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Should this hypothetical situation actually come to pass, I'm sure the university would honor any scholarship offers for any players who don't transfer. That would actually be more like bringing "less" harm to the players because they don't have the opportunity to get injured in practice or in games.

Is this the same group of insiders who predicted a ground breaking 5 years ago.
We know how reliable their information is. LOL
The ground is not broken.

I am sorry that Paul Bryant Jr pulled it off the agenda. All our information was correct up until that point. If you want to bury your head in the sand be my guest.

(11-06-2014 12:43 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:33 PM)BTR Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:17 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  That was my general thought when people were suggesting that the OCS was going to get illegally pulled off the agenda and buried, for no reason whatsoever. Come on...they can't/wont do that without a basis...they know there would be consequences...

OOPS

Yeah... I mean they would have to do an outside feasibility study or something wouldn't they?

Um, no. There's no law that says "before you can close down UAB football, a feasibility study must be done". They can do whatever they want, they're in charge. That's how it works.

Don't be purposefully obtuse. He said "Come on... They can't/wont do that without a basis... They there would be consequences..."

My post quoted that and was in response to that. As he said... There would be consequences if they didn't do it correctly. I mean... Let's take your point of view... Heck, they could shut down the campus all together and convert it to a technical school for the blind. They're in charge... That's how it works.

They also know if they tried to do that... There would be consequences and it would not be done. I don't care if they have the "right" to do it or not - it would never happen. That is why he said... They can't/will not do it without basis.

(11-06-2014 01:35 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Unless your degree is in football, I don't see how shutting down the program devalues your degree. In the long run maybe if it contributes to a decline of UAB overall, but I am not convinced that will happen, and even if it does that is a very long game and speculative. All UAB has to do is honor current contracts and guarantee the scholarships of existing players even after the program is closed to avoid any lawsuits on that front.

As has been mentioned over and over again - this president is dismantling things not med related. The Honors Program fiasco is a GREAT example. Those of us who were in the HP are shocked at how this is now being handled.

If you don't believe that football brings interest to the school then there is no arguing with you. I personally am friends with a recruiter for Baylor. The amount of interest in their program after the last few years of positive runs has been beyond belief. They are turning away kids that would have easily gotten in a few years ago.

My daughter is a senior and looking at colleges - she was admitted early to the three schools she applied to - UAB was one of them. Unless UAB comes up with some awesome scholarships... This will not be where she goes. From 6000 miles away she sees how undervalued the undergrad side is and is wanting to go somewhere that has pride in their school and program. The tour of campus was the second worse tour we took - there is no school pride and spirit. That will not attract kids who have many options of where to go.

Like it or not - college in the US is about kids growing up and experiencing life as much as it is about studying and getting a degree. If they dismantle football it may seem like one small thing but it is just the beginning - there will be many ripple effects.

Well I just got asked by a colleague in Chattanooga(Baylor grad) what in the world was going on.

I believe pbj will give it one last try to kill what he perceive to be an affront to his 1st his dad, 2nd to him and 3rd to Alabama football. I don't know the character of Pres. Watts, but I do know his first responsibility is to acknowledge request made through the BOT.
If the BOT is asking for a study to be done on UAB football feasibility the results may surprise them. The feasibility findings can be Good, Bad or inconclusive based on what data or time periods the study covers, but there are so many variables, for example, community support, cost investment vs. investment to increase value. etc...

pbj desire to kill what could become an economic cash cow for Birmingham and the surrounding community, is a fight that may see strange political forces , combine to fight what is nothing more than one man's blatant attempt to accomplish in his life time the destruction of Moby Dick...

(11-06-2014 01:57 PM)BTR Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:43 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:33 PM)BTR Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:17 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  That was my general thought when people were suggesting that the OCS was going to get illegally pulled off the agenda and buried, for no reason whatsoever. Come on...they can't/wont do that without a basis...they know there would be consequences...

OOPS

Yeah... I mean they would have to do an outside feasibility study or something wouldn't they?

Um, no. There's no law that says "before you can close down UAB football, a feasibility study must be done". They can do whatever they want, they're in charge. That's how it works.

Don't be purposefully obtuse. He said "Come on... They can't/wont do that without a basis... They there would be consequences..."

My post quoted that and was in response to that. As he said... There would be consequences if they didn't do it correctly. I mean... Let's take your point of view... Heck, they could shut down the campus all together and convert it to a technical school for the blind. They're in charge... That's how it works.

They also know if they tried to do that... There would be consequences and it would not be done. I don't care if they have the "right" to do it or not - it would never happen. That is why he said... They can't/will not do it without basis.

