Bills back to SJF for training camp? (Update: Not this year)

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Ned Flanders said:

Word I heard was that Danny became very close with Doug Flutie and his family (remember Flutie's Favorite Subs?).  Danny then became disenchanted with Ralph in 2000, when Flutie was benched for the Tenny playoff game and pretty much the 2000 season.  Danny vowed to have little or nothing to do with the team after that point.  Again, this is all hearsay, but it is odd that Wegmans has little to do with the one entity that puts, and keeps, Buffalo on the map.  

 

 

They continued to sponsor until 2002.

[Ned Flanders]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

They continued to sponsor until 2002.

Most likely a multi-year contract with little interaction by Danny in 2001/2002.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Ned Flanders said:

Most likely a multi-year contract with little interaction by Danny in 2001/2002.

I don’t think they cut the cord almost 3 years later because of Flutie....

[blacklabel]

On 5/12/2021 at 11:10 AM, corta765 said:

 

I will say this again for everyone. The NFL does very little anymore that allows access to players and teams without paying for it. Training Camps are literally the last bastion for that experience and for families with kids to get exposure they otherwise won't to plays. This goes beyond the Bills and in general many people become fans of certain teams or even just football in general because of the ability to interact in such a close loose setting.

 

Similar to the way preseason games are a low cost opportunity for young fans, removing these things will keep isolating the NFL more and more where people who have money are the only ones that get an opportunity to see their team up close and it will have harm to their long term fanbase.

 

Fair points. I wasn't necessarily saying they should roll with what they did for 2020 as the new normal. Teams can still create a fun and immersive camp experience at their stadiums or facilities. 

[YoloinOhio]

On 5/12/2021 at 11:10 AM, corta765 said:

 

I will say this again for everyone. The NFL does very little anymore that allows access to players and teams without paying for it. Training Camps are literally the last bastion for that experience and for families with kids to get exposure they otherwise won't to plays. This goes beyond the Bills and in general many people become fans of certain teams or even just football in general because of the ability to interact in such a close loose setting.

 

Similar to the way preseason games are a low cost opportunity for young fans, removing these things will keep isolating the NFL more and more where people who have money are the only ones that get an opportunity to see their team up close and it will have harm to their long term fanbase.

Preseason is also a low cost opportunity for old fans!

[Mr. WEO]

On 5/12/2021 at 11:10 AM, corta765 said:

 

I will say this again for everyone. The NFL does very little anymore that allows access to players and teams without paying for it. Training Camps are literally the last bastion for that experience and for families with kids to get exposure they otherwise won't to plays. This goes beyond the Bills and in general many people become fans of certain teams or even just football in general because of the ability to interact in such a close loose setting.

 

Similar to the way preseason games are a low cost opportunity for young fans, removing these things will keep isolating the NFL more and more where people who have money are the only ones that get an opportunity to see their team up close and it will have harm to their long term fanbase.

 

The NFL isn't preventing Pegula from allowing free admission to training camp....

[Doc]

36 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

The NFL isn't preventing Pegula from allowing free admission to training camp....

 

Neither is Pegula...

[BADOLBILZ]

On 5/12/2021 at 11:10 AM, corta765 said:

 

I will say this again for everyone. The NFL does very little anymore that allows access to players and teams without paying for it. Training Camps are literally the last bastion for that experience and for families with kids to get exposure they otherwise won't to plays. This goes beyond the Bills and in general many people become fans of certain teams or even just football in general because of the ability to interact in such a close loose setting.

 

Similar to the way preseason games are a low cost opportunity for young fans, removing these things will keep isolating the NFL more and more where people who have money are the only ones that get an opportunity to see their team up close and it will have harm to their long term fanbase.

 

 

Ehh........this seems like an old-fashioned take................young fans live a much different life than you might have and don't need to experience things in person to develop an interest.    They get to know a lot about players and how they relate to them thru social media...........there is constant new content online and on tv about the team and players...........the video is 4K so it's better access and visibility than you can get in person.    This isn't 1978 watching the Bills on a black and white TV while constantly moving the rabbit ears so you could make out the shapes on the screen during the season and then the team disappearing from site entirely for 7 months after the season.  

[Mr. WEO]

2 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Neither is Pegula...

I didn’t infer otherwise 

[Doc]

8 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

I didn’t infer otherwise 

 

No, you seemed to imply it with the "..." at the end.  Otherwise it made no sense.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Doc said:

 

No, you seemed to imply it with the "..." at the end.  Otherwise it made no sense.

