• The Lions returned to practice on Tuesday in pads on the outdoor field.  This week's practice routine is similar to one the Lions will follow during the regular season.
• According to Rod Marinelli, wide receiver Devale Ellis will miss "one to two practices" due to a hamstring injury.  Ellis is now on the bubble when it comes to making the team after at one time seeming like a lock to not be cut.  Brandon Middleton is challenging him for the 5th spot at wide receiver, and there's a good chance the Lions may only take 4 receivers anyways, meaning Ellis could be gone by the end of the month.
  
• Even though he was removed from the PUP list over a week ago, tight end Dan Campbell still has not practiced.
• Drew Stanton has gotten much better since training camp opened.  He is improving his passing abilities and is learning to use his running abilities only when necessary.
• The Browns are limping into this Saturday's preseason game at Ford Field.  Derek Anderson suffered a mild concussion on Monday against the Giants, Josh Cribbs has a high ankle sprain, Braylon Edwards will be out as he is still not healthy enough to play after being cleated by a teammate during practice, and former Lion Shaun Rogers missed Monday's game due to soreness in various places.
• Every year this is usually the time when the Kool-Aid is flowing in Lions country.  There is always a great amount of optimism during the summer as all Lions fans are hopeful that this will finally be the year where things are turned around.  Sadly, that year hasn't come yet, but many believe 2008 will bring the Lions a turnaround that at least gets them a record of 8-8.
  
  Message boards and even this site are filled with optimism from some, but I don't think anyone is as drunk on Kool-Aid as Mike O'Hara.  He not only believes the Lions will win 9 games, but he also thinks they could win more.
  

  When the 2008 schedule was released, I wrote the Lions could win nine games. It wasn't a prediction, just a somewhat humorous way of showing how a 9-7 season was possible.
  
  From what I've seen so far, I was wrong. The Lions will win nine games, maybe more. They're super fast on defense, they will build a running game, protect the quarterback and have talent at wide receiver. I say 9-7 is the standard. Whether that earns a playoff spot remains to be seen, but this team will not fall apart, unless shredded by injuries.

  After a couple preseason games I can say that the team looks like they're improving, but a preseason game can only tell me so much.  Hell, a regular season game can only tell me so much.  Remember, after 8 games last year the Lions were 6-2 and nearly every single Lions fan was drinking the Kool-Aid.  I am included in that category as even I began uttering the "p" word (playoffs). 
  
  We all bought into the Lions and in the end were only setting ourselves up for disappointment.  This year if they start 6-2 again, I will wait until the end of the season to pick up the glass of Honolulu Blue-flavored Kool-Aid.  And at the very least, if they win 9 games, I'll be too shocked to be able to drink anything anyways.

• The Lions returned to the practice field on Friday and had one practice in helmets and shoulder pads.  This comes after Thursday's practices were canceled by Rod Marinelli.  Today, the team is having only a walkthrough before traveling to Cincinnati for tomorrow's game against the Bengals.
• Training camp will officially end on Monday as the players have the day off, and when they come back will follow a regular season-like practice schedule.  They will only have a single practice each day instead of two as it is time to start getting into a routine similar to the one they will have during the regular season.
• Roy Williams drafted himself in ESPN's Fantasy Draft Special earlier this week.  He is one of eight owners in the league and is the only active player in it.
• ESPN's Kevin Seifert answered some questions about the Lions.
• Jon Kitna will be moving around more when he is making passes.  We already saw that quite a bit in the first preseason game as he would rollout or do a bootleg before making a pass.
• Former Lion Mike Utley hopes to one day walk off the field under his own power.
• Lions starters will get more playing time during tomorrow night's game against the Bengals.  Rod Marinelli said they will be in the game for around 18-22 snaps, which could be an extra drive or two compared to last week's game.
• Fullback Jon Bradley, safety Daniel Bullocks, tight end Dan Campbell, and kicker Jason Hanson will not play against the Bengals due to injuries, and wide receiver Shaun McDonald might not play.
• Finally, just as I did last week, I will provide live updates of the Bengals game in the comments section of tomorrow's game thread.  Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

• After following their usual routine on Wednesday, the Lions will not have practice today as Rod Marinelli canceled the two originally scheduled sessions.  They will be back on the practice field tomorrow before traveling to Cincinnati on Saturday to get ready for their second preseason game on Sunday.
• ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert visited the Lions on Wednesday to take in their two practices, and he shared some of his observations on his blog.
• Seifert also posted the most detailed version of what caused Jon Kitna to lose his temper during yesterday's morning practice.  Basically, the practice had already been very fierce and the defense was not holding back at all.  Dwight Smith was talking smack to Casey FitzSimmons, Ernie Sims put a big hit on Mike Furrey, and Buster Davis laid out Dan Campbell right after a Kitna pass came in.  And then Davis did the same thing to John Owens, causing Kitna to lose it.
  

