Short camp on tap

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Posted: 6:15 p.m.

In what is believed to be their shortest training camp ever, the Bengals' two-week stay at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky., ends the day before their nationally-televised Aug. 13 preseason opener on NBC at Paul Brown Stadium against the Redskins.

But there is optimism in Georgetown that the Bengals will be back for more in 2007 as extension talks continue with an announcement maybe as soon as next month.

"They're talking like they do every May, but ever since we're in a year-to-year mode we're not sure if they'll decide to come back or stay home," said Stacey Varney, head of the college's Conference Center. "I think everyone is impressed with what happened last year."

Even though head coach Marvin Lewis cut the schedule to three weeks last year, the Bengals set an attendance record for the third straight camp with about 50,000 visitors.

He had to pare it back even more this year when the Bengals had a road game scheduled just five days after the opener when they go to Buffalo for an Aug. 18 game.

But Varney is still hopeful there could be another record with the Bengals coming south for the first time as a playoff team. That bid gets a major boost when the 10th camp at Georgetown opens for the first time on a Saturday night as the club convenes the afternoon of July 29 to prep for a 7 p.m. practice.

"I expect that to be a huge crowd," Varney said. "Maybe not like the scrimmage, but the first practice being on a Saturday night should bring a lot of people."

The Bengals are adhering to the same formula with the intrasquad scrimmage set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 4, to be followed by the Orange-Black Mock Game the next day at 1 p.m. Both events end with autograph sessions. Camp's first week also features fireworks after the night practice on Wednesday, Aug. 2.

Counting the intrasquad scrimmage, Lewis plans four night practices. The Bengals plan to practice the morning of the scrimmage, one of five days they practice twice.

Parking is $12 per car, $25 per school bus and passenger van, and $50 per large bus.

The Bengals have been toying with joining a league-wide trend and holding training camp at their own facility at PBS. There are a big list of pros and cons for each option. Bengals president Mike Brown has long been an advocate of getting away to train to start the season and has an excellent rapport with school president Bill Crouch, two of the bigger factors.

Varney says if the Bengals plan to extend the deal, the announcement could come June 19 when Lewis is scheduled to speak to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce at the Conference Center.