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

for Houston and Reliant Stadium.

As Karle puts it "...for, non-brainer, improved facilities.".

It's beyond time that a decision is made about the future of Legion Field. Aside from UAB the only game there is the Magic City Classic - both because they have no choice.

This is a good thing for UAB. For once, it is someone besides UAB complaining.

How is it good for uab when those that make the decisions for us aren't even listening nor care to???

It's good for UAB because this is just another step along the way to Legion Field going away.

I kinda felt like this would happen after the debacle at last year's SWAC title game. Only half of the concessions where opened, lines were super long, and the folks at Legion Field were just completely unprepared for the event. I lot of fans complained about their experience. Add the fact that city officials lost the Labor Day Classic this season also.

(05-30-2013 10:30 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  It's good for UAB because this is just another step along the way to Legion Field going away.

its not good if we are not allowed to replace legion field and we end up with no place to play. the bot will get to take away football without the backlash of ordering it.

(05-31-2013 05:55 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(05-30-2013 10:30 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  It's good for UAB because this is just another step along the way to Legion Field going away.

its not good if we are not allowed to replace legion field and we end up with no place to play. the bot will get to take away football without the backlash of ordering it.

I'm approaching the point that I'd rather that happen than UAB keep playing in Legion Field. It's embarrassing.

(05-30-2013 10:33 PM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  I kinda felt like this would happen after the debacle at last year's SWAC title game. Only half of the concessions where opened, lines were super long, and the folks at Legion Field were just completely unprepared for the event. I lot of fans complained about their experience. Add the fact that city officials lost the Labor Day Classic this season also.

Birmingham P&R is/are their own worst enemy. I'm only surprised the SWAC hadn't left sooner. Obviously, one would have to be really, really to pass up a chance to showcase your football event in a venue like Reliant Stadium as opposed to "Lesion" Field. It's an insult to one's intelligence to expect tenants and patrons alike to accept that outdated place & substandard services. You cannot embrace the future by holding on to the past. Maybe this is the epiphany this city's leaders needed to experience(since losing the Super 6, the sec championship, Papa John's, Compass Bowl and now, did I hear right? The Labor Day Classic, didn't set off any bells in their empty heads) to come to grips with the fact that there is no viability in Legion Field and a new stadium of some kind (damn waiting on a dome) is long, long overdue. While it's fresh on my mind, what's the deal with the Labor Day Classic?

Why is it gone now? Same reason as the SWAC?

Legion Field has not lost the Bowl game

(05-31-2013 09:05 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Legion Field has not lost the Bowl game

They're losing its' primary sponsor(BBVA Compass Bank) after next season. Would they be able to continue playing the game there without one?

(05-31-2013 09:18 AM)Matrix Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 09:05 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Legion Field has not lost the Bowl game

They're losing its' primary sponsor(BBVA Compass Bank) after next season. Would they be able to continue playing the game there without one?

Yes. They lost a sponsor before (papa johns) but the game continued. It's the same bowl game even if it has a different sponsor. They didn't "lose" the Papa Johns bowl or the Compass bowl. ESPN lost them as a sponsor. Papa Johns pulled out because they switched to NFL sponsorship, and Compass pulled out because they're switching to NBA sponsorship. When it comes to the NCAA approvals and ESPN's management/ownership though it's the same game it's always been.

If ESPN can't find a sponsor, the game will fold. ESPN is in dire financial straights, as their recent layoffs revealed, and it can't afford to put on the bowl without financial backing.

They are one bad bowl game crowd away from pulling out.

The only reason last year had a decent crowd is because Ole Miss fans were happy to go anywhere.

(05-31-2013 08:50 AM)Matrix Wrote:  

(05-30-2013 10:33 PM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  I kinda felt like this would happen after the debacle at last year's SWAC title game. Only half of the concessions where opened, lines were super long, and the folks at Legion Field were just completely unprepared for the event. I lot of fans complained about their experience. Add the fact that city officials lost the Labor Day Classic this season also.

