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

UAB perhaps is giving birth to outstanding football and basketball program. We hired 2 young energetic coaches who won the press conference. They have a lot of potential. But so far we have been awful on the court/field. I now see why my wife chose to have an epidural during childbirth. It's painful giving birth. And call me what you want, but being a UAB fan right now is painfully depressing. No disrespect to the ladies hoops, but our program is at one of its lowest points in history.

And someone please stop running the UAB commercials on the radio that says UAB is headed to the NCAA tournament... we are not. You've seen fast... now come see Haase-fast.... stop it! I've seen winning, and that's what I want to see again.

It may not happen this year, but it better happen soon, or...

Good post. Very realistic and rooted in what's actually going on. Since I became a student and fan about ten years ago, our athletics have taken a huge step back in both football and basketball. And we were already bad in football, lol. What the hell has happened? There was a time about 8-9 years ago when both programs were doing good and had tons of potential. It's beyond maddening to see the 10 steps back we have taken. And no offense, who really cares about soccer, baseball, and women's underwater basket weaving? Those sports aren't on tv, most fans could care less about them, and they don't bring the $$, fans, or publicity to UAB..

I was very happy with the hires in both big sports. Now after football and the majority of basketball seasons are over, I'm not left with a whole Ton of enthusiasm and hope. Neither coach showed, like like Anderson, in his first year, that he could coach up a relatively untalented team into something better than the sum of its parts. And now we are going through two more dismal seasons. Neither coach has provided me much in the way of hope. Uab athletics is just in a dismal state overall. Very sad and a huge change from about 10 years ago.

(01-24-2013 10:31 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Good post. Very realistic and rooted in what's actually going on. Since I became a student and fan about ten years ago, our athletics have taken a huge step back in both football and basketball. And we were already bad in football, lol. What the hell has happened? There was a time about 8-9 years ago when both programs were doing good and had tons of potential. It's beyond maddening to see the 10 steps back we have taken. And no offense, who really cares about soccer, baseball, and women's underwater basket weaving? Those sports aren't on tv, most fans could care less about them, and they don't bring the $$, fans, or publicity to UAB..

Me. If they are wearing a jersey with UAB on it, I'm a fan. I agree with your post until your rant about other sports. In this context, they aren't relevant to your argument.

(01-24-2013 10:39 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 10:31 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Good post. Very realistic and rooted in what's actually going on. Since I became a student and fan about ten years ago, our athletics have taken a huge step back in both football and basketball. And we were already bad in football, lol. What the hell has happened? There was a time about 8-9 years ago when both programs were doing good and had tons of potential. It's beyond maddening to see the 10 steps back we have taken. And no offense, who really cares about soccer, baseball, and women's underwater basket weaving? Those sports aren't on tv, most fans could care less about them, and they don't bring the $$, fans, or publicity to UAB..

Me. If they are wearing a jersey with UAB on it, I'm a fan. I agree with your post until your rant about other sports. In this context, they aren't relevant to your argument.

+1

(01-24-2013 10:39 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 10:31 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Good post. Very realistic and rooted in what's actually going on. Since I became a student and fan about ten years ago, our athletics have taken a huge step back in both football and basketball. And we were already bad in football, lol. What the hell has happened? There was a time about 8-9 years ago when both programs were doing good and had tons of potential. It's beyond maddening to see the 10 steps back we have taken. And no offense, who really cares about soccer, baseball, and women's underwater basket weaving? Those sports aren't on tv, most fans could care less about them, and they don't bring the $$, fans, or publicity to UAB..

Me. If they are wearing a jersey with UAB on it, I'm a fan. I agree with your post until your rant about other sports. In this context, they aren't relevant to your argument.

They are relevant, but I am assuming he was referring to the grand scheme of things. Attendance for those events are in the low hundreds at best. I too will attend a few soccer games, softball, but that's not why I give to UAB. If UAB didn't have basketball and/or football support would be very minimal. If UAB is to keep the increase in support gained in 2012, teams will have to improve... quickly.

I care. Until football season starts up again, and then I go back to not caring. But in the meantime, the other sports give me something to do.

Poor choice of words. I care, because these guys are supporting my school and playing hard for a sport they love. But in the grand scheme of things, those sports matter very little. No one cares that much if your football and basketball programs are garbage, but your school is winning beach volleyball championships every year..

