We are less than 48 hours away from the start of training camp for the 2009 St. Louis Rams.  It is the time when all football fans can officially welcome football back to the Gateway City.  The Rams will be back in Earth City this summer to train after the horrible decision to practice in Wisconsin.  Here is what you need to know before you go see the Rams at training camp.

#1 It is a whole new world at Rams Park:  The coaching staff has changed, the front office has changed and the roster has certainly changed.  The team has gone from one of the oldest rosters in the league to one of the youngest, so you will definitely need a roster to keep track of who is who on the field.  I strongly suggest that you print off a current roster before you walk in.  Here is a link to an updated one.  There are no names on the back of jerseys so even the media guys will have to take a peek to see who is who.

#2 What specific positions or players should I be watching for: Unlike previous camps with the Rams this one has multiple positions that are wide open.  Earlier this summer I wrote about the biggest battles the Rams will have in camp.  Outside of Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger every position could be legitimately won and lost in camp.  The reality, of course, is the coaching staff has a pretty good guess who will open the season in Seattle but nothing is set in stone.

#3 What should I watch: If you go to training camp and watch nothing else, I ask you to please watch the One-On-One pass blocking drills between the offensive and defensive lineman.  That is by far the most interesting and intense work you will see during an NFL practice.  Depending on the way the drill is set up, try to position yourself behind where the offensive lineman is positioned.  That way you will witness what an NFL pass rush is like and you can see who the winner is for that particular battle.  It is what is lost in the shuffle during the game but is the most important to the success or non-success of any play.  It is by far the most interesting and the most intense.

#4 What should I NOT watch: Although it is very important to the game any special team drills that are going on are pretty much the worst thing to watch in camp.  Everyone on the field knows who the kicker and the punter are going to be and unless they are going full tilt on the return teams then it is really not that interesting to watch.

#5 Parking:  Be aware that the parking for Rams Park is actually located to the northwest of the facility in a grass lot.  Usually it is the middle of the summer and pretty dry so it is not a bad spot to park.  It is a bit of a hike from there to the fields so if you are wanting to be there at a specific time give yourself an extra 10 minutes to get from the lot to the fields.  Parking is free though.

#6 What you can bring in: You can bring in small coolers, cameras, chairs, blankets, umbrellas and binoculars.

#7 What you can NOT bring in: Alcohol, video cameras, pets, noisemakers, weapons.  In other words don't bring a case of beer and expect to get in.

#8 When are practices open to the public: The times and dates have been set but please be aware that it is always subject to change due to a variety of conditions.  The weather obviously can play a part.  The coach can play a part as well by either canceling practice because his team needs the rest or for other reasons.  Check the Rams website here to see all the practice times.  The best time to see the Rams will be when they have their team scrimmage at Lindenwood University on Friday August 7th at 6:30 pm.  That is also free and open to the public.

#9 Autographs: There is never a better time to get autographs than after practice and the Rams are going to bring players over to accommodate.  Just remember that the players who wave off the autographs are not necessarily trying to stiff you.  They have just endured a tremendous amount of physical stress in practice and you never know when their next meeting is, or if there is somewhere they have to be, so keep that in mind if your favorite player doesn't come over and sign your football or jersey.  It happens every year that some fan is disappointed but the players do honestly try to do their best to accommodate.

Training camp is a fun time and interesting if you are a hardcore football fan.  But even if you are not there is still a lot of fun to be hand by stopping by Rams Park for a practice.

For more info: Get updates from Rams Park here and instant updates by Twitter here