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The Lions and Steelers really went at it this week during a pair of joint practices in Latrobe, Pa.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

LATROBE, Pa. -- Players like to say that every day is intense. You hear it a lot. They insist that intensity doesn't ratchet up for big practice weeks and big games, because the intensity is always high.

They have a point.

I wish fans could spend a day on a practice sideline, and see and hear and feel the brutality of this game. If you're not going 100 percent, you're going to get hurt, you're going to suck, or some combination of the two.

These guys, with jobs and careers and their bodies on the line, are always going full throttle.

But these guys are human beings too, and that means 100 percent does not always mean the same thing.

They are some of the most competitive people on the planet. Put them in a competitive environment, and they will rise to the occasion. That's why this week's joint practices with the Steelers were such as a success for Detroit.

But what struck me this week is how Pittsburgh has set up training camp in a way that ramps up the energy of practice in a way the Lions simply can't replicate back in Allen Park.

The Steelers travel every summer here to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., for training camp. It's located about an hour east of the city, in the middle of the scenic Laurel Highlands -- and not much else. If you're hungry or thirsty after 11 p.m., good luck with that.

Players probably hate being so far away from something. I know reporters do. They get a bed and a desk and, if they're lucky, a window. And not much else.

Want to do something for fun after work? Hope you got Netflix.

But there's a reason Pittsburgh goes through the hassle, and it's easy to see why.

Players enter the field by walking downhill through a tunnel of people. There's fans there announcing players by name, or nickname, as they pass. People cheer. And you can see players getting juiced off it.

Star Steelers receiver Antonio Brown makes his way through a tunnel of fans while taking the field for the first day of joint practices with Detroit.

There are three practice fields here at Chuck Noll Stadium, but the one used most is closest to the stands, which are large enough to accommodate a couple thousand fans. And their cheering adds something to practice.

On Day 1, several loud ovations broke out when star receiver Antonio Brown burned Lions cornerback Darius Slay. Brown raised his hands to the crowd, clearly feeding off it. And, conversely, so did Slay.

"The first one (he beat me on), I respected that for the crowd. That was cool," Slay said. "But three of them in a row? I was like, 'Oh my goodness now.' I was ready to die here."

The scene here ramps everything into another gear -- one that might not have been achieved, even if players were giving 100 percent.

Now contrast that with Allen Park. The 15-year-old facility is a terrific practice home for the Lions, but space constraints limit the number of people who can watch. The energy just isn't there.

And there's a certain staleness to it too, now that Detroit has done it for so long. Practices were sparsely attended during camp this year. Anyone watching could have felt the difference between that, and what the Steelers have here.

Winning and losing matters, of course, and when it comes to the Steelers and Lions, we all know who does the winning and who does the losing. Perhaps things would be better for Detroit is they were, you know, better. And if they keep losing, moving training camp won't be a panacea either.

Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers practice - August 9, 2016 45 Gallery: Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers practice - August 9, 2016

Besides, like Jim Caldwell said, there are legitimate advantages to staying home for camp too.

"Just in terms of having access to all the things you need to do, in terms of a first-class teaching sort of a situation. You can't beat that," he said. "You have to move your whole operation (if you travel for camp), and oftentimes when you move an operation like that, there's glitches and issues and things of that nature. Sometimes that serves a purpose too, because you have to face some adversity and get you accustomed to adjusting.

"We like (how we do it). We don't have to worry about the weather at home. We don't miss a practice, we don't miss a beat. We don't have to delay practice because of weather. I mean, that's huge. The years that we were in Indianapolis, we had to -- a number of times -- we had to sit inside, thunder and lightning, cancel a practice. And that can be a bit (tough), particularly when you've looked at that thing so closely, and know what kind of rest you want your guys to get, nights off, etc. Often times those things throw a little bit of a wrench in it.

"So, in terms of being able to control the environment, in particular for coaches, there's probably not a better setting in that regard."

Having said that, I'm betting if the Lions took their show on the road, like they used to at Saginaw Valley State, it would inject some more life into their camp. It could be an area college, or perhaps one on the west side of the state, which would provide the added benefit of expanding the team's footprint outside of southeast Michigan.

My alma mater, Grand Valley State, would be an excellent home for example. (Hey coach, they even have a new indoor practice facility!)

Players probably wouldn't like being so far from home, especially if they're stuffed in student dorms. But if there's a lesson to be learned this week in Latrobe, other than the benefits of a joint practice, it is that there are better ways to do training camp than what the Lions have going on right now.