Cardinals come tied last in NFLPA player poll

[StreetTruckinTitan]

If peeps getting twisted about an increase in tickets prices shouldnt complain if said money is being used for upgrading training facilty. Cant have it both ways.

 

[PJ1]

What a totally pathetic list of free agents you listed. If Mike Iupati and Jared Veldheer are your best free agent signings EVER, that speaks volumes. Jordan Hicks and AJ Green were the exact type of FA's I mentioned. They'd have signed with any team to keep a job. And you mentioned Suggs, wtf?

Maybe this year they can entice Zeke Elliott, Jason Peters, and Marcedes Lewis to sign here.

Suggs. That is hysterical.

 

[Zalixar]

If peeps getting twisted about an increase in tickets prices shouldnt complain if said money is being used for upgrading training facilty. Cant have it both ways.

Except it's the same story year after year decade after decade with this family. It'll change next year for sure, just fork up a bit more cash to the billionaire.

 

[phillycard]

No. No player as ever said that ever for any team.

So then it can certainly go either way. I would venture to say that just because no player has said it expressly, doesn't mean that the facilities don't weigh in. BC, I can promise you that there are a NUMBER of things that were not on that poll that players will NEVER mention that make a difference on whether or not they decide to sign with a team. We may never hear it, but these dudes are deeper than what was indicated on that sheet.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

Except it's the same story year after year decade after decade with this family. It'll change next year for sure, just fork up a bit more cash to the billionaire.

*--It woud be nice if the Bidwill family had another source of income besides running a NFL franchise. Just saying.

 

[JohnnyCakes]

*--It woud be nice if the Bidwill family had another source of income besides running a NFL franchise. Just saying.

they had the race tracks, not sure how they got out of that racket or if they still have intrests in gaming.

 

[Jetstream Green]

*--It woud be nice if the Bidwill family had another source of income besides running a NFL franchise. Just saying.

True, but then the facilities should definitely come first before buying his own private jet if having a sports team is how he affords to get his luxury quirks one would think

 

[QuebecCard]

True, but then the facilities should definitely come first before buying his own private jet if having a sports team is how he affords to get his luxury quirks one would think

One would think that the CARDS jets are leases, not purchases.

 

[PDXChris]

*--It woud be nice if the Bidwill family had another source of income besides running a NFL franchise. Just saying.

Didn't they use to have a food distribution business too that supplied to all vendors are the stadium? Or am I making that up? I thought I remembered something about that when the stadium opened.

 

[QuebecCard]

You can’t run the team, the stadium and the players like garbage and expect an A1 team. Like they say: “Garbage in, garbage out.” You wouldn’t keep returning to a restaurant with dirty bathrooms, roaches crawling on the floor and servers wearing dirty clothes. You want to eat at a clean restaurant with pleasant staff and a well balanced menu. And you want your football team to offer its players a great place to train, play and (yes) dine.

Yes, I'm sure that the CARDS facilities are roach invested.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear they have rat traps in the bathrooms.

The last point may not be true, but what the heck, pass it on.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

Yeah you would think. I doubt the Cardinals training "gym" is as bad as graded? Wasnt that facility upgraded not too long ago or am I thinking of ASU training gym program? Regardless, Who doesnt like a old nasty iron gym to toughen up compared to the fancy juice bar fluff?

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

Didn't they use to have a food distribution business too that supplied to all vendors are the stadium? Or am I making that up? I thought I remembered something about that when the stadium opened.

Thats quite possible?

 

[Jetstream Green]

One would think that the CARDS jets are leases, not purchases.

I was not talking about the team jets, I was talking about purchasing his own private jet were that money could have went to the facilities

 

[QuebecCard]

I was not talking about the team jets, I was talking about purchasing his own private jet were that money could have went to the facilities

Sure, but again, I imagine it's a lease or lease to purchase.

 

[WisconsinCard]

Most free agents don't. 95% of FA's don't see the training center until the deal is done and most of the remaining 5% are tryouts

Where do these numbers come from. Because my money is on the opposite is true.

 

[unseenaz]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

hop to 2:25 if don't want to watch the whole thing - he says that AQ has been saying for a while that cards facilities suck, then he says that he had messages from other former cards that support AQ.

 

[Solar7]

Late to the party here, but a couple of replies:

I’m obviously WAY out of touch, but why wouldn’t players pay for their own food when they’re training? I’ve never worked for a company where the cafeteria food was free? It’s no wonder this country is a mess. And these players have more money than God. It’s no wonder these primadonna’s have no respect for anything. It’s a good thing I don’t own a football team lol. And trust me, not many on this board criticizes the Bidwills as much as I do. Michael, fix the damn facility though!!!

