Ravens will now have to build a stadium,shops and hotel nearby

[TBird]

Jerry Jones, the flamboyant owner of the Cowboys is expanding his headquarters and training facility

by adding a small stadium of about 12,000 seats for fans to watch the practices, a little strip mall

of shops for um, shopping and a hotel to house the players during training camp.

 

This will definitely be a one of the kind deal and others will copy it. The Rams are definitely interested

for their new home in LA. He's even charging $4500 for PSLsin the stadium to watch the practices

plus charging $350 pr mo.

 

It's quite impressive.

 

 

I haven't been out to OM but from what I heard there's not enough room for all this. It was the coolest

training facility when built and some FAs like Trevor Pryce signed here after he saw the pics on the

internet.

 

LOL - Indy by contrast has just a warehouse of executive offices and a field behind it. It's brand

new and colorful and nice on the inside but very small.

 

The Jets paid $75M for theirs about 5 years ago and it had a stadium for its fans to watch the

practices on 4.5 fields.

 

Damn - I used to go to every practice at Westminister and we started off with 10,000 people pr

day. By the time they moved it there were over 25,000. The fri night inter squad game was on the

upper field then moved to the small stadium with so many people. Then Ravens stopped going

there during the lockout and liked staying at home and kept it that way.

 

Click on link and scroll down for pic. BTW, the woman on the right talking to Ford who paid for

the name of the practice stadium is Jones daughter. She will run the team when Jones dies.

She's the most powerful woman in NFL and chairs one of their most important commitees and is

a consultant to the Salvation Army or was.

 

Jones oil company owns the ground that the facility is on.

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14878969/how-jerry-jones-dallas-cowboys-changing-game-new-training-facility

[thundercleetz]

I don't know if there's that sort of demand to watch Ravens practices like with the Cowboys or LA Rams. The Castle is by far still one of the nicest facilities in the league.

[Spen]

Yeah why don't we go ahead and start planning and construction before we see how it works out for the Cowboys. Gotta be proactive about these things.

 

Speaking of Proactive, nothing cleans my skin and targets my trouble areas like Proactive! Proactive, if it's good enough for Sarah Michelle Gellar, it's good enough for you.

[TBird]

I didn't say when, I just said eventually we'll have to do it. There's demand for more room out

there now. Fans are pissed that they can't go to the practices like before and the Jets built a

stadium before the Cowboys so teams are going this way.

 

Right now only PSL holders get to watch them practice and only a few where before they

had 20,000 just for practice. GB has over 30,000 but there isn't anything to do in GB in the summer

time but they too are looking into expanding their facilities.

 

I've never been to them. Has anyone? They never had an open house when it was built, I think they

didn't have one. I would have been there if they had. They do have a nice cafeteria for free for

all employees and players. They can eat breakfeast,lunch and dinner there and Bisciotti pays for it

all. The idea is to get the players in the gym especially during the off seaosn.

[Spen]

I remember the old Horn And Horn

cafeterias. The had all meals

available there too. Breakfast,

lunch, dinner.

 

Hotels, shops, spas, theaters,

Mexican restaurants, should all

be near the practice field. No

excuse for them not being there.

 

Practice stadiums around practice

fields would not only let fans see

practices but also to practice

viewing games. Like passing beers

down to others without interrupting

the game.

 

National Bohemian beer, or Natty Boh

was a local beer. Some people loved it

but it gave me diarrhea. It's now owned by

Russians. Ain't glasnost great?

[vmax]

I haven't bothered to go to training camp since they left Westminster. Mainly because of the hassle. You have to park in one lot and get on a shuttle bus to get to the field.

I loved rubbing elbows with "Joe Fan" at Westminster. I'd make half a dozen practices there every year at least. Me, crav, Dee, RM52, Captain D, cleetz... ...tons of great fans and great to hang out with them.

 

The over commercialism of the NFL is rapidly turning me off. Any way to get into your pocket.

The game is secondary.

[papasmurfbell]

I don't know if there's that sort of demand to watch Ravens practices like with the Cowboys or LA Rams. The Castle is by far still one of the nicest facilities in the league.

I think there is just that kind of demand. The Ravens are about 15 yrs away from demanding the moon from the tax payers.

[cravnravn]

I've been in the castle, there's no room left for spectator views, besides if you have to pay to see practice, screw you.

 

Westminster is where we used to mingle, occasionally watch a play or two. I loved Westminster, been going there since 64

[papasmurfbell]

Imagine the demand for a new practice location with all these bells and whistles.

[cravnravn]

Imagine the demand for a new practice location with all these bells and whistles.

Naaaah its not worth it, camp is where you go to reunite with fellow fans, cach up on the 4 months we've been away from the game.