  "Do something, Buster! Do something!" Kitna screamed, over and over, after the play. (We're guessing he meant, "Do something in this league before you start throwing players around in practice.") Getting angrier with each yell, Kitna started walking toward Davis before a few coaches got in his way. Fists never came close to flying, but rarely do you so much as see a quarterback advance in a threatening manner.

  I can understand where Kitna is coming from as I doubt he likes to see his receivers getting hit so hard in practice, but he's got to understand where Buster Davis is coming from.  Davis is fighting for a spot on the roster with other linebackers, and he's got to show the coaches that he deserves to make the team.  Letting up and gently running into offensive players is not that way to do that, so what does Kitna expect?
  
  After practice, Kitna spoke to the media and basically blamed the little temper tantrum on the entire team being a little cranky as they don't get to play their next preseason game until Sunday, which comes 10 days after their first one.
  

  "I'm not going to get into specifics, that's how competitors are,'' Kitna said. "Today's really the last day and we're ready to start seeing other people on a weekly basis. You usually don't go more than seven days without a game in preseason and this is our seventh day -- and we've still got three more days until we play. The guys are just ready to hit somebody else.''

  In the grand scheme of things this little conflict means nothing, but I do like the aggressiveness Buster Davis showed in practice.  He knows that he has to do everything possible to try and make the team, and if that means popping a couple of tight ends then so be it.
• One final thing to mention from Kevin Seifert's account of what caused Kitna's outburst is that Roy Williams did not practice.  I have no idea why he didn't, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
• Madden NFL 09 came out earlier this week, and I'll post a review of it sometime soon.  Overall, the game seems pretty good, although the Lions do sort of suck.  Their offensive line and running game in Madden are sadly just about as bad as they are in real life.  Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams are dominant, but rarely did it seem like I had very much time to get the ball to them as the blitz gets to Kitna quickly.
• Could Chad Johnson someday legally be known as Chad Ocho Cinco?  The answer to that question is yes, and no, I'm not joking.

• The Lions went back outside for both practices on Monday and wore full pads in the morning and helmets and shorts in the afternoon.
• In case you missed it, the Lions cleared out their PUP list by moving Shaun McDonald, Dan Campbell, and Daniel Bullocks to the active roster.
• A fan heckling Roy Williams during Monday's morning practice actually was ejected due to his behavior.  Here are the details of what happened:
  

  Mike Lazzara, 42, of Novi stood on the top step of the bleachers amid a sparse, mostly quiet crowd. He repeatedly shouted to Williams about taking plays off.
  
  “I didn’t use any profanity to him,” Lazzara said. “I wanted just to be constructive and tell the guy, ‘You know, I’m not making $20 million a season.’ The guy takes plays off. You guys look at the tape.”
  
  Williams heard Lazzara as he went back to the huddle, then walked over to the fence separating the fans from the field. Williams suggested they switch jobs, as some of his teammates yelled.
  
  “It just came out of nowhere, and I was like, ‘Huh?’ ” Williams said. “And he said it again, and I was just like, ‘What?’ And he said it again.”

  I'm not someone to say that you can't be negative at all, but this fan does seem to be in the wrong.  If you're going to be loud and yell at someone, don't call out Roy Williams for "taking plays off."  Use your frustration to repeatedly yell "Fire Millen" or something like that.  It makes no sense to go after Roy like that, especially in an obnoxious way.
  