 

The NFL isn't making any team charge for camp admission (i.e. preventing them from allowing free admission...).  The post I was responding to was beefing about the NFL nickel and diming fans for every thing.

[corta765]

On 5/14/2021 at 9:00 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Ehh........this seems like an old-fashioned take................young fans live a much different life than you might have and don't need to experience things in person to develop an interest.    They get to know a lot about players and how they relate to them thru social media...........there is constant new content online and on tv about the team and players...........the video is 4K so it's better access and visibility than you can get in person.    This isn't 1978 watching the Bills on a black and white TV while constantly moving the rabbit ears so you could make out the shapes on the screen during the season and then the team disappearing from site entirely for 7 months after the season.  

then why do fans flood autograph signings and opportunities to meet the players in person? If you really don’t think a young family or really any fan going to training camp and meeting a player up close doesn’t have a major impact your fooling yourself. I got to hang with Zo in 2019 for a few seconds against the fence and get a picture with him. It was super cool and I am not getting that opportunity at many other occasions unless I’m paying $50 or something like that

[TBBills]

On 5/12/2021 at 11:10 AM, corta765 said:

 

I will say this again for everyone. The NFL does very little anymore that allows access to players and teams without paying for it. Training Camps are literally the last bastion for that experience and for families with kids to get exposure they otherwise won't to plays. This goes beyond the Bills and in general many people become fans of certain teams or even just football in general because of the ability to interact in such a close loose setting.

 

Similar to the way preseason games are a low cost opportunity for young fans, removing these things will keep isolating the NFL more and more where people who have money are the only ones that get an opportunity to see their team up close and it will have harm to their long term fanbase.

I would rather they focused on their job and everyone cheer from the stands on GameDay. 

[BADOLBILZ]

20 minutes ago, corta765 said:

then why do fans flood autograph signings and opportunities to meet the players in person? If you really don’t think a young family or really any fan going to training camp and meeting a player up close doesn’t have a major impact your fooling yourself. I got to hang with Zo in 2019 for a few seconds against the fence and get a picture with him. It was super cool and I am not getting that opportunity at many other occasions unless I’m paying $50 or something like that

 

I'm not saying it doesn't still have entertainment value but I don't think it has near the impact or is as important to building a young fanbase as it was when I was a kid in the 80's.   

 

We were info starved.   Games were often blacked out.     That's not the case for kids nowadays.    Every Bills game is on TV.   There is year round programming about the team.   The social media feed is nonstop.    As is the amount of new and archived online info on the team and it's players.   It's overwhelming and most of it is free if you have internet access and network tv you don't miss much.

 

You merely overstated the significance of it in cultivating new fans.    And I don't get the part about you getting a picture with Zo.........you are an adult, no?   Maybe that takes you back to being a kid yourself?  But how is that pertinent to your larger point about the NFL needing to reach young viewers that way?       

 

 

 

 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[Doc]

9 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

Interesting to hear Catalana say that McBeane like camp at SJF.  I've heard it claimed that McD at least doesn't.

 

I can't see it not happening.  But obviously it won't be like before.

[YoloinOhio]

9 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Interesting to hear Catalana say that McBeane like camp at SJF.  I've heard it claimed that McD at least doesn't.

 

I can't see it not happening.  But obviously it won't be like before.

At least from my perspective, I’ve kind of assumed that at this point they don’t need the “team building” nature of the close knit college campus for TC like they did in the formative years and would now just like to ride with the facilities in OP, but I don’t have any tangible evidence to support my theory. Looks like they may be back, at least for one more year 

[Doc]

2 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

At least from my perspective, I’ve kind of assumed that at this point they don’t need the “team building” nature of the close knit college campus for TC like they did in the formative years and would now just like to ride with the facilities in OP, but I don’t have any tangible evidence to support my theory. Looks like they may be back, at least for one more year 

 

I'd believe Catalana's words.  I doubt he'd be saying it if it weren't true.  And again, Kim is from Fairport.

[Doc]

 

As for it being for one year or not needing it, it's worked so far.  Why change it?

[Jauronimo]

It would suck for all my fellow Rochesterians to no longer be able to easily attend camp but the whole era of SJF training camps was abysmal.  First year without a SJF camp and we go to the AFC Championship game.  Why chance it?  I'm not superstitious but I am a little stitious.