+- CSNbbs (https://csnbbs.com)
+-- Forum: Active Boards (/forum-769.html)
+--- Forum: AACbbs (/forum-460.html)
+---- Forum: Members (/forum-401.html)
+----- Forum: UAB (/forum-448.html)
+------ Forum: UAB Blazers (/forum-384.html)
+------- Forum: The Gene Bartow Memorial Forum (/forum-388.html)
+------- Thread: On the magic that once was. (/thread-960748.html)
Pages: 1 2
On the magic that once was. - 58-56 - 12-01-2022 11:32 PM
Note: Blazing Saddles asked for a sermon a day or two back. I may be late, but I do deliver.
My brothers, my sisters,
Like some of you, I had the good fortune to attend, and graduate from, UAB in the 1980’s. That was such a long time ago now, but I assure you, that every day I feel the gift, the blessing that I received. I learned many things, but most of all, I learned to believe in magic.
That magic seeped down to us from our leaders. Actual visionary leaders who didn’t need to give themselves props in their bios. Joseph Volker (who was before my time) and S. Richardson “Everybody Calls Me Dick” Hill. They didn’t tell us what we couldn’t do, what we couldn’t afford. If the resources weren’t there, they went out and they found them. They did not, as Justin Craft has put it, practice the philosophy of scarcity. Theirs was the philosophy of abundance.
And when they made the decision to start big-time athletics, what the Sam Hill did they do? They found a man who practiced magic. Yes, Gene Bartow had a great resume: two Final Fours, hundreds of victories, and national reputation. But he believed that great things could happen at UAB, and he worked to make them happen.
UAB in those days was kind of a dump. One of the myriad of non-descript, faceless colleges built during the 1960‘s and 1970’s to absorb the Baby Boom as they entered college in vast numbers compared to what had gone before. It had no dorms, key classroom buildings were converted from other uses (like the decrepit Ullman High School), no food services or similar amenities.
What it had was a sense that great things could and would be accomplished here. Gene Bartow symbolized that on the basketball court, with seven straight NCAA appearances starting with the program’s second year of eligibility (and an NIT in the first). But it was more than that. We would accomplish great science, great art, great business. Hill, Bartow, Prewitt . . . they left no doubt. UAB might be the stepchild of the UA System, but already it surpassed the so-called flagship.
That attitude has served me well over the 40 years that followed. Like most of you, I was handed few advantages. Except the most important one: I learned to believe in, and to practice, magic. To create something where once, there was nothing. I have, quite frankly, been successful in everything I’ve attempted – and I’ve attempted a lot. Because I know that there is magic in this world, magic I saw Hill and Bartow tap to create something where once, there was nothing.
Over the years, UAB lost that magic, even as it gained ever-nicer buildings and its leaders took ever-fatter salaries. Now we’re told to be “realistic,” to accept a lower status. To give up on dreams. To slough along with our heads down until we meet our inevitable, lonely death.
I reject this world-view. I reject the scarcity preached by the self-serving cretins Watts and St. John. I embrace the magic of Hill and Bartow.
When I saw Trent Dilfer introduced, I recognized him immediately. He is a fellow practitioner. A man who has not, who will not, accept the place accorded to him. His resume might be thin, but his bald head crackles with magic. This is the man we need not just to win football games, but to restore the will, the excitement that’s been leeched away by years of weak leadership and a vision fixed on the mud under our feet.
I have never met Trent Dilfer and, very likely, I never will. But I know him. He is our brother that we have yet to meet.
RE: On the magic that once was. - linus - 12-02-2022 07:08 AM
I’ve missed your sermons. You nailed this. Thank you
RE: On the magic that once was. - KevMo4UAB - 12-02-2022 08:08 AM
Me too. Amen!
RE: On the magic that once was. - 58-56 - 12-02-2022 09:00 AM
Thank you.
Eight years ago today, I stood outside the Football Operations Building and I took the hands of 102 players who exited, one by one, and thanked them for representing my university. I did Ray Watts' job.
