A few months ago I told the board I would have to go on a South East tour for my work. A couple guys posted some recommendations on locations and where to stay and so forth. Just wanted to show you all what I found from the locals, culture and people specifically in conversations about UAB, MTSU and Western.

Birmingham and UAB: Obviously tough to judge with traffic, there's certainly a lot of work going on in the highway structure and the downtown area. I did my best to try and go downtown, I was thoroughly impressed with a chicken and waffles place, can't remember the name. But it seems to be decently new. Some locals definitely were aware of UAB, and had a lot of good things to say about the program. But on the whole, I was certainly disappointed. Many comments about "who is UAB, there are only two teams in this state" blah blah blah. Anyway, keep it up UAB, you can only do what you can.

Murfreesboro and MTSU: The area I frequented seem to be recently developed. It looked as though Murfreesboro is certainly up and coming as a suburb of Nashville. I was disappointed that many people didn't even know there was a local team in MTSU, everyone was very focused on UT athletics.

Bowling Green and WKU: I drove through the campus, it was very similar to Marshall in a lot of aspects. I definitely felt a connection with Western driving through town. Even the city feels like Huntington. I liked how the campus was perched on hills, it actually had a really nice downtown centre square. I ate at one of the restaurant there, can't remember the name. I will say though most people didn't really follow Western athletics like I had hoped, even with the cool connection that I felt.

The Birmingham chicken and waffles place was called Yo Mama's, I can't recommend it enough. Super-efficient prices for what you get, it may have been the best chicken and waffles I've ever had in my entire life. I'll go ahead and say it, it was. And the counter waitress had a UAB shirt on, saw my Marshall hat and we had an immediate connection. So if you're from Birmingham check it out, yo mama's.

The Bowling Green downtown restaurant was called 440 Main, and unfortunately I can't say the same. All of the workers seem very disinterested, a bunch of millennials who didn't want to be there and had no idea that Western was literally a half a mile away. The food was pretty bad for what I paid, I can't recommend it.

(03-25-2019 07:41 AM)rileylives Wrote:  The Birmingham chicken and waffles place was called Yo Mama's, I can't recommend it enough. Super-efficient prices for what you get, it may have been the best chicken and waffles I've ever had in my entire life. I'll go ahead and say it, it was. And the counter waitress had a UAB shirt on, saw my Marshall hat and we had an immediate connection. So if you're from Birmingham check it out, yo mama's.

The Bowling Green downtown restaurant was called 440 Main, and unfortunately I can't say the same. All of the workers seem very disinterested, a bunch of millennials who didn't want to be there and had no idea that Western was literally a half a mile away. The food was pretty bad for what I paid, I can't recommend it.

440 Main isn't very good! Just on the other side of the square is Gerard's Tavern: great food and atmosphere and The Nightcap Steakhouse. Down by the BG Ballpark is Mariah's, Steamer's Seafood and 6-4-3 Sports Bar. I would recommend either of these places over 440.

(03-25-2019 07:47 AM)Psychored Wrote:  

(03-25-2019 07:41 AM)rileylives Wrote:  The Birmingham chicken and waffles place was called Yo Mama's, I can't recommend it enough. Super-efficient prices for what you get, it may have been the best chicken and waffles I've ever had in my entire life. I'll go ahead and say it, it was. And the counter waitress had a UAB shirt on, saw my Marshall hat and we had an immediate connection. So if you're from Birmingham check it out, yo mama's.

The Bowling Green downtown restaurant was called 440 Main, and unfortunately I can't say the same. All of the workers seem very disinterested, a bunch of millennials who didn't want to be there and had no idea that Western was literally a half a mile away. The food was pretty bad for what I paid, I can't recommend it.

440 Main isn't very good! Just on the other side of the square is Gerard's Tavern: great food and atmosphere and The Nightcap Steakhouse. Down by the BG Ballpark is Mariah's, Steamer's Seafood and 6-4-3 Sports Bar. I would recommend either of these places over 440.

Right, so would you say what I experienced was pretty standard fare for 440 Main?

The owner was clearly a New Orleans fan, had New Orleans paraphernalia plastered everywhere. I tried the gumbo, it may have been the worst gumbo I've ever had in my life. I wanted to spit it out it was pretty gross. And I'm not a gumbo guy or picky eater.

(03-25-2019 07:47 AM)Psychored Wrote:  

(03-25-2019 07:41 AM)rileylives Wrote:  The Birmingham chicken and waffles place was called Yo Mama's, I can't recommend it enough. Super-efficient prices for what you get, it may have been the best chicken and waffles I've ever had in my entire life. I'll go ahead and say it, it was. And the counter waitress had a UAB shirt on, saw my Marshall hat and we had an immediate connection. So if you're from Birmingham check it out, yo mama's.

The Bowling Green downtown restaurant was called 440 Main, and unfortunately I can't say the same. All of the workers seem very disinterested, a bunch of millennials who didn't want to be there and had no idea that Western was literally a half a mile away. The food was pretty bad for what I paid, I can't recommend it.

440 Main isn't very good! Just on the other side of the square is Gerard's Tavern: great food and atmosphere and The Nightcap Steakhouse. Down by the BG Ballpark is Mariah's, Steamer's Seafood and 6-4-3 Sports Bar. I would recommend either of these places over 440.

