GEORGETOWN, Ky. — The crowds at the Cincinnati Bengals’ training camp are said to be larger than normal despite heat that would melt the stripes off a tiger. One reason is that the perennial losers actually made the playoffs last season and are hoping for improvement in 2010. Another is that Terrell Owens, the venerable wide receiver who has broken records and alienated coaches wherever he has gone, now is hoping to have one last hurrah with the Bengals.

As soon as T.O. signed with the Bengals, the speculation began about how he would get along with fellow wideout Chad Ochocinco, who has an ego roughly the size of Albania. Would there be room in the locker room for two of the most massive egos in NFL history? How long would it take one or the another to claim that quarterback Carson Palmer wasn’t calling his number often enough?

So far, so good. The two seem to have buddied up pretty well. They’ve done at least one joint interview and been photographed laughing together on the field. Their teammates seem cool about all the publicity the two have gotten, including a daily Chad/T.O. Watch in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Nobody has complained that Owens’ No. 81 jersey already is for sale in the gift shop at Georgetown College’s stadium even though he has yet to play a down for Mike Brown’s team.

After yesterday morning’s practice, neither Owens nor Ochocinco lingered to sign autographs for the fans who had waited patiently in the 100-degree weather. But Palmer did. So did running back Cedric Bendson, defensive tackle Domato Peko and a few others. Peko even consented to doing an interview with some high school students attending a media workshop sponsored by Georgetown College.

“The players and the media, which usually get along pretty well,” Peko said. “We are contractually obligated to work with me. Sometimes there are problems, but usually we understand that we need to work with each other.”

If there is a sense of urgency about this camp, it’s because the Bengals’ first exhibition is upon them. On Sunday night, they’ll meet the Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Yesterday Cris Collinsworth and other media representatives from NBC, the NFL satellite radio network, and the NFL network were on hand to gather background information and do pre-game interviews.

The University of Kentucky fans at yesterday morning’s practice no doubt were delighted to see basketball coach John Calipari standing on the sidelines. In addition, Dermotti Dawson, who was a star lineman at UK before going on to a long and distinguished career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is working with the Bengals’ offensive linemen.

“It sure feels funny wearing this,” said Dawson, pointing to his sweat-soaked Bengals’ T-shirt, ‘but it’s been fun so far. Hey, I just like being around football.”

Sometimes the training-camp crowds include some of Joe Tronzo’s family and friends. A rookie free agent out of the University of Louisville, Tronzo is trying to make the team at fullback or on the special teams. He’s currently listed as third string on the depth chart, but hopes to get some snaps against the Cowboys.

“I’m practicing like I’m going to play some,” he said. “I’ve made my share of mistakes, but so far I think things are going pretty well. The thing about playing fullback in this league is that you have to love to hit. As soon as the guys saw that I liked to hit and would put my helmet on somebody, they accepted me.”

Although Tronzo said it was fun to be trying out for the team nearest his home town, he would have taken the other offer he had — from San Diego — if he felt that his chances of making the team were better. When he looked at the rosters, though, he noticed that the Chargers had more depth at fullback than the Bengals.

“Sometimes my friends will come up and chant ‘Tronzo, Tronzo’ as I’m coming off the practice field,” Tronzo said. “The other guys would look around and say, ‘Who’s that?’ I have a long way to go to prove myself, but maybe someday I’ll have my group of fans like Carson and T.O. and Ochocinco.”

Did he feel the least bit of awe when he first reported? Did he ever get star-struck when he looked around the locker room?
“Not really,” Tronzo said. “I had one little flash in the huddle, when I looked around and saw those guys. But somebody gave me some good advice: Take it all in when you first get here, but then get over it and go about your business. When we put the pads on and go on the field, we’re all football players.”

The Bengals will leave camp for Canton on Saturday and return after the game on Sunday night. Camp will be closed on Monday.