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http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/ne...9&page=all

Great article and good points made about how we are fighting that chicken/egg scenario.

I will say that my biggest issue with getting friends and co-workers to the games has long been Legion Field and the neighborhood itself. I could sell a game by Railroad Park or Regions Field. I could sell a game on the UAB campus. I have a hard time selling Graymont/Smithfield/Elyton Village. It's a disappointing fact. I've met some of the nicest folks around the stadium, but it's hard to convince some of the OTM crowd to bring their kids to that neighborhood. Perception is reality for some people.

Are we missing out on 3-5k casual fans per game? You bet we are.

That's a nice article. I hope it drives a little attendance.

3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

I like the article except that he's making Saturday's one, single game a referendum on the existence of the program. If that were the case than every program with attendance less than X this weekend should be shut down.

Why do we have to justify our existence? If UAB wants to play division 1 football, that should be the end of every conceivable argument. It's a shame we have to fight this crap.

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

I was being conservative with my figures. 3,000 fans over six games is 18,000 more tickets sold... that's $270,000 with $15 general admission tickets... add parking and concessions and you're looking at an additional $1 million added revenue per season.

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

No offense, but I've been hearing that for twentysomething years. I've been going down there all those years, and the worst that's ever happened was some food or beer getting ganked from an unguarded tailgate.

If you wanted to be there, you would figure out a way. If we're ever to get the on campus stadium that all of us want, we have to put asses in seats, and Lesion Field is what we're stuck with. Come on down and bring your friends, we're trying to stick it to the man here and make them quit screwing us out of improving our position.

It's one game at 11 in the morning, you'll be safe enough. Don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I see little old ladies down there, I figure you'll survive.

(11-20-2014 05:35 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

No offense, but I've been hearing that for twentysomething years. I've been going down there all those years, and the worst that's ever happened was some food or beer getting ganked from an unguarded tailgate.

If you wanted to be there, you would figure out a way. If we're ever to get the on campus stadium that all of us want, we have to put asses in seats, and Lesion Field is what we're stuck with. Come on down and bring your friends, we're trying to stick it to the man here and make them quit screwing us out of improving our position.

It's one game at 11 in the morning, you'll be safe enough. Don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I see little old ladies down there, I figure you'll survive.

No (bleeping) illegitimate excuses! #AllHandsOnDeck

(11-20-2014 05:35 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

No offense, but I've been hearing that for twentysomething years. I've been going down there all those years, and the worst that's ever happened was some food or beer getting ganked from an unguarded tailgate.

If you wanted to be there, you would figure out a way. If we're ever to get the on campus stadium that all of us want, we have to put asses in seats, and Lesion Field is what we're stuck with. Come on down and bring your friends, we're trying to stick it to the man here and make them quit screwing us out of improving our position.

It's one game at 11 in the morning, you'll be safe enough. Don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I see little old ladies down there, I figure you'll survive.

I agree but people that don't come regularly/haven't been to Legion Field since Bama played there perceive the area to be like entering Iraq.

That perception is an unbreakable wall for tens of thousands of people OTM. No amount of explaining the reality or your personal experiences will change that perception.

(11-20-2014 05:35 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

No offense, but I've been hearing that for twentysomething years. I've been going down there all those years, and the worst that's ever happened was some food or beer getting ganked from an unguarded tailgate.

If you wanted to be there, you would figure out a way. If we're ever to get the on campus stadium that all of us want, we have to put asses in seats, and Lesion Field is what we're stuck with. Come on down and bring your friends, we're trying to stick it to the man here and make them quit screwing us out of improving our position.

It's one game at 11 in the morning, you'll be safe enough. Don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I see little old ladies down there, I figure you'll survive.

Coming from a former Admissions counselor, people in this state have a fear of Birmingham. A major fear. They will not go anywhere that is not the campus itself. There are a TON of students when I was in undergrad, as well as when I was recruiting for UAB that would not step foot over there no matter how safe you told them it was.

(11-20-2014 06:01 PM)ThankUBasedQuad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:35 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

No offense, but I've been hearing that for twentysomething years. I've been going down there all those years, and the worst that's ever happened was some food or beer getting ganked from an unguarded tailgate.

If you wanted to be there, you would figure out a way. If we're ever to get the on campus stadium that all of us want, we have to put asses in seats, and Lesion Field is what we're stuck with. Come on down and bring your friends, we're trying to stick it to the man here and make them quit screwing us out of improving our position.

It's one game at 11 in the morning, you'll be safe enough. Don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I see little old ladies down there, I figure you'll survive.

