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Put away your bathing suits and suntan lotion and take out your winter coats, long underwear and boots.
It's football season, ladies and gentlemen.
Believe it or not, training camp officially begins today. It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was walking out of the visiting locker room in Indianapolis after the Ravens' playoff loss to the Colts, yet here we are, back at it.
In a little over an hour, I'll be making the trip up to the Best Western Westminster, where rookies, quarterbacks and select veterans will be reporting throughout the afternoon.
There are no practices scheduled for today; that will begin at 8:45 tomorrow morning. Today will be more laid back. We will chat with various players as they roll in and we're also scheduled to talk with head coach John Harbaugh at 3 p.m.
Hopefully Harbaugh can shed some more light on the status of rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle, who is in stable condition after falling down two flights of stairs.
Kindle and fellow second-round pick Terrence Cody have yet to sign their contracts with the team, but there isn't much concern that either will miss much practice time before the deals are completed.
It also remains to be seen whether Kindle's injury will affect negotiations with the Ravens, but I don't see that being a major hurdle. The former Longhorn should have a contract before long.
Expectations are high for most teams heading into training camp, but I can't remember them being as lofty for the Ravens as they are entering this season.
If Super Bowls were won in July, many believe the Ravens would be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy right now. The pieces that were missing in previous seasons appear to be in place now, making Harbaugh's team one of the favorites to wind up in Dallas and be the last one standing when it's all said and done.
The question is: Can the Ravens live up to the hype?
It all begins today. See you in Westminster.
