First Schiano; now Marrone

[John]

Lived in providence in 1995-1997, and go back often. Just ate at Garibaldi's Mexican 5 days ago. The main difference is the Mall, but I'm actually not a fan. Regardless, I think the comparison is apt. I'd rather be in Providence because I love Boston and the Cape and could drive to Horseneck Beach, etc. I also like Boston better than Toronto (which is 1 hr. 15 mins from me).

Been to Canada, but never Toronto - all I've ever heard is that it's one of the most bland cities imaginable despite its size. How do you find it?

 

[huskyjawz]

I look on a map, you can also use a GPS.

 

[Pudge]

Toronto is not bland.

I've spent a lot of time there since our International Bowl win. It's a world class city. Great restaurants - probably one of the 3 best Chinatowns with NYC & SF - and fabulous diversity.

Plus: while we in the northeastern US have struggled, the Toronto economy has boomed in the last 3+ years. It's exciting in many ways. It does have teeth-grinding traffic looping thru it. And a horrible airport. But ... Get an hour north & there is great recreation all thru Barrie to Muskoka.

 

[Waquoit]

I think this announcement is premature. What happened was that when given the list of coaches that would actually go to Buffalo, old man Wilson said, "Oh, Marone!" His thought being that they must be able to do better than that. His minions misunderstood and thought he was referring to the Cuse guy. A correction is forthcoming.

 

[upstater]

Been to Canada, but never Toronto - all I've ever heard is that it's one of the most bland cities imaginable despite its size. How do you find it?

Pretty bland, actually. But it's a metroplex so you'll find lots of art, funky boutique shops, lots of music, etc.

For tourists, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a draw. For me, I go up in June for NXNE which is a music rival to SXSW. Basically, 1000 bands playing morning to night in 10-15 venues all over the city and some open air. Great to see well known bands in the open air for free and then duck into a bar and catch someone you haven't heard before. I'm up there in years for this (early 40s) so I don't even know what I'm watching half the time. I came away last summer saying, "That band 'Les Savy Fav'" was excellent only to be told they are old news.

Food is top notch, especially ethnic, huge population of Asians and Indians. Dim Sum!

Usually I visit friends up there in the winter but we just hang out. Summers I will catch a couple Red Sox - Blue Jays games. I always stay in a hotel overnight even though it's just 1 hr. and 15 minutes away. Nightlife is pretty good.

It beats Buffalo, easily, but nowhere near as good as Montreal.

 

[huskypantz]

Toronto is a pretty cool city. I would second the chinatown comment, they're definitely third after SF (easy #1) and NYC but better than Boston, Philly, Chicago etc. Montreal's downtown area was very nice too - I was there during their Jazz festival a couple of years ago.

Every city has bad areas. The question is whether there are bad elements in the "good" areas that take away from safety and ambiance. One of my issues with Philly was the way the bad elements tended to spill over into the nicer areas. In Boston, the bad elements tend to be segregated (probably a poor choice of words) into areas that you probably never need to travel through or to. One of my surprises on visiting SF, LA, SD was the proliferation of homeless people, especially in some of the touristy areas. And not just seeing them, but having them come sit down at your table, then you asking for money and food when you're trying to eat a meal at an outdoor restaurant.

 

[CL82]

What? Nobody wants PP?!?!

Be patient. I'm expecting an announcement in 20 minutes.

 

[Husky25]

I was shocked when I saw that update on NFL Network this morning too... Even more shocked when I read yesterday that more than one NFL team was interviewing Marrone...

Not good for us now...Syracuse openings lessens the # of assistant coaches to choose from.. We still need a DC, ST, and RB coach....

Silver lining. THere is at least one more NFL coach that has to fill out his assistant coach roster. I hear Coach Deleone is a decent choice. I can't see it but I pay to watch live football. What do I know?

 

[Adios]

I was shocked when I saw that update on NFL Network this morning too... Even more shocked when I read yesterday that more than one NFL team was interviewing Marrone...

