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Training Camp: The Start of an Advent Calendar of Sorts for the NFL Fan
- 10 August, 2025
- Ray Hartjen
My dear friend Rob Manfredo, a life-long loyal fan of the New York Giants (hey, give him a break, it’s way better than being a Cowboys fan), several years ago shed some light into the psyche of the NFL football fan. In a conversation with me, he likened the start of training camp as a sort of Advent calendar for a professional football fan.
I understood what he meant immediately!
An Advent calendar, of course, from the German word Adventskalender, is used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Since the First Sunday of Advent on the Catholic calendar varies from year to year, most reusable Advent calendars start on December 1. It’s many the childhood memories steeped in uncovering each day’s treat hidden within the Advent calendar.
The opening of NFL training camps does much the same for the fanatically obsessed supporters of their favorite teams, building anticipation until the start of the regular season. It wasn’t that long ago that training camps were closed to the public and players ground out two-a-day practices in full pads, with full contact, with only the dutiful eyes of coaches upon them. Now, each day is a circus-like atmosphere with fans gathering to watch and gain a quick impression on how the team looks and form impressions of its prospects for the upcoming season.
Football fans have little tastes of football during the prolonged offseason in the form of both the free agency period and the annual NFL Draft. However, after the Draft in April, it’s a long wait until training camp opens in July. But then, the void is filled, and news starts flowing out daily about which players look to make the final roster and which might be in danger of being cut.
For over fifty years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have held camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Tickets are free, but you must have a ticket. You can get them at the Steelers site here.
In the meantime, open another window on the Advent calendar and continue the countdown. The regular season starts on September 4 when the Cowboys take on the Eagles. The Steelers campaign starts September 7 when they visit the New York Jets.
P.S.: And how 'bout that Steelers Advent calendar in the image. Think we should make one and add it to the store? :)
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