http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/...uab_f.html

Have to say, Watts is probably loving this article. Article states 2017 would probably be the earliest if the Blazers are not forced to do FCS. I assume the NCAA would have to grant a waiver for this. In addition, if they are FCS, they don't get CFP money. I am not sure but it sounded like CUSA wanted UAB back by 2016 not just having football back. It looks even if football is back, Watts really has done long term damage.

Either way, Watts cannot continue as President. If football returns, the Board will fire him. If football doesn't return, he will find it impossible to govern UAB.

From what I understand, he cannot interact at all with alumni or students in any public forum. Or even quasi public forum. Its really to the ridiculous level.

I suspect that Watts will take door number two, because if he does the BOT's bidding, they'll probably pay him a massive salary to retire.

Coach clark will only be there if he has no other offers. Imo He isnt loyal and is only staying at uab till 2016 because that is exactly what he has left to be fully invested in retirement in alabama.

(05-24-2015 01:02 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  From what I understand, he cannot interact at all with alumni or students in any public forum. Or even quasi public forum. Its really to the ridiculous level.

It's sort of like The Last Days of Nixon, with Watts screaming "I am the president!" and the senior VPs telling him to resign (that happened Thursday).

This clip is from the NCAA's in Louisville, but it's pretty much been the scene on the few occasions he's appeared since (he tried to show up at a baseball game a couple of weeks ago, disguising his pumpkin head under a hat, but had to leave quickly):



Here's the musical version:

(05-24-2015 08:11 PM)58-56 Wrote:  It's sort of like The Last Days of Nixon, with Watts screaming "I am the president!" and the senior VPs telling him to resign (that happened Thursday).

In terms of inevitability, that is an apt comparison: it was inevitable (from about June/July '73) that Nixon would be eventually forced from office, and since 2nd December 2014, it has been equally inevitable that Watts will eventually be forced from office.

I will say on behalf of the Trickster, that even to the bitter end he had about 25-35% of the American people firmly in his corner. I rather doubt that Watts has the loyalty of a similar % of UAB people (students/alums/faculty/admin/etc.).

Say this for Nixon, too: he faced the music and continued to hold press conferences for a long time after his real power had evaporated. (The "I'm not a crook" line was spoken at a press conference, for example). Has Ray Watts held any press conference at all since 2nd December?

How quickly can the BOT fire Watts? Do they have to meet in person to fire him? I'm worried he'll announce that it's being brought back, but then the BOT fires him and then it wouldn't be clear as to whether football is coming back.

If he gets fired my guess is its after football is for sure DEAD. If then.

(05-24-2015 05:41 PM)cleburneslim Wrote:  Coach clark will only be there if he has no other offers. Imo He isnt loyal and is only staying at uab till 2016 because that is exactly what he has left to be fully invested in retirement in alabama.

Why should he be loyal to a place that folded up the football program on him?

Because everywhere he goes he preaches loyalty and family. But its all bs and team clark comes first. Dont believe it go back and read any quote hes given, but dont be fooled its all lies.
ps he doesnt even care enough to look his players in the eyes as he leaves.

(05-25-2015 04:01 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  How quickly can the BOT fire Watts? Do they have to meet in person to fire him? I'm worried he'll announce that it's being brought back, but then the BOT fires him and then it wouldn't be clear as to whether football is coming back.

They don't decide anything in their meetings, but instead via illegal (under the Alabama Open Meetings Act) video conferences. The actual meetings are pretty creepy, with every motion passed 15-0 and absolutely no discussion. None. They do make announcements there, and the next one is June 18-19. They'll likely announce the new UAT president there and that the system chancellor, Robert Witt, is retiring and all are very sad (that is, they'll fire Witt). They could also announce Watts' execution then as well.

Watts meets with the six senior VPs tomorrow and the Faculty Senate on Wednesday. Both will probably demand his immediate resignation. If the Trustees have already fired him, he could "retire" at either meeting. That's the only way we'll find out. He will not resign just because lesser beings of inferior intellect like professors or vice presidents demand it.

(05-25-2015 09:06 PM)58-56 Wrote:  They don't decide anything in their meetings, but instead via illegal (under the Alabama Open Meetings Act) video conferences. The actual meetings are pretty creepy, with every motion passed 15-0 and absolutely no discussion. None. They do make announcements there, and the next one is June 18-19. They'll likely announce the new UAT president there and that the system chancellor, Robert Witt, is retiring and all are very sad (that is, they'll fire Witt). They could also announce Watts' execution then as well.

Watts meets with the six senior VPs tomorrow and the Faculty Senate on Wednesday. Both will probably demand his immediate resignation. If the Trustees have already fired him, he could "retire" at either meeting. That's the only way we'll find out. He will not resign just because lesser beings of inferior intellect like professors or vice presidents demand it.

Are you serious? How could they operate that way under state laws?

(05-25-2015 11:17 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  

(05-25-2015 09:06 PM)58-56 Wrote:  They don't decide anything in their meetings, but instead via illegal (under the Alabama Open Meetings Act) video conferences. The actual meetings are pretty creepy, with every motion passed 15-0 and absolutely no discussion. None. They do make announcements there, and the next one is June 18-19. They'll likely announce the new UAT president there and that the system chancellor, Robert Witt, is retiring and all are very sad (that is, they'll fire Witt). They could also announce Watts' execution then as well.

Watts meets with the six senior VPs tomorrow and the Faculty Senate on Wednesday. Both will probably demand his immediate resignation. If the Trustees have already fired him, he could "retire" at either meeting. That's the only way we'll find out. He will not resign just because lesser beings of inferior intellect like professors or vice presidents demand it.

