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

(11-16-2014 10:58 AM)the_blazerman Wrote:  

(11-16-2014 10:56 AM)AnimeBlazer Wrote:  

(11-16-2014 10:53 AM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Even if things work out for the better, we may not be able to overcome our ideas & opinions about Watts & Mackin in this whole process & they may be tarnished as a result of this even if they were somehow innocent.

How do they get tarnished because you were half-cocked?

What's wrong with just finding out before shouting "fire" in a crowded theater?

If it came out that OJ was actually innocent (if you thought he was guilty) would your opinion of him change?

Well there would still be the whole matter of the casino, the memorabilia, his thugs, and that gun he pulled... so no?

(11-16-2014 10:55 AM)Smaug Wrote:  If we come out of this with an OCS, I'll say, "You crafty bastard!" and the first over-priced watered down Coke at Bartow-Garrison Stadium will be on me.

I'm gonna need something a hell of a lot stronger than 10 year old Coca-Cola after this if that scenario takes place! Trans: & yours will be on me!

I just can't get over how I am always on the other side of these things... I wanted Mackin fired when he didn't dispose of Call-away when it had become clear to God and everybody that the poor bastidge couldn't coach. Mid season! Post haste!

"No wait...." came the plaintive cry "he knows what he's doing"... Now you want him out of town on a rail without due process.

(11-16-2014 11:04 AM)AnimeBlazer Wrote:  I just can't get over how I am always on the other side of these things... I wanted Mackin fired when he didn't dispose of Call-away when it had become clear to God and everybody that the poor bastidge couldn't coach. Mid season! Post haste!

"No wait...." came the plaintive cry "he knows what he's doing"... Now you want him out of town on a rail without due process.

Not from me! Hell, I was all fired up thinking we were going to sign Fisher, then the bastards dropped their hand-picked loser in our laps, I was not at all pleased, his inaugural press conference wreaked, I was literally nauseous when he took the podium, but I swallowed my pride and gave the loser a chance...In retrospect, I'm starting to experience that nausea again, for real, because it just hit me that Mackin actually gave this **** a contract extension after going 15-33 after 3 seasons of pure incompetence and ineptitude, but hasn't said a damn thing to Coach Clark, who in ONE year has UAB Football up and fighting for a bowl berth within one win of doing so...But this is UAB, where no good deed goes unpunished...

To be honest I don't want to defend Mackin - especially since I have been already been critical. However, it occured to me that there is one credible scenario which which could explain the situation with Brian not being one of the bad guys, even though I am having trouble believing it myself.

Let's say that Watts told Mackin that it was time to dismantle the football program along the women's sports required by Title 9 to even up men's/women"s scholarships. That would free up the money required for 170 scholarships along with a bunch of coach's salaries, scholarships for the marching band, and other miscellaneous expenses to spend on "more important priorities" such as the medical side of the campus. Watts would pass along the BOT's advice to Brian that UAB should "concentrate improving winning basketball and soccer programs".

In this scenario Brian defends football and women's program to be cut and argues (using all of the arguments found on this board) that this is a bad idea. He challenges the basic tenant of Watt's argument saying that he believes that cutting the football team and the associated programs will actually lose more money for UAB than it saves due to a drop in booster donations, lower student admissions, etc. When Watts disagrees Brian suggests a study to settle the matter. Watts agrees to the study because he sees it as a method of bringing legitimacy to the process and because it gives him scapegoat to blame for the eventual football shutdown.

Brian suggests hiring his old buddies at Carr and associates, who he has worked with before on coaches hirings, because he is reasonably sure they won't suggest shutting down the football program, but will instead suggest that the University invest in the facilities to make it successful. Because the study is still ongoing when the sh** hits the fan, neither Watts nor Mackin can comment that the program will or will not be shut down because it is a possibility, but Brian is optimistic enough to make his "exciting" comment.

I can also think of several other scenarios in which Mackin hasn't done enough to ward off the ax when he knew it was falling.

On the other hand, we simply don't know for sure what his role is cesspool is. One think I think we can be sure of is that Mackin is not the person who instigated the effort to shut down football - there several reasons why losing the football program and associated other sports would not be in his selfish self interest. Now we don't know how hard he is or isn't fighting internally the effort to kill football, but because he is not the instigator, while he might not be a friend, he is not the real enemy. The enemies are Watts and/or the BOT and and they should be the sole targets of our rage until we find out the whole story.

Cajun

My gut tells me that Blazertalkers have over-analyzed this whole matter and devised theories and scenarios that are much more complex than reality.

What else is new?

(11-17-2014 01:45 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  What else is new?