Unfortunately there are a lot of millennials on the mean streets of BG. Also, too many Wal Mart UK fans running around. I “argue” with them almost everyday. You picked a so-so restaurant... that’s too bad. As Psycho said, there were a few close by that you would’ve enjoyed much more. Come back and do it again!

rileylives is right on the money in his observations about the Boro. Awesome potential but sadly it is a Big Orange conclave for "sidewalk" alums. Although the Mayor of the city , & the Mayor of Rutherford County are both MT grads, and MT is the largest public employer; we are still Little Middle to that community.

(03-25-2019 08:39 AM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  rileylives is right on the money in his observations about the Boro. Awesome potential but sadly it is a Big Orange conclave for "sidewalk" alums. Although the Mayor of the city , & the Mayor of Rutherford County are both MT grads, and MT is the largest public employer; we are still Little Middle to that community.

I mean, that's ridiculous. It makes me angry, I'm with you man!

The biggest takeaway for me is Marshall grads have actual careers. I thought they just strung together part-time jobs (Papa Johns Driver/Uber Driver/Boost Mobile Salesperson) like App grads. For that assumption, I apologize.

(03-25-2019 08:49 AM)wh49er Wrote:  The biggest takeaway for me is Marshall grads have actual careers. I thought they just strung together part-time jobs (Papa Johns Driver/Uber Driver/Boost Mobile Salesperson) like App grads. For that assumption, I apologize.

We work hard man.

Yo Mama's has great chicken & waffles. Nice choice. If there's one thing Birmingham has going for it, it's our restaurant scene.

I'm not surprised a lot of people you spoke to weren't UAB fans, but I am surprised if you encountered anyone who didn't even know what UAB was. UAB is the largest employer in Birmingham (and the State of Alabama) with ~ 24k employees and the university hospital treats over a million people a year.

(03-25-2019 09:00 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Yo Mama's has great chicken & waffles. Nice choice. If there's one thing Birmingham has going for it, it's our restaurant scene.

I'm not surprised a lot of people you spoke to weren't UAB fans, but I am surprised if you encountered anyone who didn't even know what UAB was. UAB is the largest employer in Birmingham (and the State of Alabama) with ~ 24k employees and the university hospital treats over a million people a year.

I think he was just being a dick.

I was in Nashville last summer and it was very Vanderbilt focused. There was some focus on UT obviously but it wasn't exclusive. I find it hard to believe Murfreesboro wouldn't be supporting MTSU - it's the second largest school in the state and a huge part of that city.

(03-25-2019 10:00 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I was in Nashville last summer and it was very Vanderbilt focused. There was some focus on UT obviously but it wasn't exclusive. I find it hard to believe Murfreesboro wouldn't be supporting MTSU - it's the second largest school in the state and a huge part of that city.

Really? Nashville and Vanderbilt, you must not have been in Nashville very long...Nashville is all UT......We played Vandy a few years ago in Bridgestone and literally Vanderbilt had about 100 fans that made the mile long drive to Bridgestone. Vanderbilt sports and Nashville doesn't really go together...

As far as BG its all UK, although I think its gotten just a tad better with more WKU gear and license plates around....Percentages I would say for hardcore fans in BG itself that they support exclusively UK 65%, UofL 25% and WKU 10%...Surrounding counties UK 80%, UofL 15% and WKU 5%... I see more UK flags on cars this time around in BG than I do living in Lexington...Sad but I would say all of our schools own alumni think they are too cool for their own school so they go to Wal Mart and purchase the "big schools" gear. Drives me crazy and I will never understand that attitude but it describes most of our alumni....

Well we toured the Vandy campus so of course that part of town is all about Vanderbilt. But even when we were downtown, I saw some Vanderbilt stuff in the stores. I thought downtown was more pro sports and music than college sports, period. I would think that if Nashville were more pro-UT, then it would try harder to host more Volunteer games at the NFL stadium there.

(03-25-2019 11:13 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Well we toured the Vandy campus so of course that part of town is all about Vanderbilt. But even when we were downtown, I saw some Vanderbilt stuff in the stores. I thought downtown was more pro sports and music than college sports, period. I would think that if Nashville were more pro-UT, then it would try harder to host more Volunteer games at the NFL stadium there.

They are not going to host UT when their own stadium seats 110k and they make money off by having 8 home games a year. What sense would that make? Titans stadium only holds 69k....I have been to Nashville thousand times and have not noticed any Vandy gear hardly, mostly orange....

This is a product of the ESPN machine (and now others through second and third order effects) manipulating the sheep. Unfortunately, the south is full of sheep to manipulate.

(03-25-2019 09:05 AM)rileylives Wrote:  

(03-25-2019 09:00 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Yo Mama's has great chicken & waffles. Nice choice. If there's one thing Birmingham has going for it, it's our restaurant scene.

I'm not surprised a lot of people you spoke to weren't UAB fans, but I am surprised if you encountered anyone who didn't even know what UAB was. UAB is the largest employer in Birmingham (and the State of Alabama) with ~ 24k employees and the university hospital treats over a million people a year.

I think he was just being a dick.

God those people are the worst. Of all the times I've heard "UAB IsN't ReAl FoOtBaLl"

Was his name Ray somebody?

(03-25-2019 02:38 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  Was his name Ray somebody?

IDK. He was bitter that's for sure.

Watts maybe? Crochety fellow.

clt says visit Charlotte next time