a restaurant-quality kitchen". It is also considered to be the first self-contained training facility in pro football history. The Lodge was widely praised by those who were connected to the Packers. The facility provided free housing for players and their families and strengthened team chemistry. However, the Lodge was not without controversy. The players complained that the field was extremely hard and led to multiple injuries. This hardness was caused by the location of the Lodge and practice field on a granite bluff above Lake Michigan. On some days, Lambeau had to move practices to softer fields near the team's then-home, City Stadium. The players derisively called the Lodge "The Rock"—a veiled reference to Alcatraz Island. According to a 2013 article in ESPN The Magazine, the beating that the players took at the Lodge was a major factor in the Packers' marked downturn after winning the 1944 NFL title; within five years, they had fallen to 2–10, at the time the worst record in franchise history. Many team executives also thought the cost of the facility and renovations were exorbitant, considering the purchase price was 25% of the team's yearly operating budget. While Lambeau had held near-complete control over the Packers' day-to-day operations for three decades, some members of the Packers' board felt the facility was a step too far and nearly resigned. Lastly, many fans were disappointed at the distance from Green Bay to Rockwood Lodge and missed seeing the players and practices in town. The facility also proved to be a severe drain on the Packers' finances, who were also facing poor on-field performance and a possible merger with the All-America Football Conference that many feared would lead to the team folding or being moved to another market. 1950 fire On January 24, 1950, Rockwood Lodge, empty except for a caretaker and his family, caught fire. The family was unharmed, but the building completely burned down except for the stone walls and chimney. Everything in the building except a couch and a photo of Curly Lambeau, including all of the caretaker's possessions, was destroyed. The building's large wood roof, cellulose insulation, and heavy winds all contributed to the destruction. The cause of the fire was never officially ascertained, although faulty wiring or a lightning strike was suspected. Due to the Packers' financial woes and the lack of a clear cause of the fire, rumors quickly spread that someone