Not good for us now...Syracuse openings lessens the # of assistant coaches to choose from.. We still need a DC, ST, and RB coach....

This is actually good for how our we are perceived. Goes to show we are on the same level as Syracuse now, at least. We probably even have a higher upside. Syracuse is falling behind. They have exactly the same number of 3 star recruits as we do right now.

 

[FDNY99]

I like living in cities. When I lived in Ann Arbor, I headed to Detroit a couple times looking for a loft apartment to commute from. Couldn't find people there, nor even landlords. This was about 8-10 years ago.

I live in Buffalo now. The city is actually quite beautiful--a remnant of what this place was a century ago when it had first class parks and opulent homes. Most people don't realize what's here (I know I didn't) but Providence, New Haven, Philly, etc., can't hold a candle to the opulence of the homes. There are huge downsides though to the segregation and the poverty on the East side especially, but the core of Buffalo is pretty strong and makes for a great place to live (and I've lived all over New England--Boston, Providence, New Haven, and elsewhere).

That sounds pretty cool...my opinion came from listening to a guy I work in the firehouse with who goes back there to see family on holidays and fireman I have talked to from up there at trade shows.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Yeah but Schiano wasn't doing things the right way - helicopters, stadium expansions, etc. He wasn't doing it with class like Randy or Paul. And look where it got him - and Rutgers for that matter. When will these programs ever learn?

 

[John]

Pretty bland, actually. But it's a metroplex so you'll find lots of art, funky boutique shops, lots of music, etc.

For tourists, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a draw. For me, I go up in June for NXNE which is a music rival to SXSW. Basically, 1000 bands playing morning to night in 10-15 venues all over the city and some open air. Great to see well known bands in the open air for free and then duck into a bar and catch someone you haven't heard before. I'm up there in years for this (early 40s) so I don't even know what I'm watching half the time. I came away last summer saying, "That band 'Les Savy Fav'" was excellent only to be told they are old news.

Food is top notch, especially ethnic, huge population of Asians and Indians. Dim Sum!

Usually I visit friends up there in the winter but we just hang out. Summers I will catch a couple Red Sox - Blue Jays games. I always stay in a hotel overnight even though it's just 1 hr. and 15 minutes away. Nightlife is pretty good.

It beats Buffalo, easily, but nowhere near as good as Montreal.

Thanks, I'll have to put it on the to-see list. I've been to Ottawa and Quebec City - both of which I liked quite a bit. While it's a beautiful European-feeling city, the only thing I didn't like about QC is I thought the natives were quite snotty with the French, moreso even then Parisians (who I didn't think were as bad as advertised). I also need to head to Montreal one of these days.

 

[upstater]

Thanks, I'll have to put it on the to-see list. I've been to Ottawa and Quebec City - both of which I liked quite a bit. While it's a beautiful European-feeling city, the only thing I didn't like about QC is I thought the natives were quite snotty with the French, moreso even then Parisians (who I didn't think were as bad as advertised). I also need to head to Montreal one of these days.

I was not a fan of QC, didn't like it anywhere near as much as Montreal. QC deals with a lot of 65+ Americans, who can be a bit more set in their ways. Frankly, old town QC felt to me like a gigantic tourist trap. In Montreal, there is real disdain for English-speakers. But once they find out you are American (and not Anglo-Canadian) they were the friendliest people you might encounter. One bartender took his under his wing and drove us to a couple clubs where he got us in past the lines.

You're right about Paris, though I have to say it's a big change from when I was there 20 years ago. I was there for a week in June, and everyone was very helpful, but the city is a lot more cosmopolitan now. We had people stopping us on the street when we were lost and leading us to our destination. The waitstaff outside the tourist traps are much more laidback and eager to speak English with you. I think you'd like Montreal. Toronto is a bit like Vancouver, lots of sheen, lots of great food, things to do, but at times sterile. Both of these cities have huge problems with circular Hong Kong-style high rises that are very ugly and make the cities look like crap. Vancouver is even worse than Toronto in this regard, given the beautfil natural setting. They just plopped down a row of these ugly suckers along the river in the middle of town--it's like a Maginot line blocking a view of Whistler mountain. Horrible.

