buckeyemike Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 A question for the longtime denizens of the Wall: I know that the Bills trained for many years at SUNY-Fredonia. I also know that a desire to branch their market to Rochester and beyond resulted in the move to St. John Fisher College. If I had been a bigger Bills fan in the mid and late 90s, I would (and should) have made a pilgrimage to Fredonia...it's only three hours from Cleveland. The move to SJFC puts a camp trip logistically out of reach for me. Which place is better? Did Fredonia have a parade the way Pittsford does? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gross Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 From what I recall, Fredonia was very low key...they went there to "get away from it all." Crowds were relatively sparse...Funny...I went to college down there but the only time I went to camp was after I left school....there might have been 200 people there when I went...might have been only 100...it only felt like a lot of people at autograph time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeRay Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 A question for the longtime denizens of the Wall: I know that the Bills trained for many years at SUNY-Fredonia. I also know that a desire to branch their market to Rochester and beyond resulted in the move to St. John Fisher College. If I had been a bigger Bills fan in the mid and late 90s, I would (and should) have made a pilgrimage to Fredonia...it's only three hours from Cleveland. The move to SJFC puts a camp trip logistically out of reach for me. Which place is better? Did Fredonia have a parade the way Pittsford does? Mike 412797[/snapback] Dude... the bills going from fredonia to Fisher was like going from driving a volkswagon beetle to a Lexus. SUNY campuses have basic facilities. private colleges have a lot more ammenities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gross Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Yeah, I forgot to mention Fredonia didn't even have a football team so they set up goal posts on a soccer field.... no "Experience," nothing. Spartan. It was a "practice that happened to be open to the public," and if you wanted autographs you'd try to catch the players as they came out of the main athletic hall...if they came out the front entrance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ1 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Yeah, I forgot to mention Fredonia didn't even have a football team so they set up goal posts on a soccer field....no "Experience," nothing. Spartan. It was a "practice that happened to be open to the public," and if you wanted autographs you'd try to catch the players as they came out of the main athletic hall...if they came out the front entrance... 412806[/snapback] They had 2 sets of bleachers, one for the general public which could seat 100 maybe and another for VIPs. You couldn't see anything from the bleachers; you saw less standing on the sidelines. Fisher is about 100 times better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 The one(and only) nice thing about Fredonia...you could pull right up in the parking lot, walk about 20 feet and you were at the practice fields. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I drive Rochester to Cleveland in 4 hrs. Too bad there are only 2 more days of camp here this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Well, I am a major homer, seeing how Fredonia is my hometown. I have very good memories of going home every year to go to training camp. I haven't been since they moved to Rochester, but I would imagine it would be a nicer facility... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Dude... the bills going from fredonia to Fisher was like going from driving a volkswagon beetle to a Lexus. SUNY campuses have basic facilities. private colleges have a lot more ammenities. 412804[/snapback] amen to that. AS a SUNY school athlete at brockport, we have been tryin to get a fieldhouse w/ an indoor track for the past few years, but the state won't give their share for the project. I do have to say that things have gotten better, since i was a freshman, we did get a new outdoor track up here, but that was because our old one was destroyed in a wind storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#89 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I LOVED Fredonia. They even had Shade, something that Fisher is greatly lacking. Fisher is a beautiful place to watch a practice especially when in the stadium because the security actually do not allow STANDING at the fence. (for you Simon) and for the night practice they play loud music to encourage the standing, swaying and lighters waving in the air. There is just no shade to sit in and the temps are quite high in July - Aug. It is Clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reuben Gant Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 St. John F. wins hands down. Although, it was neat going to Fred. in the old days without all the fanfare and hear the coaches swear up a storm because it seemed so semi-private. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wraith Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Dude... the bills going from fredonia to Fisher was like going from driving a volkswagon beetle to a Lexus. SUNY campuses have basic facilities. private colleges have a lot more ammenities. 