I hate July - I really do (in one way, at least).  The start of football season, training cams, and all that is SO close you feel like you can reach out and touch it.  Fans like myself just can't wait to get things going.  Granted, all of August is pretty boring, too, because you're looking at training camps, scrimmages, practices and wondering how good or bad your team will be in the coming year.  You're hoping that major injuries are avoided, and you watch usually bad pre-season games because it's football.  Let's face it - there's no good reason to watch a pre-season game, especially the first one.  The starters play for a series, or two at the most.  The offensive sets are pure vanilla.  The defensive sets are all the base sets - the ones that everyone has seen and has known about forever.  Those first games are primarily about venting frustration - getting to hit someone else for a change - and to start building rhythm and chemistry.  Actual game play is pretty ragged, and once you hit the second half...yikes.  Choppy play, strange happenings. 

Not so curiously, most local newspapers - like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - cover pre-season games like they were the Super Bowl.  Why?  Well, for one thing the football beat writers are probably thrilled to have something to write about again.  Plus, they know how high interest runs in the Steelers here in town.  So they are guaranteed an audience.  People being tuning in to talk-radio a little more frequently, and the topic of conversation is Steelers 24-7.  The coverage is pretty predictable.  There will be 5-6 stories about how the Steelers and the coaching staff are doing everything they can to avoid a Super Bowl Hangover.  There will be about 10 stories on the rookie draft picks - how they are doing, where they are struggling, where they are showing promise (or even improvement...as training camp wears on).  There will be 3-4 stories about position battles, and the cut-down day that results from those position battles.  Every year there's at least 2 stories that are supposed to make you "feel good" about some player - how he overcame this or that or whatever.  Of course, somewhere near the end of training camp will come the GIANT SPECIAL EDITION where all the Steeler writers will sit down and write up their own predictions.  Of course everyone will want to get that.  And then finally, after a long, hot and brutal August, we get the start of the regular season.  FINALLY!

Pre-season games always hold some interest for me, even though I said above that they're boring.  I like to see the players the Steelers drafted get into game action.  Most of the rooks don't know much, and it's obvious, but the joy in playing the game is good enough for me.  I also like to watch a couple of key players, to see how they are progressing.  I think this year many eyes will be focused on Lawrence Timmons and Limas Sweed.  Timmons is moving into the starting role held by Larry Foote for the past 5 years.  As an athlete, he's an upgrade.  The coaches believe in him.  Now it's time to see whether he's another Steeler LB wizard or not.  As for Sweed, after the rookie year he had it would be hard to fall back.  But I guess that danger always exists; no one wants to see a 2nd round draft pick turn bust.  It doesn't hurt as much, but still hurts.  Sweed is going to face pressure this year to improve.  We can only wait, and wait, and criticize later.

Yes, July sucks because there's not much to talk about.  I mean, how many blog posts can you write about the upcoming season?  I wrote a post yesterday based upon a report that Niners coach Singletary made first round pick Crabtree cry.  The fact that it was reported goes to show how little actual news is out there; the fact I wrote a post about it also shows how little I actually have to talk about, too.  Let's face it, I'm writing a post whining about how long July is because I have nothing to talk about!!