In the case that you're trying to put someone in optimal health and positioning to be operating and training at their best, you should probably feel incentivized to give them balanced and healthy meals, instead of them eating fast food on the way home, or some kind of other garbage. I'm friends with a few (now former) NFL players, and one guy in particular really had an opportunity to cement himself in a better spot to be in line for a solid contract somewhere, but during the offseason, he'd come home and almost every night was a $100+ "crush fest" where he'd order like 2-3 extra large pizzas, McDonalds, fried chicken, and he'd just down like 6,000 calories without even considering the booze.

Imagine if he was at the facility, eating something nutritionally balanced instead?

You know who the players don't have more money than?

Michael Bidwill.

If it's agreed that it's better that players are in the facility working OVER DINNER, watching film or working out or getting rehab, it's RIDICULOUS for the team to charge them to put in extra.

Sorry, my man, but every time my employer has asked me to stay overtime and work through dinner, they've paid for my meal.

I do slightly understand it if they're not in the facility though. Expecting food to be boxed up and taken home? How much food is reasonable? I don't exactly have an answer here, but talking about my friend who could easily crush 6,000 calories in a meal, how much food is being taken home that's now for family, friends, whatever? I'd have to get a more clear idea of what the average meal size is, and what that take-home charge is to understand how it's all sorted out.

I've worked with FAANG companies and similar that have these meal services available, visit their facilities a lot, and a boxed up dinner meal is not the point of the service. If you're there at 8 PM working still, and want a meal... yeah. But you're not taking 2 lbs of barbacoa, tortillas, salsas, and sides back in a box at 5 PM at all, and if you are, you're probably paying for it. My non-football feelings about this are gonna come up in my next post, haha.

 

[PACardsFan]

Maybe, just maybe, Michael would be better aware that his facilities & services had fallen behind relative to the rest of the NFL if he hadn’t had so many in house promotions over the years. If we routinely were bringing in people from the outside, I think they would have honestly brought it to MB’s attention he had lagged behind compared to where they came from. For me, it’s a great thing that this information has been exposed. Now, we’ll wait to see what happens.

 

[pemory09]

Not great reading, would be an understatement… maybe Pat mcafee and AQ Shipley had a point.

NFL Player Team Report Cards 2023

nflpa.com

Absolutely pathetic and inexcusable.

 

[Solar7]

You also never were an NFL player or one of the best people in the world in your profession.

To try and make value judgements for the world is ridiculous.

I worked for a company 20+ years ago in the Philadelphia area that had catered lunches everyday. They also had breakfast treats that included a Starbucks setup. Sodas cost a quarter and there was only a charge because people suck and would stock up for home. Pretzels were brought in Tuesday and Thursday. There was a company gym with private shower stalls. The company had tickets to most sports in the city and it wasn't uncommon for us college kids to get them. Right before I moved out of the city they gave me all the tickets for the Phillies field box for a game against my favorite team. Office parties were a blast.

It was by far the best work environment I've ever been in.

In a competitive industry it mattered.

They attracted and retained employees and were a company that people strategized to work for.

The other benefit is that they never had issues with people not being at work. There was no reason to leave.

Employees worked through lunch, came early, stayed late.

Sometimes there is a bigger picture.

I want to explain why I reacted to your post with "anger," because I think providing food and no reason for people to ever leave the work campus is the most toxic thing in American culture today. Food costs are so absolutely dirt cheap compared to the cost of skilled tech labor, that it's absolutely a scam that these companies have unlocked to literally give you no good reason to leave, and pressure you to stay there and work into infinity on a salaried-exempt status. It's pure guilt. If you have no reason to leave, well the $2-$3 per meal they're paying for you is absolutely a huge windfall for them, because for every hour you work late, they're getting something like $50-$100 or more back in what's essentially free labor.

For some reason, people have been conned into the idea that saving a few dollars on lunch or dinner is some huge perk, when in reality, it's actually doing nothing but devaluing your labor.

My hourly billable when doing freelance is set at a minimum of $45. And it should be higher, I've made a lot more hourly money in salaried roles since I last freelanced. If I skip my legally mandated hourly lunch break to get a slice of sandwich from a tray and bag of chips that was $100 for the entire room? I'm working for like $10/hr.

I like to ask my employees, colleagues, and even leadership, how much money we're all wasting in an hour meeting if we add up the salaries of everyone in the room. Assuming 10 people at $45 an hour (which is really lowballing it), that's $450. If the meeting isn't worth more than $450 in cost savings/profit to the team, we shouldn't be having it.

And that's why companies providing food for their employee that doesn't leave is so smart. Call a "lunch and learn?" 10 people just didn't take their lunch break and you scammed them for a nearly free meeting where everyone else would have been out of the office eating/running an errand/sitting in a park/posting on ASFN/whatever.