I knew the odds would be very long, but sometimes it's important to fight for its own sake. You don't get the chance to punch evil in the mouth very often. We made this happen. Not the administration, not the rich donors. We did this.
Clark picked that up, and ran with it. Another improbable story, and it could have petered out and faded into the common and mediocre.
Instead we're watching the first lines of the next chapter. It's going to be another weird and glorious story. It's a great time to be alive.
RE: On the magic that once was. - BlazerFromMD - 12-02-2022 09:05 AM
On the magic that once was. - Blazing Saddles - 12-02-2022 09:27 AM
58-56, we needed this. You bring us perspective. Sometimes you have to look back to appreciate our triumphs and struggles before moving forward to summit up our next mountain. You nailed it brother.
Thank you.
RE: On the magic that once was. - Blazer Engineer - 12-02-2022 09:27 AM
AMEN!
RE: On the magic that once was. - UAB Band Dad - 12-02-2022 09:32 AM
Well done, sir. Thank you for bringing needed perspective.
This is going to be fun!
RE: On the magic that once was. - DuelingDragon - 12-02-2022 09:44 AM
Brother 58-56, that was beautiful, and if I may add this:
The battle will never end. There will always be a fundamental fight over who gets to define who and what we are, and what we can and should aspire to be. It is the battle of this state itself, and the battle far beyond UAB football which just happens to be the visible symbol of it. Every single problem on this state, from its founding, goes back to who controls the vision and the scarcity mentality of the people who hold those seats of power.
And this is the key part: We want it, we are going to have to pay for it. Let me repeat this — big vision isn’t cheap. You want it, you gotta kick in. Whatever that investments means to each of us — money, time, energy, skills, whatever it is. That didn’t stop just because we got our football team back. Miracle as that was, it was relatively easy compared to going to this next level. It came with no expectations but our own, which were mostly hopes and dreams. The next steps requires a lot more greenbacks to fund the Green and Gold.
RE: On the magic that once was. - BlazerGreen - 12-02-2022 10:05 AM
(12-02-2022 09:44 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Brother 58-56, that was beautiful, and if I may add this:
The battle will never end. There will always be a fundamental fight over who gets to define who and what we are, and what we can and should aspire to be. It is the battle of this state itself, and the battle far beyond UAB football which just happens to be the visible symbol of it. Every single problem on this state, from its founding, goes back to who controls the vision and the scarcity mentality of the people who hold those seats of power.
And this is the key part: We want it, we are going to have to pay for it. Let me repeat this — big vision isn’t cheap. You want it, you gotta kick in. Whatever that investments means to each of us — money, time, energy, skills, whatever it is. That didn’t stop just because we got our football team back. Miracle as that was, it was relatively easy compared to going to this next level. It came with no expectations but our own, which were mostly hopes and dreams. The next steps requires a lot more greenbacks to fund the Green and Gold.
I saw your post about this in another thread DD and I have to disagree. That's putting the cart before the horse and it's not reality. UAB fans have given to the best of their abilities. If UAB wants this program to grow it's not up to the long term die hards, it's up to the school and the team (coaches and players). The current (too small) group of UAB fans can't win games against better opponents and get in the Top 25. That's what it will take to grow this fan base, not sermons and speeches preaching to the choir. The casual Birmingham area football fan needs to be turned on to our program and it can't and shouldn't be the job of the UAB faithful fans to do so.
RE: On the magic that once was. - DuelingDragon - 12-02-2022 10:08 AM
(12-02-2022 10:05 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 09:44 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Brother 58-56, that was beautiful, and if I may add this:
The battle will never end. There will always be a fundamental fight over who gets to define who and what we are, and what we can and should aspire to be. It is the battle of this state itself, and the battle far beyond UAB football which just happens to be the visible symbol of it. Every single problem on this state, from its founding, goes back to who controls the vision and the scarcity mentality of the people who hold those seats of power.
