Arrived at work this morning to hear Black Betty being pumped out of the locker-room at such an ungodly level that it could be heard in the front lobby and some of the coaches’ offices.

Turns out, today is what equipment manager George Hopkins calls a, "Black Betty Day."

Geo will play the song over and over and over and over all day in the locker-room and Coach Huff even gave him permission to play it over the PA system while the team practises this morning.

"It started 16 years ago as a way to tell guys not to screw around with the stereo in the locker-room," explains Geo. "Then it grew into something else.

"I wait for a day in camp where guys are getting snarly and tired about training camp, and then I pull out Black Betty. It takes their minds off how tired they are because they start bitching about the song instead."

Geo uses seven different versions of the song, which originally was done by Ram Jam.

"But my favourite," he says, "is unqestionably the Tom Jones version."

Defensive lineman Randy Chevrier was having a banana at the breakfast table when he noticed a few rookies grooving to one of the remixes.

"They’re dancing now but they don’t have a clue," he said. "Wait until four o’clock. They will hate this song."

How about nine o’clock?