Eagles Training Camp Bites the Dust at Lehigh

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/03/letter_eagles_president_explai.html#incart_river

More to come.

[danefan]

Albany lost the Giants this year too due to lack of an indoor facility.

Word is Albany is lobbying for $$$ to build an indoor football facility to bring the Giants back.

[Go Green]

The NJ Nets used to train at Princeton. We actually shared a locker room with them before suiting up and going out to play the Tigers in old Palmer Stadium.

Not sure exactly when the Nets ended that arrangement...

[Lehigh Football Nation]

My take:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2013/03/eagles-training-camp-bites-dust-at.html

I understand why they did it. But it still hurts and is a big loss for the Bethlehem area.

[MplsBison]

I for one don't really get the antiquated concept of going off to some little town for "camp". I don't know how many teams do this, but I see absolutely nothing wrong or disadvantageous with doing what the Miami Dolphins did last year (and presumably have for a while): simply hold camp at the regular practice facility, with all new invitees holding residence in a team hotel close to the facility.

Vikings have been down in Mankato for a while. But it wouldn't really make much difference to me if they held all pre-season training in Eden Prairie.

[bluehenbillk]

I remember growing up in my HS & college years watching the Eagles train at West Chester, when Buddy Ryan came to town is when the Eagles renaissance in this town was born. I had a feeling this was going to happen as the Eagles are joining an ever-increasing number of teams to have training camp at their own facility.

I never made it up to Lehigh for an Eagles camp but it was universally known they did a good job with it. Moving on, in Chip we trust.

[TheRevSFA]

I for one don't really get the antiquated concept of going off to some little town for "camp". I don't know how many teams do this, but I see absolutely nothing wrong or disadvantageous with doing what the Miami Dolphins did last year (and presumably have for a while): simply hold camp at the regular practice facility, with all new invitees holding residence in a team hotel close to the facility.

Vikings have been down in Mankato for a while. But it wouldn't really make much difference to me if they held all pre-season training in Eden Prairie.

While we're at it, let's get rid of the Grapefruit and Cactus league in Baseball and just have spring training at the regular ballparks, and you play teams for 3 game series like you do in the regular season.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

This was a great recruiting tool for the program. Stinks for the university and local community.

[MplsBison]

While we're at it, let's get rid of the Grapefruit and Cactus league in Baseball and just have spring training at the regular ballparks, and you play teams for 3 game series like you do in the regular season.

Wouldn't work very well in Minneapolis this time of year.

[bluehenbillk]

This was a great recruiting tool for the program. Stinks for the university and local community.

Truth be told that area has been declining steadily for what three decades now? Ever since Bethlehem Steel started to go under.

[Hammerhead]

Nothing builds team chemistry like signing players for muti-million dollar deals and then making them share a dorm room. :)


I for one don't really get the antiquated concept of going off to some little town for "camp". I don't know how many teams do this, but I see absolutely nothing wrong or disadvantageous with doing what the Miami Dolphins did last year (and presumably have for a while): simply hold camp at the regular practice facility, with all new invitees holding residence in a team hotel close to the facility.

Vikings have been down in Mankato for a while. But it wouldn't really make much difference to me if they held all pre-season training in Eden Prairie.

[Franks Tanks]

Truth be told that area has been declining steadily for what three decades now? Ever since Bethlehem Steel started to go under.

Not really.

The Lehigh Valley MSA is the fastest growing region in PA. In 1980 the MSA population was 551K, and as of 2010 the pop was 821k. Sure Bethlehem Steel was a blow for the area. When what was once the 2nd largest steel company in the world goes under it will have an impact, but the Steel has been gone for many years. People who actually worked there are my Dad's age or older.

The Eagles training camp is a blip on the radar around here for most. Musikfest is a much bigger deal. Unless you own a retaurant or hotel near Lehigh University the Eagles camp had a negligible impact.

[henfan]

While we're at it, let's get rid of the Grapefruit and Cactus league in Baseball and just have spring training at the regular ballparks, and you play teams for 3 game series like you do in the regular season.

Yeah, that would work well for the Twins, Cubs, Red Sox, Tigers, Yanks, Mets, Phils, Pirates, Indians, Reds, etc. Significantly different situation with the weather & the NFL preseason.

[TheRevSFA]

Yeah, that would work well for the Twins, Cubs, Red Sox, Tigers, Yanks, Mets, Phils, Pirates, Indians, Reds, etc. Significantly different situation with the weather & the NFL preseason.

Tough ****..it's what you get for living in colder climates :)

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Who here remembers when the Saints had their preseason training camp in Wisconsin? Talk about getting your players away from the distractions of the city.

[UAalum72]

Nothing builds team chemistry like signing players for muti-million dollar deals and then making them share a dorm room. :)Another factor is that the players are away from the distractions of home and family for three weeks and can concentrate on just football.

