The #Giants are expected to reopen training camp to fans this summer at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center barring any unexpected changes. First time since 2019. A chance for fans to see the new regime this summer.
I still make a trip out to the Meadowlands each summer for training camp, but it's just nothing close to the experience in Albany. I'll never forget being in Albany in 2001 meeting Hope, who was showing me pictures of her with some of the players at SB35. There were plenty of places to watch the action not through big black fences. Not to mention the two a days.
RE: Summer trips to Albany to watch NYG training camp
Fairleigh Dickinson. As an 8+ year old, being able to literally stand next to LT, Simms, and see Strahan a few years later on crutches, to having Sean Landetta use my brother's back to sign a program, it was magical.
Judge's setup was a real bummer. And before anyone says that's how the Pats do it - it isn't. The Pats give the fans unbelievably great access to training camp.
Fairleigh Dickinson. As an 8+ year old, being able to literally stand next to LT, Simms, and see Strahan a few years later on crutches, to having Sean Landetta use my brother's back to sign a program, it was magical.
Agree. I never made it to Albany but went to Pace and FD as a kid many times and got to meet many of the players and I still have autographs from many of the stars from the Superbowl teams.
I remember Fairfield when I was a kid. Also Western Connecticut when our kids were little. Maybe around 1990? We met Stephen Baker the Touchdown Maker.
I'm still angry at the SUNY president and Albany mayor
for their inability to see past the end of their collective and ignorant noses.
They could have built an indoor facility (with some contributions from the Giants of course--they're not completely guilt-free either). It would have let the Giants (and SUNY Albany's football team) practice when it rained. And, if they had built modest bleachers to protect fans from the sun and rain:
1. The Giants might still be training in Albany, and
2. They could have had 15 to 20 thousand fans attending training camp in comfort instead of the 2 to 3 thousand fans they had sitting on hillsides in the dirt, or standing in the sun with obstructed views.
It would have made a big difference in tourism for Albany and in prestige for SUNY Albany. But, no. It makes me sick every time I think about it.
For those of you who don't remember, when the current CBA went into effect, teams could not make up any missed practices. When the Giants missed a practice due to rain, that missed practice tipped the scales in favor of holding training camp close to home instead of in Albany.
Based on my discussions with Giants administrative personnel, the Giants were pretty evenly balanced about training camp . Tom Coughlin and others liked training away from the distractions of NYC, while players and other front office people didn't not like camping out in Albany for a month (Remember Michael Strahan's refusal to come to training camp for a tenth or twelfth time?)
Needless to say, I am among those who really miss training camp in Albany.
It was local for me and, since I worked nights, I was able to go almost every day (sometimes twice a day.) There was little or no security, and you were very close to the players on field. George Young would come out and sit in the stands with us and talk football, history, you name it. After the practice day was over, the local hang for the players was Foley’s. Some wild times there! Great days!
RE: Summer trips to Albany to watch NYG training camp
Judge's setup was a real bummer. And before anyone says that's how the Pats do it - it isn't. The Pats give the fans unbelievably great access to training camp.
Were Pats or any team giving fans access during 2020/2021 with covid?
Yes they were - I actually went to the joint Giants vs. Pats practices and put reports on BBI. The access was amazing compared to what the Giants offer. Hopefully that changes but part of it is simply how Gillette Stadium was designed. (With fans in mind.)
with my brother (we live in DE) back in the day b/c we heard about it through a family member that lived in Albany.
We specifically joined BBI b/c we could get insight to training camp through "this guy named Marty that would take notes at training camp and post them on the website".
My brother and I were SUPER close to going up there one summer, but had to bail at the last minute. I really wish we hadn't.
I am reminded how much I miss Marty in Albany's camp reports. Those were my favorite threads each season and he did such an amazing job with adding in the details. This was also when there were two-a-days so he spent a great deal of time taking notes and writing up two reports each day.
but let's be realistic about the reasons they left.
Camp today is NOT what camp used to be!!!
1) The close contact you had with players and coaches was severely curtailed after 9/11. Before 9/11, there was a short 4 foot wooden fence between the players and the fans, so you were up close. After 9/11, you had a tall 12 foot steel fence with lots of security). The days when Fassel pulled a fan over the fence to be next to practice are long over!
2) After the last CBA was agreed on, 2 a day practices went away. So, if you were only going to visit one day from NYC metro, you were lucky to get one practice in (if it didn't rain). In addition, the CBA prohibited a lot of the contact you used to see, so the only exciting things were 7 on 7's where they threw a lot.
