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

(08-10-2017 09:18 PM)UABslant Wrote:  I genuinely hope this is righting a wrong. UAB and the system allowed positive periods in the program's early years to be squandered & even dumped upon by UA System trustees & our own inaction to strike while the iron was hot.
It looks like the surveys we were asked to do a while back we're actually taken to heart and our administration realized the only way to fix it was to hire the people who do it for one of the top programs in the country (they are, there's no point in denying it).
We have committed to the program, now the admin is committing to do what it takes to make it successful... I hope.

I'm all for The Bruno's event group doing it because I believe they will do a better job than UAB has done in the past, but just as a point of order...

Most Alabama fans can't stand how the Bruno's team has screwed up the tailgating in Tuscaloosa. Where before every group had a certain spot they would have for every game and there were basically communities where you had the same neighbors week after week, year after year, the Brunos team has changed things up practically every year since they took over. Breaking up tailgating groups by reallocating spots based on money donated every year, then working with the city to shut down tailgating spots that groups moved to that weren't under the Bruno's team's jurisdiction in order to force as many people as possible to pay into the more profitable tailgating setup they created. The whole setup, at least in Tuscaloosa, isn't geared towards the convenience of the fans, its geared towards maximizing income generated for Bruno's and the university.

(08-11-2017 08:33 AM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  Most Alabama fans can't stand how the Bruno's team has screwed up the tailgating in Tuscaloosa. Where before every group had a certain spot they would have for every game and there were basically communities where you had the same neighbors week after week, year after year, the Brunos team has changed things up practically every year since they took over. Breaking up tailgating groups by reallocating spots based on money donated every year, then working with the city to shut down tailgating spots that groups moved to that weren't under the Bruno's team's jurisdiction in order to force as many people as possible to pay into the more profitable tailgating setup they created. The whole setup, at least in Tuscaloosa, isn't geared towards the convenience of the fans, its geared towards maximizing income generated for Bruno's and the university.

The Bruno Event Team did that? I have heard these complaints but the people I've talked to were under the impression UA made these changes. I guess they did, technically, by hiring Bruno Event Team, but this is the first time someone has mentioned Bruno Event Team's role to me. Good to know.

Do you think this has something to do with UAB changing the tailgating arrangements at Legion Field for this coming season?

Tailgating was F-ed up before Bruno was hired. It's a long story but yes, they are pushing some of these things. All in all Bruno event team will be good for us.

The priority points thing is all Ingram 100% While I think it's not an overall bad thing priority points should not be used for every thing. Common sense should rule in certain situations.

The Athletic department is just not equipped to handle huge events as we have seen in the past. We are in a different situation than Tuscaloosa and it should be a help to our situation. I cant speak for Tuscaloosa nd quite frankly don't care.

Everyone I know that goes to Tuscaloosa hates what Bruno did there. That being said, we are in a very different situation. I think having them on board will improve the logistics of our gameday. Beyond all that, having Hallman working with us- whether you like him or not- is a positive if we want out of Legion Field. He pulls a lot of strings when it comes to sports in B'ham. He can only help when it comes to getting a new stadium downtown.

If you donate more money to Alabama, you bump those who donate less. It's a business.

Sorry if I donated six figures I'd expect a better location than the guy that donated $500. That's how you fund programs

The big donors are being taken care of, don't worry. The priority points system is a way of getting smaller donors to consistently give and attend. The majority of the fanbase are smaller donors, so keeping that consistent stream of income is incredibly important.

Let's just enjoy it until we are so big that we can piss everyone off and still sell out a stadium...then we can gripe about which event team is heading it up.

(08-10-2017 09:53 PM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:31 PM)bladhmadh Wrote:  as long as they have soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms Ill be happy. im still convinced that was a deliberate act not supplying the bathrooms

Doesn't the city handle the bathroom maintenance?

You have not been to enough games to know what the game day experience at Lesion Field has been over the years or you wouldn't have said that. The only time that soap, toilet paper, and paper towels were certain to be there was the game after the Classic. Concessions were bad to awful. There was much more that I'm hoping is now behind us,

(08-11-2017 06:09 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:53 PM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:31 PM)bladhmadh Wrote:  as long as they have soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms Ill be happy. im still convinced that was a deliberate act not supplying the bathrooms

Doesn't the city handle the bathroom maintenance?

You have not been to enough games to know what the game day experience at Lesion Field has been over the years or you wouldn't have said that. The only time that soap, toilet paper, and paper towels were certain to be there was the game after the Classic. Concessions were bad to awful. There was much more that I'm hoping is now behind us,

Hell I remember having to try more than one bathroom before finding one with a stall door, much less TP.

(08-11-2017 09:20 PM)ndjs22 Wrote:  

(08-11-2017 06:09 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:53 PM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:31 PM)bladhmadh Wrote:  as long as they have soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms Ill be happy. im still convinced that was a deliberate act not supplying the bathrooms

Doesn't the city handle the bathroom maintenance?

