and a few others were pretty generous with their time.

Matt Bowen is probably the best as far as that goes. I asked him about it, and he said that in Green Bay, it was mandatory for the players to meet and greet the fans after practice. He also said he feels like he owes it to the fans anyway.

It's usually just luck of the draw, depending on which day you go. Some days, guys feel like signing autographs, other days, they'd rather hit the showers and get the heck outta Dodge.

Hopefully, Gibbs will instill the idea in all the players that they should spend some time with the fans after practices to thank them for their loyalty and devotion.

I'll probably be at camp from the 9th thru the 12th this year. I'm going to the preseason game that weekend against the Panthers. I did the same thing last year, where I attended camp for the week leading up to seeing them in a preseason game at FedEx. Last year, it was the Patriots. That also happened to be the last week that camp was open to the public. I think it's kind of neat to see them right before they close the doors and get into the serious preparations.

weird, because when I met Bowen I lost all respect for him because of how much of a jerk he was. Good to know he isnt always like that, and that perhaps i just caught him at a bad time.

[QUOTE=SKINSnCANES]weird, because when I met Bowen I lost all respect for him because of how much of a jerk he was. Good to know he isnt always like that, and that perhaps i just caught him at a bad time.[/QUOTE]
No. I didn't say Bowen is a nice guy. I just said he is very generous with his time after practice!

When I met him, I found him to be somewhat curt and lacking in humor. That seems to be just the way he is. Every time I've seen him interact with anyone, he's got that cold, stonefaced demeanor. He comes off as not being a very friendly individual. But I wouldn't take that as a true indicator of the type of person he is. He did take the time to talk to me, which is a lot more than I can say for some of the other players.