By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Bengals and Georgetown College officials met for two hours Wednesday to discuss a possible training camp return.

The club's seven-year contract with the college expires after this camp.

Bengals executives Katie and Troy Blackburn and Bill Connelly met with three college officials, and they will meet again Tuesday.

Bengals president Mike Brown and Georgetown president Bill Crouch did not attend Wednesday's meeting, but they will be given materials from next Tuesday's discussions. The two leaders are then expected to meet to hammer out details of a new deal.

"We had a productive meeting," Georgetown athletic director Eric Ward said Wednesday.

Both sides are believed to want to have another long-term contract in place before the Bengals break camp Aug. 21.

Coach Marvin Lewis said he likes the camp because of the proximity of the locker room, dormitories, cafeteria and meeting spaces.

"It's an excellent site. You can come here and not drive your car once. The ability of the players just to park and walk for the entire week - you have no more than a 30-second walk no matter where you go," Lewis said. "The people here are wanting to do the right thing for us."

ZAP: A bolt of lightning struck near Rawlings Stadium at 7:05 p.m., forcing players from the field for 20 minutes. Practice resumed at about 7:30 p.m. after players jogged.

Rain started falling at 7:50 p.m. on a large crowd that filled the main stands to watch practice.

SICK BAY: Tailback Corey Dillon missed the morning practice because of an intestinal bug, Lewis said.

Dillon dressed and went out to practice but had to go back in.

Dillon did dress and participate in the night practice.

NEW GUY: The Bengals acquired wide receiver Lawrence Hamilton off waivers from Arizona.

Hamilton had been signed as a rookie free agent from Stephen F. Austin. He is 6 feet 3, 204 pounds.

ALUMNI: Former Bengals kicker Jim Breech attended Wednesday night's practice and chatted with kicker Neil Rackers.

Former offensive tackle Anthony Munoz also was at practice for the second day in a row and said he likes what he sees.

"Full pads, the guys were going hard," Munoz said. "It was a little more up-tempo than what I was used to seeing in camp, and I think that's the key for them being ready for the first week of the season."

The turnover on the roster and coaching staff also can help.

"A lot of the guys who are no longer here are friends, but there comes a point where you make some changes and bring in a whole different attitude, and I think that's what has happened," Munoz said.

SNAPPY: With the help of special teams coach Darrin Simmons, long snapper Brad St. Louis has made the holder's job easier.

St. Louis and Simmons have determined that St. Louis can snap from 7 3/4 yards and have the ball arrive to the holder with laces up. That means the holder doesn't have to rotate the laces forward after putting the ball down for the kicker.

St. Louis said he now grips the ball opposite the laces to ensure it arrives laces up.

"He snaps at a certain velocity and a certain rhythm all the time. We just got it timed up," Simmons said. "It's part of being detailed."

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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