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

I sold cold drinks as a tall kid at legion kid not supposed to start till 14 but I did at 12. You made 50 cents a tray. In a double header you could make ten bucks.
partly saw a lot of games including Sullavan vs Musso,

Most famous games I saw was Banks(alumni) vs Woodlawn - largest crowd to see a regualar season high school game

(04-29-2020 11:20 AM)uabbean Wrote:  Most famous games I saw was Banks(alumni) vs Woodlawn - largest crowd to see a regualar season high school game

That game was a major draw because of RB Tony Nathan (Woodlawn) and QB Jeff Rutledge (Banks) facing off with undefeated teams. Banks won, but I told a jubilant Banks fan that their most difficult game would be the next week when they had to play West End. Banks lost that game to WEHS. Was David Cutcliff - the present FBHC at Duke - on that Banks team as well? BTW, the famous pair in the "Punt Bama Punt" game in 1972 - Bama punter Grag Gantt and Auburn DB David Langner (who ran both blocked punts in for TDs - had been senior classmates at Woodlawn in 1969. 1972 was also the year I received my MA degree from UAB.

I saw Bart Starr play backup QB for Bama during their 20 game losing streak (over 3 seasons) while Albert Elmore started during Whitworth's "youth movement" where he benched most of his seniors. That status contributed to Starr being a 17th round draft pick by the GB Packers. I've wondered how many 17th round draft picks ever made it to the Pro FB HOF?

(04-29-2020 11:20 AM)uabbean Wrote:  Most famous games I saw was Banks(alumni) vs Woodlawn - largest crowd to see a regualar season high school game

There's a movie about that
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlawn_(film)

https://mobile.twitter.com/UAB_FB/status...1274116096

Go Blazers!

There's a book I've just ordered from Amazon and currently reading called The Home Team by Scott Adamson. It's about a sportswriter who witnessed various former football teams from the Americans to the Iron.

(09-18-2020 10:05 PM)C-Finder Wrote:  There's a book I've just ordered from Amazon and currently reading called The Home Team by Scott Adamson. It's about a sportswriter who witnessed various former football teams from the Americans to the Iron.

Scott used to be the sports editor of the Kaleidoscope, and then at a local paper (I think in Jasper), before moving to South Carolina, where he has since retired as a sports columnist. He's a longtime friend, a good writer, and a funny guy--and has been a big fan of all the "alternative" football leagues over the years.

As an amendment to my post #22, I also saw Fran Tarkenton bring his Georgia team to Legion Field (UGA lost). It was covered by LOOK Magazine with a photo essay including a shot of UGA's #60, a blocking lineman identified as Pat Dye.

(09-19-2020 01:05 PM)bftb Wrote:  

(09-18-2020 10:05 PM)C-Finder Wrote:  There's a book I've just ordered from Amazon and currently reading called The Home Team by Scott Adamson. It's about a sportswriter who witnessed various former football teams from the Americans to the Iron.

Scott used to be the sports editor of the Kaleidoscope, and then at a local paper (I think in Jasper), before moving to South Carolina, where he has since retired as a sports columnist. He's a longtime friend, a good writer, and a funny guy--and has been a big fan of all the "alternative" football leagues over the years.

I've just read the part where Scott had won a radio contest to come up with a team's name for the upcoming AFA league in 1982.

That team was the Alabama Magic (only played one season)

(04-27-2020 11:08 AM)Mungumry Blazer Wrote:  My first game at Legion Field was in 1968. I was 5 years old and my Dad took me to see the Baltimore Colts with John Unitas play the Chicago Bears in a preseason game. I saw my first college game in 1973 ....Auburn Vs Oregon State. Later that evening Alabama played Cal at Legion Field. Every now and then they played college double headers. My first Alabama game was in 1975 Alabama vs Mizzou. Tony Galbreath ran all over Alabama that night. My first UAB game was against Troy...1993? Troy was #2 in the country. UAB lost but had a GREAT goal line stand. I went to the first WFL game Bham Americans vs Southern Cal Sun. Americans won in a low scoring affair. I was also at the last Vulcans game. Bham played the Memphis Southmen with Csonka, Kick and Warfield and shut them out 21-0. The league folded the very next day. Ive witnessed MANY UAB games, but I think my favorites at the Rod Brooks game against ecu. ECU was ranked 15. Rod Brooks, the all everything to UAB got injured in the game and taken off on a stretcher...head taped to the board....whole nine yards. Off to the hospital he goes. UAB is doing nothing on offense then you see Brooks run back onto the field in the 3rd quarter. They had cur off his jersey and there wasn't a replacement. His mother was wearing his jersey from previous year. He puts on the jersey and proceeds to run a punt AND an interception back for TD's. Saw Herschel Walker play for the Generals in USFL. Was also present for the Van Tiffin kick against Auburn. Also saw Bo Jackson play there . Gotta say my favorite memories were when we attended UAB games, and every halftime I would take my kids walking around the concourse. Just walking and talking....looking at the Skyline and Red Mountain. I'm gonna miss The Old Gray lady.........