 

The fun was saying goodbye in December to the guys we sat with at memorial in section 2, row 29, seats 7-10, then counting on meeting us with them in August, to discuss the draft picks and end of summer plans.

[papasmurfbell]

Agreed. But it is an arms race from owner to owner. Now JJ has made the practice facility a new weapon.

[TBird]

Westminister was great for me when I retired. Had some place to go every day. I'd get there early and plunk

a chair down by the corner of the end zone by the steps. Fan Man and the Bus Boys from Nest 1 were over by

the trees so we barb be cued. You had to get there really early like 0700 to get a good spot or there was a lot of walking - ALL UP HILL.

 

One day Fassel walked up the steps by me and he signed my SB 35 hat so I got both coaches on it plus Ozzie's when he walked pass me. So I say coach, when are you going to teach Boller how to stop telegraphing his throws. He says what makes you think that. I said Reed had 2 INTs yesterday and you could tell he was just following his eyes. He locks down or stares at his receivers. I tell my girl friend which plays he's calling from our seats and I taught her how to do it.

 

Even you knew he was going to throw the interceptions before he did and were yelling at him, no, no, not there.

He threw them there. Jim said well, you're wrong. He's not telegraphing his throws. I said OK coach if you say so and laughed my ass off but I always wondered why he was leaving and getting in his car when his unit was inside the gym eating lunch. Nobody left practice except Fassil.

 

Anyway, Comcast had Fassil and Boller wired at the next practice and Fassil said we have to work on telegraphing your throws. It's pretty bad when a fan describes to me in detail how you're telegraphing. Bingo! I got the Ravens to at least to try to coach him out of it but he never did. He was still starring at his receivers like I do the slightly dressed female bar tenders at Looneys in BelAir.

 

Fassil was fired during that season too and Billick called the plays. The secretaries said he was always on the phone when they took stuff into his office. That day I saw him, he was probably going to make a call about a head coaching job-lol.

 

But that's how I remember the practices. One day Jamal was in front of me and SAGE from TV 45 back then tried to but in to get an interview. I said come on Sage, I'm trying to get his autograph and she ignored me and shouted a question to Jamal. He ignored her and signed for me anyway and all the others til he was done. What a guy. I never watch that bitch on TV, never did at 45 or on ESPN.

 

 

One day Mike Flynn walked over and I said Mike, you had the best moves of the day walking across with the gorgeous chick and he said yea man. Then there was the day I was walking on the field next to the gym. It was an hour after practice and nobody was there as I took pics and a voice yelled at me, get the hell off that field.

I turned around and it was Billick. I said sorry about the coach, as security ran over to get me. I said how about

a pic and he said sure. Got a great pic of us. I took it to a Roost bull roast the following year to get him to sign

it since he was the main speaker but he never showed up. Bisciotti called him and invited to go to the Terps

game and sent his car to pick him up. Meanwhile there are 2,000 fans waiting for Billick to show up. He was

royally booed at College Park when they introduced him on the PA system. He deserved it. His real fans

were up in Bmore waiting for him to arrive for them. He got what he deserved.

 

Ed Reed and Ray loved to stay long and sign for everyone and Ed loved picking up babies and having his pic taken with them. The proud fathers were besides themselves. Same with Ray and Heap.

 

Some players didnt sign for men, only kids and women. I was by the fence and McNair walked by and I'm yelling Steve, Steve while holding my hat out but he refused to sign for any of the guys until he heard a woman call him over and he walked over and signed hats for her kids.

 

Then I was as first one at the fence trying to get Joe's sign. Had everyone's but his and he wouldn't even look at me that bastard. I was close enough to him to hit him in the side of the head and knock him out and I would have gone to prison and be the most hated man in Baltimore and I sure felt like it.

 

There was a lot of pushing and shoving down by the fence. I got closterphobic. After getting Ray to sign my SB 35 hat I turned around and said excuse me but this fat guy wouldn't budge. He kept pushing me back to the fence trying to get Ray's sign and so did everyone else behind him. I was getting panicky so final I hit him in the stomach and pushed him down and yelled get out of the way the next time someone asks you. Ray saw it too and walked away from everyone.

 

Everyone behind me stepped aside after that. Back to Fassil, he was a nice guy. He talked to me and some

guys on the old RN2 board, now Aaron's board went to an Indy game. They left the air port terminal and

were waiting for a taxi. Fassil was standing nearbyand they kept staring at him and said are you coach and he

said yea just as his limo pulled up. He said hop in and I'll give you a ride to your hotel. He was great.

 

He was the SB35 losing coach of course when 911 occurred and he adopt 11 kids whose father was killed

as a firemen in that bldg. He paid for all their educational and medical bills for the rest of their lives.