And this is the key part: We want it, we are going to have to pay for it. Let me repeat this — big vision isn’t cheap. You want it, you gotta kick in. Whatever that investments means to each of us — money, time, energy, skills, whatever it is. That didn’t stop just because we got our football team back. Miracle as that was, it was relatively easy compared to going to this next level. It came with no expectations but our own, which were mostly hopes and dreams. The next steps requires a lot more greenbacks to fund the Green and Gold.
I saw your post about this in another thread DD and I have to disagree. That's putting the cart before the horse and it's not reality. UAB fans have given to the best of their abilities. If UAB wants this program to grow it's not up to the long term die hards, it's up to the school and the team (coaches and players). The current (too small) group of UAB fans can't win games against better opponents and get in the Top 25. That's what it will take to grow this fan base, not sermons and speeches preaching to the choir. The casual Birmingham area football fan needs to be turned on to our program and it can't and shouldn't be the job of the UAB faithful fans to do so.
Shouldn’t be, but it is. That is reality.
RE: On the magic that once was. - B'ham Blazer - 12-02-2022 10:10 AM
(12-02-2022 10:05 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 09:44 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Brother 58-56, that was beautiful, and if I may add this:
The battle will never end. There will always be a fundamental fight over who gets to define who and what we are, and what we can and should aspire to be. It is the battle of this state itself, and the battle far beyond UAB football which just happens to be the visible symbol of it. Every single problem on this state, from its founding, goes back to who controls the vision and the scarcity mentality of the people who hold those seats of power.
And this is the key part: We want it, we are going to have to pay for it. Let me repeat this — big vision isn’t cheap. You want it, you gotta kick in. Whatever that investments means to each of us — money, time, energy, skills, whatever it is. That didn’t stop just because we got our football team back. Miracle as that was, it was relatively easy compared to going to this next level. It came with no expectations but our own, which were mostly hopes and dreams. The next steps requires a lot more greenbacks to fund the Green and Gold.
I saw your post about this in another thread DD and I have to disagree. That's putting the cart before the horse and it's not reality. UAB fans have given to the best of their abilities. If UAB wants this program to grow it's not up to the long term die hards, it's up to the school and the team (coaches and players). The current (too small) group of UAB fans can't win games against better opponents and get in the Top 25. That's what it will take to grow this fan base, not sermons and speeches preaching to the choir. The casual Birmingham area football fan needs to be turned on to our program and it can't and shouldn't be the job of the UAB faithful fans to do so.
When people see Dilfer on the news being interviewed, it's going to make a strong impression........he's very charismatic, which will go a longs ways in making UAB FB cool to the locals.
RE: On the magic that once was. - biglizard - 12-02-2022 10:23 AM
To show a snippet of immediate impact, the Huntsville stations actually ran the story with parts of the presser. The Huntsville stations treat UAB and Birmingham like it's in Outer Mongolia.
RE: On the magic that once was. - BlazerGreen - 12-02-2022 10:27 AM
(12-02-2022 10:08 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Shouldn’t be, but it is. That is reality.
That's not how the real world works. If it was then we would be averaging 30,000 fans already. The reason we aren't isn't the current fans fault, it's the program not being nationally relevant. We have to do it how other programs like UCF and Cincinnati did it, by beating teams with bigger reputations than ours. Nothing else will do.
RE: On the magic that once was. - DuelingDragon - 12-02-2022 11:28 AM
Yep and how we do that is investment by us.
RE: On the magic that once was. - UAB Band Dad - 12-02-2022 11:41 AM
(12-02-2022 10:27 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:08 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Shouldn’t be, but it is. That is reality.
That's not how the real world works. If it was then we would be averaging 30,000 fans already. The reason we aren't isn't the current fans fault, it's the program not being nationally relevant. We have to do it how other programs like UCF and Cincinnati did it, by beating teams with bigger reputations than ours. Nothing else will do.
