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Training camp is officially over.
See ya, Westminster. It's been real.
There were some who thought that the Ravens' new training camp autograph policy would lower the attendance rate at practices this year. Those people might be surprised by the numbers I'm about to reel off.
At the conclusion of this afternoon's practice, the Ravens announced that 112,051 fans attended training camp this year, which sets a franchise record.
That total broke the previous record of 111,492, which was set in 2001 following the Ravens' Super Bowl season.
This year's mark also tops the 2009 total attendance by nearly 16,000 fans. Last year's attendance ranks third on the list of top training camp draws.
It was a fairly subdued scene as this afternoon's practice ended; there weren't any raucous celebrations as the players came off the field, and the post-practice dunk contests that we've grown accustomed to on the final practice day before a game were non-existent.
Ray Rice sure looked thrilled to be done with camp, however. The Pro Bowl running back was one of the last players to finish signing autographs for fans, and he sprinted by a few reporters with his arms outstretched to the sides.
"We made it! We made it!" a giddy Rice shouted. "And I'm fresher than ever!"
That guy really doesn't seem like he enjoys football enough.
The Ravens aren't truly done in Westminster just yet. They'll have their standard day-before-a-game walk-through tomorrow morning around 9 a.m. That practice is closed to the media and the public.
The team will finish up today with a special teams meeting and then will get to kick back and celebrate the end of camp as they get entertained by comedian Gary Owen.
I'll kick back with an O's game and some extra sleep tomorrow morning. I'll check in with you all then.
