SI.com's Peter King will keep a daily blog as he travels across the country visiting NFL training camps. Click here to read all Peter's entries.

WELL, MAYBE I DO GET A LITTLE ... UH, ENTHUSED

Wisconsin -- 7:10 p.m.

Somewhere along I-94 south of Milwaukee Cell phone rings. It's Don Banks, the man I call Donnie Brasco. Calling from the airport after a day at Browns' camp.

We're talking about what we've seen, and I say: The Bears might not be too bad. "Here you go again,'' Don says. "You fall in love so easy.''

"What are you saying?'' I ask.

"Remember Juan Acevedo? You call me from spring training last year and you say, 'Brasco, I'm in Dunedin, Fla., watching the Blue Jays and your ballclub. [Brasco loves the Reds.] And I just want to tell you Juan Acevedo's gonna win 15 games this year. I guarantee it. He looks great. I think he ended up winning four games that season. Other than that, you really nailed it.''

I plead guilty. But I still think if Rex Grossman's a 60-percent passer and plays a full season, the Bears will be OK . Both big ifs.

HANGING WITH LOVIE

Bourbonnais, Ill. -- 8:15 a.m.

Peter King grills the ever-optimistic Lovie Smith. Scott Hagel

Is any coach, aside from Dick Vermeil, as chipper and optimistic as Lovie Smith? Not to my knowledge. Over breakfast, he sells the Bears. Hard.

"Why not the Bears?'' he tells me. "Why can't we do it? Every year, some team in the NFL rises up and wins a division when the experts don't think they can. I've told my players that and I think they're ready.''

I hear this so much. If I went to 32 camps, I'd hear it 32 times. Then you try to pick the pennant race and try to filter through the gobbledygook when you just don't know.

I will be very interested, however, to see how Rex Grossman is flinging it this afternoon at practice. Because he's the key here.

DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART

The brand-new Starbucks in Bourbonnais, Ill. Peter King

Bourbonnais, Ill. -- 7:50 a.m.

Oh, the humanity. I rolled into the Fairfield Inn-Kankakee this morning at 4:05 Central Time, 24 hours and five minutes after my wakeup call in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Quick turnaround, folks. Breakfast with Bears coach Lovie Smith at 8 a.m.. But on my way there, in this mid-American hamlet, I see a shopping center off in the distance -- just what you see here in this photo --with a Starbucks. Not just any Starbucks. A drive-thru Starbucks! Yes! Now I might not even be late for Lovie.

Then I see this sign as I roll into the drive-thru: "Opening Friday, July 29, 5:30 a.m." (Note: I drove by on the way home later in the day, and it had opened on Thursday afternoon, although I didn't stop by.

On any other day, I would be inclined to forgive Seattle. But this is cruel and unusual a punishment. You led a horse to water, Mr. Schultz. A caffeine-addicted horse, operating on 2.5-hours of sleep. And you wouldn't let him drink.

I challenge anyone to then settle for the cafeteria swill with non-dairy creamer.

The day is not starting well.

Click here to read more of Peter's diaries.