• By the way, the final Lions practices open to the public this year are today.  The morning session begins at 8:35 a.m. and in the afternoon there will be a special teams practice at 3:30 p.m.
• Rod Marinelli isn't happy that the Lions lost out on signing Takeo Spikes.
• With Takeo Spikes not joining the Lions, there are many questions that remain regarding who will move to strong side linebacker and who will stay in the middle.  Between Jordon Dizon and Paris Lenon, someone will have to move to strong side linebacker, and the Lions hope it's Lenon.  Problem is, the chances of that happening are slim as Dizon is too inexperienced to be the starting middle linebacker right now, leaving Lions coaches facing quite the conundrum.
• For the first time this training camp, the Lions' entire starting offense practiced together.
• There is a very good chance the Lions could decide to keep five safeties on the 53-man roster, meaning Greg Blue would make the team.
• Stanley Wilson has officially been placed on the injured reserve list.
• The United Football League will welcome Mike Vick out of prison with open arms as it isn't likely he will be able to play in the NFL until 2010 at the earliest.
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are reportedly going to play the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIII.

The Lions' PUP list started the day with three players still on it and will finish the day completely empty.  That is because the Lions removed wide receiver Shaun McDonald, tight end Dan Campbell, and safety Daniel Bullocks from the PUP list and moved them to the active roster, meaning all three got to practice for the first time since the start of training camp.

Campbell and McDonald were expected to come off the list today. Bullocks was a little more uncertain. He spent all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Once he gets into football shape, he should compete for a starting spot.

Bullocks was on pace to be removed from the PUP list sometime this week, but I am a little surprised he was moved to the active roster today.  It's a good surprise, though, as the sooner he can start getting ready for the season the better.  As the quote above states, he should be in the mix to start at one of the safety positions, so it's great that he is back.

• The Lions returned to their normal routine on Monday with a morning practice in full pads and an afternoon practice in helmets and shorts.  Both practices were held on the outdoor field.
• That return to their normal routine will be short lived as the Lions will only have a single practice today and a single practice tomorrow as they have a game on Thursday.  In fact, Detroit will not revert back to the normal two-a-days format until Sunday, giving the players some time to rest up before and after the preseason opener.
• With the shift to a single practice today, the Lions are also moving indoors for the first time during training camp.  So far the weather has cooperated with the Lions very well, allowing the team to be outside during every session to date.  For whatever reason, though, the Lions will practice inside today.
• By moving their practice indoors, it will not be open to the general public as originally scheduled.  Instead, fans will have to wait until next Monday for their next chance to watch a Lions practice.
• Offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo was removed from the PUP list yesterday and returned to practice as well.  His return means there are only three players remaining on the PUP list, and that number is actually expected to shrink come this time next week.  Wide receiver Shaun McDonald and tight end Dan Campbell are expected to return to practice next Monday, and if everything goes according to plan, safety Daniel Bullocks could be taken off the list as well shortly after that.
• Brian Kelly, Artose Pinner, and Manny Ramirez also returned to practice on Monday.  Buster Davis, Cory Redding, and Langston Moore, on the other hand, did not practice as they are still dealing with injuries.
• Offensive coordinator Jim Colletto thinks that talking about running the ball is much different than actually running the ball.
• Special teams play can decide roster spots.
• Running back Brian Calhoun is finally healthy again.
• Center Dominic Raiola is a big golf fan, so he should enjoy the fact that the PGA Championship is at Oakland Hills this week.
• The Free Press is giving away a pair of Lions season tickets as well as a free limo ride to each game for the lucky winner.

• I was going to have this post up earlier today to talk about yesterday's practice, but my Internet stopped working and I didn't get the post up in time before going to the scrimmage today.  Because of that, this post will discuss the happenings from both Friday and Saturday.
• Beginning with Friday first, the Lions had a full practice in the morning and a special teams session in the afternoon.  Both practices were done in shorts and helmets only, meaning this is the second time this week that Rod Marinelli gave his players a day without pads and hitting.
• Today was "Black and Blue Fan Day" in Allen Park.  The Lions had a practice that incorporated a scrimmage, if you can even call it that.  Although they wore full pads, there was very little hitting going on, which was a disappointment to many of the 1,561 fans that showed up (that number was provided by the Lions, so take it for what it's worth).
  
