clayboy54 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Just this morning, my wife was working out with Greg Eiffert (Tyler's dad). Of course, we always try to encourage opportunities to land quality free agents. Greg argued that the Bills facilities are the worst in the league. Why would Tyler want to go there, he asked. This is a good example of how poor the Bills reputation is among those players who have not spent time there. They just see the old stadium and assume everything else is outdated as well. We all know that is not at all the case. Going back to the Wilson regime, yes, it was the case. However, the Pegulas have spent a ton of money outfitting the facilities with state of the art technology. The is evidenced by the building of the new health and sports medicine facility that we learned about this past summer. I haven't been inside the facilities (except the fan-accessible portion) in many years, as I no longer reside in WNY. But, I do keep my eye on what's going on inside from my old friends that still work there. Sure the stadium is old and spartan. It supports the economy of the region. But the players' facilities are first-class. Here, we worry about attracting free agents with comments like "who will come to Buffalo if we cut so-and-so", etc. Realistically, it is far more important to express to the rest of the country that we are committed to providing the best training and rehab facilities rather than whether or not they should like cold weather. I found this very interesting. I'd enjoy hearing your comments. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfanmiami(oh) Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Odd stance considering the bengals don’t even have an indoor practice facility. But yeah, the perception is probably not great as a whole for free agents until they actually see the place. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) Buffalo's reputation needs to be that it has the best offer financially and a reasonable likelihood of setting you up to play well moving forward. Gregg Eifert sounds like someone that helped his son consider college choices and is out of the loop since a professional agent came on board. That extra hot tub or newer squat rack isn't making the difference. Edited January 5, 2019 by dayman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) I think mcdermott improves the desirability of the team. I think he treats the players very fairly and with respect. Pegulas are good owners too. Wont try to nickel and dime players unless its directly cap related, and also had the players' back vs Trump when poop hit the fan There is still a stigma of losing, and players' inability to put up big numbers for future paydays. Also the whole culture of buffalo vs the top cities in the usa hurts, but can be overcome if the motor gets primed and the team becomes a place where players can flourish Edited January 5, 2019 by May Day 10 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanticleerBillsFan Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Eifert needs to worry about being employed by anyone if he can’t stay healthy 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip Johnson Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 10 minutes ago, clayboy54 said: Just this morning, my wife was working out with Greg Eiffert (Tyler's dad). Of course, we always try to encourage opportunities to land quality free agents. Greg argued that the Bills facilities are the worst in the league. Why would Tyler want to go there, he asked. This is a good example of how poor the Bills reputation is among those players who have not spent time there. They just see the old stadium and assume everything else is outdated as well. We all know that is not at all the case. Going back to the Wilson regime, yes, it was the case. However, the Pegulas have spent a ton of money outfitting the facilities with state of the art technology. The is evidenced by the building of the new health and sports medicine facility that we learned about this past summer. I haven't been inside the facilities (except the fan-accessible portion) in many years, as I no longer reside in WNY. But, I do keep my eye on what's going on inside from my old friends that still work there. Sure the stadium is old and spartan. It supports the economy of the region. But the players' facilities are first-class. Here, we worry about attracting free agents with comments like "who will come to Buffalo if we cut so-and-so", etc. Realistically, it is far more important to express to the rest of the country that we are committed to providing the best training and rehab facilities rather than whether or not they should like cold weather. I found this very interesting. I'd enjoy hearing your comments. Yeah, he should just stay at that palace in Cincinnati. 2 4 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 The big issue at play is the visitor locker room--it's heinous. Worst in the league. The de facto facilities are actually quite nice. Once this summer's athletic facility remodeling is complete, it'll be among the most extensive in the NFL. The Pegulas have done a nice job of making things attractive to FA visitors, but the ***** hole stigma left by the visiting locker room remains a hurdle to overcome in attracting outside talent 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltonWaddams Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 I think Tyler is looking for a facility that provides the very best in walker and golf cart technology. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay_Fixit Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 And during this conversation, Tyler was injured again. 