 

[John]

I was not a fan of QC, didn't like it anywhere near as much as Montreal. QC deals with a lot of 65+ Americans, who can be a bit more set in their ways. Frankly, old town QC felt to me like a gigantic tourist trap. In Montreal, there is real disdain for English-speakers. But once they find out you are American (and not Anglo-Canadian) they were the friendliest people you might encounter. One bartender took his under his wing and drove us to a couple clubs where he got us in past the lines.

Off-topic, but I find the entire French/English dynamic of Canada to be fascinating. From visiting Quebec I know that English-speakers are not treated all that warmly, but I am friendly with some folks from Alberta and they say that the rest of Canada despises the fact that French has been rammed down thier throats with bi-lingual signs, etc in provinces where no one speaks French at all.

 

[Pudge]

I've spent an enormous amount of time the last 15 years in Montreal. Including, today, a regular project meeting on a deal in New Haven.

I don't really get the French-English subtext. I only speak English. In most any part of Montreal you'd want to go (few would go to the east end), you'll find bilingual. All the educated Montrealers are. Parents who want their kids to get ahead insist on English. Yes, I've wandered outside the Island & found whole towns where no one speaks anything but French; but, that's at least an hour outside.

Summers in Montreal are glorious. The whole summer is a festival, not just the Jazz Festival. Formula 1. Laugh festival. Afro. And the Jazz is music way beyond pure Jazz. In Montreal, there are about 8 different entertainment areas. All quite different. And, from my perspective, great hotels are damn inexpensive contrasted to other like sized cities. The rest of Canada? Yes - there is a whole lot of resentment. But it's Boston versus Kansas as well as language & culture.

 

[upstater]

I've spent an enormous amount of time the last 15 years in Montreal. Including, today, a regular project meeting on a deal in New Haven.

I don't really get the French-English subtext. I only speak English. In most any part of Montreal you'd want to go (few would go to the east end), you'll find bilingual. All the educated Montrealers are. Parents who want their kids to get ahead insist on English. Yes, I've wandered outside the Island & found whole towns where no one speaks anything but French; but, that's at least an hour outside.

Summers in Montreal are glorious. The whole summer is a festival, not just the Jazz Festival. Formula 1. Laugh festival. Afro. And the Jazz is music way beyond pure Jazz. In Montreal, there are about 8 different entertainment areas. All quite different. And, from my perspective, great hotels are damn inexpensive contrasted to other like sized cities. The rest of Canada? Yes - there is a whole lot of resentment. But it's Boston versus Kansas as well as language & culture.

Montreal is one of my favorite cities. Great place. Once Montrealers find out you're American, they are very generous.

 

[Waquoit]

Montreal is one of my favorite cities. Great place. Once Montrealers find out you're American, they are very generous.

My favorite Montreal-related quote came from my brother's buddy about 3 weeks after the crew got back from a weekend trip:

"I cash-advanced $500. at Chez Paree?"

 

[Pudge]

Chez Paree is non-contact. Pretty girls though. Contact? They probably don't have that on the Berlin Turnpike.

 

[Waquoit]

Chez Paree is non-contact. Pretty girls though. Contact? They probably don't have that on the Berlin Turnpike.

That's not what the website says. Maybe that's what they told you to spare your feelings?

 

[Fishy]

We biked from the Mid-Hudson Valley to Montreal a few years back - the Canadians just could not have been any nicer.

French-speaking, English-speaking, didn't matter - they kept trying to give us food and directions even when we really didn't need either.

Actually, the people in New York and Vermont were pretty nice, too - the only people we met who were truly obnoxious were the border control people.

"What is this?" (holds up Tylenol bottle)

"Tylenol".

Long pause.....

"Okay, you can bring this in."