(06-16-2013 10:07 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(06-16-2013 11:58 AM)SgtGoldenEagle Wrote:  football help to end Jim Crow because it became clear the SEC couldn't compete if they didn't allow talented Blacks to play, which Bear Bryant saw and scheduled a game with USC knowing his highly ranked Tide would be beaten badly (which happened). This caused the SEC to change.

The game was played in 1970 at Legion Field and Southern Cal won, 42-21. It was the first game of the season; Alabama was coming off a 6-5-0 result in 1969 and wound up at 6-5-1 in 1970. So while Alabama probably was highly ranked in the early September polls, it was not one of the Bear's better squads.

Sam Cunningham (10 years with the N.E. Patriots), an African-American player for USC, dominated the game, which did, indeed, help pave the way for Bryant and other white-southern coaches to go 'all-out' in their recruitment of black players. It should be pointed out that Bryant already had at least one black freshman (Wilbur Jackson, a first-round pick by the 49'ers in 1974) on scholarship at the time (freshmen ineligible to play varsity in 1970).

Alabama and other all-white teams played integrated opponents frequently starting in about 1955. The simple truth is that the all-white teams won a lot of those games. (Example: Alabama 34, Nebraska 7 in the 1967 Sugar Bowl). I think the wisdom of integration or segregation can be analyzed separately from sporting events, but for those who look for Historical Meaning in the score of a football game or something like that, the record is far less clear than popular memory would have us believe.

Wish I had a DVD copy of that game...It was a thing of beauty, I can watch that one tirelessly, Trojans dragged them up & down the field all evening on national TV. Wish some more "USC 1970 moments" would come along for them till THEIR board of mistrustees do right by UAB & UAH.

(06-17-2013 07:04 AM)Matrix Wrote:  Wish some more "USC 1970 moments" would come along for them till THEIR board of mistrustees do right by UAB & UAH.

What is the undergraduate enrollment at UAT, UAB, and UAH?

@Native Georgian: I'm currently seeking to try and answer your inquiry. Good morning to yas!

So far, the site I've found any undergrad info on UAB and "Updyke Nation" was on About.com depicting 2011 stats. UAB had over 11,000 undergraduates, and "the red wall of tyranny" over 26,000, nothing that I could see on UAH... Going to see if I can expand the search a bit more. Is this one of those "big fish/little fish" analogies? ;-)

UAH is around 5k. I live in Huntsville, and have heard the official number, but hell if I can remember it.

Tuscaloosa has undergone a massive increase in the last decade, looking at out-of-state tuition as a major source of funding. The football program is seen as a key driver.

That was done under Pres. Robert Witt. Last year, the Trustees forced out the system chancellor, Mack Portera, and replaced him with the Tuscaloosa president, Witt. This was seen as putting UAB and UAH directly under UAT, but that may have been a snap judgment. Witt is old, possibly over 70, and appears to no longer care what the Bourbon cabal wants. He's pushing a similar mass increase at UAB, to offset reductions in federal research money, and appears to be working with our new president, Ray Watts, toward this end. I suspect Witt is fine with an on-campus stadium, but then again, so was Portera ("They have a budget of well over a billion dollars - I'm not worried about a $70 million stadium" - Chancellor Malcom Portera's famous last words).

Greatly increasing UAB's undergrad enrollment was also part of my proposals for UAB when I applied for the president's job (see my campaign poster below). I was not selected - the fix was in beforehand for an MD - but so far we seem to have done OK.

(06-17-2013 08:52 AM)58-56 Wrote:  Tuscaloosa has undergone a massive increase in the last decade, looking at out-of-state tuition as a major source of funding. The football program is seen as a key driver.

That was done under Pres. Robert Witt. Last year, the Trustees forced out the system chancellor, Mack Portera, and replaced him with the Tuscaloosa president, Witt. This was seen as putting UAB and UAH directly under UAT, but that may have been a snap judgment. Witt is old, possibly over 70, and appears to no longer care what the Bourbon cabal wants. He's pushing a similar mass increase at UAB, to offset reductions in federal research money, and appears to be working with our new president, Ray Watts, toward this end. I suspect Witt is fine with an on-campus stadium, but then again, so was Portera ("They have a budget of well over a billion dollars - I'm not worried about a $70 million stadium" - Chancellor Malcom Portera's famous last words).

Greatly increasing UAB's undergrad enrollment was also part of my proposals for UAB when I applied for the president's job (see my campaign poster below). I was not selected - the fix was in beforehand for an MD - but so far we seem to have done OK.

So far, so good, I guess. But I would have felt much better with you at the helm, I know I'd be buying season tickets for football for the next 5 years in advance in our new on-campus stadium if you were running things.

It is very easy for those on the outside to tell UAB fans what we ought to do and how we ought to do it. The problem is that they simply don't know how things work here.

For instance, putting political pressure on is advocated. Fine idea. The problem is that UAB does not have a Law School, and UAT does, and it has been cranking out lawyers with UAT ties for years. Many of those UAT Law alums are now judges and state legislators. There are very few people with UAB ties in the same positions. Add in a traditional hatred of Birmingham as the big city by much of the rest of the state, add in remnant rascism against the mostly black population and government of the City of Birmingham. Legal remedies will have to come from the Federal level, and the Feds have bigger fish to fry unless we can find a way to get them to look at the festering stew of corruption and influence peddling that is the UA BoT.

