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

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I know you join me in applauding the outstanding success of our talented men's basketball team. Their story on the court this season is a lesson in hard work and determination. We all congratulate Coach Haase, his assistant coaches and staff, and the fine young men who wear the Blazer uniform.

UAB has a rich basketball tradition filled with championships and success in postseason play. Our strategic plan moving forward is to continue to provide the financial and other support needed to make UAB basketball a perennial powerhouse. Coach Haase is a man of integrity, vision and leadership. He possesses the character and coaching acumen to compete for conference and national championships at UAB for many years to come, and we are proud to have him lead our program.

Returning UAB basketball to its status as a perennial powerhouse requires leadership, talent and hard work from coaches and players. They are doing their part, as evidenced by their C-USA tournament championship and spot in the NCAA Tournament.

We are all very proud of our team, the quality leadership provided by Coach Haase and his staff, and the continued support of our donors. UAB basketball is back, and this is only the beginning of this next phase of excellence. As men's basketball rises, it will help the entire athletic department rise to greater levels as well. Good luck in Louisville!

Very sincerely,


Ray L. Watts
President

P.S. Our UAB National Alumni Society is hosting a watch party Thursday at the Alumni House for the game, and I encourage all Blazer fans to come out and support the team.

I agree.

I'm glad he is giving the basketball team credit but I hate that dude.

I still want to know what this undefined support for basketball refers to.

Is Watts going to be at the Alumni House on Thursday? Or is he not a Blazer fan?

Where was he from 2:30 to 5pm on Saturday?

& there is a reason not to go to the NAS house.

Damn what a dirty trick. Because he is showing support for the basketball team, everyone will now be against the basketball team. Some will probably cheer for Iowa State.

"Refocusing resources" into basketball means they better win a national championship in the next 5-10 years.

Phuq that guy.

I wonder what else could help the entire athletic department rise to greater levels.

Oh yeah, the FN sport you decided to do away with.

(03-17-2015 03:11 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Damn what a dirty trick. Because he is showing support for the basketball team, everyone will now be against the basketball team. Some will probably cheer for Iowa State.

He isn't showing support, he is writing a worthless email, that I doubt he even wrote. If he supported the team he would've been at each and every game, consequences be damned.

He did this to himself MB. Until he brings football back and saves our conference affiliation, he is worthless.

(03-17-2015 03:11 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Damn what a dirty trick. Because he is showing support for the basketball team, everyone will now be against the basketball team. Some will probably cheer for Iowa State.

Ray Watts is NOT showing support for the basketball team. He is showing support for Ray Watts. He's attempting to attach his name to Jerod Haase's achievements in the exact same way he's claimed Selwyn Vickers' mild success at the SOM as his own, and claimed Carol Garrison's building projects as his own.

Jerod Haase succeeded despite the efforts of Ray Watts and not in any way because of him. Thanks to Watt's panicked bungling, it would not have been at all surprising had many of our young players left at the semester break alongside the football players. Haase not only fended off that implosion, he triumphed.

ALL of that credit goes to Haase, his staff and his players. NONE of it goes to Ray Watts. His attempts, or those of Direct Communications, to cloak his incompetence and malfeasance in the team's justly-earned glory are despicable.

"I know you join me in applauding the outstanding success of our talented men's basketball team. Their story on the court this season is a lesson in hard work and determination. We all congratulate Coach Haase, his assistant coaches and staff, and the fine young men who wear the Blazer uniform."

Agreed, Ray L(iar) Watts... But, what about the hard work and determination put in by the team on & off the football field, whom you so ingloriously SCREWED on 12/2/14, not because they "cost too much" as you would have everyone believe, but because YOU HAVE/HAD AN AGENDA?!?!

Jeez. I thought at least some of you would recognize sarcasm.

(03-17-2015 03:42 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Jeez. I thought at least some of you would recognize sarcasm.

I thought everything you typed was sarcasm.

Or snarky.

I guess in Ray's mind we owe the success of the basketball team to him for cutting football...

(03-17-2015 03:45 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Or snarky.

Exactly. That's why my post should have been obvious.

[non-snark] no I did not think Watts was showing support for the basketball team.[/non-snark]

(03-17-2015 03:51 PM)nicknitro19 Wrote:  I guess in Ray's mind we owe the success of the basketball team to him for cutting football...

Didn't it?!? It led to the Board of mis-Trustees extending several coaches' contracts without raises... You know, reallocating all of that extra money they are saving like they said they would to make the other sports "Championship" caliber...
Isn't that amazing?!?!?

He's taking credit on something that happened before his promised efforts to boost basketball. Not only that, but again, if the man truly had good intentions and wanted to make UAB basketball into a perennial powerhouse, he would have had a plan how the funds saved from football would be used to help basketball thrive. He would have had a plan for our conference affiliation.

(03-17-2015 03:57 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  He's taking credit on something that happened before his promised efforts to boost basketball. Not only that, but again, if the man truly had good intentions and wanted to make UAB basketball into a perennial powerhouse, he would have had a plan how the funds saved from football would be used to help basketball thrive. He would have had a plan for our conference affiliation.

Abso-freaking-lutely.