(01-24-2013 11:19 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Poor choice of words. I care, because these guys are supporting my school and playing hard for a sport they love. But in the grand scheme of things, those sports matter very little. No one cares that much if your football and basketball programs are garbage, but your school is winning beach volleyball championships every year..

Thanks. I want a Blazer Renaissance in Football and Men's Basketball as well.

(01-24-2013 11:24 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 11:19 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Poor choice of words. I care, because these guys are supporting my school and playing hard for a sport they love. But in the grand scheme of things, those sports matter very little. No one cares that much if your football and basketball programs are garbage, but your school is winning beach volleyball championships every year..

Thanks. I want a Blazer Renaissance in Football and Men's Basketball as well.

But my question is why are we having to have a renaissance? What happened to cause us to step so far backwards in a decade? What kept us from building on our previous success and momentum?

(01-24-2013 11:26 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 11:24 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 11:19 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Poor choice of words. I care, because these guys are supporting my school and playing hard for a sport they love. But in the grand scheme of things, those sports matter very little. No one cares that much if your football and basketball programs are garbage, but your school is winning beach volleyball championships every year..

Thanks. I want a Blazer Renaissance in Football and Men's Basketball as well.

But my question is why are we having to have a renaissance? What happened to cause us to step so far backwards in a decade? What kept us from building on our previous success and momentum?

Two Bama f@cks named Calloway and Davis.

& APR restrictions and penalties. It was the equivalent of major NCAA sanctions.

We were hit harder than FSU who admitted to academic fraud.

Yep. NC was in way over his head, and couldn't put a winning team together.

Davis cocched a scared style of basketball. Instead of playing to win, he was playing to not lose. UAB had as much talent as any team in C-USA, except Memphis, most years, yet he coached like he had the talent of a SWAC program.

Throw in the APR issues, and the recruiting/player retainage issues, and you have a disaster. We have two new coaches implementing two new systems with players having to adjust. I expect the football team to be around .500 next season, and the basketball team to improve significantly. Remember, this basketball team lost every big from last season, and one of them was our best player. That team wasn't .500. I'm not sure how we expected to go from that to a 20 win team with the guys we had come in. We are trying to play at a high tempo with a 7 man rotation. That's not an easy thing to do.

(01-24-2013 09:52 AM)ICB Wrote:  UAB perhaps is giving birth to outstanding football and basketball program. We hired 2 young energetic coaches who won the press conference. They have a lot of potential. But so far we have been awful on the court/field. I now see why my wife chose to have an epidural during childbirth. It's painful giving birth. And call me what you want, but being a UAB fan right now is painfully depressing. No disrespect to the ladies hoops, but our program is at one of its lowest points in history.

And someone please stop running the UAB commercials on the radio that says UAB is headed to the NCAA tournament... we are not. You've seen fast... now come see Haase-fast.... stop it! I've seen winning, and that's what I want to see again.

It may not happen this year, but it better happen soon, or...

The thought that we made two bad hires is too horrible to contemplate so I choose the less painful and more convenient option: blame the previous regimes. The Bammer years in our major sports were disastrous for UAB. At the end both programs ended up in the same ditch: not enough talent on hand and what is left has forgotten how to win. Didn't get that way over-night and it won't be fixed like that either.

(01-24-2013 11:37 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  & APR restrictions and penalties. It was the equivalent of major NCAA sanctions.

We were hit harder than FSU who admitted to academic fraud.

+1

(01-24-2013 11:44 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 09:52 AM)ICB Wrote:  UAB perhaps is giving birth to outstanding football and basketball program. We hired 2 young energetic coaches who won the press conference. They have a lot of potential. But so far we have been awful on the court/field. I now see why my wife chose to have an epidural during childbirth. It's painful giving birth. And call me what you want, but being a UAB fan right now is painfully depressing. No disrespect to the ladies hoops, but our program is at one of its lowest points in history.

And someone please stop running the UAB commercials on the radio that says UAB is headed to the NCAA tournament... we are not. You've seen fast... now come see Haase-fast.... stop it! I've seen winning, and that's what I want to see again.

It may not happen this year, but it better happen soon, or...

The thought that we made two bad hires is too horrible to contemplate so I choose the less painful and more convenient option: blame the previous regimes. The Bammer years in our major sports were disastrous for UAB. At the end both programs ended up in the same ditch: not enough talent on hand and what is left has forgotten how to win. Didn't get that way over-night and it won't be fixed like that either.