Coming from a former Admissions counselor, people in this state have a fear of Birmingham. A major fear. They will not go anywhere that is not the campus itself. There are a TON of students when I was in undergrad, as well as when I was recruiting for UAB that would not step foot over there no matter how safe you told them it was.

Yep, it's like an imaginary line in people's heads. These people think once they step foot into the city limits of Birmingham there will instantly be 5 people there waiting to murder them.

There are very few places in the city that you should be afraid to be before 5 PM. Legion Field is not one of them.

A casual student, or a family with kids, or your daughter and her friends, or any other football fan would probably rather go somewhere and watch football. If they are not comfortable where they are going then they probably wont go back. Only dedicated UAB fans are the ones who make the trip to LF, with the exception of a few locals. It would be a helluva lot better for us to have a nice facility on campus. We could easily have 40-50k attendance on campus with a decent team.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

(11-20-2014 06:01 PM)ThankUBasedQuad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:35 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

No offense, but I've been hearing that for twentysomething years. I've been going down there all those years, and the worst that's ever happened was some food or beer getting ganked from an unguarded tailgate.

If you wanted to be there, you would figure out a way. If we're ever to get the on campus stadium that all of us want, we have to put asses in seats, and Lesion Field is what we're stuck with. Come on down and bring your friends, we're trying to stick it to the man here and make them quit screwing us out of improving our position.

It's one game at 11 in the morning, you'll be safe enough. Don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I see little old ladies down there, I figure you'll survive.

Coming from a former Admissions counselor, people in this state have a fear of Birmingham. A major fear. They will not go anywhere that is not the campus itself. There are a TON of students when I was in undergrad, as well as when I was recruiting for UAB that would not step foot over there no matter how safe you told them it was.

I agree. The perception around the state is that Birmingham is crime-ridden, dirty, and run-down. SO MANY people have no idea about the city and the change that occurred in the last 4-5 years. If the city doesn't get the Democratic National Convention (I wish it would but don't believe it will happen), I think the money allocated for the DNC should be spent on a marketing campaign around the Southeast showcasing the city. The image and perception of the city as a whole needs to be changed.

Biggest problem is perception of LF & local media hasn't helped much in that area. There's probably less crime going on there game day than when UAT played there. Not as big of crowds so thieves/pickpockets/drunks fratboys doing stupid stuff don't happen

We've never had good attendance during November, so I really hope people show up for this game. I'll be bringing two. Our best crowd ever during November was 25k for USM. Other than that we've only had a few 20k crowds in November and they were all in the first week or two.

(11-20-2014 05:29 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  I like the article except that he's making Saturday's one, single game a referendum on the existence of the program. If that were the case than every program with attendance less than X this weekend should be shut down.

Why do we have to justify our existence? If UAB wants to play division 1 football, that should be the end of every conceivable argument. It's a shame we have to fight this crap.

+1

I literally can't say much more.

(11-20-2014 06:01 PM)ThankUBasedQuad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:35 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 05:12 PM)blazed247 Wrote:  3-5k how about around 10k+ Also, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of students who do not want to go out to LF because of the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

No offense, but I've been hearing that for twentysomething years. I've been going down there all those years, and the worst that's ever happened was some food or beer getting ganked from an unguarded tailgate.

If you wanted to be there, you would figure out a way. If we're ever to get the on campus stadium that all of us want, we have to put asses in seats, and Lesion Field is what we're stuck with. Come on down and bring your friends, we're trying to stick it to the man here and make them quit screwing us out of improving our position.

It's one game at 11 in the morning, you'll be safe enough. Don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I see little old ladies down there, I figure you'll survive.

Coming from a former Admissions counselor, people in this state have a fear of Birmingham. A major fear. They will not go anywhere that is not the campus itself. There are a TON of students when I was in undergrad, as well as when I was recruiting for UAB that would not step foot over there no matter how safe you told them it was.

As the parent of a current UAB student who sees the look of horror when he tells people she lives on campus, I know.

Having the games at Legion Field has no effect on whether I will go watch or not but I'm sure some folks see it differently. My wife didn't seem to mind bringing the kids out for the FIU game earlier in the season but she may see it differently if we were playing a night game.

Hopefully some casual observers will show up this Saturday with the somewhat poor matchups Bama and Auburn have going on.

I have a problem with people who are afraid of their shadows, make no effort to know the facts, and are perfectly content to blindly go along with imaginary fears.

I have been going to Legion Field for over 35 years. I have never had a single bad experience and have personally only heard of one such incident in all that time. That's not to say that we wouldn't benefit from -- and DESERVE -- an OCS. We would and we do. But using LF as an excuse not to go to games is just that -- an excuse.