True, they have to have political cover. But, from a legal "I'm going to sue you" basis they could vote tomorrow to completely shut down UAB and sell the buildings off to Sloss Real Estate and as long as they personally don't pocket the money they'd be completely in the legal clear.

The threat that people are making that they think they'll be able to sue to prevent this is silly.

(11-06-2014 02:14 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 01:57 PM)BTR Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:43 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:33 PM)BTR Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:17 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  That was my general thought when people were suggesting that the OCS was going to get illegally pulled off the agenda and buried, for no reason whatsoever. Come on...they can't/wont do that without a basis...they know there would be consequences...

OOPS

Yeah... I mean they would have to do an outside feasibility study or something wouldn't they?

Um, no. There's no law that says "before you can close down UAB football, a feasibility study must be done". They can do whatever they want, they're in charge. That's how it works.

Don't be purposefully obtuse. He said "Come on... They can't/wont do that without a basis... They there would be consequences..."

My post quoted that and was in response to that. As he said... There would be consequences if they didn't do it correctly. I mean... Let's take your point of view... Heck, they could shut down the campus all together and convert it to a technical school for the blind. They're in charge... That's how it works.

They also know if they tried to do that... There would be consequences and it would not be done. I don't care if they have the "right" to do it or not - it would never happen. That is why he said... They can't/will not do it without basis.

True, they have to have political cover. But, from a legal "I'm going to sue you" basis they could vote tomorrow to completely shut down UAB and sell the buildings off to Sloss Real Estate and as long as they personally don't pocket the money they'd be completely in the legal clear.

The threat that people are making that they think they'll be able to sue to prevent this is silly.

The program has support. The only way they can shut it down is to subvert that, either irresponsibly or even illegally. Either way there is going to be plenty of grounds for an investigation. Investigations uncover things.

Whether you think it's "silly" or not is irrelevant. You aren't my audience. I don't give a s**t if you believe me or not.

(11-06-2014 02:04 PM)BTR Wrote:  As has been mentioned over and over again - this president is dismantling things not med related. The Honors Program fiasco is a GREAT example. Those of us who were in the HP are shocked at how this is now being handled.

What happened with the honors program? All I could find on my google search is something about an uproar over shutting it down and a response from Watts saying it wasn't being shut down.

(11-06-2014 12:22 PM)AnimeBlazer Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:17 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  That was my general thought when people were suggesting that the OCS was going to get illegally pulled off the agenda and buried, for no reason whatsoever. Come on...they can't/wont do that without a basis...they know there would be consequences...

OOPS

Killing a program leaves a much larger paper trail.

You don't seem to understand that the people working to kill the program don't really care about paper trails, because they largely see themselves as untouchable by the law. PBJ has been breaking the law for years in various business activities, and gets away with it because he's powerful, and people are scared of him. His daddy's shadow still protects him even from the grave. If you don't believe that, your head has been in the sand regarding Alabama and BOT politics since birth, and nothing will change it.

(11-06-2014 02:57 PM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 02:04 PM)BTR Wrote:  As has been mentioned over and over again - this president is dismantling things not med related. The Honors Program fiasco is a GREAT example. Those of us who were in the HP are shocked at how this is now being handled.

What happened with the honors program? All I could find on my google search is something about an uproar over shutting it down and a response from Watts saying it wasn't being shut down.

Again, a lie from Watts. He said it wasn't being shut down because it was being restructured. It's been a bit quiet lately, because he forgot how powerful a group of geniuses (aka Honors Alumni) can be. However, he's still working to restructure the system to eliminate the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and close the Honors House and simply have a basic "honors college" where students take a variety of classes from different disciplines labeled as "honors." In essence, the University honors program will be nonexistent, have no more interdisciplinary meaning, and be useless as a recruiting tool or a way to properly educate those students interested in real academic challenge and diversity.

Watts is on a major campaign to completely gut the academic side of the college. If a program doesn't directly feed into the medical side, as far as he's concerned, it's unneeded. Why? Because that's the BOT's position. It wants to eliminate EVERY UAB program that's also available in Tuscaloosa and return UAB to its days as an extension center.

(11-06-2014 03:03 PM)Grammar-Nazi Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:22 PM)AnimeBlazer Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 12:17 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  That was my general thought when people were suggesting that the OCS was going to get illegally pulled off the agenda and buried, for no reason whatsoever. Come on...they can't/wont do that without a basis...they know there would be consequences...

OOPS

Killing a program leaves a much larger paper trail.

You don't seem to understand that the people working to kill the program don't really care about paper trails, because they largely see themselves as untouchable by the law. PBJ has been breaking the law for years in various business activities, and gets away with it because he's powerful, and people are scared of him. His daddy's shadow still protects him even from the grave. If you don't believe that, your head has been in the sand regarding Alabama and BOT politics since birth, and nothing will change it.