There are those fans who firmly believe that hiring the "right coach" means turning whatever players got the previous coach fired into solid winners no matter what the talent & conditioning level. AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!! A winning PROGRAM rests on a triad of coaching staff, player talent and facilities to shape - condition - that talent to play to its greatest potential. In regard to the latter "leg" UAB has made ONE investment in facilities since 1990 - a renovation of an old gym almost 10 years ago. Since then we have fussed over uniforms and helmet design, neither of which is fundamental to winning. Until UAB "meets the competition" in ALL three areas, it will continue to support the aspirations of its opponents more than its own. I believe we have the coaching staffs in both men's sports to win. Now we need to close the gap in talent and facilities. The first of these begins Feb.6th. When will we see improvement in the last?

(01-24-2013 11:19 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Poor choice of words. I care, because these guys are supporting my school and playing hard for a sport they love. But in the grand scheme of things, those sports matter very little. No one cares that much if your football and basketball programs are garbage, but your school is winning beach volleyball championships every year..

DONT FORGET THOSE "unimportant sport from your point of view " will produce UAB fans who will someday give money back to UAB .

By comparison, those playing the important sport from your point of view rarely give back to UAB .Most of them think they were doing a favor to UAB when they were playing those important sport .
FOR this reason they never give back to UAB

The biggest donor who PLAY sport at UAB ,didn;t play a major sport ..

That's nice, but do the donations of that small group of individuals match the revenue generated from ticket sales, tv deals, merchandise, etc. related to the major sports? Do thousands of fans turn out to watch a sand volleyball match or softball game? The sports are important, but not that important in the grand scheme of things. If you are happy with UAB having top notch, championship caliber small sports, but still having subpar football and basketball programs, then I guess you should be OK with the current state of affairs.

For example, I am planning on donating money to UAB one day, when I am more financially able. I'd be willing to bet that my donations, and those of everyone in my graduating class from UAB in 2007 for one year would not match the money generated from the aforementioned revenue generators from the big money sports. Maybe this one athlete was an exception to the rule. Perhaps he/she played soccer and then went on to be a well known lawyer or physician who is making beaucoups bucks and is giving well more than the average donor contributes to UAB. I bet the average small sport player at UAB goes on in an average paying profession and gives an average amount of money An amount of money that would not surpass the revenue generated from big money sports, even if that amount was multiplied by many people.

(01-24-2013 12:07 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 11:44 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(01-24-2013 09:52 AM)ICB Wrote:  UAB perhaps is giving birth to outstanding football and basketball program. We hired 2 young energetic coaches who won the press conference. They have a lot of potential. But so far we have been awful on the court/field. I now see why my wife chose to have an epidural during childbirth. It's painful giving birth. And call me what you want, but being a UAB fan right now is painfully depressing. No disrespect to the ladies hoops, but our program is at one of its lowest points in history.

And someone please stop running the UAB commercials on the radio that says UAB is headed to the NCAA tournament... we are not. You've seen fast... now come see Haase-fast.... stop it! I've seen winning, and that's what I want to see again.

It may not happen this year, but it better happen soon, or...

The thought that we made two bad hires is too horrible to contemplate so I choose the less painful and more convenient option: blame the previous regimes. The Bammer years in our major sports were disastrous for UAB. At the end both programs ended up in the same ditch: not enough talent on hand and what is left has forgotten how to win. Didn't get that way over-night and it won't be fixed like that either.

There are those fans who firmly believe that hiring the "right coach" means turning whatever players got the previous coach fired into solid winners no matter what the talent & conditioning level. AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!! A winning PROGRAM rests on a triad of coaching staff, player talent and facilities to shape - condition - that talent to play to its greatest potential. In regard to the latter "leg" UAB has made ONE investment in facilities since 1990 - a renovation of an old gym almost 10 years ago. Since then we have fussed over uniforms and helmet design, neither of which is fundamental to winning. Until UAB "meets the competition" in ALL three areas, it will continue to support the aspirations of its opponents more than its own. I believe we have the coaching staffs in both men's sports to win. Now we need to close the gap in talent and facilities. The first of these begins Feb.6th. When will we see improvement in the last?

+1 A skilled carpenter with the best materials and blue prints can't build much without proper tools.