1 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 11 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: The big issue at play is the visitor locker room--it's heinous. Worst in the league. The de facto facilities are actually quite nice. Once this summer's athletic facility remodeling is complete, it'll be among the most extensive in the NFL. The Pegulas have done a nice job of making things attractive to FA visitors, but the ***** hole stigma left by the visiting locker room remains a hurdle to overcome in attracting outside talent If the visiting locker room truly is terrible, that’s not smart on the part of the Bills and explains the attitude of other coaches and players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 27 minutes ago, clayboy54 said: Just this morning, my wife was working out with Greg Eiffert (Tyler's dad). Of course, we always try to encourage opportunities to land quality free agents. Greg argued that the Bills facilities are the worst in the league. Why would Tyler want to go there, he asked. This is a good example of how poor the Bills reputation is among those players who have not spent time there. They just see the old stadium and assume everything else is outdated as well. We all know that is not at all the case. Going back to the Wilson regime, yes, it was the case. However, the Pegulas have spent a ton of money outfitting the facilities with state of the art technology. The is evidenced by the building of the new health and sports medicine facility that we learned about this past summer. I haven't been inside the facilities (except the fan-accessible portion) in many years, as I no longer reside in WNY. But, I do keep my eye on what's going on inside from my old friends that still work there. Sure the stadium is old and spartan. It supports the economy of the region. But the players' facilities are first-class. Here, we worry about attracting free agents with comments like "who will come to Buffalo if we cut so-and-so", etc. Realistically, it is far more important to express to the rest of the country that we are committed to providing the best training and rehab facilities rather than whether or not they should like cold weather. I found this very interesting. I'd enjoy hearing your comments. Eifert has started 4 games in the last 3 seasons, played in 14 games of the last 48. One can understand why he and his family would be concerned that he land in a place where the workout and rehab facilities are state-of-the-art. 1 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 minute ago, Doc said: If the visiting locker room truly is terrible, that’s not smart on the part of the Bills and explains the attitude of other coaches and players. It's shameful. If you took a formal poll of players and coaches around the league, it'd be unanimous that it's the worst 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 18 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: The big issue at play is the visitor locker room--it's heinous. Worst in the league. The de facto facilities are actually quite nice. Once this summer's athletic facility remodeling is complete, it'll be among the most extensive in the NFL. The Pegulas have done a nice job of making things attractive to FA visitors, but the ***** hole stigma left by the visiting locker room remains a hurdle to overcome in attracting outside talent That's not smart, if true. Hopefully someone clues the Pegulas that's uncompetitive for FA. 2 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: It's shameful. If you took a formal poll of players and coaches around the league, it'd be unanimous that it's the worst What makes it shameful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 3 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: That's not smart, if true. Hopefully someone clues the Pegulas that's uncompetitive for FA. What makes it shameful? It's small, dilapidated, ugly, worn, dingy, etc Back in 2006, a players' survey rated it tied for 3rd worst with Arizona and behind SF and Oakland, and just ahead of SD and Minnesota. All of the others have either built entirely new stadia or made major upgrades. 'cept us 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 28 minutes ago, ChanticleerBillsFan said: Eifert needs to worry about being employed by anyone if he can’t stay healthy I love this guy when he's healthy, but that's about 3 games a year, so..... As to the OP's question, I think this stuff just takes time to work itself out. If the facilities have been improved recently, than that knowledge is being spread among players and will soon be known widespread. It doesn't really surprise me that the Dad of a Bengals player isn't clued into the facilities in Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 13 minutes ago, Doc said: If the visiting locker room truly is terrible, that’s not smart on the part of the Bills and explains the attitude of other coaches and players. Not really. If it’s an important factor, It’s on the player if they don’t know or do their due diligence to know that it’s only the visitor’s locker room that sucks. Which they wouldn’t be using if they were playing for the Bills. I’ve heard players from other teams say on radio that the visiting locker room sucks in buffalo but they know the rest is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 33 minutes ago, ChanticleerBillsFan said: Eifert needs to worry about being employed by anyone if he can’t stay healthy 29 minutes ago, MiltonWaddams said: I think Tyler is looking for a facility that provides the very best in walker and golf cart technology. 21 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said: And during this conversation, Tyler was injured again. 14 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Eifert has started 4 games in the last 3 seasons, played in 14 games of the last 48. One can understand why he and his family would be concerned that he land in a place where the workout and rehab facilities are state-of-the-art. He must be referring to the injury tent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 minute ago, KD in CA said: I love this guy when he's healthy, but that's about 3 games a year, so..... As to the OP's question, I think this stuff just takes time to work itself out. If the facilities have been improved recently, than that knowledge is being spread among players and will soon be known widespread. It doesn't really surprise me that the Dad of a Bengals player isn't clued into the facilities in Buffalo. The Bengals are the only team in the league that has no indoor practice facility. And this is Ohio - not the nicest or most predictable weather. They charge players for Gatorade and make them re-use towels. It’s awful. Also, this is a great draft for TEs and i have zero interest in eifert 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 If they don't already, the Bills should host