[Engineer86]

Truth be told that area has been declining steadily for what three decades now? Ever since Bethlehem Steel started to go under.

I guess you have not been to the area lately, at least not in the last decade with most of Beth Steel being replaced. Or probably the last time Delaware came up for a visit.

[GreatAppSt]

My take:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2013/03/eagles-training-camp-bites-dust-at.html

I understand why they did it. But it still hurts and is a big loss for the Bethlehem area.

That blows, hope the locals buy pittsburgh tickets now.

[JimLU]

Truth be told that area has been declining steadily for what three decades now? Ever since Bethlehem Steel started to go under.Ah, have you been there lately? The Steel closed the last blast furnace 18 years ago. But well before that in the late 1950's the city realized their vulnerability and invented the industrial park. A number of small to medium sized employers had move in as the Steel declined. More recently, Pennsylvania's most successful casino, the $500,000,000 Sands, opened four years ago and is a major middle Atlantic attraction in the center of the old steel plant on south side Bethlehem. Industry start ups dot that part of town fueled by Lehigh's continuing high tech expansion. The city of Bethlehem has moved from being totally dependent on one huge industry to far and away the best medium size city in the state. The fans, hotels, restaurants, and pubs will miss the Eagles. But its a small blip economically for the city

[ngineer]

Yes, the the Lehigh Valley survived the loss of "The Steel" quite well due to the various industrial parks that are spread thoughout the area. The former Steel plant is humming with not only the Sands, but ArtsQuest, new hockey rink, and several 'start ups'. The restaurant industry has also seen a boom in the past decade. A good number of companies have relocted here from NYC area as well due to cheaper real estate, very good public schools, and overall lower cost of living. The completion of I-78 an its connection with PA 33 to I-80 in the Pocono Mts has made commuting bearable for many.

[ngineer]

Gonna miss the camp though. It was a nice diversion in the summer. I dont think it had any lure for recruits,although the free publicity and exposure given to the school helped with name recognition.

[hawkineer]

Michael Vick, Leaving Lehigh. xthumbsdownx The Eagles are just a tough team to continue to root for, especially lately. No championships since Chuck Bednarik and none on the horizon.

Feel free to trust in Chip but unless Howie gets him some talent, you won't have to trust in him for long.

[Ivytalk]

Gotta pay for that Novocain Center somehow. Too bad, but not surprising these days.

[paward]

The political money gauging NFL and their teams have lost my respect a long time ago. It all about the money and prestige. They have no patronage for the grass roots efforts of fans.

[heath]

back in the day,TC Williams had training camp at Gettysburg College. It realy helped them bondxthumbsupx

[Go...gate]

The political money gauging NFL and their teams have lost my respect a long time ago. It all about the money and prestige. They have no patronage for the grass roots efforts of fans.

Yes, indeed.

[kdinva]

Who here remembers when the Saints had their preseason training camp in Wisconsin? Talk about getting your players away from the distractions of the city.

I own a copy of Frank Gifford's autobiography.............two or three seasons in the mid-1950's, the Giants' camp was in Salem, Oregon.......and for three decades, the Cowboys trained in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

[DFW HOYA]

I own a copy of Frank Gifford's autobiography.............two or three seasons in the mid-1950's, the Giants' camp was in Salem, Oregon.......and for three decades, the Cowboys trained in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

The Cowboys still have a SoCal fan base from those days in Thousand Oaks, and they still spend half of training camp in Oxnard CA.

However, the need for "training camp" when athletes train 12 months a year is anachronistic. Back in the day, players held jobs in the off-season and needed time to get back into shape, not so now.

[ngineer]

The Cowboys still have a SoCal fan base from those days in Thousand Oaks, and they still spend half of training camp in Oxnard CA.

However, the need for "training camp" when athletes train 12 months a year is anachronistic. Back in the day, players held jobs in the off-season and needed time to get back into shape, not so now.

Yes. Chuck Bednarik got his famous nickname, originally, because he was a concrete salesman in the off-season. Off course, the way he hit was like getting nailed with a load of concrete, but had he had some other off-season job, his moniker may not have been "Concrete Charlie".

[DFW HOYA]

Baltimore Colts legend Artie Donovan not only had a job with a liquor distributor in the off-season, he worked for them during the season, where someone from the distillery drove him to and from practice.

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Where-Are-They-Now-Art-Donovan/E91DFA20-4308-4335-9AF7-6C9553C9EF26

[Pard4Life]

This was a great recruiting tool for the program. Stinks for the university and local community.

:) xrotatehx :D xthumbsupx xawesomex xhypedx xsmileyclapx xblehx

[PAllen]

:) xrotatehx :D xthumbsupx xawesomex xhypedx xsmileyclapx xblehx

Pard,

Rydalin, look into it.