We don't do that by sitting on our hands and saying "That's up to the coach and the team." My son was taken to many UAB games when he was a kid, and he really didn't value it much. What turned the tide was the night that Mike Anderson's UAB team beat Bob Huggin's Cincy team when they were #3 in the nation. Bartow was electric that night, people hanging from the rafters. Randall learned to believe, and he's been a good Blazer ever since.
Sure, making the plays and scoring is on the team. Doing everything possible to lift them up, to make things easier, to provide a winning environment, that's on us. It worked that night, and it still does. We need more butts in seats? Buy an extra pair of tickets and persuade a friend to try it. Give an extra few dollars. Volunteer your time and effort. That's how we forced The Return. It works when applied to other things as well.
RE: On the magic that once was. - The Answer UAB - 12-02-2022 11:45 AM
(12-02-2022 11:41 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:27 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:08 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Shouldn’t be, but it is. That is reality.
That's not how the real world works. If it was then we would be averaging 30,000 fans already. The reason we aren't isn't the current fans fault, it's the program not being nationally relevant. We have to do it how other programs like UCF and Cincinnati did it, by beating teams with bigger reputations than ours. Nothing else will do.
We don't do that by sitting on our hands and saying "That's up to the coach and the team." My son was taken to many UAB games when he was a kid, and he really didn't value it much. What turned the tide was the night that Mike Anderson's UAB team beat Bob Huggin's Cincy team when they were #3 in the nation. Bartow was electric that night, people hanging from the rafters. Randall learned to believe, and he's been a good Blazer ever since.
Sure, making the plays and scoring is on the team. Doing everything possible to lift them up, to make things easier, to provide a winning environment, that's on us. It worked that night, and it still does. We need more butts in seats? Buy an extra pair of tickets and persuade a friend to try it. Give an extra few dollars. Volunteer your time and effort. That's how we forced The Return. It works when applied to other things as well.
They were #17, but your point stands.
RE: On the magic that once was. - BlazerGreen - 12-02-2022 11:58 AM
(12-02-2022 11:41 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:27 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:08 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Shouldn’t be, but it is. That is reality.
That's not how the real world works. If it was then we would be averaging 30,000 fans already. The reason we aren't isn't the current fans fault, it's the program not being nationally relevant. We have to do it how other programs like UCF and Cincinnati did it, by beating teams with bigger reputations than ours. Nothing else will do.
We don't do that by sitting on our hands and saying "That's up to the coach and the team." My son was taken to many UAB games when he was a kid, and he really didn't value it much. What turned the tide was the night that Mike Anderson's UAB team beat Bob Huggin's Cincy team when they were #3 in the nation. Bartow was electric that night, people hanging from the rafters. Randall learned to believe, and he's been a good Blazer ever since.
Sure, making the plays and scoring is on the team. Doing everything possible to lift them up, to make things easier, to provide a winning environment, that's on us. It worked that night, and it still does. We need more butts in seats? Buy an extra pair of tickets and persuade a friend to try it. Give an extra few dollars. Volunteer your time and effort. That's how we forced The Return. It works when applied to other things as well.
You made my point for me. I was there too. That crowd didn't just spontaneously show up. We had gotten to the conference finals (in what was then a high major league) the previous season and were hosting a top 20 team. Apples and oranges to where we find ourselves today. The winning at a high level has to come before the fans respond. Do you think fans haven't already been doing what you suggest? There isn't some reservoir of support that could be tapped if UAB fans just tried harder.
Stop preaching to the choir and blaming the current fans for not doing enough. It hasn't ever worked and it never will. The absolute proof is the empty stands. The program has to come through with big victories or the fan base will not grow. Period.
RE: On the magic that once was. - Dragonsbreath - 12-02-2022 12:22 PM
(12-02-2022 11:58 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 11:41 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:27 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:08 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Shouldn’t be, but it is. That is reality.
