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

After the Campaign Kickoff meeting I learned from people I trust that the hold up on Clark's contract and the commitment to start building the new football facilities most probably comes not from Watts, but from the BOT - no surprise there. These people truly believe at the football pledges were bogus promises and that we will not put our money where our mouths are. The folks told me that the September 1st deadline was put out there to illustrate that we won't step up so the BOT can have an excuse to put off Clark's contract and put off have a reason to deny the new football facilities.

Well, I am here to tell you that those b@stards have underestimated us yet again and that we will call their bluff!

Like everyone else who got that letter with Watts' signature, I was ticked beyond imagination. If that moment Watts had been standing in front of me I would have round kicked him in the head and then stomped on his xxxs while he lay on the ground. I also promised myself that they would not get my money one day early. However, I have since realized the that is probably the reaction the BOT is hoping for.

Please get your pledges in early. I am going to give as much of my five year commitment as I can afford before September 1st, but that is a but a drop in the bucket. However, with all of our drops together we can fill their damn bucket to overflowing and hit them in the head with it. I know that some people have not budgeted for this and can't make contributions now. Heck, that more than okay, but if you can get your contributions in early do it ASAP. Let's call their bluff and force hand. Sooner or later they will learn to quit underestimated us.

Cajun, I've come to that conclusion as well and told Brad this afternoon that I will be making my first installment before September 1. I'm giving a good bit more than Watts so I can't accelerate the giving without defaulting on the mortgage, telling the kids they can't go to college, and having to return my car to the dealership. I originally intended to start on January 1, 2016 as I pledged if football had returned. (I decided after the 2017 season return was announced that HC Clark's contact signed would suffice.) After this afternoon's meeting, I believe we all have to do all we can as soon as we can to assure we do our best for the athletic programs at UAB, particularly football.

The energy on this board sucks right now. Are you in or out?

Last night I made my second of 4 payments towards my annual pledge and I hope to be able to make one more before the 1st.

(08-18-2015 08:23 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  After the Campaign Kickoff meeting I learned from people I trust that the hold up on Clark's contract and the commitment to start building the new football facilities most probably comes not from Watts, but from the BOT - no surprise there. These people truly believe at the football pledges were bogus promises and that we will not put our money where our mouths are. The folks told me that the September 1st deadline was put out there to illustrate that we won't step up so the BOT can have an excuse to put off Clark's contract and put off have a reason to deny the new football facilities.

Well, I am here to tell you that those b@stards have underestimated us yet again and that we will call their bluff!

Like everyone else who got that letter with Watts' signature, I was ticked beyond imagination. If that moment Watts had been standing in front of me I would have round kicked him in the head and then stomped on his xxxs while he lay on the ground. I also promised myself that they would not get my money one day early. However, I have since realized the that is probably the reaction the BOT is hoping for.

Please get your pledges in early. I am going to give as much of my five year commitment as I can afford before September 1st, but that is a but a drop in the bucket. However, with all of our drops together we can fill their damn bucket to overflowing and hit them in the head with it. I know that some people have not budgeted for this and can't make contributions now. Heck, that more than okay, but if you can get your contributions in early do it ASAP. Let's call their bluff and force hand. Sooner or later they will learn to quit underestimated us.

I am not doubting this for a minute. What I want to know is which BOT members are calling for a violation of the contractual agreements we all signed. No sense in beating around the bush anymore. These aren't nameless faceless omnipotent beings. They are men and women who all have to do business in this state. They have to follow contractual law just like everyone else. Plus that kind of interference is a clear SACS and probably an NCAA violation.

BTW sent my first year pledge in last week. After seeing Ray's "paid in full" pledge I it's pretty clear which one of us is serious about this process.

I paid what I could and will assess the situation next pay check. What about deposits on season tickets?

(08-18-2015 08:51 PM)biglizard Wrote:  What I want to know is which BOT members are calling for a violation of the contractual agreements we all signed. No sense in beating around the bush anymore. These aren't nameless faceless omnipotent beings. They are men and women who all have to do business in this state. They have to follow contractual law just like everyone else. Plus that kind of interference is a clear SACS and probably an NCAA violation.

And a number of these individuals sit on boards of federally regulated financial institutions.

I submitted the full amount of my first-year pledge yesterday.

(08-18-2015 08:44 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  The energy on this board sucks right now. Are you in or out?

I'll make my pledge in January, as I said I would. If we can't scrape together 2.5 mil from the fundraising team announced, then I doubt my pledge will even matter in the long run.

The event today was a nice pep rally, but no real numbers were presented. This was supposed to be an event about fundraising...but that topic was barely discussed by the speakers.

If this event was to get me to.give more money or give earlier than what was originally agreed to, Hatton Smith should have spent less time throwing out footballs and more time throwing out numbers.

Sorry if my energy "sucks", but today was played up as some sort of announcement or surprise and it was neither. It was great to see Clark, but he isn't the one we need to be hearing from the most. We need focus...the fundraising event tonight didn't really give us that.

I wanted to see that Hatton Smith was more than just a hype machine but that's all he brought to the table tonight.

We need to get the message out on social media as well for those folks who don't frequent this board often. If you can help with that, please do so.

(08-18-2015 08:44 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  The energy on this board sucks right now. Are you in or out?

That's what I'm saying! I'M ALL IN for all that I can do!

(08-18-2015 09:12 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(08-18-2015 08:44 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  The energy on this board sucks right now. Are you in or out?

I'll make my pledge in January, as I said I would. If we can't scrape together 2.5 mil from the fundraising team announced, then I doubt my pledge will even matter in the long run.

The event today was a nice pep rally, but no real numbers were presented. This was supposed to be an event about fundraising...but that topic was barely discussed by the speakers.

