CSNbbs

A friend just posted a pic of Butler Field the practice filed for UAT band. I am speechless.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs....09999&pl=1

It's very important to continue to educate the public en masse. Most do not understand that the same forces responsible for these amenities in Tuscaloosa also caused many surgeries and other season-ending rehab due to the condition of the UAB practice field. The revolution must continue with the same fervor as if June 1 had not happened. We've come too far to take our small consolation gift and back off.

Nice field. I wonder if they'll share it with soccer and intramurals like UAB's band does.

Wait. No I don't.

Even people who were already cynical to begin with (about UAT's profligate ways) would be stunned if they really took a close look at everything that's going on.

The challenge, of course, is getting people to take a close look in the first place.

The Athletic Department has $150 million coming in annually, and if they don't find SOMETHING to spend it on, they will have to give it to the university's General Scholarship Fund. That is why such facilities are funded every year or so -- like a new baseball park for their 7,000 or so fans -- waterfalls in training rooms and such. They report spending about $200,000 annually per athlete in Tuscaloosa while jacking up SYSTEM tuition annually (by over 50% since 2008) to cover academic expenses.

The Marching Blazers' rehearsal space is only 90 yards with no end zones. When it rains, the front sideline is a lake. We share the field with intermural football. Many of those players wear cleats and that tears the field up very quickly. There are potholes and divots that form throughout the year that we have to mark to make sure no one gets hurt. In really bad years they sometimes bring in sand to fill the holes, but that's not a great solution. We have to move some rehearsals throughout the year to different locations or end early because of soccer games. For the first day of band camp last year we practiced at Homewood High School (which has a good facility away from the city noise) due to soccer. The field is right by the interstate so we can't record out there due to the constant noise (recorded this year at Homewood).

To be fair, Butler wasn't much better. The whole field would be a lake after a storm. My understanding is they have been trying to get it and the recently approved renovations done for a few years. When they asked, they were told that they needed to raise most of the money. Sound familiar? If true, shows the BOT is more interested in frat houses than one of the most recognizable organizations on the Tuscaloosa campus.

Really disappointing to hear all of that. It makes sense though when you go all the way down to the root of the issue:

- The BOT is perpetuated by the idea of the Machine.
- The Machine cannot survive without as many white Greek students as possible.
- Therefore, build up the white Greek system to be as prolific as possible so that the next generation can continue to bend us (as well as the State of Alabama) all over.

(07-04-2015 12:58 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote: [ -> ]The Athletic Department has $150 million coming in annually, and if they don't find SOMETHING to spend it on, they will have to give it to the university's General Scholarship Fund. That is why such facilities are funded every year or so -- like a new baseball park for their 7,000 or so fans -- waterfalls in training rooms and such. They report spending about $200,000 annually per athlete in Tuscaloosa while jacking up SYSTEM tuition annually (by over 50% since 2008) to cover academic expenses.

That is a misleading figure. U of As athletic department "nets" about 30 million annually. Overall athletic department "debt" is about 200 million.

Good thing we've upgraded our football practice field to the same standards since the June 1st announcement then ...

The reality is, that over the past 184 years of their history, UAT has built a broad and wealthy base of donors and program which is financially sound (regardless of the debt). That is a fact of life, and doesn't reflect poorly on UAT at all. Good for them and good for the members of the Million Dollar Band. I have a close friend who is on their alumni board, and they raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the program annually.

WE can get there, Just gotta build it for ourselves.

(07-05-2015 06:58 AM)TheGORILLA Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-04-2015 12:58 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote: [ -> ]The Athletic Department has $150 million coming in annually, and if they don't find SOMETHING to spend it on, they will have to give it to the university's General Scholarship Fund. That is why such facilities are funded every year or so -- like a new baseball park for their 7,000 or so fans -- waterfalls in training rooms and such. They report spending about $200,000 annually per athlete in Tuscaloosa while jacking up SYSTEM tuition annually (by over 50% since 2008) to cover academic expenses.

That is a misleading figure. U of As athletic department "nets" about 30 million annually. Overall athletic department "debt" is about 200 million.

For any of us who has a mortgage, it is likely the original recent mortgage to income ratio was about what it is for Bama Athletics or worse. Good annual income assures bonded debt at the best possible interest rates thereby making greater debt levels more sustainable. The "net income" figure is after certain expenses have been paid, but what are those "certain expenses" that account for $120 million (of the $150 million) gross income?

It is true that Bama built up a large wealthy alumni base, but it has always operated with a sympathetic BOT who were always on their side. UAB has never been able to take such support from the BOT for granted as they can in Tuscaloosa, and in fact has always had to fight that BOT for everything nonmedical at UAB. The football program was just one program the BOT has wanted to shut down for years..

