RE: Gross - Memphis game is at 11am
Pre-shutdown. I used to sit with a group of UAB grads above the president seats at Legion field on the 50 yd line. I grew up with those people. 15 years of sitting with them. They’d make noise. Do every chant. Sing the fight song, sing The Blazer Victory song. The band would send 15-20 to our section specifically because of that.
This group would be there whether we were winless, rain, shine, hot, cold. They’d sneak in Jack Daniels. They’d walk in 5 minutes late occasionally from their tail gate. They’d also have money invested in blazer Alumni club or whatever. I forget the name, but theyd be under the alumni tent eating pregame meals every time I ventured over to blazer village, too. These were Die hard fans, grads at that. They’d be at every football game. They’d be at every hoops game. Have green and gold room access. Still do til this day. This is all pre-shutdown.
I didn’t learn many names well over the years. I know Mrs. Rogers, was one of our group. She and Tim Alexander went from town to town all spring getting resolutions of support gathered up in the spring of 2015.
Fast forward to #TheReturn, we as fans have been asked to invest more which makes much of the group I grew up with, move to the club level. As they did put their money where their mouth is. The spirit of the crowd, our group had split up. Now we are at protective. Some of us sit scattered in 125 & 126 or sit in the expensive seats with club access on the west side.
At legion field, (pre-shutdown)the souvenir cups would have the schedule on them or they’d have the fight song on them. That’s how I learned it.
I do make noise even when I’m not told to. I’ll wear the silly shirts. However, I have an emotional attachment, while others are actual grads. Like I said, I grew up at UAB games. I had gone to games with my uncle who held season tickets since the club days and my grand father who held hoops season tickets from Bartow’s start til Mike Davis 2nd year.
I wasn’t forced to choose between UA, AU, UAB. Was given the choice to go to the games or not. I did, so basically I’m a rare breed. Raised on UAB Athletics. A die hard fan.
I don’t have answers on how to get the crowd emotionally invested. I do know that after the Return, folks finally started to make noise at legion field. We did not capitalize on any of that momentum on the field in the move to protective stadium.
Not having Snoozy’s, plays a big role, too. They sponsored so many giveaways, used to have the blimp at the hoops games. Full moon sponsored giveaways. I remember the gang green shirts.
I feel like in certain departments, we don’t have the UAB alumni. So, there’s nobody to carry on what little traditions we did have. Many people quit, got laid off when Carol was no longer in charge. Ingram brought in his own people.
I’ll stop here. Just some thoughts I had.
(This post was last modified: 10-18-2023 08:44 AM by UABFAN23.)
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Gross - Memphis game is at 11am