Birmingham P&R is/are their own worst enemy. I'm only surprised the SWAC hadn't left sooner. Obviously, one would have to be really, really to pass up a chance to showcase your football event in a venue like Reliant Stadium as opposed to "Lesion" Field. It's an insult to one's intelligence to expect tenants and patrons alike to accept that outdated place & substandard services. You cannot embrace the future by holding on to the past. Maybe this is the epiphany this city's leaders needed to experience(since losing the Super 6, the sec championship, Papa John's, Compass Bowl and now, did I hear right? The Labor Day Classic, didn't set off any bells in their empty heads) to come to grips with the fact that there is no viability in Legion Field and a new stadium of some kind (damn waiting on a dome) is long, long overdue. While it's fresh on my mind, what's the deal with the Labor Day Classic?

Why is it gone now? Same reason as the SWAC?

The Labor Day Classic was canceled because the folks in Birmingham dragged their feet on the paperwork. The game was supposed to be Alabama State vs. Florida A&M and was supposed to be played Sunday September 1st. The schools contacted each other and the administration of both schools felt like the best thing would to be to play in Birmingham due to the fact that the ASU/FAMU match-up is usually a big draw; both have large alumni bases in the city, and the return of FAMU's Marching 100. Everyone was onboard and the alumni chapters of both schools had already started to plan a few big events. The problem was that the city drug its feet. The city was contacted by the schools back in November but they never gave the final approval. Florida A&M was in constant contact because they also had an offer to play in the MEAC/SWAC challenge down in Orlando. This city basically said we can either wait until they approve everything or find somewhere else to play. So FAMU took the game in Orlando and we took a home game against Jacksonville State. The city said that they were trying to iron out details with the promoters but from everything I've seen and read the city hadn’t even had contact with the promoters. The folks from Atlanta did contact both schools but by the time they did the other games were aleady signed but we do play FAMU in the Dome next season and in 15.

"The City of B'ham" knew in the 1990s that Legion Field needed to be replaced and tried to do that with a MPF that could be adapted to a 70,000 seat FB stadium as well as providing convention space not then (or now) available for larger conventions. This real improvement that would have increased tax revenue on a "major league" scale was shot down by metroarea voters and has left the city with an aging facility that would be prohibitively expensive to replace or extensively renovate. The one true FACT about Legion Field is that it remains the ONLY facility of its size in this metroarea. It remains "the only game in town" in terms of bowl game or classic sites. The city did not "drop the ball" in this issue, but like "Peanut's" Charlie Brown, had it yanked away by the area's "Lucy". With the current state of the area's economy, the city is not alone in a position to build a MPF without state or area financial support, and both are still not interested in anything that will help metro B'ham grow.

IF ANYONE doubts the feelings of the state legislature, just review its lack of concern for its most populous county since "stabbing it in the back" in 1999 by abolishing its "occupational tax" and not responsibly replacing it since. It has been a decade and a half since the Jeffco delegation demanded to have access to spending some of the occupational tax revenue for their own "slush fund" expenses and being refused by the County Commission to have that right resulting in the delegation spitefully getting the tax destroyed in retaliation. The county has been in financial turmoil (like the financial mess at Cooper Green Hospital) ever since.

(05-31-2013 12:16 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  "The City of B'ham" knew in the 1990s that Legion Field needed to be replaced and tried to do that with a MPF that could be adapted to a 70,000 seat FB stadium as well as providing convention space not then (or now) available for larger conventions. This real improvement that would have increased tax revenue on a "major league" scale was shot down by metroarea voters and has left the city with an aging facility that would be prohibitively expensive to replace or extensively renovate. The one true FACT about Legion Field is that it remains the ONLY facility of its size in this metroarea. It remains "the only game in town" in terms of bowl game or classic sites. The city did not "drop the ball" in this issue, but like "Peanut's" Charlie Brown, had it yanked away by the area's "Lucy". With the current state of the area's economy, the city is not alone in a position to build a MPF without state or area financial support, and both are still not interested in anything that will help metro B'ham grow.

Would someone please shoot me?