As to "just start building it and dare them to stop you", they hold the purse strings. It's rather difficult to build a multi-million dollar facility without a budget, and using money budgeted elsewhere is legally fraud and embezzlement... and those judges will enforce that law.

It's the Sunshine Laws that forbid the BoT to make decisions behind closed doors and trot them out as accomplished fact when they are ready to vote that we can't get them to enforce.

(06-17-2013 01:31 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  It's the Sunshine Laws that forbid the BoT to make decisions behind closed doors and trot them out as accomplished fact when they are ready to vote that we can't get them to enforce.

My phone calls, emails, and letters to both the AG and governor (and every sitting member of the board, and chancellor) and my legislator on this very subject went unanswered.

This is my surprised face:

(06-17-2013 03:08 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(06-17-2013 01:31 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  It's the Sunshine Laws that forbid the BoT to make decisions behind closed doors and trot them out as accomplished fact when they are ready to vote that we can't get them to enforce.

My phone calls, emails, and letters to both the AG and governor (and every sitting member of the board, and chancellor) and my legislator on this very subject went unanswered.

This is my surprised face:

No lie, I just yawned. Thanks.

Thanks a lot.

(06-17-2013 01:31 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  It is very easy for those on the outside to tell UAB fans what we ought to do and how we ought to do it. The problem is that they simply don't know how things work here.

Not trying to give offense, sir. But in fact I lived in the state for 15 years and I think I do have some concept of what it's like to co-exist among those who worship the memory of Ursa-Major and cope with the shady dealings of Ursa-Minor even to this day. I don't claim to have the same in-depth political knowledge that current inhabitants possess. But I'm sure that if UAB plays the go-along-to-get-along strategy, you will still be waiting for an on-campus stadium 20 years from now. To get positive change, you'll need to do something more... direct.

(06-17-2013 03:08 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(06-17-2013 01:31 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  It's the Sunshine Laws that forbid the BoT to make decisions behind closed doors and trot them out as accomplished fact when they are ready to vote that we can't get them to enforce.

My phone calls, emails, and letters to both the AG and governor (and every sitting member of the board, and chancellor) and my legislator on this very subject went unanswered.

This is my surprised face:

I took a similar course of action, wasn't surprised that they went on me/us. This is a job for..."Mad Stan!"

(06-17-2013 04:50 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(06-17-2013 01:31 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  It is very easy for those on the outside to tell UAB fans what we ought to do and how we ought to do it. The problem is that they simply don't know how things work here.

Not trying to give offense, sir. But in fact I lived in the state for 15 years and I think I do have some concept of what it's like to co-exist among those who worship the memory of Ursa-Major and cope with the shady dealings of Ursa-Minor even to this day. I don't claim to have the same in-depth political knowledge that current inhabitants possess. But I'm sure that if UAB plays the go-along-to-get-along strategy, you will still be waiting for an on-campus stadium 20 years from now. To get positive change, you'll need to do something more... direct.

"Lesion" Field won't last 20 more years! (I hope!) We don't want to spend another season in that dump! But given how "hands on" the Charlotte fan base was in acquiring their OCS, I'm at a loss for understanding why a similar approach (other than the obvious lowdown scum saturating that board of trustees) wouldn't be taken into consideration in our case. Sure, the bastages stated that there had to be noteworthy community support for the football program in order or them to entertain the idea of approving an on campus stadium. These are the same lying that had most of us believing that the stadium project would be approved 2 years ago. I can't wait till fans actually start showing up for games and the team puts together a winning season or 2, & guess what the ******* are going to say?

That "Lesion" Field is sufficient enough for UAB to continue playing in, & that expenditures on a new stadium is not in the best interests of the university system or the state, & you won't hear a peep out of the Mayor or Bham City Council about it, because IMO, they've all been bought and paid for by this board to turn a blind eye to the obvious....As Vince McMahon says, " I guarandamntee you!!" I don't know a whole lot, but I know evil when I see it, & this is what UAB is up against, pure and simple, & they have the blessings of the state government to do what they're doing to UAB Athletics, especially where football is concerned.

If Federal intervention is in fact, an option, I would not be against it having to be used in this situation.


"you knew I was a snake when you trusted me....never trust a snake!" - Jake "the snake" Roberts...

Sounds to me like "Bear Junior" has one helluva ego problem plus he seems to be just a bit of a control freak, ya' think?

Your day for a new stadium will happen, UAB'ers.

Good luck on it!

(06-17-2013 10:52 PM)WeatherfordMeanGreen Wrote:  Sounds to me like "Bear Junior" has one helluva ego problem plus he seems to be just a bit of a control freak, ya' think?

Your day for a new stadium will happen, UAB'ers.

Good luck on it!

He has...He is...I hope....Thank you!!! We will need it!

Meanwhile: UAT gets a waterfall in their locker room. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/alabama-...aterfalls/

(06-18-2013 10:47 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Meanwhile: UAT gets a waterfall in their locker room. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/alabama-...aterfalls/

To quote the late, great Johnny "guitar" Watson..."Ain't that a b**ch!"

They get a waterfall. We just want hot water in the locker room.