I well remember that Auburn Oregon St. game and the huge brawl between the teams. It was part of a double header with Bama

My first game at Legion (also the date of what would be my anniversary 16 years later)...there was serioous talk of Patriots moving here..Bear dogged the NFL as a college football killer and projected attenedance plummet to 29,000 and Patriots toughed it out until move to Foxboro.

1968 Boston Patriots vs. New York Jets football game
The 1968 Boston Patriots vs. New York Jets football game was a regular-season, American Football League (AFL) game played on September 22, 1968, at Legion Field. Serving as the home opener for the Boston Patriots, the New York Jets were victorious by a final score of 47–31. The game marked the first regular-season, major professional football game ever played in the state of Alabama. Attendance for the contest was 29,192.

On April 25, the Patriots announced their 1968 home opener would be moved to Legion Field in Birmingham. The move became necessary as the Boston Red Sox stated that Fenway Park would be unavailable for the September 22 date. Since the team owned the stadium, availability for the Red Sox would take precedence. The move to Birmingham was made at the suggestion of AFL President Wilt Woodard. The primary reason for selecting Legion Field was to serve as a "test game" to gauge overall interest in professional football in the community as Birmingham was viewed as a potential relocation city for the Patriots franchise if a new stadium failed to be constructed in Massachusetts. Additionally, the visiting Jets featured former University of Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Joe Namath, who was expected to draw additional fans to the stadium.

(09-19-2020 01:05 PM)bftb Wrote:  

(09-18-2020 10:05 PM)C-Finder Wrote:  There's a book I've just ordered from Amazon and currently reading called The Home Team by Scott Adamson. It's about a sportswriter who witnessed various former football teams from the Americans to the Iron.

Scott used to be the sports editor of the Kaleidoscope, and then at a local paper (I think in Jasper), before moving to South Carolina, where he has since retired as a sports columnist. He's a longtime friend, a good writer, and a funny guy--and has been a big fan of all the "alternative" football leagues over the years.

Here's a podcast with Scott Adamson about the book
https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/list...tt-adamson

My alma mater, Moody, had 2 non-area (region) home-&-homes, against teams from north Alabama at LF to ease the travel for both teams. Can’t remember he opponents but it was early 90s. This was when the field was green carpet from Walmart on top of cement.

The final game for UAB at Legion Field against SoMiss is cancelled.

A couple of pics from the game against Savannah State
https://imgur.com/gallery/eq8SRkz

[quote='scottycolsonblazer' pid='17004566' dateline='1600710104']
My first game at Legion (also the date of what would be my anniversary 16 years later)...there was serioous talk of Patriots moving here..Bear dogged the NFL as a college football killer and projected attenedance plummet to 29,000 and Patriots toughed it out until move to Foxboro.

B'ham was floated by at least a couple of NFL teams trying to leverage new stadiums out of local tax payers. The Buffalo Bills were another of these playing that game. The NFL resisted moving south until the AFL put a move on Atlanta and Dallas causing them ro start teams there. The Dallas Cowboys team forced the AFL to move to Kansas City and the Falcons forced the AFL to move to Miami. B'ham was not seriously considered at that time, possibly because of bad publicity during the 1960s..

(12-18-2020 06:33 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  [quote='scottycolsonblazer' pid='17004566' dateline='1600710104']
My first game at Legion (also the date of what would be my anniversary 16 years later)...there was serioous talk of Patriots moving here..Bear dogged the NFL as a college football killer and projected attenedance plummet to 29,000 and Patriots toughed it out until move to Foxboro.

B'ham was floated by at least a couple of NFL teams trying to leverage new stadiums out of local tax payers. The Buffalo Bills were another of these playing that game. The NFL resisted moving south until the AFL put a move on Atlanta and Dallas causing them ro start teams there. The Dallas Cowboys team forced the AFL to move to Kansas City and the Falcons forced the AFL to move to Miami. B'ham was not seriously considered at that time, possibly because of bad publicity during the 1960s..

The drunk old b@stard did them a favor.

Bad ending for the Blazers at Legion Field with the cancellation of games, a new chapter will begin next season at Protective Stadium.

The Magic City Classic will still be at Legion Field.

Flag football will be playing there.
https://twg2022.com/2021/three-city-venues/