Special teams, special guests? Why not? These are Detroit Lions and this is the NFL

Hulk Hogan showed up for the second day of Detroit Lions camp today. So did two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields. This is where we are with America’s (Other) Team these days, which is fitting, as the Lions worked on the league’s new kickoff setup for part of its practice.

The new configuration is designed to minimize high-velocity hits, improve teams’ field position, and encourage more scoring — and likely more electric playmaking. The idea comes from the XFL, a showcase for over-the-top drama not unlike the WWF (now WWE) Hogan once dominated.

Hey, showmanship ain’t a bad thing. Besides, the NFL thrives because it tells stories better than any other league, and its new kickoff rules are meant to add some juice.

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Dave Fipp, the Lions’ special teams coach, said in late May that he and his staff would take the summer and possibly even part of the season to play with the structure of the new kickoff set, and that data collection was part of it.

On Thursday, the Lions rotated four returners — the NFL allows for two at a time — as they drilled out kickoffs under the new rules. Because the new rules shrink the distance between the defenders and the returner, full-bore speedsters aren’t necessarily the play, though Fipp said he wouldn’t rule them out.

A quick refresher: The ball will be kicked from the kicking team’s 35. Once the kicker kicks, he can’t cross the 50-yard line until the ball is caught by the returner or hits the ground.

The other 10 defenders line up on the receiving team’s 40 (with at least one foot touching the line). They can’t move either until the ball is caught or hits the ground.

At least nine players on the receiving end must line up between the 35- and 30-yard lines. Seven must have a foot touching the 35-yard-line. They, too, aren’t allowed to move until the ball is caught or hits the ground.

Because only five yards will separate 10 of the defenders with at least seven blockers, the play will look more like a regular line of scrimmage. Because the kick returner will face defenders much sooner, he will need to have as much wiggle as straight-line speed.

Fipp rotated Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and Maurice Alexander as returners Thursday. It’s an intriguing group and will surely be tweaked before the season is finished.

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New rules, new kicker?

Jake Bates, the former Michigan Panthers kicker who is trying to win the job with the Lions, was perfect on Thursday afternoon, making six straight kicks.

“I felt good,” he said, giving credit to holder Jack Fox and long snappers Hogan Hatten and Scott Daly.

“They make my job really easy,” Bates said. “Operation feels really good. So I’m excited to keep going and see what this brings.”

During the team portion of practice, Lions coach Dan Campbell pulled the offense off the field and called for a field goal. Bates trotted in and tried three straight kicks.

He nailed a 50-yarder, and then a pair of 38-yarders. Then the offense ran back onto the field and got in some more work. Later, Campbell called for another series of field goals.

Bates attempted a 52-yarder that scraped the right upright, but it was good. Then he continued the hot streak, making a 43-yarder and then a 37-yarder.

“You take every day one at a time,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what you do, day to day, if you’re not consistent every single day. It doesn’t matter if you’re really good one day, so just one day down and a bunch more to go.”

Bates drew national attention when he kicked a UFL-record 64-yard field goal at Ford Field.

The Lions signed Bates to a two-year, $1.98 million deal.

“You had a lot of options,” the Free Press asked Thursday. “Why did you pick here?”

“I think a lot of things,” he said. “The culture. (Special teams coach Dave) Fipp. The operation here is elite. Coach Campbell, the energy that he’s brought in has been awesome. I’m happy to be here.”

If he makes the club, he would give the Lions something they haven’t had since Matthew Prater — a strong-legged threat to compliment the offense. He made 21 of 28 field goal attempts for the Panthers, including three over 60 yards.

“It’s been awesome,” Bates said. “It’s something that I’ve prayed for. I’ve worked hard. The good Lord has been really good to me.”