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The roster handed out at the exhibition gives Robert Vaden jersey number ... 20.

The sacred number of Oliver The First Blazer removed from the rafters?

Say it ain't so, my brothers and sisters, say it ain't so!

My soul is distressed. I can type no more.

58-56 Wrote:The roster handed out at the exhibition gives Robert Vaden jersey number ... 20.

The sacred number of Oliver The First Blazer removed from the rafters?

Say it ain't so, my brothers and sisters, say it ain't so!

My soul is distressed. I can type no more.

Fear not, 58-56. Vaden will do that number justice.

Surely it was a misprint.

B4L, I know you mean well, but no one should wear 20 again.

Blzer4Life Wrote:

58-56 Wrote:The roster handed out at the exhibition gives Robert Vaden jersey number ... 20.

The sacred number of Oliver The First Blazer removed from the rafters?

Say it ain't so, my brothers and sisters, say it ain't so!

My soul is distressed. I can type no more.

Fear not, 58-56. Vaden will do that number justice.

Are you implying there is no misprint?

Vaden has indeed been granted custody of the cherished #20 jersey.

First he promotes Buck Johnson over Oliver for the Hall of Fame and now this. What does Mike Davis have against Oliver.


Retired jersey means no one wears that jersey again. Period. This sucks big time. I don't care if Michael Jordan went through a timewarp and wanted to be a Blazer, he shouldn't wear a retired jersey.

"Vaden has indeed been granted custody of the cherished #20 jersey."

If true, this is a blasphemy of the worst order. If we do not rise in righteous anger over this sodomization of our heritage, of our very identity, then we are no better than the degenerate bammers wallowing amid the ruins of a greater time, wondering what giants could have left behind such monuments.

I was there for the Nebraska game, my brothers and sisters. I was there to see #20, the First Blazer, the first player to wear the green and gold, the first to pledge to build this program in which we take such pride, take the court and write history against Western Kentucky, against Kentucky, Indiana and Virginia.

And I was there when the framed 20 jersey was handed to Oliver Robinson and Gene Bartow said, "No one will ever wear number 20 again for UAB."

No one.

Blazer basketball exists because of its heroes, and because of its loyal fans. We draw our strength from them, as they did from us. We gave them belief, and we honor them for what they were, for what we were. That 20 banner in the rafters honors every one of us as well, it recalls who we were, it is a symbol of our youth and of our strength, of our belief in a brighter future. Our heritage is not Mike Davis' to hand out to suitcase mercenaries as he pleases.

Our past makes us what we are. It is OUR past, it does not belong to outsiders to parcel out as gifts to their favorites. My thoughts were exactly those of Memphis when I saw the roster and fought down the urge to vomit I do not care if Michael Jordan at his prime wants the number. I do not care how many banners, how many championships we might win by desecrating our history. No player, no coach is worth such a price.

If this is true, and allowed to stand, then let us immediately re-name the arena for Mike Davis. To hell with Gene Bartow; let's re-cast his statue by the flames of our burning NCAA banners and re-make it in the image of Wimp "c@$%s&%$@#" Sanderson.

A coach with bammer roots must take special pains to respect our heritage and our tradition. If this is true, and I pray that it is not, then we have allowed an elephant into our dragon's nest, and he is stomping on our precious eggs while chanting "rammer jammer."

I will not renew my season tickets, held since 1979, to watch anyone disrespect our heritage by desecrating our sacred retired numbers. What's next? Will he forfeit the 1993 game to make the bammers feel better about themselves?

My brothers, my sisters, I went to Bartow Arena (if that's still its name) tonight in a state of excitement. It turned to ashes when the brunette beauty handed me the evening's roster. If this is allowed to stand, then our belief has been betrayed.

Nope, not going to stand for it. It isn't going to happen if I can bug anyone about it.

How does everything get twisted around into being Alabama's fault?

I've never heard of unretiring a number. I don't suppose MD asked OR about it. It's just a number, but it is a very important number to our tradition. OR had the greatest impact on our program excluding GB and hopefully is not being disrespected.

If someone confirms this is being done without OR's blessing, I will join a letter campaign to change it.

I've heard of it happening many times. When it happens it is by permission of the person who wore the retired number. If that is not true then it is indeed a violation of tradition.

I really don't care if Oliver gave his blessing or not. He would not raise a stink about it. It should have not been done. I really hope that Vaden has a new number next year.

This is something the fans can get behind and get changed. Getting a football coach fired midseason is not as feasible.

What the hell?

This ain't Jerry Rice wanting Steve Largent's number in Seattle. (Which I disagreed with as well).

It's madness, is what it is.

For a program that gets hammered constantly for its perceived lack of tradition, it's just plain wrong to piss on the tradition we do have.