If this event was to get me to.give more money or give earlier than what was originally agreed to, Hatton Smith should have spent less time throwing out footballs and more time throwing out numbers.

Sorry if my energy "sucks", but today was played up as some sort of announcement or surprise and it was neither. It was great to see Clark, but he isn't the one we need to be hearing from the most. We need focus...the fundraising event tonight didn't really give us that.

I wanted to see that Hatton Smith was more than just a hype machine but that's all he brought to the table tonight.

+1. Maybe this is all a marketing ploy to sell more coffee.

Well I was there today and broadcast on periscope most everything that happened from about 3:45 to 6:15 tonight. What happened was Hatton Smith taking complete control and doing everything that a university president should do that Ray Watts has never done. Ray Watts came into the Alumni House for a complete 30 seconds, got A cup of water and exited out of the back hall. Hatton Smith was amazing he greeted everyone at the front door as they came in personally. I think we all see what's going on.

Mark Ingram came out as flat, again with very few specifics or enthusiasm.

Hatton Smith then made an amazing speech .... some would call it a sermon.

(08-18-2015 09:12 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(08-18-2015 08:44 PM)CajunBlazer Wrote:  The energy on this board sucks right now. Are you in or out?

I'll make my pledge in January, as I said I would. If we can't scrape together 2.5 mil from the fundraising team announced, then I doubt my pledge will even matter in the long run.

The event today was a nice pep rally, but no real numbers were presented. This was supposed to be an event about fundraising...but that topic was barely discussed by the speakers.

If this event was to get me to.give more money or give earlier than what was originally agreed to, Hatton Smith should have spent less time throwing out footballs and more time throwing out numbers.

Sorry if my energy "sucks", but today was played up as some sort of announcement or surprise and it was neither. It was great to see Clark, but he isn't the one we need to be hearing from the most. We need focus...the fundraising event tonight didn't really give us that.

I wanted to see that Hatton Smith was more than just a hype machine but that's all he brought to the table tonight.

Agreed.

THE BUILDUP for today that was anything short of Coach Clark's new contract & breaking ground of the Football facility in the next few months was a failure.

I can confirm what Cajun is saying. It is true and the real number is $2.5 that must be raised. Spread the word and do what you can. If you cant until Jan 1 then no shame. You can help spread the word though. We will call their bluff and we will meet that number.

The reason there is no update to an actual number is they will move the target again.

This is a very nasty, and well-thought-out, move by our friends on the Board. More sophisticated than I would have given them credit for, but it is dangerous to misunderestimate your enemies. Their skills in committing evil are considerable (they are the spiritual and often actual descendants of the same scum who kept Jim Crow alive for 100 years - one hundred years - after the Civil War).

It's not aimed at us. And it's not even aimed at inducing failure (that would be a bonus). They're sending a message to our new business-community allies re: who's really in charge. They probably also hope to peel off at least a few of them who don't want the fight (and naively just want to help their community). This is why there are ZERO Trustee-related businesses on the Committee.

We have finally awoken them to the real danger (as they see it): money from major donors flowing to the new Blazer Foundation instead of its rightful place in the Crimson Tide Foundation. If it's money that never had flowed to the CTF before, well that's even worse, because it means we ensnared prospects who should be giving to Tuscaloosa. Remember Karen Brooks's June statement: the Board's first (and only public) move in response to the reinstatement has been to place their own watchdog, Hays, in place to oversee finances instead of Smithers, who apparently wavered in his devotion to Pumpkinhead during the VP-level convulsions of late May.

We have entered a new phase of this struggle: an existential conflict between Birmingham and rural Alabama, between the past and the future. Now it's for real. This is the battle we've been waiting for, the one with actual stakes. We fight.

(08-19-2015 09:48 AM)58-56 Wrote:  This is a very nasty, and well-thought-out, move by our friends on the Board. More sophisticated than I would have given them credit for, but it is dangerous to misunderestimate your enemies. Their skills in committing evil are considerable (they are the spiritual and often actual descendants of the same scum who kept Jim Crow alive for 100 years - one hundred years - after the Civil War).

It's not aimed at us. And it's not even aimed at inducing failure (that would be a bonus). They're sending a message to our new business-community allies re: who's really in charge. They probably also hope to peel off at least a few of them who don't want the fight (and naively just want to help their community). This is why there are ZERO Trustee-related businesses on the Committee.

We have finally awoken them to the real danger (as they see it): money from major donors flowing to the new Blazer Foundation instead of its rightful place in the Crimson Tide Foundation. If it's money that never had flowed to the CTF before, well that's even worse, because it means we ensnared prospects who should be giving to Tuscaloosa. Remember Karen Brooks's June statement: the Board's first (and only public) move in response to the reinstatement has been to place their own watchdog, Hays, in place to oversee finances instead of Smithers, who apparently wavered in his devotion to Pumpkinhead during the VP-level convulsions of late May.

We have entered a new phase of this struggle: an existential conflict between Birmingham and rural Alabama, between the past and the future. Now it's for real. This is the battle we've been waiting for, the one with actual stakes. We fight.

My money is on Birmingham. Good >>> Evil!

I still don't understand how there can be a secret deadline, at an amount that hasn't been publicly acknowledged on a timeframe that has only been vaguely alluded to in a press release. Even after the lack of details from yesterday's pep rally/press conference, and with students being given NCAA waivers and being signed to the team, if they pull the rug out from under UAB football again after just two or three months then we will be in an intolerable situation.

58-56 is dead on.

one thing everyone forgets. Those board members DON'T CARE. They don't care what Joe Q Public thinks because when bama kicks off all will be forgotten.