A disclaimer: So on an evening with no training-camp practice I found myself watching ... another team's training-camp practice. The Bengals are being highlighted on "Hard Knocks" an HBO documentary-style show of Cincinnati's training camp. Thought that I would scribble off a series of observations.

There's a butterfly in the opening montage. Why? Because it's orange and black, matching the Bengals' team colors. Then comes this cleated foot, scaring the butterfly off, which seems so very mean. Weird.

Also, Coach Marv Lewis starts training camp with a tailgate party.

Andrew Whitworth is eating salad because he's got to eat salad. He's explaining the "Oklahoma" drill to his wife. Fascinating. She then makes grunting noises.

Quarterback Carson Palmer arrives in his car with a dip the size of a small rodent in his lip.

Rookies arrive on the bus, and Rey Malauga has a pretty sweet tattoo sleeve on his right arm. Poor Rey's having trouble finding his dorm room, and he courteously greets what appears to be a lovely young coed.

"We have a shot at a good season. A winning successful season."
   -- Mike Brown

Brown was giving a motivational speech that was more funereal in tone. Seriously. I'm kind of depressed now.

Eleven minutes in, and we've got our first swear word courtesy of Marvin Lewis.

We now find out that "Fight Back" is the Bengals' motto. Second day of camp there's actual fisticuffs going off at practice.

Tank Johnson: is explaining to a fourth grader that people are fighting because they're mad about going 4-11. "I wasn't even here, and I'm made about it," Johnson said.

Johnson proceeds to ask him if he'd fight back if he was 4-11. Nope, the kid says. Ah yes, a man named Tank speaks the truth to the youth. If you're disappointed, fight.

S Roy Williams got planted on his keester by Maurice Purify. Not sure what's worse, Williams getting planted like he was a plant or the fact that he seemed totally unconcerned about it when interviewed afterward.

No jokes or sarcastic comments about the Achilles injury tight end Reggie Kelly suffered the second day of practice. He's done for the year. He's a good blocker, a great man and it's sad he's gone for the year.

FB Jeremi Johnson is coming off a knee injury, but he looks big, and not in a good way. He's heavy. Turns out he's 10 pounds heavy.

Oh man, Now Ben Utecht goes down in a scrimmage, and he's getting placed on a backboard and into the ambulance.

"That was scary," Brown said. "When that kind of thing happens, you worry."

Yes sir, Mike Brown, the monotone Captain Obvious.

Coach Marvin Lewis wakes his players up with an airhorn at 6:45 a.m.

Oh man, now we've gotta watch offensive tackle Andre Smith go run 40 yards with his shirt off. No thank you, sir.

Child please: The Ochocinco Motto. He explains what it means. It's not printable on this blog.

FB Jeremi Johnson now weighs 279 pounds. Not the right direction.

And toward the end of the show, the Bengals cut fullback J.D. Runnels and -- surprise -- the executive brings along a camera crew to observe the firing process. He knocks on the door, reaches in and flips on the light switch and informs the guy he's being placed on waivers. Nothing like easing into that bit of news, huh? Runnels is shocked, and he asks why, and is informed that it always comes down to ability. "Wow," he says. Yeah. Usually there's more tact than that. But then again, usually don't have a camera trying to catch a glimpse of you through the doorway of a dorm room when you're getting fired. Runnels sees the camera looks down, and the Bengals executive exercises a modicum of compassion and closes the door, leaving with the fellow's playbooks, which he then leaves outside the front door of another dorm complex.