Watching the first episode of this year’s Hard Knocks – which, like just about everything HBO does, was extremely well-produced — I was reminded of conversations I had with The Sun‘s Ravens reporters about the initial year of the series, set at Ravens training camp. They said many Ravens very much played to the cameras, acting in ways that could be quite different from their normal demeanors. In particular, one veteran — who usually was at best indifferent and otherwise disdainful when it came to rookies — acted far more concerned about a first-year player than he did in previous camps without HBO’s presence.

That’s not saying any of the Bengals are “acting.” But I’m just sayin’.