I know he is no friend of ours. I just doubt he cares enough about eliminating UAB football to spend his retirement in depositions.

I care more about UAB football (and so do many of you) than he and his ilk care about shutting it down.

That fact is what some of you are omitting from your calculators.

This is the hound dog vs the porcupine.

Our football program has support. If it were to be surreptitiously eliminated it would sprout up again eventually as long as its support endures. The only thing that can kill UAB football is YOU. And right now I see a lot of you here on this board. So it looks like you're here and haven't gone anywhere...

To steal a line from the leftists: Our opponents find themselves on the wrong side of history.

I am here and I am not going anywhere. If attacked I will defend myself.

Now I'm done arguing with you chicken littles.

Act like you deserve to be here. Because you do!

(11-06-2014 03:06 PM)Grammar-Nazi Wrote:  Again, a lie from Watts. He said it wasn't being shut down because it was being restructured. It's been a bit quiet lately, because he forgot how powerful a group of geniuses (aka Honors Alumni) can be. However, he's still working to restructure the system to eliminate the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and close the Honors House and simply have a basic "honors college" where students take a variety of classes from different disciplines labeled as "honors." In essence, the University honors program will be nonexistent, have no more interdisciplinary meaning, and be useless as a recruiting tool or a way to properly educate those students interested in real academic challenge and diversity.

It seems really odd to me to remove an honors program. Doesn't make sense really. Even if they're trying to just make UAB a med school wouldn't an honors program be viewed as a positive by doctors? What is the rationale they give for wanting to stop it?

(11-06-2014 03:47 PM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 03:06 PM)Grammar-Nazi Wrote:  Again, a lie from Watts. He said it wasn't being shut down because it was being restructured. It's been a bit quiet lately, because he forgot how powerful a group of geniuses (aka Honors Alumni) can be. However, he's still working to restructure the system to eliminate the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and close the Honors House and simply have a basic "honors college" where students take a variety of classes from different disciplines labeled as "honors." In essence, the University honors program will be nonexistent, have no more interdisciplinary meaning, and be useless as a recruiting tool or a way to properly educate those students interested in real academic challenge and diversity.

It seems really odd to me to remove an honors program. Doesn't make sense really. Even if they're trying to just make UAB a med school wouldn't an honors program be viewed as a positive by doctors? What is the rationale they give for wanting to stop it?

He hasn't given a rationale. However, all discussions have revealed he doesn't understand how it works or its value -- and he's also made it clear he doesn't care to understand it, either.

The man simply hates anything that competes for his attention or dollars from the medical side of campus. Period.

(11-06-2014 11:51 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 11:05 AM)AnimeBlazer Wrote:  TO ANYONE THAT MAY BE PLANNING such a move on our program I strongly suggest you dot every "i" and cross every "T" because I can assure you a lawsuit will be heading your way if you eliminate or otherwise unfairly attack UAB Football. I assure you that this is not an idle threat. After all, I'll have all the money I was going to donate to the building of our OCS to keep it well funded.

First, you can't sue the University of Alabama System because it's a state entity.

That's simply not true. You can't sue in state court, but they are certainly actionable in Federal Court and as there will be people directly affected from other states (players, conference contract) there certainly can be a case made for jurisdiction.

Before you object, the company I work for was just embroiled in a lawsuit against the UA BOT & UAT. It took us almost 7 years to kick their azimuth's back under their rock. But kick them we did and they are still pouting in their corner over it.

(11-06-2014 07:32 PM)blazerjay Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 11:51 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(11-06-2014 11:05 AM)AnimeBlazer Wrote:  TO ANYONE THAT MAY BE PLANNING such a move on our program I strongly suggest you dot every "i" and cross every "T" because I can assure you a lawsuit will be heading your way if you eliminate or otherwise unfairly attack UAB Football. I assure you that this is not an idle threat. After all, I'll have all the money I was going to donate to the building of our OCS to keep it well funded.

First, you can't sue the University of Alabama System because it's a state entity.

That's simply not true. You can't sue in state court, but they are certainly actionable in Federal Court and as there will be people directly affected from other states (players, conference contract) there certainly can be a case made for jurisdiction.

Before you object, the company I work for was just embroiled in a lawsuit against the UA BOT & UAT. It took us almost 7 years to kick their azimuth's back under their rock. But kick them we did and they are still pouting in their corner over it.

It's already been noted that the conference contract is up in 2016/2017. Do you really think they're stupid enough to not have all the contractual stuff lined up? And all they have to do for the players is guarantee their scholarships until they graduate.