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

Somehow UAB Athletics decides to promote John Merrill on Facebook.

Was this not the same guy who told BT'ers to pound sand while UAB football was having a hiatus?


https://www.facebook.com/UAB.Blazers/

UAB Athletics
7 hrs ·
The Alabama Secretary of State, a proud sponsor of UAB Athletics, would like to encourage Blazer fans to make their voice heard and get out in vote!

For more information, visit http://www.alabamavotes.gov

(06-14-2018 06:41 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Somehow UAB Athletics decides to promote John Merrill on Facebook.

Was this not the same guy who told BT'ers to pound sand while UAB football was having a hiatus?


https://www.facebook.com/UAB.Blazers/

UAB Athletics
7 hrs ·
The Alabama Secretary of State, a proud sponsor of UAB Athletics, would like to encourage Blazer fans to make their voice heard and get out in vote!

For more information, visit http://www.alabamavotes.gov

It was the on-campus stadium he told us to go to hell over.

But he's right in this case (even as his "in vote" illiteracy reveals his UAT education): we have the chance to vote out this bammeroid ******* and replace him with the pro-UAB Heather Milam Nikolic.

(01-16-2012 09:35 PM)blazinrunner Wrote:  Initial msg from me:
Mr. Merrill,

     I am just writing to say that I disagree with your statement in the Tuscaloosa News about UAB Football not having the support to build an on-campus football stadium. First, I am a two-time graduate of the Tuscaloosa campus (2009, 2011) but I believe UAB deserves an on-campus stadium. First, the Blazers STILL averaged 20,000 people at football games even though they had a losing program due to a coach that the Board of Trustees forced upon them. If UAB averages that for a losing season(s), it could easily double with a winning season. This could definitely happen now that UAB has a coach that was actually wanted at UAB and that was actually highly touted. The on-campus stadium would also help with recruiting which would help the overall success of the program. Not only that, but the business community in Birmingham supports UAB football which is evident by the selling of the luxury boxes by Birmingham businesses. If UAB football (and athletics in general) was actually given a chance to succeed, it would succeed. Thanks for your time and GO BLAZERS!!

Sincerely,


Response from Merrill:

Birmingham and the Jefferson County Metro area has more than 1.5 million people in the area and you really think it is good that they have had 15 crowds of 30 K in 15 years?  Really?
 
I have been to one UAB football game and several UAB basketball games.
 
It probably wouldn't surprise you that my wife and I are graduates of The University and that we are season ticket holders at The University of Alabama (Football, Basketball, Women's Basketball, Baseball, Gymnastics, and we attend other sporting events too.)
 
The University of Alabama - Birmingham is important to our state.
 
UAB is very important to me.  My father has been in the UAB Hospital, my mother has a masters degree from UAB.
 
Apparently UAB football is not very important to very many people in our state.

The facts speak for themselves.
 
First UAB needs to get some football fans, then build support for a stadium.
 
John H. Merrill
State House 62

He can go pound a sheep.

He doesn't already?

That response doesn't even make sense. "I don't care about a UAB football team that was put in a position to only average 3 wins a season so why would anyone else care?"

He is a ***** with ears and an enemy to the program. I’d put clay ryan in the group of ***** heads.

There is a lot of tone deafness by the UAB administration when it comes to remaining friends/partners with outside folks who were for, or even had an active part in the killing of UAB football. That of course, is due in large part to the fact that our current administration was an active participant in the killing of football.

The whole situation we are in where Watts and Ingram were able keep their jobs and remain stewards of the program they tried to kill is insane. The BoT used Watts as a hired thug to shoot football in the head, and Ingram was the bumbling sidekick hired to try and chase away the Dr. that was keeping it alive on life support.

Football lived despite their efforts and then the BoT basically said "Oh joy, football survived and is out of the hospital... Why don't we let the assassin and his bumbling sidekick we hired to kill it keep custody over it and make sure it remains healthy."

Well said Matt.

I truly believe that Ingram wants a thriving Athletics department. He just will not challenge his boss in the process. UAB is not his dream job, and producing a thriving Athl Department is his ticket out, not getting fired.