3) The Giants went from Six weeks (I think), down to barely three weeks. SUNY didn't want to host if the Giants weren't there at least three weeks, and the Giants didn't think it was worth it to come up here for just two weeks.
That's why even if SUNY built a practice bubble so practice could continue with bad weather (rain storms would pop up a bit in August, and the new CBA wouldn't let you reschedule a morning practice for afternoon), the Giants would have still left.
4) There's been a trend for private practices with the fans shut out for the last several years. That wouldn't work outside of Quest.
Again, I miss what camp USED to be, but that's long gone. Quest sucks as a training camp for fans...way too hot (all that cement), sight lines suck, and access is nearly impossible after the OBJ signing debacle (Last time I went there, you couldn't even sit by the fence!). Quest was NEVER designed as a camp for fans, and it shows.
The trend in the NFL is to shut the fans out anyway, so that's not a shock. I'd actually prefer to watch sessions at Metlife, which is a better venue...but they'd probably charge $50 for parking ;)
It was special. Zero interest in attending where they practice now..
Yup. It was like a pilgrimage to Mecca for me.
Could always get a free sundae at the local Cold Stone Creamery just by wearing a Giants t-shirt...which was nice.
Albany dreaming.
Agree. I never made it to Albany but went to Pace and FD as a kid many times and got to meet many of the players and I still have autographs from many of the stars from the Superbowl teams.
They could have built an indoor facility (with some contributions from the Giants of course--they're not completely guilt-free either). It would have let the Giants (and SUNY Albany's football team) practice when it rained. And, if they had built modest bleachers to protect fans from the sun and rain:
1. The Giants might still be training in Albany, and
2. They could have had 15 to 20 thousand fans attending training camp in comfort instead of the 2 to 3 thousand fans they had sitting on hillsides in the dirt, or standing in the sun with obstructed views.
It would have made a big difference in tourism for Albany and in prestige for SUNY Albany. But, no. It makes me sick every time I think about it.
For those of you who don't remember, when the current CBA went into effect, teams could not make up any missed practices. When the Giants missed a practice due to rain, that missed practice tipped the scales in favor of holding training camp close to home instead of in Albany.
Based on my discussions with Giants administrative personnel, the Giants were pretty evenly balanced about training camp . Tom Coughlin and others liked training away from the distractions of NYC, while players and other front office people didn't not like camping out in Albany for a month (Remember Michael Strahan's refusal to come to training camp for a tenth or twelfth time?)
Needless to say, I am among those who really miss training camp in Albany.
Rant over.
Same here. After training camp my dad and I went to Saratoga for a day of racing
Were Pats or any team giving fans access during 2020/2021 with covid?
Albany was my favorite, time marches on.
We specifically joined BBI b/c we could get insight to training camp through "this guy named Marty that would take notes at training camp and post them on the website".
My brother and I were SUPER close to going up there one summer, but had to bail at the last minute. I really wish we hadn't.
Camp today is NOT what camp used to be!!!
1) The close contact you had with players and coaches was severely curtailed after 9/11. Before 9/11, there was a short 4 foot wooden fence between the players and the fans, so you were up close. After 9/11, you had a tall 12 foot steel fence with lots of security). The days when Fassel pulled a fan over the fence to be next to practice are long over!
2) After the last CBA was agreed on, 2 a day practices went away. So, if you were only going to visit one day from NYC metro, you were lucky to get one practice in (if it didn't rain). In addition, the CBA prohibited a lot of the contact you used to see, so the only exciting things were 7 on 7's where they threw a lot.
3) The Giants went from Six weeks (I think), down to barely three weeks. SUNY didn't want to host if the Giants weren't there at least three weeks, and the Giants didn't think it was worth it to come up here for just two weeks.
That's why even if SUNY built a practice bubble so practice could continue with bad weather (rain storms would pop up a bit in August, and the new CBA wouldn't let you reschedule a morning practice for afternoon), the Giants would have still left.
4) There's been a trend for private practices with the fans shut out for the last several years. That wouldn't work outside of Quest.
Again, I miss what camp USED to be, but that's long gone. Quest sucks as a training camp for fans...way too hot (all that cement), sight lines suck, and access is nearly impossible after the OBJ signing debacle (Last time I went there, you couldn't even sit by the fence!). Quest was NEVER designed as a camp for fans, and it shows.
The trend in the NFL is to shut the fans out anyway, so that's not a shock. I'd actually prefer to watch sessions at Metlife, which is a better venue...but they'd probably charge $50 for parking ;)