offseason facility/City tours for major sports agency groups, on the Pegulas' dime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Again, guys, I'm pretty sure the term sheet and relevant teammates (e.g. QB if you are a WR, etc.) is about the only factor unless those factors are close, in which case we lose regardless of facilities. This is a silly discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) 3 minutes ago, dayman said: Again, guys, I'm pretty sure the term sheet and relevant teammates (e.g. QB if you are a WR, etc.) is about the only factor unless those factors are close, in which case we lose regardless of facilities. This is a silly discussion. Especially because they aren’t using the visitor’s Locker room anyway if they are here. Again I’m sure eifert’s dad is as dialed in as von miller’s mom. But I’ve heard plenty of players who are well aware of the set up the Bills have for their players. And that the visitors locker room is just that. Edited January 5, 2019 by YoloinOhio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 17 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: It's shameful. If you took a formal poll of players and coaches around the league, it'd be unanimous that it's the worst I agree. Very petty on the organization to have a crappy locker room for the visitors. Do they think it is some kind of advantage? It is more along the lines of embarrassing. Not saying it has to be as nice and spacious as the home teams locker room, but it should at least be updated in line with visitors facilities in the newer stadiums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Hucklebuck Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Eifert is uninformed and I don’t want his son on the Bills anyway. Multiple serious injuries have sapped him of his athletic ability. The Bills root problem is poor drafting due to the wrong GM choices. The wrong GM does not acquire a viable Coach, Quarterback or players on the cutting edge of the league. Beane is the first GM with no connection to Ralph Wilson/Russ Brandon and they have taken a real swing at Quarterback. Now to Free Agency. While it’s not the primary way to properly build the team, I think the Bills have done well over the years. Mario Williams produced 40+ sacks in 4 years here, Alexander has produced 20+ sacks, Incognito made two Pro Bowls, Hyde and Poyer have been Day One starters. Bush is a competent NFL backup, Clay has been so-so, but the Bills haven’t been able to find a replacement in 3-4 years. When the Billd don’t hit on Free Agents, it has not been disastrous. Joe Webb, Mike Tolbert, Vlad Duccasse, Star L, Trent Murphy. Supposed laughing stock signings like Anquan Boldin or Vontae Davis never really got started to hurt much at all. Overall I am making the case that the Bills have done better than average in Free Agency over the years. Sure Derrick Dockery was a big miss, but guys like London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes were hits. The GMs for the Bills over the years did damage to the team by letting those guys walk. Reputation on is not reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 4 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said: If they don't already, the Bills should host offseason facility/City tours for major sports agency groups, on the Pegulas' dime. They do. Interestingly enough, the visiting locker room isn't on the tour ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 12 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: It's small, dilapidated, ugly, worn, dingy, etc Back in 2006, a players' survey rated it tied for 3rd worst with Arizona and behind SF and Oakland, and just ahead of SD and Minnesota. All of the others have either built entirely new stadia or made major upgrades. 'cept us They might not be able to do anything about "small", but certainly dilapidated ugly worn and dingy could be addressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoTom Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 37 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: The big issue at play is the visitor locker room--it's heinous. Worst in the league. Then the best way to avoid that is to be on the home team when games are played there. ? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIZ Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 They should start advertising how great the facilities are on the Jumbo Tron during home games. Create some DVDs to send out to free agents. Have the Bills players contact top FAs to fill them in on how great Buffalo is and how great the owners, coaches and fans are to play for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Finkel Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 hour ago, clayboy54 said: Just this morning, my wife was working out with Greg Eiffert (Tyler's dad). Of course, we always try to encourage opportunities to land quality free agents. Greg argued that the Bills facilities are the worst in the league. Why would Tyler want to go there, he asked. This is a good example of how poor the Bills reputation is among those players who have not spent time there. They just see the old stadium and assume everything else is outdated as well. We all know that is not at all the case. Going back to the Wilson regime, yes, it was the case. However, the Pegulas have spent a ton of money outfitting the facilities with state of the art technology. The is evidenced by the building of the new health and sports medicine facility that we learned about this past summer. I haven't been inside the facilities (except the fan-accessible portion) in many years, as I no longer reside in WNY. But, I do keep my eye on what's going on inside from my old friends that still work there. Sure the stadium is old and spartan. It supports the economy of the region. But the players' facilities are first-class. Here, we worry about attracting free agents with comments like "who will come to Buffalo if we cut so-and-so", etc. Realistically, it is far more important to express to the rest of the country that we are committed to providing the best training and rehab facilities rather than whether or not they should like cold weather. I found this very interesting. I'd enjoy hearing your comments. His dad has no clue what he is talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillyG Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 26 minutes ago, dayman said: Again, guys, I'm pretty sure the term sheet and relevant teammates (e.g. QB if you are a WR, etc.) is about the only factor unless those factors are close, in which case we lose regardless of facilities. This is a silly discussion. This couldn't be further from reality. Understand these are real human beings and a lot of things factor in, and it's different for each person. Some do want to be paid or a chance to win or even play in a place with nice facilities. When Mario Williams came here, he himself said a huge factor was the hunting in the region iirc. Players have existing relationships with coaches that may be positive or negative and may hurt or hinder. Same with players. Pretty sure we will never see Russ Wilson and Golden Tate on the same team again. If a player visits (and we do get a LOT of player visits) I'm certain a tour is included in the visit. They will see what is offered and weigh the descision for what best meets individual needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo716 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 hour ago, thebandit27 said: The big issue at play is the visitor locker room--it's heinous. Worst in the league. The de facto facilities are actually quite nice. Once this summer's athletic facility remodeling is complete, it'll be among the most extensive in the NFL. The Pegulas have done a nice job of making things attractive to FA visitors, but the ***** hole stigma left by the visiting locker room remains a hurdle to overcome in attracting outside talent The visiting locker rooms are heinous all over the League.. they are all gross not just the Bills 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 minute ago, Buffalo716 said: The visiting locker rooms are heinous all over the League.. they are all gross not just the Bills Not really. We're on a whole different level; not a home game passes where an opposing team member doesn't mention it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) Your arguments all are valid, but I’ll bet the free agents want the foosball and pool tables brought back before they consider signing with da Bills...? Edited January 5, 2019 by Ridgewaycynic2013 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo716 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) 5 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: Not really. We're on a whole different level; not a home game passes where an opposing team member doesn't mention it Buffalo has always been a place to trash. I have friends who play in the league who assure my away away locker rooms are mostly pretty gross and cramped. And they were gross when I played in college the NFL still has guidelines they need to follow Edited January 5, 2019 by Buffalo716 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProcessAccepted Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 57 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: It's shameful. If you took a formal poll of players and coaches around the league, it'd be unanimous that it's the worst I hope they leave it exactly as it is until Brady retires ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wppete Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) Bills Mafia should have a say in this. Why don’t we flood all the Free Agents we would like to come to Buffalo on Social Media with everything that’s great about Buffalo. Including all the New state of the art facilities? Why the Bills have the best fan base in football and a college town atmosphere surrounding the football team.... cmon Bills Mafia let’s see what we can do... Edited January 5, 2019 by wppete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Why would FAs care what the visitor locker rooms look like? If they are dumb enough to make a room they will never use the swing vote on whether to sign - well, that’s on them. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSHMEAB Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Buffalo will likely never be a popular free agent destination. Winning will make it slightly more appealing, but even Green Bay has trouble attracting the top guys. That's what makes the draft so important. If you look at a place like Pittsburgh which isn't all that different from Buffalo, they've figured this out and dedicated a great deal of time and effort into getting that right. We MUST draft well. That's the bottom line. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 minute ago, wppete said: Bills Mafia should have a say in this. Why don’t we flood all the Free Agents we would like to come to Buffalo on Social Media with everything that’s great about Buffalo. Including all the New state of the art facilities? Why the Bills have the best fan base in football and a college town atmosphere surrounding the football team.... cmon Bills Mafia let’s see what we can do... All of that stuff is out there, both online and word of mouth. Players talk around the league, they work out together in the offseason, are friends from college etc. The agents represent tons of players and know about all teams facilities. If a FA is considering Buffalo at all, they will not only be aware of the player facilities but they will then visit and tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formerlyofCtown Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: That's not smart, if true. Hopefully someone clues the Pegulas that's uncompetitive for FA. What makes it shameful? It is shameful because it doesnt have state of the art listening devices like the NE visitors facilities. Edited January 5, 2019 by formerlyofCtown 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zow2 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 There was a recent video piece on the Bills facilities, with particular attention on the cafeteria/dining/menu options and nutritional expert. The guys they interviewed...some draft picks and free agents said they were blown away and the Bills have the best setup and food in the league. So if someone bases their opinions of team facilities on a visitors lockerroom that’s absurd. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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