 

Too bad he couldnt straighten Boller out.

[cravnravn]

That's what made the Colts and the Ravens so special, Westminster... I remember 1980 I landed my first job at Maryland National Bank on Calvert St. The players didn't make big money back then, most of the players moonlighted. Our security guard at the bank was Barry krauss. Loved shooting the breeze with that dude in the off season.

[papasmurfbell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcwJt4bcnXs

[TBird]

That's what made the Colts and the Ravens so special, Westminster... I remember 1980 I landed my first job at Maryland National Bank on Calvert St. The players didn't make big money back then, most of the players moonlighted. Our security guard at the bank was Barry krauss. Loved shooting the breeze with that dude in the off season.

LOL - Krauss was a security guard while playing ball. They still made more than the rest of us.

 

Bruce Laird graduated from college the same year as me in 1970 and bitched because he only made $20,000 pr yr and got an $8,000 signing bonus. My first job was making $6500 pr yr, the average salary then, so he

made a lot more for playing a game and I got no signing bonus doing real work with a real supervisor breathing down my back and I better not be 5 mins late to work. My first car was $7800. My current car cost $30,000

on a fixed income.

 

But $20,000 was enough for an entire year.

 

Barry Krauss was drafted because he won the bowl game stopping Penn State cold near the goal line for

Alabama but never did a thing for the Colts.

 

See the stop here. OUCH!

 

[TBird]

LOL - Krauss was a security guard while playing ball? They still made more than the rest of us.

 

Bruce Laird graduated from college the same year as me in 1970 and bitched because he only made $20,000 pr yr and got an $8,000 signing bonus. My first job was making $6500 pr yr, the average salary then, so he

made a lot more for playing a game and I got no signing bonus doing real work with a real supervisor breathing down my back and I better not be 5 mins late to work. My first car was $7800. My current car cost $30,000 on a fixed income.

 

But $20,000 was enough for an entire year.

 

Barry Krauss was the 6th pick in 79 because he won the bowl game stopping Penn State cold on the goal line for

Alabama but never did a thing for the Colts.

 

See the stop here. OUCH!

 

[TBird]

Hey Crave - Don't think you'll like what he says here. He loved it in Indy and is still there with his own show

on the Colts. Said players got a break leaving the city after all the fighting between it and the team.

He played 10 yrs.

 

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-01-03/sports/bs-sp-catching-up-krauss-20130102_1_baltimore-colts-barry-krauss-ravens

[cravnravn]

Hey Crave - Don't think you'll like what he says here. He loved it in Indy and is still there with his own show

on the Colts. Said players got a break leaving the city after all the fighting between it and the team.

He played 10 yrs.

 

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-01-03/sports/bs-sp-catching-up-krauss-20130102_1_baltimore-colts-barry-krauss-ravens

The only former Colt that bothers me going to Indy is Marchetti, he goes there a lot.

[TBird]

I didn't know that.

 

It bothered me that Ray Berry went there a lot. He used to write Manning when he was young and told him what

he and Unitas used to do. Manning wrote back and then had him standing on the side lines during games.

He even went to some big parties out there.

 

I know Arty hated Indy and the old timers would never go, or most of them. Shula went out to be inducted to their

Ring and he took John Mackey with him. He did that to get even since we ran him out of town for losing SB 3.

 

I didn't now about Gino. Fuck him.

 

I also hated Berry for presenting the SB trophy to the winners when the game was in Indy. He was on the

radio here during that week, 105.7 fm talking about what a great honor it was. He knew most of us still

here didn't like him doing that but he didn't care.

[thundercleetz]

https://twitter.com/ravens/status/712350354558427137

 

Hmmm I wonder if you are on something here TBird. Sounds like Bisciotti is keeping up with the Joneses (pun intended). Maybe some sort of fam experience will be included?

[papasmurfbell]

I saw this coming. YOu bring out several thousand during training camp. That has to lead somewhere.

[cravnravn]

Go back to Westminster and take your 35 MIL and say, I don't know, maybe a donation to many organizations.

[thundercleetz]

Go back to Westminster and take your 35 MIL and say, I don't know, maybe a donation to many organizations.

It's impractical to have a mobile training camp these days. Coaching staffs, training staffs and offseason rosters are too big. Medicine and technology is much more advanced and relied upon in football. You have to have a base operation. The $35M Bisciotti is spending on upgrading The Castle is more than what he originally paid to build it. Even in the 12 years the Ravens have been at The Castle they have outgrown it. Imagine how cramped they'd be at Westminster.

 

I have good memories at Westminster like everyone else but that model is outdated and not conducive to team success.