A training camp like no other

In any other year, this is when the excitement would start.

- By Mark Ludwiczak

Fans would start circling the practices they’d like to attend at St. John Fisher. Reporters would figure out which bars we’d attend after long days in the sun. Red, white and blue Stefon Diggs jerseys would be everywhere.

Problem is, this isn’t like any other year. We’re in the middle of something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. And hopefully it ends far sooner than we expect.

There won’t be a training camp at St. John Fisher this year. Instead, it will take place in Orchard Park at One Bills Drive. At least that’s the plan as of press time.

I’m no scientist, and the tricky part of preparing for training camp right now is that we have absolutely no idea what to expect. We could be in for a pleasant surprise and things could generally go smoothly. We could be in for a bumpy ride that’s filled with delays and positive tests.

We’ll do our best to stick to football throughout this issue while acknowledging that pretty much every point comes with a caveat — we don’t know what’s going to happen and if or when there will be a season.

Other U.S. sports are beginning to ramp things up, and I’ve felt all along that the NFL would find a way to get some sort of season done — there’s too much money at stake and this league can be a stubborn beast. Plus I think I speak for every fan when I say that we could all really use some football right about now.

Here’s hoping that things improve everywhere — and I mean everywhere — and we can talk about football in August like we always do. A little bit of normalcy would hit the spot, don’t you think?