That's not how the real world works. If it was then we would be averaging 30,000 fans already. The reason we aren't isn't the current fans fault, it's the program not being nationally relevant. We have to do it how other programs like UCF and Cincinnati did it, by beating teams with bigger reputations than ours. Nothing else will do.
We don't do that by sitting on our hands and saying "That's up to the coach and the team." My son was taken to many UAB games when he was a kid, and he really didn't value it much. What turned the tide was the night that Mike Anderson's UAB team beat Bob Huggin's Cincy team when they were #3 in the nation. Bartow was electric that night, people hanging from the rafters. Randall learned to believe, and he's been a good Blazer ever since.
Sure, making the plays and scoring is on the team. Doing everything possible to lift them up, to make things easier, to provide a winning environment, that's on us. It worked that night, and it still does. We need more butts in seats? Buy an extra pair of tickets and persuade a friend to try it. Give an extra few dollars. Volunteer your time and effort. That's how we forced The Return. It works when applied to other things as well.
You made my point for me. I was there too. That crowd didn't just spontaneously show up. We had gotten to the conference finals (in what was then a high major league) the previous season and were hosting a top 20 team. Apples and oranges to where we find ourselves today. The winning at a high level has to come before the fans respond. Do you think fans haven't already been doing what you suggest? There isn't some reservoir of support that could be tapped if UAB fans just tried harder.
Stop preaching to the choir and blaming the current fans for not doing enough. It hasn't ever worked and it never will. The absolute proof is the empty stands. The program has to come through with big victories or the fan base will not grow. Period.
As I stated in another thread on an earlier post -- I have one question for TD: What can I do as a booster to help you win and build the program? I think this is a question that we all need to ask him.
RE: On the magic that once was. - DuelingDragon - 12-02-2022 12:39 PM
(12-02-2022 11:58 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 11:41 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:27 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:(12-02-2022 10:08 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: Shouldn’t be, but it is. That is reality.
That's not how the real world works. If it was then we would be averaging 30,000 fans already. The reason we aren't isn't the current fans fault, it's the program not being nationally relevant. We have to do it how other programs like UCF and Cincinnati did it, by beating teams with bigger reputations than ours. Nothing else will do.
We don't do that by sitting on our hands and saying "That's up to the coach and the team." My son was taken to many UAB games when he was a kid, and he really didn't value it much. What turned the tide was the night that Mike Anderson's UAB team beat Bob Huggin's Cincy team when they were #3 in the nation. Bartow was electric that night, people hanging from the rafters. Randall learned to believe, and he's been a good Blazer ever since.
Sure, making the plays and scoring is on the team. Doing everything possible to lift them up, to make things easier, to provide a winning environment, that's on us. It worked that night, and it still does. We need more butts in seats? Buy an extra pair of tickets and persuade a friend to try it. Give an extra few dollars. Volunteer your time and effort. That's how we forced The Return. It works when applied to other things as well.
You made my point for me. I was there too. That crowd didn't just spontaneously show up. We had gotten to the conference finals (in what was then a high major league) the previous season and were hosting a top 20 team. Apples and oranges to where we find ourselves today. The winning at a high level has to come before the fans respond. Do you think fans haven't already been doing what you suggest? There isn't some reservoir of support that could be tapped if UAB fans just tried harder.
Stop preaching to the choir and blaming the current fans for not doing enough. It hasn't ever worked and it never will. The absolute proof is the empty stands. The program has to come through with big victories or the fan base will not grow. Period.
We clearly are not talking about the same thing, nor am I “preaching to the choir.”
Here is reality: when we got football back, the deal was a hard institutional cap on spending, and anything beyond that must be covered by revenue or boosters. They aren’t backing off that especially when we are putting 10k in the stands and now requiring booster money go to operational things as a result. No amount of complaining is going to change that.
But there is a clear path around it, which starts with US and because of NIL we can control that pile of money and directly impact winning and losing. Whether we pay our coach $200,000 or $2 million, he and his staff will be better coaches with a team full of McBrides. Money = power = winning = more revenue.