• There still have been no changes to the PUP list, meaning Daniel Bullocks, Dan Campbell, Shaun McDonald, and Edwin Mulitalo all were unable to practice yet again.  Defensive tackle Langston Moore also didn't practice today, along with Cory Redding, Teddy Lehman, and Artose Pinner.  Moore spent most of the practice working with a coach off to the side and jogging around.  Also, going back to Friday, Tatum Bell missed practice due to personal reasons.
• Buster Davis left practice after getting hit in the head, but is expected to be fine.
• Bill Ford Jr. seems to get it as he knows the Lions have to start winning now.  He also is someone that doesn't seem to care for Matt Millen, so that's a plus in my book.
• Kevin Smith revealed that he desperately wanted to wear the #24 as that was his college number, but it would have costed him too much.  Instead, he is wearing Kevin Jones' former #34.
• Jon Kitna has an understanding of why the second half of last season was so bad.
• Devale Ellis realized that to make the team he would have to improve his returning skills, so he did just that.
• Yardbarker provided some history on how each NFL franchise got its name. (HT: Highlight Reel)
• Some writer picked the Lions to win the NFC North.  Uhh, why?
• Tickets for Thursday's preseason opener against the Giants are still available.  If all the tickets aren't sold by Monday, then the Lions will have to request an extension in hopes of preventing the game from being blacked out.  It is very likely the game will be blacked out, though, meaning it would air on tape delay rather than be shown live on CBS Detroit.
• Both practices on Monday will be open to the public.  The morning session begins at 8:35 a.m. and the afternoon one at 4:30 p.m.
• There is no practice at all tomorrow, which is a first since training camp began.
• The Patriots signed former Lions offensive lineman Barry Stokes.
• I'll post some pictures and my observations from today's fan day event on Sunday.

• The Lions' third day of training camp (on Saturday) featured a full pads practice in the morning and a special teams session in the afternoon in shells.
• Wide receiver Reggie Ball is likely done for the season after suffering a knee injury in practice on Friday.

  On WR Reggie Ball's injury: "He's out, no question about that. It's a knee (injury). I can't say exactly what it all is. The (doctor) I know came in this morning to look at it, but he's out."
  
  On whether Ball is out for the season: "He could be out - done."
  
  On whether Ball will need surgery: "Once the (doctor) sees - I want to see what he says today. But it doesn't look good."

  Ball was a long shot to make the team, but it's still disappointing to see any player get hurt, especially that seriously.  Ball was able to walk off the practice field on his own after lying on the ground for a bit, but it's obvious that he hurt his knee pretty badly based on Rod Marinelli's above comments.
  
• The first pair of practices open to the general public are on Tuesday.  Practice times for that day are 8:35 a.m., and either 3:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.  I've seen both listed and will see if the Lions can clarify the exact time.  Gates open a half hour before each practice and only the first 700 fans there will be allowed in.  Here is some more info on all open practices:

  Re-entry is not permitted and children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Personal belongings are subject to inspection upon entry and items not permitted into open practices include: professional cameras (lenses over five inches long and/or 50mm or above), any video camera, food, beverage, coolers, lawn chairs, blankets, umbrellas, backpacks or large bags. The fan viewing area features: bleacher seating areas, additional standing areas, a shaded tent area, The Roar & More team store, offering items such as official 2008 Training Camp and Sideline apparel, and concessions. Though autographs are not guaranteed, it was common in 2007 for Lions' players and coaches to meet fans following practice sessions.

• Teddy Lehman's contract is for one year.
• After three days of being able to evaluate injured players, there are surprisingly still zero changes to the PUP list.  S Daniel Bullocks, TE Dan Campbell, WR Shaun McDonald, and OG Edwin Mulitalo are all still stuck on the PUP list, meaning they are not able to practice.  It was initially expected that at least one of the four would be back on the active roster by now, but obviously the Lions don't want to rush anyone back to practice too soon.
• Zero Lions were fined this year for being overweight.  That is a nice thing to hear for a change after having players like Mike Williams and Shaun Rogers face weight issues in the past.
• Jim Colletto has already installed most of the Lions' base offense in only three days of practice.
• According to Colletto, Dan Orlovsky is ahead of Drew Stanton so far when it comes to who will be Jon Kitna's backup.
• Jared DeVries is hungry for the left defensive end starting spot.
• Mike O'Hara caught up with Cory Redding.
• The Lions are learning about having discipline quickly as an officiating crew has been in attendance the last three days.
• Tom Kowalski has quite a few tidbits posted from yesterday.
• The Free Press has a photo gallery up of Friday's afternoon practice.
• MLive has audio of Caleb Campbell's interview on the Dan Patrick Show.
• Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers picked off a pass in practice that was similar to his INT he had that went back for a TD against Denver last year.