Before we declare this as Pearl Harbor, Fort Sumter, and 9-11 all in one a few questions are in order.

First did Vaden wear #20 at IU? If so then we can assume that there was no printing error in the program.

Second was Oliver Robison contacted about the use of his number before last night? If so then we don't have anything to complain about because the number is Oliver's and he should be allowed to make the call.

However, if the proper procedure was not followed then Vaden's number should be changed immediately and an apology issued. If not then this is all out war and must be stopped. Firing Watson will have to take a back seat because this JerseyGate will be as big as the (original) Buck Johnson affair all over again.

I too was there during the Oliver Robinson era and I also saw the jersey retired and it was a MAJOR event in the history of UAB because it was the first retirement of any number in any sport at UAB. Signs, Posters, Letters, e-mail, Parades, Talk Shows, Sit-ins, Booing at Bartow will all take place if Oliver's Number has been defiled.

Before everyone jump on CMD, I am going to assume that b/c this is his 1st year at UAB that he probably don't know the history that many of us know. The Problem is not CMD, I will bet he didn't sit down and type up these numbers. We have a sports information department that has been around longer than CMD, they should be aware of this more than CMD right now, it is their job to inform CMD of this before it goes to print and becomes public. I rest assured that when he is notified of such, that the changes will be made.

crimsonation Wrote:How does everything get twisted around into being Alabama's fault?

I must agree with this +2,000,000.00. What tha F@CK are we being sooo melodramatic for. (A) The kid has not set foot on the floor in a regular season game. For that matter Walter Sharpe and MD Jr. could have been listed as #20. . . it aint official. (Please excuse my grammatical blunders).

(B)24hrs ago we were excited about UAB Basketball and CMD b/c CWB killed all our Cocks and destroyed our hopes, now because of a f@cking media guide we are ready to lock the doors to Bartow Arena and forbid CMD from entering, in true George Wallace fashion. News flash, this is not University of Alabama and everything is not a result of them trying to undermine us.

Please try and remember everybody wearing Green and Gold is on OUR side. F@ck?!?!?

BlazerRob Wrote:Before we declare this as Pearl Harbor, Fort Sumter, and 9-11 all in one a few questions are in order.

First did Vaden wear #20 at IU? If so then we can assume that there was no printing error in the program.

Second was Oliver Robison contacted about the use of his number before last night? If so then we don't have anything to complain about because the number is Oliver's and he should be allowed to make the call.

However, if the proper procedure was not followed then Vaden's number should be changed immediately and an apology issued. If not then this is all out war and must be stopped. Firing Watson will have to take a back seat because this JerseyGate will be as big as the (original) Buck Johnson affair all over again.

I too was there during the Oliver Robinson era and I also saw the jersey retired and it was a MAJOR event in the history of UAB because it was the first retirement of any number in any sport at UAB. Signs, Posters, Letters, e-mail, Parades, Talk Shows, Sit-ins, Booing at Bartow will all take place if Oliver's Number has been defiled.

Vaden wears #20 in practice.

Vaden won't step foot on court this season and will never wear a game jersey this year, either.

Save the complaining until next year IF he has #20 on his game jersey.

the complaining should exist now to ensure that it does not happen next year.

Oliver Robinson's number is retired and should stay that way.

Oliver is the first Blazer, a degree-holder and a state legislator. He is the epitome and example of a successful UAB student-athlete.

Robert Vaden has not earned the right to wear that jersey number. No one has, nor will they ever.

"First did Vaden wear #20 at IU?"

Vaden wore 24 at Indiana.

UABsports.com lists him as #20 as well.

"I am going to assume that b/c this is his 1st year at UAB that he probably don't know the history that many of us know"

It is his job to LEARN about our program, to know this history, if he wishes to become part of it. All he has to do is look into the damned rafters to see #20 hanging there over practice every day. He is the head coach, and it is ultimately his responsibility to protect our heritage. His support of Alfonso Johnson for the ASHOF over Oliver Robinson now appears in a much more sinister light.

Oliver Robinson is the symbol of our past, the root of our program. Memphis is right he would never complain, he would never refuse even if he were asked. His love for our program, the integrity that bleeds from his every pore, would prevent him from doing so. It is OUR job to raise the protest that he cannot. He sacrificed for us; it is asking very little for us to protect his legacy in return.

Alex Rodriguez did not get to keep #3 when he went to the Yankees, and had the grace to change to another number. Oliver Robinson is OUR Babe Ruth, without the beer and doughnuts. Our program is the House that Oliver Built.

My season tickets are already in hand for this year, and I will attend to support the players, the Kinnards and Holmeses and Delaneys. But I plan to wear a #20 jersey every night. Because if ANYONE can wear it, why not me, too?