Are you serious? How could they operate that way under state laws?

Absolutely serious.

How? Bryant Junior was campaign manager for the governor, and largest donor to the governor, Dr. Dr. Robert Bentley (he was Bryant Senior's dermatologist, and he legally changed his first name to Dr. so voters would not forget the Bear connection) and to the attorney general, Luther Strange. Bryant admitted the violations on camera, but there has been no investigation.

This is one of the reasons we keep saying it's not about football. These people use the Constitutions, state and federal, as cheap toilet paper.

Three trustees are driving the attack on UAB: Bryant Junior, Joe Espy (attorney to dog track king Milton McGregor, Bryant's former business partner) and Finis St. John IV (attorney to this guy: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2...ices-ebb). Some of their former allies are now apparently opposed.

More ugliness will surface in the next few days, there is no doubt.

Is this really all because of someone's hurt ego? That Gene Bartow called Bear Bryant out 25 years ago and his kid decided to take it out on UAB as revenge?

(05-26-2015 12:40 AM)jdgaucho Wrote:  Is this really all because of someone's hurt ego? That Gene Bartow called Bear Bryant out 25 years ago and his kid decided to take it out on UAB as revenge?

That's what many believe, but it's never seemed enough of an answer to me. I suspect that the previous president and AD, when they proposed an oncampus stadium in 2011, failed to promise the concrete contract to the then-Bryant-owned U.S. Mix, but cannot prove that. But even that doesn't answer all of it; when you see them in person (at the last Trustee meeting at UAB) the intense rabid-dog hatred of St. John and Espy, who weren't owners of the concrete firm, is the sort of thing you see in psychopathic criminals. Espy raged - and raged is the proper word - that UAB football prevented the med school from curing cancer, while St. John brushed off the Indian-American SGA pres with a casually racist crack about vaccinations.

Getting back to the original post, what is the plan if UAB gets football back? That has been my main questions since this UAB nightmare began. It is all good and well to say we can rise the pledge money but I would think CUSA would need to know when UAB can field a quality FBS team. That was the one thing I thought was sorely lacking in the last report. If football is brought back, what is the plan to get back to playing in CUSA and by what date. Hopefully this plan is already been shared with CUSA. I just have a bad feeling that none of this has been done. If UAB can't field a team in 2016 for CUSA, are they out? From what I read, even if they do field a team, they get no CFP money until they become FBS and the article stated that would be 2017 if they don't have to go the FCS route. One thing is for sure, at least there should be an answer 7 days. My heart is hoping for UAB, my head is thinking broken hearts next week. Glad I don't have to make the call since I am more of Data than Feelings person.

I am scratching my head wondering why so much ink is being spilt over *UAB* football.

(05-26-2015 09:22 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  I am scratching my head wondering why so much ink is being spilt over *UAB* football.

From an outsider's perspective on the west coast...

It has to do with the perception that the University of Alabama Board of Trustees - of which Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville are all under the jurisdiction of - is deliberately killing off UAB football just so there is one less FBS school for the state to deal with, and so that UA-T can pick up a few extra dollars that would have gone to UAB. Not only that, but the perception for some is that such a charge is being championed, if not led, by Bear Bryant's son who has been holding a personal vendetta against UAB for over 25 years.

I've heard that UAB attempted to hire Jimbo Fisher in 2006 and the Board wouldn't let it happen. UAB put forth a proposal for a new stadium in 2011 to replace Legion Field; that was shut down by the Board also.

So much ink is being "spilt" over UAB football because of the perception it wasn't really truly shut down by UAB themselves. In other words, the person who pulled the plug, President Ray Watts, wasn't looking out for UAB but was rather acting as a puppet of the Tuscaloosa side. Cronyism, you could say.

At least that is the perception. Whether or not there is any truth to it, I couldn't tell ya. The whole episode is sickening and I like 'Bama even less than I did before.

(05-27-2015 01:12 AM)jdgaucho Wrote:  

(05-26-2015 09:22 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  I am scratching my head wondering why so much ink is being spilt over *UAB* football.

From an outsider's perspective on the west coast...

It has to do with the perception that the University of Alabama Board of Trustees - of which Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville are all under the jurisdiction of - is deliberately killing off UAB football just so there is one less FBS school for the state to deal with, and so that UA-T can pick up a few extra dollars that would have gone to UAB. Not only that, but the perception for some is that such a charge is being championed, if not led, by Bear Bryant's son who has been holding a personal vendetta against UAB for over 25 years.

I've heard that UAB attempted to hire Jimbo Fisher in 2006 and the Board wouldn't let it happen. UAB put forth a proposal for a new stadium in 2011 to replace Legion Field; that was shut down by the Board also.

So much ink is being "spilt" over UAB football because of the perception it wasn't really truly shut down by UAB themselves. In other words, the person who pulled the plug, President Ray Watts, wasn't looking out for UAB but was rather acting as a puppet of the Tuscaloosa side. Cronyism, you could say.

At least that is the perception. Whether or not there is any truth to it, I couldn't tell ya. The whole episode is sickening and I like 'Bama even less than I did before.

UAB was getting all the in-state students while Alabama was getting mostly out of state to a point Alabama was falling behind to UAB where the students really wanted to go. That is why they wanted to kill the football and at the same time get rid of the undergraduate programs so that Alabama get the students that they were losing to UAB.,

The Tuscaloosa campus is also nearly $1B in debt.