(05-31-2013 12:25 PM)backyardblazer Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 12:16 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  "The City of B'ham" knew in the 1990s that Legion Field needed to be replaced and tried to do that with a MPF that could be adapted to a 70,000 seat FB stadium as well as providing convention space not then (or now) available for larger conventions. This real improvement that would have increased tax revenue on a "major league" scale was shot down by metroarea voters and has left the city with an aging facility that would be prohibitively expensive to replace or extensively renovate. The one true FACT about Legion Field is that it remains the ONLY facility of its size in this metroarea. It remains "the only game in town" in terms of bowl game or classic sites. The city did not "drop the ball" in this issue, but like "Peanut's" Charlie Brown, had it yanked away by the area's "Lucy". With the current state of the area's economy, the city is not alone in a position to build a MPF without state or area financial support, and both are still not interested in anything that will help metro B'ham grow.

Would someone please shoot me?

Wait a minute, "Backyard!" He's talking about MAPS. I don't detect any inaccuracies in this statement, save, I feel, for perhaps one...The "dropping of the ball" line....I hate to say, in fact, I went to the polls on the day of this referendum (voted "yes") just knowing in my heart of hearts that very few municipalities in this county were going to vote in favor of this project. That didn't bother me too much, it was to be expected. City government should have been ready for that, too...

What part(s) of his statement do you disagree with?

If someone got shot everytime he made a post that was either incomprehensible, repetitive or just plain dumb, there wouldn't be many posters left soon.

IF money was available to do it, Legion Field could be cut down to the first plateau level (around row 30) and rebuilt as a doubled deck stadium with skyboxes between levels parallel to both sidelines and a new pressbox on one side. With new, up to date concessions and restrooms, it would answer all the complaints we have listed about the current facility. Add in elevators and escalators to replace the ramps for those with limited walking capabilities, it would be the perfect venue for another century. How would this cost compare to just building the MAPS concept in the first place?

(05-31-2013 11:05 AM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 08:50 AM)Matrix Wrote:  

(05-30-2013 10:33 PM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  I kinda felt like this would happen after the debacle at last year's SWAC title game. Only half of the concessions where opened, lines were super long, and the folks at Legion Field were just completely unprepared for the event. I lot of fans complained about their experience. Add the fact that city officials lost the Labor Day Classic this season also.

Birmingham P&R is/are their own worst enemy. I'm only surprised the SWAC hadn't left sooner. Obviously, one would have to be really, really to pass up a chance to showcase your football event in a venue like Reliant Stadium as opposed to "Lesion" Field. It's an insult to one's intelligence to expect tenants and patrons alike to accept that outdated place & substandard services. You cannot embrace the future by holding on to the past. Maybe this is the epiphany this city's leaders needed to experience(since losing the Super 6, the sec championship, Papa John's, Compass Bowl and now, did I hear right? The Labor Day Classic, didn't set off any bells in their empty heads) to come to grips with the fact that there is no viability in Legion Field and a new stadium of some kind (damn waiting on a dome) is long, long overdue. While it's fresh on my mind, what's the deal with the Labor Day Classic?

Why is it gone now? Same reason as the SWAC?

The Labor Day Classic was canceled because the folks in Birmingham dragged their feet on the paperwork. The game was supposed to be Alabama State vs. Florida A&M and was supposed to be played Sunday September 1st. The schools contacted each other and the administration of both schools felt like the best thing would to be to play in Birmingham due to the fact that the ASU/FAMU match-up is usually a big draw; both have large alumni bases in the city, and the return of FAMU's Marching 100. Everyone was onboard and the alumni chapters of both schools had already started to plan a few big events. The problem was that the city drug its feet. The city was contacted by the schools back in November but they never gave the final approval. Florida A&M was in constant contact because they also had an offer to play in the MEAC/SWAC challenge down in Orlando. This city basically said we can either wait until they approve everything or find somewhere else to play. So FAMU took the game in Orlando and we took a home game against Jacksonville State. The city said that they were trying to iron out details with the promoters but from everything I've seen and read the city hadn’t even had contact with the promoters. The folks from Atlanta did contact both schools but by the time they did the other games were aleady signed but we do play FAMU in the Dome next season and in 15.

If what you've stated is true, then that's pretty inconsiderate on the city's part, almost reads as if they could care less about patronizing y'alls business. That was their attitude, "take it or leave it?" With "Lesion" Field as their bargaining chip?! Man, that's , if that's the case, then I'm glad your respective schools called their bluff.

UAB is not a tenant there, they're pretty much a hostage.