Training Camp Battles

NFL training camps have started. As of Monday afternoon all 30 teams are now in action. For many fans this is the best time of year. Their favourite athletes in action, the chance to win a championship and of course fantasy football.

So, I guess the main reason NFL training camps are interesting these days is because of fantasy football. You need to know who is going to be the starting QB of the 49ers or who the "breakout" wide receiver or running back is. All for a chance at some bragging rights.

But, the training camp battles are interesting for another reason. The fights!

The first reported fight was today at the NY Jets camp. Actually the first three reported fights were today at the NY Jets camp. They were between lineman battling in the trenches. Really, these aren't a big deal and football is the one sport where it is probably easier to inflict punishment legally during a play, rather than punching another player.

The new Jets coach Rex Ryan addressed the fights after practice with a wry smile and said it was no big deal and only gave one rule for fighting in practice - defensive players should pull offensive players off the pile and vice versa. This is so you aren't pulling your own player off a pile and get him cheap shotted.

As a former player, who has been through training camps - fights do bring out the intensity for the remainder of that practice and every time those two guys happen to line up for the remainder of camp. After that, it is pretty much forgotten. As I mentioned earlier though, it is easier to get back at someone legally, rather than punching someone at the bottom of a pile. The one element that both Jets players and coaches echoed today was that once they get back in the dressing room all is forgotten. In my experience, that wasn't really the case. The reason for the fights was normally because two guys didn't get along off the field.

Enjoy training camps - the fights, position battles and twitters of players trying not to get fined.