Training Camp

Purple, black and gold will be the prevailing colors in Westminster during the next three weeks as the Baltimore Ravens football team converges for its annual training camp at McDaniel College. With the city's 11th temporary transformation into Ravenstown, staffers with the college, the Ravens and local businesses prepared for an influx that county officials estimate could amount to as many as 100,000 visitors. "It's always nice to give the fans a good experience out here," said Brian Kasabula, fan development coordinator for the Ravens.

The Ravens will finish up the first of three voluntary offseason team activities today, though they'll do it outside the glare of the media. Yesterday was the one day for media availability, and while no big news came out of it, it was still good to see some action after so much attention has been placed on off-the-field stories over the past couple of months. Making any conclusions after a two-hour practice -- which did not include some of the team's top veteran players, including running back Ray Rice , linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed , and featured most of the players in jerseys, gym shorts and no shoulder pads -- would be foolish.

Jonathan Ogden hopped on a plane in Los Angeles late Monday night, made it here early yesterday, signed a contract that made him a rich man, then went to bed during the first training-camp practice in Ravens history.By noon, the team's top draft pick was smiling, though looking a little groggy, and sounding eager to put on some pads, which he donned for his first practice at Western Maryland College yesterday afternoon.Ogden, 6 feet 8 and 320 pounds, was by far the biggest and most expensive rookie on the field.

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, whose weight and conditioning were scrutinized during his first season in Baltimore, attended this week's organized team activities and has been a regular participant in the team's offseason program for most of the past few weeks. “He's been working really hard,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He's been out here most of the time and conditioning has been a fair amount of a priority. He's done a good job. We'll just have to see how he does.” McKinnie, who is listed at 360 pounds, doesn't appear to have packed on additional pounds since last season.

Purple, black and gold will be the prevailing colors in Westminster during the next three weeks as the Baltimore Ravens football team converges for its annual training camp at McDaniel College. With the city's 11th temporary transformation into Ravenstown, staffers with the college, the Ravens and local businesses prepared for an influx that county officials estimate could amount to as many as 100,000 visitors. "It's always nice to give the fans a good experience out here," said Brian Kasabula, fan development coordinator for the Ravens.

When the new-look Ravens open minicamp in two weeks, they will welcome back a familiar face. Running back Jamal Lewis will return to the practice field for the first time since suffering a season-ending knee injury on Aug. 8. The Ravens' leading rusher during their Super Bowl championship run in 2000, Lewis is expected to participate in the non-contact camp that runs from April 26 to April 28. "Everybody's anxious to see him actually out there," Ravens...

THE LAST couple of times they made a TV series about this town, wise-cracking detectives were kneeling over fresh, bullet-riddled corpses ("Homicide: Life on the Streets") and hollow-eyed junkies were sticking needles in their arms and joining the walking dead ("The Corner"). Both were riveting shows, but probably not the kind that made folks at the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association high-five each other, murder and drug addiction being somewhat low on the list of things a city likes to trumpet.

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, whose weight and conditioning were scrutinized during his first season in Baltimore, attended this week's organized team activities and has been a regular participant in the team's offseason program for most of the past few weeks. “He's been working really hard,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He's been out here most of the time and conditioning has been a fair amount of a priority. He's done a good job. We'll just have to see how he does.” McKinnie, who is listed at 360 pounds, doesn't appear to have packed on additional pounds since last season.

AND THE WINNER IS…: During a full-team exercise pitting the first offense against the first defense, the defense stood supreme. In five snaps, quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked by defensive end Trevor Pryce, linebacker Jarret Johnson and strong safety Dawan Landry. The defense jumped offsides once and Flacco completed a mid-range pass to wide receiver Anquan Boldin. PLAY OF THE DAY: That's not to say, however, that the offense was a complete failure. Backup quarterback Marc Bulger and wide receiver Donte' Stallworth connected on a perfect up-and-out that left cornerback Cary Williams several yards behind and Stallworth streaking to the end zone for a 78-yard touchdown.

