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

Ingram has done a good job with updating facilities and the fund raising that was required. Full credit for that. Bartow was about the only modern building we had. Other than that, it is very hard for me to point anything out and say that he made a big difference. I continue to hope that Dilfer will be a home run hire after a couple of more years but at this point it's all potential and little proof.

It is hard for me to not see Ingram as a unit with Ray Watts, and there is a whole lot of guilt by association there.

Until Ray Ray is gone, everyone will have that guilt by association and you also can't expect whoever is in that chair to literally poke their finger in Watts' eye

That said, even within the stupidly, artificially restricted environment in which UAB Athletics operates the department is still kind of a clown show. The whole debacle about tailgating that happened twice even after saying it was a mistake and shouldn't. The mismanagement of the relationship with the BJCC such that the price and piss poor service at Protective Stadium concessions is a meme. Hiring a literal high school football coach as UAB makes its debut in a new, (somewhat) more prominent league. The lack of results in essentially any sport over the past few seasons. You can even take it down to the level of things like the poor selection of UAB merchandise that is available out in the world, and the persistent rumor it's because UAB is notoriously hard to work with on licensing

UAB should be giving away licenses for free almost to boost the visibility and profile of all of the programs. Mark Ingram should be on TV and radio every day stomping his feet at how unhappy he is with the operational capabilities of the BJCC--even if he can't directly do something about it, he should be acknowledging people's complaints and that there's a problem. He's got to get the game day experience where it needs to be. We all know UAB isn't going to be there in our lifetime, but he should be aiming for Tuscaloosa-level operational excellence and experience. The best should not be good enough, and just good enough should be getting fires lit under asses.

There will always be limitations in funding and what the university is allowed to do until there is a startup founder that hits a billion dollar IPO from UAB, but that doesn't mean what IS possible should be done in such a piss poor manner with such aloofness that seems to permeate every level of the athletics department

I want UAB to want to be the best. I want the leadership--whether they think we can get there or not--to want to be in the top echelon of the academic and athletic worlds. And, for them to act like it and improve day to day until they are there

Well said, Mixey.

(11-08-2023 09:43 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Until Ray Ray is gone, everyone will have that guilt by association and you also can't expect whoever is in that chair to literally poke their finger in Watts' eye

That said, even within the stupidly, artificially restricted environment in which UAB Athletics operates the department is still kind of a clown show. The whole debacle about tailgating that happened twice even after saying it was a mistake and shouldn't. The mismanagement of the relationship with the BJCC such that the price and piss poor service at Protective Stadium concessions is a meme. Hiring a literal high school football coach as UAB makes its debut in a new, (somewhat) more prominent league. The lack of results in essentially any sport over the past few seasons. You can even take it down to the level of things like the poor selection of UAB merchandise that is available out in the world, and the persistent rumor it's because UAB is notoriously hard to work with on licensing

UAB should be giving away licenses for free almost to boost the visibility and profile of all of the programs. Mark Ingram should be on TV and radio every day stomping his feet at how unhappy he is with the operational capabilities of the BJCC--even if he can't directly do something about it, he should be acknowledging people's complaints and that there's a problem. He's got to get the game day experience where it needs to be. We all know UAB isn't going to be there in our lifetime, but he should be aiming for Tuscaloosa-level operational excellence and experience. The best should not be good enough, and just good enough should be getting fires lit under asses.

There will always be limitations in funding and what the university is allowed to do until there is a startup founder that hits a billion dollar IPO from UAB, but that doesn't mean what IS possible should be done in such a piss poor manner with such aloofness that seems to permeate every level of the athletics department

I want UAB to want to be the best. I want the leadership--whether they think we can get there or not--to want to be in the top echelon of the academic and athletic worlds. And, for them to act like it and improve day to day until they are there

Preach!

I agree wholeheartedly.

The UAB campus has been transformed, and we have a ton of new academic buildings and athletics buildings. We’ve moved to a slightly better athletics conference. We still accept mediocrity or worse in so many things related to athletics. It’s very frustrating.

When I was a student UAB was routinely better than schools like TCU, UCF, Tulane, USF, etc. now those teams have passed us outright or are in better positions than us in the same conference. Schools like freaking UTSA and FAU are threatening to do the same now. We continually get pushed to the back and accept mediocrity as peers pass us up.

For those of you on X, have a look at this
https://x.com/mirageofwins/status/172212...pR1eVTcJZA

(11-09-2023 07:53 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  For those of you on X, have a look at this
https://x.com/mirageofwins/status/172212...pR1eVTcJZA

Men’s soccer: 3-22-6
Jeepers!

(11-09-2023 07:53 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  For those of you on X, have a look at this
https://x.com/mirageofwins/status/172212...pR1eVTcJZA

Terrible. Only saving grace is the no brainer AK hire and the softball hire.

Anyone with half a brain cell left could've and would've made the AK hire when it happened. I don't think he should get a lot of accolades for that hire.