The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

See post #3...

Choke me in the shallow waters before I get too deep.

I love Steve Martin but I think you meant to include this link http://blog.al.com/comebacktown/2014/04/...t_a_b.html

He failed to back up a single statement with any evidence whatsoever, just his personal opinion. Yeah, that's quality selling right there.

Two things convince me that such a MPF would be good for the B'ham metro area.
#1 When the GA Dome was damaged by a storm, the facility's manager stated that they had over 200 events scheduled there so repairs had to be done right away. He did not want to give any of those 200+ events a reason to doubt the facility and change to a new venue. NOTE: He did not say "200+ football games".
#2 The Crossplex, a very modest structure for its role, has been reported to have brought in several millions in tourist revenue when used for major track & field events.

A week long major convention would have even more of an effect on the area's revenue (NOT just for B'ham).

Build it and stop listening to the naysayers.

(04-23-2014 09:06 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Build it and stop listening to the naysayers.

Unfortunately for the good of the project, those "naysayers" have a lot of metro area voting support and are backed up by an indifferent state government.

I love how he says "Any public funding" Uhm, Gene... you are wanting to pay for it ENTIRELY with public funding. In a county that is already bankrupt.

(04-23-2014 09:59 AM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  I love how he says "Any public funding" Uhm, Gene... you are wanting to pay for it ENTIRELY with public funding. In a county that is already bankrupt.

...and a state that will not help Birmingham one iota. Anything Birmingham does it'll have to do alone with county and state government hands out for the tax monies generated for something that put no investment monies into...

Mr. Hallman is a gentleman, and a great guy in general, and spot on here.

(04-23-2014 10:25 AM)Montgomery Blazer Wrote:  Mr. Hallman is a gentleman, and a great guy in general, who wouldn't cross the street to piss down UAB's throat if our guts were on fire.

FIFY

The person who is Gene Hallman is irrelevant when discussing this issue.

YES!!! B'ham (and its metro area) should have the necessary facilities to host major conventions AND sports events as offered to them. The details of how to afford those facilities can be argued over into the 2020s, but until some accommodations are reached, the money from such events will continue to flow to other cities likely in other states.

One important point is that there are NONE of the major cities building major convention facilities entirely out of their individual city pockets. They all require some mix of local, regional, state and private funding to get these huge projects built. Many cities in other states have managed to work these things out, but Alabama, especially where Jeffco and B'ham are concerned, seems incapable of such cooperation.

Gene wants it built because he will make money off it
He has fought against an ocs for UAB because he won't make money off it

The number one thing anyone can do to ensure this project moves forward is to make sure Gene Hallman is as far away from it as possible.

It's funny that Bamanblazerfan is telling everyone what is and isn't relevant

(04-23-2014 11:01 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  Gene wants it built because he will make money off it
He has fought against an ocs for UAB because he won't make money off it

This. Gene Hallman is all about who butters his bread and lines his pockets. Anything he says has to be examined through the filter of where his self-interest lies.

By harping continuously on the personality of the messenger instead of the value of the message, we continue to stagnate while other places move forward. "Attacking the messenger for delivering an unpleasant message" is not a new device, but its value as a problem solving device has not improved over the ages.

It's not as stupid as the Dog Track Dome Larry Langford was clamoring for at least.

Or the dome over Legion Field.

(04-23-2014 11:16 AM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  By harping continuously on the personality of the messenger instead of the value of the message, we continue to stagnate while other places move forward. "Attacking the messenger for delivering an unpleasant message" is not a new device, but its value as a problem solving device has not improved over the ages.

If the messenger has questionable biases or vested interests in the message, then he/she damned well does deserve scrutiny.