Ten takeaways from Kansas City Chiefs training camp

The crowds at training camp are the biggest I’ve seen

I’ve been going to training camp in St. Joe ever since Todd Haley’s first season as head coach and I’ve never seen anything like the crowds and enthusiasm that I saw on Friday and Saturday. I used to be able to pull right into the lot 15 minutes before practice started, stroll in and find a seat, and then move to any area I wanted as practice went on so I could see whichever groups I wanted.

That’s not the case anymore.

I got to practice almost an hour early on Saturday because it was Family Day, and I figured the crowds would be big. Even getting there that early, there were still cars backed almost all the way out to the edge of campus. It was crazy. I’m thrilled that the Chiefs Kingdom is so fired up about this team, but if you’re planning a trip to camp, it means you need to plan accordingly.

Get there early. You don’t want to miss the first half hour of practice waiting to get in and park. Plus, if you get there that late you’re going to have a hard time finding a good place to watch from where you can actually see what is going on, especially if you take kids with you.

Also, when you arrive early enough and get in, find the best possible spot to see the action and don’t give it up, especially if its the weekend. Also, you’ll know which side you need to claim a spot on based on where the Chiefs set up their cameras to film practice.

My final advice is always follow a morning at camp up with a drive into KC for some BBQ, but that’s me.

So those are my 10 takeaways from training camp as we prepare for the first preseason game this Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Is there anything that surprises you? Have you been to camp and seen something different than I did? Is there anything else you’re anxious to see in the first preseason game? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.