412804[/snapback] Don't lump in all SUNY schools with the small colleges. UB, admittedly SUNY's largest and most well off University, has a heck of a lot more going for it that St. John Fisher, when speaking about athletic facilities and pretty much everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Fisher hands down. It also helps mobilize fans in Rochester and regionalizes the franchise much better. As a small market team the Bills need that badly. Also Fisher's facilities are superior to Fredonia's. It was a great marketing move for the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovey1961 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 How soon everyone forgets! The Bills practiced for years on the campus of Niagara University How many of you went there when they held training camp there? I went a couple times with my dad when I was younger and then when i was working at the Campus Store at NU I regularly meet/saw/talked to a number of the Bills players, coaches and management personel Training field was about 100 feet from the Gym, the players and coaches stayed in O'Shea the boys dorm, ate at the students dining room, my best friends Mom worked there. I am sure the players went off campus after their nightly meetings, they were close to Downtown Niagara Falls, which at the time still had some things to do, just a 10min drive to the Canadian Ballet in NF, Ontario and if they wanted to, they could go to Lewistown and take in the local historical sites Just a little reminder that the Bills practiced at places other than Fredonia and SJF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawnokeefe1 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I LOVED Fredonia. They even had Shade, something that Fisher is greatly lacking. Fisher is a beautiful place to watch a practice especially when in the stadium because the security actually do not allow STANDING at the fence. (for you Simon) and for the night practice they play loud music to encourage the standing, swaying and lighters waving in the air. There is just no shade to sit in and the temps are quite high in July - Aug. It is Clean. 412946[/snapback] WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!! Fedonia had NO SHADE AT ALL. The practice was on a Barren Soccer field surrounded with snow fencing. The BILLS FAN WAGON was there as well as two small highschool like bleachers. FREDONIA SUCKED. It was a Joke compared to SJF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegtapr Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 amen to that. AS a SUNY school athlete at brockport, we have been tryin to get a fieldhouse w/ an indoor track for the past few years, but the state won't give their share for the project. I do have to say that things have gotten better, since i was a freshman, we did get a new outdoor track up here, but that was because our old one was destroyed in a wind storm. 412866[/snapback] And what a windstorm that was. I remember being in the 9th floor of Perry and I thought the building was gonna topple. Lucky it didn't happen during a game or people in the press box would have been killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 And what a windstorm that was. I remember being in the 9th floor of Perry and I thought the building was gonna topple. Lucky it didn't happen during a game or people in the press box would have been killed. 413076[/snapback] Good to see some Brockporters on TSW...graduated there 20 years ago. What's the bar scene like? Canal Side, Northbound, Barbers (vis-o-drafts), Lincoln, Rox, BVI, Caseys (great wings) still up and running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerJ Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I've never been to St. John Fisher, but I think just from what I've heard, I like Fredonia better. I like "low key" amd "basic football without a lot of frills. I understand why they went to Rochester though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Lamb Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 How soon everyone forgets! The Bills practiced for years on the campus of Niagara University How many of you went there when they held training camp there? How about when the Bills stayed at the Roycroft in East Aurora ? The players walked from the practice fields through town to the lodging - no golf carts then Fredonia was intimate - SJF is all about $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegtapr Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Good to see some Brockporters on TSW...graduated there 20 years ago. What's the bar scene like? Canal Side, Northbound, Barbers (vis-o-drafts), Lincoln, Rox, BVI, Caseys (great wings) still up and running? 413079[/snapback] Canal Side - Open but sucks ass. Only good for the nights you want to pick up a slut. Northbound- Closed Barbers- Open. Cool bar when it's not crowded. Lincoln- Never heard of Rox- Never heard of BVI- Never heard of Caseys- Never heard of. I'll assume all these closed before I got there. My favorite bar was Jimmy Macs when I was there. That has since closed though as the owner was a gambler that didn't know when to fold'em. I heard a good BBQ joint/bar opened but haven't been back to try it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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