• The Lions placed safety Daniel Bullocks, tight end Dan Campbell, wide receiver Shaun McDonald, and offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.  The good news is that Ernie Sims was not on the PUP list, meaning his injury isn't too severe.  Detroit did still limit Sims somewhat as a precaution as you can never be too careful when dealing with your best linebacker.
• The four players mentioned above that are on the PUP list may return to practice full time shortly.  A player on the PUP list can be placed on the active roster at any time.  Once individual workouts are evaluated, if a player is healthy enough to practice, chances are he would be taken off the PUP list quickly.  That may be the case with at least one of the players currently on the PUP list, so stay tuned.
  
• Both of Detroit's two practices were held outside yesterday.  The morning session was conducted in full pads and in the afternoon players were in shells (only shoulder pads and helmets).
• Detroit filled the void created at linebacker by Caleb Campbell's departure by signing Leon Joe.  Joe has played in the NFL for four years.  Three were with Chicago before Joe played with the Bills last season.
• Rod Marinelli was surprised by Jordon Dizon's arrest.  He doesn't want something similar to happen to rookie running back Kevin Smith, so Marinelli is constantly stressing the importance of staying out of trouble to him.
• Speaking of Kevin Smith, aside from being told to stay out of trouble, he is also finding out about the need to run lower.  Although his upright style at UCF put him in the record books, in the NFL running like that is a good way to get injured.
• Takeo Spikes doesn't appear to be interested in signing very quickly, but Detroit has offered him a contract to join the Lions.  It's a waiting game now to see if Spikes takes the deal.
• Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus has an endorsement deal with Under Armour.
• Center Dominic Raiola and defensive tackle Cory Redding were pumped to get practice started.
• Jamie Samuelsen believes Lions fans will not like what they see this season.  I hope that's not the case, but based on previous seasons I can't disagree.
• MLive has audio of Matt Millen's appearance on WDFN.
• Tom Kowalski ran down a list of tidbits from the Lions' morning practice.
• The Free Press has posted a couple of photo galleries and a short video from the Lions' first day of training camp.
• For more pictures and video, as well as audio, check out the training camp section on DetroitLions.com.

• Lions players report to Allen Park today to signal the beginning of training camp.  It doesn't officially start until tomorrow morning when the Lions have their first practice, but to compare it to Christmas, the presents are under the tree waiting to be unwrapped.  Once the pads start popping, we'll know football is finally back.
• Four players may start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.  Those players are tight end Dan Campbell, linebacker Ernie Sims, safety Daniel Bullocks, and wide receiver Shaun McDonald, who are all dealing with injuries. 
  
  The reason for a player being on the PUP list is because he doesn't count against the active roster.  If he's injured and can't practice, then the Lions (or any team) can use his absence as a way to bring in another player to occupy the void.  Once the player is healthy enough to get back on the football field, he is simply taken off the PUP list and that's that.  The whole deal with the PUP list gets much more complicated once the season rolls around as the rules change a bit, but for now we won't worry about that.
• The Lions will not sign a fourth quarterback for training camp.  Why?  Well, Lions coaches want Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton to get as many reps as possible, and Detroit wants to fill up roster spots at other positions.
• Mike O'Hara took a look at some issues the Lions will face when training camp begins.  The last one he mentioned is that Detroit is having trouble selling tickets, meaning that blackouts are a real possibility for home games this season.  There were a few home games last year that were nearly blacked out, but the Lions always ended up getting all of their tickets sold one way or another.  This year, though, could prove to be much different as it is already evident that tickets aren't selling.
  
  If the Lions don't have a sellout at some point this season, not only would it mean that the game would be blacked out locally, but it would be the first non-sellout since Ford Field opened in 2002.  Maybe that will send a message to William Clay Ford that it's time for some changes.
• Dan Orlovsky is ready to battle Drew Stanton for the right to be Jon Kitna's backup.
• Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver ranked all 32 NFL owners, and William Clay Ford came in at 24th.  That is way, way too high as WCF is one of the worst owners in the league.  I mean, seriously, the man has kept Matt Millen around for this long.  He should be near the bottom of this list if not at the very bottom.
• The Sporting News continued to rank NFL players based on position, and the latest list was for defensive backs.  Leigh Bodden, a corner the Lions acquired in the Shaun Rogers deal, was 18th on the list.
• Former Lion Lomas Brown is excited to work with rookie offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus during training camp.