You have not been to enough games to know what the game day experience at Lesion Field has been over the years or you wouldn't have said that. The only time that soap, toilet paper, and paper towels were certain to be there was the game after the Classic. Concessions were bad to awful. There was much more that I'm hoping is now behind us,

Hell I remember having to try more than one bathroom before finding one with a stall door, much less TP.

I got free tickets to the President's box one weekend because I had taken my 4 year old to the bathroom and had to leave him sitting on a toilet in a stall to go on a search for TP. Took several stalls before finding some.

Shot an email to Carol Garrison and Brian Mackin just to give them a heads up that the stadium folks weren't giving them their money's worth. Even though I tried to refuse the ticket (that's not what I was emailing for) they insisted that my family come to the tailgate and watch the game from the box.

I miss CG!

(08-11-2017 09:26 PM)iam4uab Wrote:  I miss CG!

You and me both. She used to even swing by the fraternity tailgates and have quick conversations with us. I haven't seen Ray Watts since he had a full police escort.

(08-11-2017 06:09 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:53 PM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:31 PM)bladhmadh Wrote:  as long as they have soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms Ill be happy. im still convinced that was a deliberate act not supplying the bathrooms

Doesn't the city handle the bathroom maintenance?

You have not been to enough games to know what the game day experience at Lesion Field has been over the years or you wouldn't have said that. The only time that soap, toilet paper, and paper towels were certain to be there was the game after the Classic. Concessions were bad to awful. There was much more that I'm hoping is now behind us,

So...the city doesn't handle the bathroom maintenance? I'm just wondering why the city would deliberately not stock tp and soap in the bathrooms.

The city does handle it but UAB has to complain to get a roll of TP.

To answer your question they just didn't care. Things should be noticeably different now.

(08-12-2017 12:35 AM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(08-11-2017 06:09 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:53 PM)imjustafatkid Wrote:  

(08-10-2017 09:31 PM)bladhmadh Wrote:  as long as they have soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms Ill be happy. im still convinced that was a deliberate act not supplying the bathrooms

Doesn't the city handle the bathroom maintenance?

You have not been to enough games to know what the game day experience at Lesion Field has been over the years or you wouldn't have said that. The only time that soap, toilet paper, and paper towels were certain to be there was the game after the Classic. Concessions were bad to awful. There was much more that I'm hoping is now behind us,

So...the city doesn't handle the bathroom maintenance? I'm just wondering why the city would deliberately not stock tp and soap in the bathrooms.

when UAB first went 1-A the head of the Park Board was a huge UAT guy. He did not think UAB should have football. UAT still played their first game of the season in Birmingham at that time. The park board would stock the bathrooms for the UAT game and that was it. We would have the leftovers for the first game of the season. I spent years bringing my own soap and tp for my kids. If I was just a casual football fan instead of a diehard UAB fan I would not have gone back. Which was my guess. The list of issues and slights are long. Things did improve after the asshat retired from the park board and UAT stopped playing here.

As has been pointed out before, 99% of complaints about Legion Field are about fan amenities, not the football team's needs. We can HOPE that a new BJCC facility will provide an improved fan experience, but won't the same folks probably be operating it? What happens then if after the first games, there is a lack of better concessions, soap and TP there?

(I strongly suspect that the TP and such are brought to Legion Field but over time find their way to the homes of the stadium workers as "bonus income")

(08-12-2017 12:53 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  As has been pointed out before, 99% of complaints about Legion Field are about fan amenities, not the football team's needs. We can HOPE that a new BJCC facility will provide an improved fan experience, but won't the same folks probably be operating it? What happens then if after the first games, there is a lack of better concessions, soap and TP there?

(I strongly suspect that the TP and such are brought to Legion Field but over time find their way to the homes of the stadium workers as "bonus income")

Do crappy concessions and unstocked restrooms seem to be a problem with other BJCC events?

(08-12-2017 12:53 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  but won't the same folks probably be operating it?

No. The Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Birmingham and the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority are two different entities.

(08-12-2017 04:13 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(08-12-2017 12:53 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  but won't the same folks probably be operating it?

No. The Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Birmingham and the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority are two different entities.

I know the administrations are separate, but I don't know that the on site operating work forces are completely separate as well. Will Legion Field concessions people be excluded from working a new BJCC site?

(08-12-2017 09:20 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(08-12-2017 04:13 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(08-12-2017 12:53 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  but won't the same folks probably be operating it?

No. The Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Birmingham and the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority are two different entities.

I know the administrations are separate, but I don't know that the on site operating work forces are completely separate as well. Will Legion Field concessions people be excluded from working a new BJCC site?

The management of the BJCC and the Parks and Recreation Board are made up of completely different people. When is the last time you've been to an event at the BJCC?

Will someone who worked concessions at Legion Field work concessions at the BJCC? Maybe, but the management is different. There is zero reason to think the BJCC will have the same problems that Legion Field did. There's no reason to think that the city won't be putting on a better show at Legion Field this season either. Why does everything have to be so dense?