(07-05-2015 02:10 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-05-2015 06:58 AM)TheGORILLA Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-04-2015 12:58 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote: [ -> ]The Athletic Department has $150 million coming in annually, and if they don't find SOMETHING to spend it on, they will have to give it to the university's General Scholarship Fund. That is why such facilities are funded every year or so -- like a new baseball park for their 7,000 or so fans -- waterfalls in training rooms and such. They report spending about $200,000 annually per athlete in Tuscaloosa while jacking up SYSTEM tuition annually (by over 50% since 2008) to cover academic expenses.

That is a misleading figure. U of As athletic department "nets" about 30 million annually. Overall athletic department "debt" is about 200 million.

For any of us who has a mortgage, it is likely the original recent mortgage to income ratio was about what it is for Bama Athletics or worse. Good annual income assures bonded debt at the best possible interest rates thereby making greater debt levels more sustainable. The "net income" figure is after certain expenses have been paid, but what are those "certain expenses" that account for $120 million (of the $150 million) gross income?

It is true that Bama built up a large wealthy alumni base, but it has always operated with a sympathetic BOT who were always on their side. UAB has never been able to take such support from the BOT for granted as they can in Tuscaloosa, and in fact has always had to fight that BOT for everything nonmedical at UAB. The football program was just one program the BOT has wanted to shut down for years..

They've had 184 years, too. Let's just keep working. Keep working.....

(07-05-2015 01:52 PM)PTBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]The reality is, that over the past 184 years of their history, UAT has built a broad and wealthy base of donors and program which is financially sound (regardless of the debt). That is a fact of life, and doesn't reflect poorly on UAT at all. Good for them and good for the members of the Million Dollar Band. I have a close friend who is on their alumni board, and they raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the program annually.

WE can get there, Just gotta build it for ourselves.

Did they start with Bryant Denny as their stadium? Was it paid for in cash? How about every damn thing the athletic department has? The reason we got a soccer stadium is because they aren't playing soccer at the d1 level anytime soon, title IX. Why are you always so quick to defend them? This isn't about what Alabama has or doesn't have, it's about the route they took to get there. How many boosters have not been allowed to lay turf at Alabama? How many coaches have they not been allowed to hire? Let us do our thing, and I don't give a damn about Bama. You listen to those crimson arguments, but you are never quick to defend us, or ask relevant questions on our behalf.

Someone who breaks the group think! They must be purged!

So who's worse? The sheep baying or the sheep baying back in objection?
Hee heehaw!!!

(07-05-2015 03:35 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote: [ -> ]Someone who breaks the group think! They must be purged!

I am the farthest thing from the groupthink here. This guy loves to take the bot/watts position on everything. I asked legit questions, that he(pro Bama) has not legitimately answered. I'm sure the delayed response is based off of what watts wants him to say publicly.

(07-05-2015 09:38 PM)blazers9911 Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-05-2015 03:35 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote: [ -> ]Someone who breaks the group think! They must be purged!

I am the farthest thing from the groupthink here. This guy loves to take the bot/watts position on everything. I asked legit questions, that he(pro Bama) has not legitimately answered. I'm sure the delayed response is based off of what watts wants him to say publicly.

Joseph Goebbels would love your approach. Keep saying how I have always defended the BOT and Watts and perhaps those who don't read my posts will believe the lie. I have NEVER justified the actions of the BOT or the Watts administration in regard to UAB athletics - just the opposite. In fact, in this thread I pointed out that the Bama programs have always had the support of the BOT but that UAB's has not. UAB has had to fight the UA administration for every program since it was founded.

(07-06-2015 01:49 AM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-05-2015 09:38 PM)blazers9911 Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-05-2015 03:35 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote: [ -> ]Someone who breaks the group think! They must be purged!

I am the farthest thing from the groupthink here. This guy loves to take the bot/watts position on everything. I asked legit questions, that he(pro Bama) has not legitimately answered. I'm sure the delayed response is based off of what watts wants him to say publicly.

Joseph Goebbels would love your approach. Keep saying how I have always defended the BOT and Watts and perhaps those who don't read my posts will believe the lie. I have NEVER justified the actions of the BOT or the Watts administration in regard to UAB athletics - just the opposite. In fact, in this thread I pointed out that the Bama programs have always had the support of the BOT but that UAB's has not. UAB has had to fight the UA administration for every program since it was founded.

Uh, BBF I think it's actually me he's ranting at, but I can't really follow it any more than anyone else can. I'll just agree with what you said.

I'll respond for "myself" after I see what Lord Watts requires me to say publicly.