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

However the BOT asked Watts to do this study & Watts did not question why the other presidents did not have to do the study.

No. He is heavily involved & responsible.

This article tells the story of who, what and when, but not as much why, but its a great start to get the answer.

"The key moment in UAB's future came in 2011 when the Alabama board shot down UAB's proposal to build a $75-million, 30,000-seat stadium on campus."

To me, it sounds like UAB football is dead. Hope I'm wrong, but I hate this for you guys.

Best. Article. Ever. By. Soloman.

There is a lot happening right now Niner. A lot that is not out there in the public eye working in our favor. I feel more confident today than I have in about a month.

Now THIS is a good article.

What exactly is the Protective Life guy who is on the board doing?

(11-14-2014 11:47 AM)blzrclub80 Wrote:  I try to be optimistic. Just for argument's sake consider this: Dr. Watts fell into the president's job. He's an academic and doesn't understand the implications of waiting for a study to be finished adversely affecting the football teams performance on the field, a coaches efforts to recruit the best players available, a staff's decision on whether to seek positions at other schools, the impact of a Football program on the campus experience, student body growth, alumni support and community economic impact. But, being the academic that he is, he will lean on the study to make his decision. The study is being done by a group that had a positive opinion of the future of UAB Football when it made the offer to Coach Bill Clark. If it doesn't have a positive response to the future of UAB Football in the study it has exposed itself as undependable for future such coaching searches because coaches will not believe what they say about the situation the coach is going into. Therefore, I'm still optimistic the study will be what we've all been waiting for. The UA BOT will have a hard time justifying further obstruction of the program and UAB will be FREE to proceed. If the study is positive and the UA BOT continues it's obstructionist behavior, I believe their will be a local, state and even NATIONAL groundswell of pressure against their behavior. I choose to be an optimist and will deal with the negatives, if any, in December!

You don't get the job Watts is in without being at least as much a politician as an educator. Don't underestimate him, he knows exactly what he's doing. He just didn't expect it to blow up early when they were unprepared, to have what's going on publicly exposed, to have to answer for what he was trying to do on the sly.

(11-14-2014 12:04 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  There is a lot happening right now Niner. A lot that is not out there in the public eye working in our favor. I feel more confident today than I have in about a month.

Thanks for posting that. It is good to know that the fight isn't already over and there is some hope.

(11-14-2014 11:41 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Despite the skirmishes with UAB fans when he was at al.com, Solomon has come into his own and found his niche at CBS sports.com. He does an excellent job reporting on the financial numbers and business of college football.

I trust you on this one, but I'm still shocked this article was written by Solomon.

I think that puts to rest any paranoia acuusations. Unless Clark is paranoid enough to put his job on the line by making those comments.

(11-14-2014 11:41 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Reading Clark's quotes it sounds like he's already out the door and I don't blame him. Even if we "win" and keep football, we'll have damaged our relationship with Clark so much that he'll be gone. Why would you stay when it's obvious that your Trustees, President, and AD don't support you? Not to mention we've killed recruiting for the foreseeable future. Other schools will always tell recruits that the program could shut down at any moment and we'll have alienated all the high school coaches in the state that have good relationship with Clark by how UAB has mistreated him.

So if we keep football: Clark is gone, recruiting is SEVERELY damaged, we'll hire a crap coach to replace Clark (they won't approve anyone good), and fan support will have crashed by how pissed off this has made everyone.

Clark wants to be in Birmingham. Given the slightest bit of the support he seeks by the end of the season, he will stay. End of story.

(11-14-2014 12:40 PM)blazr Wrote:  

(11-14-2014 11:41 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Reading Clark's quotes it sounds like he's already out the door and I don't blame him. Even if we "win" and keep football, we'll have damaged our relationship with Clark so much that he'll be gone. Why would you stay when it's obvious that your Trustees, President, and AD don't support you? Not to mention we've killed recruiting for the foreseeable future. Other schools will always tell recruits that the program could shut down at any moment and we'll have alienated all the high school coaches in the state that have good relationship with Clark by how UAB has mistreated him.

So if we keep football: Clark is gone, recruiting is SEVERELY damaged, we'll hire a crap coach to replace Clark (they won't approve anyone good), and fan support will have crashed by how pissed off this has made everyone.

Clark wants to be in Birmingham. Given the slightest bit of the support he seeks by the end of the season, he will stay. End of story.

I think that, too. Of course, I was fooled by the last guy(sorry for the comparison)...

This ain't good. At best Watt's incompetence has cost us the best coach we have had in a long time in football.

(11-14-2014 12:06 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  What exactly is the Protective Life guy who is on the board doing?

He is uniquely positioned as a BOT member and a Board member for The Campaign for UAB.

Looks like he is failing in both.

(11-14-2014 12:40 PM)blazr Wrote:  

(11-14-2014 11:41 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Reading Clark's quotes it sounds like he's already out the door and I don't blame him. Even if we "win" and keep football, we'll have damaged our relationship with Clark so much that he'll be gone. Why would you stay when it's obvious that your Trustees, President, and AD don't support you? Not to mention we've killed recruiting for the foreseeable future. Other schools will always tell recruits that the program could shut down at any moment and we'll have alienated all the high school coaches in the state that have good relationship with Clark by how UAB has mistreated him.

So if we keep football: Clark is gone, recruiting is SEVERELY damaged, we'll hire a crap coach to replace Clark (they won't approve anyone good), and fan support will have crashed by how pissed off this has made everyone.

Clark wants to be in Birmingham. Given the slightest bit of the support he seeks by the end of the season, he will stay. End of story.

I'm sure he's tired of changing jobs too, so we've got that working in our favor.

(11-14-2014 11:22 AM)blazertke Wrote:  I swear if they run off the best coach we've ever had I'm done. This is completely ridiculous. I'm not so sure my values align with what UAB is displaying right now. If you show any type of success they'll run you off?

That's the "UAB way.":pissed:

Is the insider Mackin?