The former version of the system BOT had a lot of clout with statewide elected people and some of those are still around. As a result, UAB athletics has not been the "fair-haired child of God" for many in Alabama. That is why the BOT could get away with killing its football program in 2014 without a single statewide elected official crying foul. Our only support in Montgomery were a few Jeffco delegation members and they could not get enough votes to help UAB fight back.
Hopefully, the new version of the BOT will continue to allow UAB to develop its athletic teams or at least not get in its way. Perhaps they will even let us advise on the next UAB President.

Step 1 = Elect Walt

(06-18-2018 07:26 PM)scales Wrote:  Step 1 = Elect Walt

Channeling the Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats commercial...and also trying not to derail here...

The UAB fan in me says yes, elect Walt.
The taxpayer in me who doesn't want to saddle the state with the financial burden of Medicaid expansion is, shall we say, a little hesitant.

(06-19-2018 09:24 AM)BatesUAB Wrote:  

(06-18-2018 07:26 PM)scales Wrote:  Step 1 = Elect Walt

Channeling the Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats commercial...and also trying not to derail here...

The UAB fan in me says yes, elect Walt.
The taxpayer in me who doesn't want to saddle the state with the financial burden of Medicaid expansion is, shall we say, a little hesitant.

It's about $100 million a year, plus $70 million startup, which is indeed a lot of money.

On the other hand: Walt's moronic opponent already cost the state $548 million to re-build the PACT fund she allowed to crash while State Treasurer through simple incompetence. That's tax money flowing out of the General Fund every year in exchage for nothing. There's a reason Bentley openly called her "impeachment insurance."

It is a lot of tax money, but I have confidence that Walt Maddox won't drop it behind Bentley's stained office couch while inebriated. Somehow "Walt: Rarely Drunk" doesn't seem like a good campaign slogan, though.

We have to break the bammer hold on this state. That's going to mean voting for abortion rights or abortion wrong, for spenders and savers, for gun nuts and gun enemies. We can debate these issues when we have leaders capable of pronouncing, much less spelling, them. First, we have to reject the fools, drunkards and idiots, all of whom seem to wear crimson on Saturdays.

Yep.

(06-19-2018 10:18 AM)58-56 Wrote:  

(06-19-2018 09:24 AM)BatesUAB Wrote:  

(06-18-2018 07:26 PM)scales Wrote:  Step 1 = Elect Walt

Channeling the Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats commercial...and also trying not to derail here...

The UAB fan in me says yes, elect Walt.
The taxpayer in me who doesn't want to saddle the state with the financial burden of Medicaid expansion is, shall we say, a little hesitant.

It's about $100 million a year, plus $70 million startup, which is indeed a lot of money.

On the other hand: Walt's moronic opponent already cost the state $548 million to re-build the PACT fund she allowed to crash while State Treasurer through simple incompetence. That's tax money flowing out of the General Fund every year in exchage for nothing. There's a reason Bentley openly called her "impeachment insurance."

It is a lot of tax money, but I have confidence that Walt Maddox won't drop it behind Bentley's stained office couch while inebriated. Somehow "Walt: Rarely Drunk" doesn't seem like a good campaign slogan, though.

We have to break the bammer hold on this state. That's going to mean voting for abortion rights or abortion wrong, for spenders and savers, for gun nuts and gun enemies. We can debate these issues when we have leaders capable of pronouncing, much less spelling, them. First, we have to reject the fools, drunkards and idiots, all of whom seem to wear crimson on Saturdays.

Very good points all.

I'm not sure that the next governor is going to have much choice in expanding Medicaid. Our rural hospitals are closing by the dozen leaving UAB and USA on the hook for an increasing number of indigent patients from much of Alabama. The last I heard, Children's Hospital is currently carrying an average of about 70% of its patients on Medicaid. As more hospitals close around the state, UAB and USA will have to step up into that space. That care is spelled "ER" the most expensive hospital service area.

Now if Alabama can just convince the 1.5 to 2 million citizens who qualify for Medicaid to just go back home and die quietly and anonimously so no one is alarmed, we won't even notice. That is what happened to my 49 year old daughter in 2012. On Aug.13, after the county closed the Oncology Dept. at Cooper Green, she was admitted to UAB and put in ICU for 3 days. On Thursday she was placed in a regular room and then discharged Friday morning. She died at her home Monday Aug. 20. Family noticed, but not the public.