Anyways, just my rant. It's one of the scammiest scams that's ever been scammed.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Then maybe, just maybe, Michael Bidwill is not as hands on as some accuse him to be. Then Keim is the result of all this, because why not with an individual who could not prioritize his own personal life. Not being mean but being factual with the clusterbeep which amounted to Keim at least for the past number of seasons. I still think Michael Bidwill really does want to win, but he not only lacks the money compared to the Jerry Jones of the league but also the fortitude of common sense to know how and hopefully Monti can cast a light on a way which an owner who is not that aware or lacking resources can find success

 

[Jersey Girl]

Decades ago when I worked at one of Trump's casinos in Atlantic City, the property had its own buffet cafeteria with lots of options just for employees. Every single person who worked on any given day was allowed a free meal ... and sometimes the food was pretty good. Once there were crab legs. (I'm guessing it was a use it or toss it thing, but people didn't care.)

The pay sucked. The offices had paint peeling off the walls. And their was an overall lack of respect at times. But we never got charged for a meal while working on property.

 

[SunsTzu]

The people who travel on the plane.
The people who eat the food.
The people who use the weight room.
The people who give the tickets to their family.
The people who choose to workout here in the offseason.
The people who choose to make a quality of life decision on their workplace facilities.
Many former players and reporters who weren't surveyed (Shipley, Rice, McAfee, Odegard, etc.)

All of them resoundingly say our franchise is a joke. 2nd to last only ahead of Dan Snyder's hapless embarrassment in DC.

Let that sink in...... We are barely better if not tied with the ROBERT SARVER OF THE NFL.

IDC what any of us think. This is the reality they tell us exists. Who are you to presume anything otherwise?

Even Sarver built a state of the art training facility that is probably the best in the NBA right now, and it was actually built close to where most of the players live.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I want to explain why I reacted to your post with "anger," because I think providing food and no reason for people to ever leave the work campus is the most toxic thing in American culture today. Food costs are so absolutely dirt cheap compared to the cost of skilled tech labor, that it's absolutely a scam that these companies have unlocked to literally give you no good reason to leave, and pressure you to stay there and work into infinity on a salaried-exempt status. It's pure guilt. If you have no reason to leave, well the $2-$3 per meal they're paying for you is absolutely a huge windfall for them, because for every hour you work late, they're getting something like $50-$100 or more back in what's essentially free labor.

For some reason, people have been conned into the idea that saving a few dollars on lunch or dinner is some huge perk, when in reality, it's actually doing nothing but devaluing your labor.

My hourly billable when doing freelance is set at a minimum of $45. And it should be higher, I've made a lot more hourly money in salaried roles since I last freelanced. If I skip my legally mandated hourly lunch break to get a slice of sandwich from a tray and bag of chips that was $100 for the entire room? I'm working for like $10/hr.

I like to ask my employees, colleagues, and even leadership, how much money we're all wasting in an hour meeting if we add up the salaries of everyone in the room. Assuming 10 people at $45 an hour (which is really lowballing it), that's $450. If the meeting isn't worth more than $450 in cost savings/profit to the team, we shouldn't be having it.

And that's why companies providing food for their employee that doesn't leave is so smart. Call a "lunch and learn?" 10 people just didn't take their lunch break and you scammed them for a nearly free meeting where everyone else would have been out of the office eating/running an errand/sitting in a park/posting on ASFN/whatever.

Anyways, just my rant. It's one of the scammiest scams that's ever been scammed.

Oh, I get that completely.

This company was a trading firm, so it was a bit of the industry standard to be connected to there markets when they were open - your could get coverage, etc but things are dynamic and the workers were able to perform better (and get paid more) if in a position to take advantage

 

[Solar7]

Decades ago when I worked at one of Trump's casinos in Atlantic City, the property had its own buffet cafeteria with lots of options just for employees. Every single person who worked on any given day was allowed a free meal ... and sometimes the food was pretty good. Once there were crab legs. (I'm guessing it was a use it or toss it thing, but people didn't care.)

The pay sucked. The offices had paint peeling off the walls. And their was an overall lack of respect at times. But we never got charged for a meal while working on property.

Yeah, having worked for (insert largest casino/hospitality corporation in the US) for a long time, all of the casino properties had an EDR/employee dining room just like that. Generally the food was kinda... overflow from the buffets, which makes it sound way worse than it is, but anyone working on property did get at least one free AYCE shift meal, or a set amount of swipes a month, so if they felt like doing both their shift meal and dinner, you could do that. But... you couldn't take anything to-go, which kinda lines up with the Cardinals' policy.

Still, I felt like that was a great thing for lower-income workers on property, since food might be scarce going home if you're in a minimum-wage role.

Interestingly enough, corporate was banned from this unless your office was literally on property, or a property employee got an exception to swipe you in. Some of corporate was based in on-property offices, but mostly we were in a separate building with no cafeteria, only a cooler with fast lunch options like cold sandwiches that we had to pay for, albeit with a discount.

(I was the head of AC marketing from Vegas for a time, so interesting to know we had similar experiences!)