LGB Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Bills fans familiar with attending training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, NY will notice some rather big changes this year. The two grass fields that the Bills normally use are being transformed into the new Polisseni Track & Field Complex with grandstand seating for 1000 fans and an eight-lane, 400-meter competition track. The grandstands are going up now, but the photos linked here are from late winter. This is good and bad news for fans attending training camp. It’s great that there will be grandstands, but the players will likely not be as close to the fans as before and some of the old school feel might be lost (fans used to line up near the grass fields and watch end zone drills 10 yards from the action). Anyway, Russ Brandon recently said that the Bills would consider canceling training camp at Fisher if a settlement is not reached by late June or early July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thoner7 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Anyway, Russ Brandon recently said that the Bills would consider canceling training camp at Fisher if a settlement is not reached by late June or early July. I wouldnt' worry about that, the ONLY reason they installed a grass field and not turf was at the Bills request. The Fisher Athetic dept. is quite pissed the college didnt install turf and tell the Bills deal with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I wouldnt' worry about that, the ONLY reason they installed a grass field and not turf was at the Bills request. The Fisher Athetic dept. is quite pissed the college didnt install turf and tell the Bills deal with it. They are only practice fields. Field (track and field) events usually are held on grass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uticaclub Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 with the whole toronto issue, i think that our training camp and entire preseason be played in toronto and market it as "Toronto the Summer Home of the Buffalo Bills" I don't think a single person would mind missing out on preseason workouts if it meant that the Bills played at the Ralph all 8 games and your season ticket prices wouldn't include preseason games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) I wouldnt' worry about that, the ONLY reason they installed a grass field and not turf was at the Bills request. The Fisher Athetic dept. is quite pissed the college didnt install turf and tell the Bills deal with it. The grass fields used by the Bills during camp were previously seldom used by Fisher athletics, primary by club sports (rugby). They have a turf field, same surface as in Ralph, in the stadium that is used by football & soccer for practice & games. Edited May 5, 2011 by Ghost of Rob Johnson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yall Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Bills fans familiar with attending training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, NY will notice some rather big changes this year. The two grass fields that the Bills normally use are being transformed into the new Polisseni Track & Field Complex with grandstand seating for 1000 fans and an eight-lane, 400-meter competition track. The grandstands are going up now, but the photos linked here are from late winter. This is good and bad news for fans attending training camp. It’s great that there will be grandstands, but the players will likely not be as close to the fans as before and some of the old school feel might be lost (fans used to line up near the grass fields and watch end zone drills 10 yards from the action). Anyway, Russ Brandon recently said that the Bills would consider canceling training camp at Fisher if a settlement is not reached by late June or early July. I heard the exact same thing from someone in the know, although they didn't specify the reason. Seems like there is a chance they might do camp at OBD. Considering that I live about 2 miles from the stadium, I'm rooting for that outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Shouldve never left Fredonia... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Shouldve never left Fredonia... Completely disagree. The team needed to do something to generate support in Rochester, a city about 2/3rds (or more) Buffalo's size and only 60 miles away. I should know--I grew up there and remember being one of the few kids in my town who was a Bills fan growing up in the 70s. No excuse not to spread the faith in your own backyard. In terms of the camp itself, Fisher does a top notch job, as applauded by many of the national sports writers who come through town for it. I've seen a few (Clark Judge and Peter King (although he's skipped it in recent years), IIRC) list it as among the best in the League. Very smart move, IMHO..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Completely disagree. The team needed to do something to generate support in Rochester, a city about 2/3rds (or more) Buffalo's size and only 60 miles away. I should know--I grew up there and remember being one of the few kids in my town who was a Bills fan growing up in the 70s. No excuse not to spread the faith in your own backyard. In terms of the camp itself, Fisher does a top notch job, as applauded by many of the national sports writers who come through town for it. I've seen a few (Clark Judge and Peter King (although he's skipped it in recent years), IIRC) list it as among the best in the League. Very smart move, IMHO..... Was mostly kidding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odon59 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Was mostly kidding. I know you were kidding, but I just wanted to chime in. I actually had the pleasure of growing up in Fredonia in the 80's and early 90's and spent my summers riding my bike to SUNY Fredonia to watch them practice (I still try to forget about the nights in late January I cried myself to sleep). Then I went to college in Rochester, and what do you know, the Bills moved their training camp there. I lived there for the next 11 years and was a season ticket holder. Although the camp in Fredonia was great for me as a kid, holding it in Rochester was a brilliant move. The facility