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

(10-22-2013 01:12 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  They had a close loss at Tennessee. Hell we had two. I lost count of the close losses UAB has had since their first year DI. USA is not doing anything UAB hasn't already done. As soon as UAT sees them as a threat they will be treated the same as us.

The University of Alabama Board of Trustees has nothing to do with USA.

(10-22-2013 04:16 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 01:12 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  They had a close loss at Tennessee. Hell we had two. I lost count of the close losses UAB has had since their first year DI. USA is not doing anything UAB hasn't already done. As soon as UAT sees them as a threat they will be treated the same as us.

The University of Alabama Board of Trustees has nothing to do with USA.

directly...no. but i think you underestimate the BOT's power

(10-22-2013 04:50 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 04:16 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 01:12 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  They had a close loss at Tennessee. Hell we had two. I lost count of the close losses UAB has had since their first year DI. USA is not doing anything UAB hasn't already done. As soon as UAT sees them as a threat they will be treated the same as us.

The University of Alabama Board of Trustees has nothing to do with USA.

directly...no. but i think you underestimate the BOT's power

I will subscribe to some pretty crazy conspiracy theories when it comes to Alabama politics, but if the Board of Trustees wanted to sabotage USA football, don't you think they would've learned from their mistakes with UAB and done it up front? Mobile may be full of gumps just like Birmingham, but down there they tend to take more pride in local things than we do up here. Mobile seems like an area where people would be willing to support USA while maintaining whatever allegiances they had previously. Getting UAB to that point is a steeper hill to climb for various reasons.

No kidding. I was not referring to the UABOT but rather the media and elected officials who do wield some power.

The media is busy giving each other happy endings over USA while UAB accomplished more in it's beginnings and was heavily criticized.

Once USA is considered a threat that will all end.

Among USA fans I've run across on the boards, there does seem to be some type of dual allegiance that is accepted in Mobile but frowned upon by diehard Blazer fans. Perhaps it is because of Gene Bartow and UAB's basketball success, but a lot of UAB fans are not willing to accept second degree treatment, where USA fans are.

At some point the line was you have to choose between Bama and Blazer. USA fans have not had to make that choice.

Having been one of the original players to help bring the club football to life years ago down there, I can say that USA does have support from the local area whereas we're facing too many gumps/barners as well as media that humps the $EC leg all it can. I did fight a few battles w/ the admin at the time w/ Pres Whidden along w/ Cliff Ellis who wanted to be the only show on campus unlike his AU time but we at least had Gottfried on our side somewhat. Long term I think USA will have an easier time of it due to city not having as strong an $EC centric view as B'ham does but w/ Alabama politics being what they are as well as the BOT having a big say in them, if they do even start to become a threat to the Precious, we'll have to create a little more room in the boat. At least their BOT is planning an OCS & until then while their stadium is old, they do have a city as well as a bowl game that will keep it up instead of neglect it until that time comes.

If USA becomes a major player it'll be due to the fertile recruiting ground that is the mobile area. When/if Bama begins losing their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choices to USA that is when they will wish they had another option to buffer USA much like many thought/hoped UAB would be for SMiss years ago.

(10-22-2013 05:47 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  At some point the line was you have to choose between Bama and Blazer.

And that continued attitude by many is one thing that still hampers UAB to this day. I like to pick at the gumps as much as anyone, but at the end of the day the constant whining about Alabama or Auburn or whatever just turns people off. For UAB to succeed financially, we need casual fans who didn't necessarily go to UAB to show up on Saturdays with their families looking for something to do.

(10-22-2013 06:26 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  If USA becomes a major player it'll be due to the fertile recruiting ground that is the mobile area. When/if Bama begins losing their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choices to USA that is when they will wish they had another option to buffer USA much like many thought/hoped UAB would be for SMiss years ago.

I don't see USA competing with Alabama for recruits anytime in the next decade.

Problem is that there is no such thing as a casual fan when it comes to football in Alabama

(10-22-2013 07:42 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Problem is that there is no such thing as a casual fan when it comes to football in Alabama

Then we really do need to shut it down.

We're never going to convince people who never went to college at all to drop their allegiances to UAB from Alabama or Auburn, and there isn't a big enough alumni base yet either. There are, however, lots of people who like football and would like to get out of the house on the weekend and see a game without having to drive to Auburn or Tuscaloosa. Hell, the same even goes for basketball. There's no reason in a city the size of Birmingham why UAB shouldn't be selling out Bartow several times a year.