After the New York Giants organization opted to hold training camp in East Rutherford last year instead of in Albany due to the league-wide lockout, fans are excited for the team’s 2012 return.
The upcoming training camp is especially good news for local businesses. Many saw a significant dent in revenues for 2011 after it was made clear area restaurants, hotels and coffee shops wouldn’t be getting the patronage of Giants fans.
“It had a huge impact on the whole entire area,” said Mike Arduini, owner of Across the Street Pub on Western Avenue.
The returning Super Bowl champions have been attending training camp at the University at Albany for 16 years, the team’s longest training camp tenure at one place, according to the school. Fans, city leaders and UAlbany officials were disappointed when the team didn’t return last year, in part because it is a big draw for tourism.
Arduini said shortly after the decision was made last year by the Giants organization, he received a personal call from the team’s owner, John Mara.
“That was nice. He didn’t have to do that,” said Arduini. “I asked him why he called and he said they have been coming to our restaurant and the area for a lot of years and that he wanted to let us know they weren’t coming. (Mara’s) the type of guy that if you call the office and he’s not there, he will always return a phone call. It’s the kind of businessman he is.”
Pat Hanlon, a spokesman for the Giants organization, said the team is looking forward to returning to Albany on Friday, July 27.
“We’re especially proud to be returning as Super Bowl XLVI champion,” he said in an email. “We’re grateful for the cooperation and support of President (George) Philip and his staff, as well as Mayor (Jerry) Jennings and his staff and the good people of the Capital Region. We’re looking forward to our preparations for the 2012 season.”
But this year’s training camp season comes with changes. Because of new contract negotiations teams can only practice once a day, instead of the two- or three-a-day practices of the past.
Arduini said he lost a significant amount of money last year, but declined to say exactly how much. It was estimated to be in the thousands, the same for other businesses in the area. He is glad of the team is back, but does not know how having one practice at 1 p.m. might change business from previous years.
Maggie Smith, owner of Maggie’s Sports Bar and Café on Western Avenue, said even if business wanes, having the team back at all will help matters.
Fans often use the bar as a hangout, hoping to see some of their favorite players who are able to visit local establishments at various times. Smith said players like quarterback Eli Manning, offensive lineman Kareem McKenzi and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks have stopped in to eat and chat with fans, along with officials from the Giants organization.
“They were great with the fans, very pleasant,” Smith said. “I told people they couldn’t bother them. They (the players) went to the fans after they ate.”
Because of the schedule change, restaurants are now hoping fans will stop in before or after the practices for their meals.
Minerva Marcina, co-owner of the Barcelona restaurant on Western Avenue, said the new schedule might mean more people will stop in for dinner. She mostly gets fans staying at hotels who drive in from out of the area.
According to Arduini and Smith, many fans visit from Downstate and treat training camp as a vacation. They then visit the Saratoga Race Course the same week.
“People still aren’t taking a lot of major vacations because of the economy,” said Arduini.
The Giants’ three-year contract to practice at UAlbany is set to expire this year.
The school is now in the middle of a $24 million project to update the school’s outdoor athletic facilities, which will include a new football facility to accommodate NCAA Division I competitions. It is slated for completion in the fall of 2013 and will be built on an area near an existing football field to the southeast of the SEFCU Arena. It will include 4,000 permanent seats, 2,000 berm (hillside) seats and nearly 2,000 temporary bleacher-style seats.
School officials like Head Football Coach Bob Ford have said they hope the updated facility will keep the Giants coming back to the school. Although most of the college’s equipment is Division I quality because of the training camp, the existing field is Division III quality.
“I hope they try to extend their contract,” said Arduini. “I have a gut feeling they will come back. The school is making every effort to keep them here.”