is great, very accessible for everyone in the community who wants to go, and it really solidified the Rochester fan base. This is a fan base the Bills need in order to remain profitable in WNY. Good job Russ Brandon on that one. That is all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karl malones other son Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 with the whole toronto issue, i think that our training camp and entire preseason be played in toronto and market it as "Toronto the Summer Home of the Buffalo Bills" I don't think a single person would mind missing out on preseason workouts if it meant that the Bills played at the Ralph all 8 games and your season ticket prices wouldn't include preseason games. if you dont think a single person would mind missing training camp here in rochester, youre wrong. many many people, myself included, would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thoner7 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 They are only practice fields. Field (track and field) events usually are held on grass. They were practice fields. Now its one field (not two) surrounded by a track and a very nice [and will be a] couple thousand seat stadium. The grass fields used by the Bills during camp were previously seldom used by Fisher athletics, primary by club sports (rugby). They have a turf field, same surface as in Ralph, in the stadium that is used by football & soccer for practice & games. I know, but thats why Fisher athletics were/are pissed its still grass. Football, fieldhockey, mens and womans soccer, and mens and womans lacrosse all share one field. All of which have spring and fall practices. its hard for 6 teams to get in 2 hour practices, all on the same day, not to mention games. I believe the plan is to have soccer move to the grass fields in the Fall, but the fields will be useless in the Spring. Fisher's school year ended last week, and the majority of the grass fields around here are still underwater. Plus you cant plow grass. I did hear the Bills werent too happy about loosing 1/3rd of their practice fields though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I heard the exact same thing from someone in the know, although they didn't specify the reason. Seems like there is a chance they might do camp at OBD. Considering that I live about 2 miles from the stadium, I'm rooting for that outcome. You think they would have open practices for the fans to see? I'm actually going to be in Buffalo most of the summer so that would be cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yall Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) You think they would have open practices for the fans to see? I'm actually going to be in Buffalo most of the summer so that would be cool He didn't know that. He only knew that the Bills might not be doing their usual thing at SJF this year based upon some inside info his company had (lets just say they interact with the Bills a lot, in particular the camp at SJF). Everything else beyond them "possibly not doing it there" was speculation. My 2 cents is that it's too late to do it anywhere other than ODB if they indeed skip SJF this summer. Given that the facilities are already there, why not make a few practices open and sell some beer? Edited May 5, 2011 by yall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Did someone say beer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I hate the Bills ! Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Go back to Fredonia, they would love to have you back ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Big changes for fans attending Bills Training Camp this year There might NOT BE ANY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uticaclub Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 if you dont think a single person would mind missing training camp here in rochester, youre wrong. many many people, myself included, would. Would you rather have the training camp in Rochester and have the Bills play in Toronto or have training camp in Toronto and have the Bills play full time in Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Would you rather have the training camp in Rochester and have the Bills play in Toronto or have training camp in Toronto and have the Bills play full time in Buffalo. ??? That's not an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGB Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 They were practice fields. Now its one field (not two) surrounded by a track and a very nice [and will be a] couple thousand seat stadium. I know, but thats why Fisher athletics were/are pissed its still grass. Football, fieldhockey, mens and womans soccer, and mens and womans lacrosse all share one field. All of which have spring and fall practices. its hard for 6 teams to get in 2 hour practices, all on the same day, not to mention games. I believe the plan is to have soccer move to the grass fields in the Fall, but the fields will be useless in the Spring. Fisher's school year ended last week, and the majority of the grass fields around here are still underwater. Plus you cant plow grass. I did hear the Bills werent too happy about loosing 1/3rd of their practice fields though. The Bills will roughly have about the same amount of space at Fisher that they do at the field house in OP. Maybe less because the practice area that used to be over two football fields side by side is now reduced to the infield of a track. Also, it looks like some of trees might have been taken out that provided a buffer from the expressway next to the field. This had to be a tough decision for SJFC and one that might have the Bills looking at other locations in the future unless they also plan to use the artificial turf that was used for night practices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wiz Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Big changes for fans attending Bills Training Camp this year There might NOT BE ANY!!! So your saying the Training camp will look better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 drawing of renovation: http://athletics.sjfc.edu/sports/2010/3/15/FB_0315100949.aspx? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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