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“Inside the Huddle” Behind the Scenes at Bucs’ Training Camp

As part of our “Inside the Huddle” feature of NFL industry interviews (see http://mvn.com/nfl-nohuddleoffense/2007/01/09/inside-the-huddle-the-cowboys-new-digs/), we feature Richard Staley, G.M. of Celebration Hotel in Celebration, Fl. near Orlando, on hosting the Tampa Bay Bucs training camps.

NHO: What are some of the challenges of hosting the Buccaneers during preseason?

Staley: There’s the conversion of the hotel and their quarters, from the lobby furniture that has to be removed and stored, and they bring in their big comfortable sofas, big screen t.v.’s, pool tables and so on. Our first floor guest rooms become meeting rooms and offices for staff and coaches. They use a lot of the second floor for training rooms, taping and treatment, and even some of the third.

There’s also the challenge of guessing what the diet is going to be in a particular year. We try to ask the administration what the team is going to eat, but that’s largely a players’ decision, as they seek to maintain their weight. We just have to have the food on hand. We bring in 10,000 lbs. of meat, regardless of whether the preference is going to be chicken of beef. There are tractor trailers from our local produce companies in the parking lot. The team goes through 250 gallons of milk. It’s fun, though my first year (2006), it took some getting used to, as a G.M., seeing my hotel come apart.

NHO: How is media access facilitated during camp? Are they ever allowed inside?

Staley: There’s a room closest to the front of the hotel set up as a media room by the Bucs p.r. people. Interviews are arranged with coaches, and those type of things are handled by the team.

NHO: How about fan access, given that Celebration is a planned community?

Staley: Well, the hotel is absolutely closed. There are sherriff’s deputies out front, and last year being my first, the gentleman asked me where I was going? Up front, to one side, are the vans bringing the players back and forth to Disney (World of Sports where the team practices). But this is the fifth year, so fans who live here know where to line up outside for things like autographs, and many of the players know the routine.

NHO: Tell us a little more about the turnaround in furnishings that takes place?

Staley: I imagine they rent some of their furniture. We actually put some bookshelves in storage for them now, because the coach (Gruden) has hundreds and hundreds of tapes. We have a Garden Suite, and Monte Kiffin also has a room with a plaque on the door. Some furniture and desks come back each year. They bring in a lot of tape machines, projectors, and high tech equipment. The Bucs have a video crew and production office. The hotel is entirely wireless for the Internet, and a lot of coaches have their laptops right there where they can watch what took place on the field in instant playback.

NHO: When is the team here?

Staley: From about July 24 to August 16.

NHO: How do your staff’s duties change then? Do you have more, or less people on hand?

Staley: The services for the guest rooms are about the same, although as you might imagine, we have even more housekeeping staff then than when we are open to business guests. The restaurant isn’t open to the public at that time, but we keep all hands on deck. Though the bars are closed, we utiliize their staff in other areas. They ask that we keep our lobby Starbuck’s open while they’re here.

NHO: Is the transition back for regular guests primarily physical, or also a mindset?

Staley: Well, we do a deep cleaning to prepare. They check out on Aug. 16th (a Thursday), and we start limited operations that Saturday. They pull their furniture and equipment out, we pull ours back in- it’s about a two-and-a-half to three day process. You have (local) dads there with their kids, out front, getting autographs, and the businesses love having them around. The team and coaches go to a few newly-released movies at the theatre in town, and eat, or plan functions, at the little tavern. When (QB Chris) Simms was here it was pretty much a given he’d have his chicken wings at the tavern every night. The players know what to expect, and some have made friends in town. It’s obvioulsly a very serious venture though, what with million dollar jobs on the line. Camp isn’t a joke. But it’s fun for everybody.

NHO: Thank you Mr. Staley.

Staley: You’re welcome.

BCB

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