For me and many of my old school friends, sport is not about efficiency, titles and "winning" but rather about fairness and appreciation of athletic ability and the effort it takes. Instilling those values in children, whether they go on to become athletes or not, is something most parents are challenged by. Having the Ravens' training camp in a small town is right for many reasons, the biggest being the opportunity it gives the team to engage children, especially those from families who can't afford game day at the stadium.

A day after making a handful of roster additions and cuts, the Ravens announced on Wednesday that they had released fullback Chad Diehl, an undrafted free agent who had participated in the team's rookie minicamp over the weekend. No reason for the move was given, but Diehl shed a little light on it on his Facebook page. “At rookie mini-camp this past weekend I suffered another concussion,” Diehl said via the Spartanburg Herald Journal (S.C.) . “With this concussion happening so soon after the concussion I had in January at the Senior Bowl it left many people concerned including family, doctors, and myself about my health and future if I were to continue playing.

The Ravens and third-round draft pick Bernard Pierce agreed to terms Thursday morning, a league source confirmed, leaving second-round draft pick Courtney Upshaw and sixth-round draft pick Tommy Streeter as the team's only unsigned 2012 draft picks. The running back will receive a four-year contract. Pierce, who left Temple after his junior season, was named the 2011 ECAC Offensive Player of the Year after racking up 1,481 rushing yards and a school-record 27 touchdowns. He rushed for 149 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Maryland , and had 100 or more rushing yards in eight of Temple's 11 games.

May 11-13 : Second-round pick Courtney Upshaw and the rest of the Ravens' 2012 draft class will hit the practice fields together for the first time for a three-day, mandatory rookie mini-camp next Friday through Sunday. May 21-23, May 28-30, June 4-6: Those are the three-day dates for organized team activities. The OTAs are voluntary for the players, but the Ravens figure to have pretty good attendance.   June 12-14 : The Ravens will hold their only mandatory mini-camp for the veteran players.

Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs spoke about the injury to his Achilles tendon and his expectations as to when he'll be able to return. On the nature of the injury: "I've already been to see two different doctors. One says it is a partial tear, one says it is a full tear. I don't know what the hell is going on. I've been in contact with the Ravens, and there will be a procedure done Tuesday to correct the problem. " On how he suffered the injury: "The injury did not occur while I was playing basketball.

The Ravens won't know the extent of Terrell Suggs' Achilles tendon injury until Tuesday, but they are prepared to be without their top pass rusher and the reigning NFL's Defensive Player of the Year for a good part - if not all - of the 2012 season. Suggs tore his Achilles last Saturday during a workout in Arizona. He'll see noted foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson on Tuesday in North Carolina to find out the severity of the tear and to have it surgically repaired. “I've already been to see two different doctors.

After the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft Saturday, Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron made a cameo at the introductory press conference for Courtney Upshaw, Kelechi Osemele and Bernard Pierce. In addition to Kelechi, an Iowa State offensive lineman, and Pierce, the big Temple back, the Ravens had just drafted him another offensive player in Delaware center Gino Gradkowski. Cameron was pleased with what general manager Ozzie Newsome had done at that point. He liked the selection of Pierce, though he said that the team is still high on Anthony Allen and Damien Berry.

The Ravens announced today that they have signed long snapper Patrick Scales who was with the team last summer. Scales, who went to Utah State, was brought into training camp last season to provide some competition for Morgan Cox. However, Cox won the job and Scales was released as part of the Ravens' roster cut down to 53 players. Cox had a solid 2011 season and certainly did nothing to lose his job, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh has said on several occasions that everybody will have competition in training camp.

Jeff Zrebiec, reporter : Fretting over how difficult the Ravens' schedule could be in mid-April is a pretty pointless exercise when one training camp injury, extended holdout or botched first-round draft pick can significantly alter a team's fortunes for the 2012-13 season. Sure, the Ravens figure to have their hands full in 2013, but nobody knows if Peyton Manning will instantly make the Broncos an elite team or if the Bengals will continue...