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

(03-01-2013 08:52 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  I have many great memories of the BJCC and while I love Bartow Arena i miss playing games there. That place is loud when you get about 14,000+ in there. I remember several games against Depaul and Auburn when you could not hear the person next to you.

The Virginia game in the '82 NCAA Tournament was by far the loudest I ever heard.

I wish we could have a big game or two there but we have to build our fan base back up. We're nowhere near being able to put enough folks on the BJCC to make it worthwhile sadly to say.

(03-01-2013 10:50 AM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 12:06 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(02-27-2013 11:08 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  The BJCC is a terrible venue to watch basketball games, in my humble opinion.

I have too many fantastic memories there to say that.

I respect your opinion, and I understand your comment. I would likely feel the same way if I had been there during the 80s.

I just don't like arenas where you are so far from the court, even in the lower-level seats. Likewise, I don't care for football stadiums that have tracks around the field, like Legion Field. I want the seats right next to the field.

Just my opinion as an old sports fan.

Single purpose stadiums are the only way to accomplish that intimacy. When you add features for soccer, track, lacrosse, baseball, etc. that moves the fans away from the football sidelines. The BJCC venue was originally designed to accommodate the Ringling Bros. Circus with their reps coming in and getting tie-down points placed in the concrete floor when it was being poured (under the ice we had then for hockey) so basketball patrons are farther from the court than if it had been built as a single sport facility.

Back before the SEC men's track teams died, the new state-of-the-art track was put down at Legion Field in hopes of getting the SEC Track & Field Championships moved there. The natural grass field we had then would have been good for ground impact sports like javelin, shot put, hammer throw, jumping pits, etc. Visibilty for fans of the north curve of the track was sacrificed when the city rebuilt the North End Zone seating so that the north curve was covered by the new stands. With the demise of outdoor SEC men's track & field, it became a moot point.

UAB must decide on the range of sports it wishes to accommodate in its OCS as part of its design.

Interesting article today about the AHSAA, apparently last year was their lowest revenue year for the football playoffs in five years. Hmmm, what has changed in the past five years I wonder?

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/...er_default

(03-01-2013 07:33 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Interesting article today about the AHSAA, apparently last year was their lowest revenue year for the football playoffs in five years. Hmmm, what has changed in the past five years I wonder?

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/...er_default

Uuummm, because it ain't nearly as convenient as it used to be?

As I've said on here before, I wish UAB would partner with the AHSAA/Tip Off club and help play host to the State HS Basketball Tournament. Bartow Arena is perfect for 1A-3A games. Bartow would be half full or better for most games giving the student-athletes and fans a much better atmosphere than at the BJCC. 4A-6A games stay at BJCC. It probably will never happen due to the unique experience of all games from all classifications being in one location but I believe it would be great.

(03-02-2013 02:04 AM)blazinrunner Wrote:  As I've said on here before, I wish UAB would partner with the AHSAA/Tip Off club and help play host to the State HS Basketball Tournament. Bartow Arena is perfect for 1A-3A games. Bartow would be half full or better for most games giving the student-athletes and fans a much better atmosphere than at the BJCC. 4A-6A games stay at BJCC. It probably will never happen due to the unique experience of all games from all classifications being in one location but I believe it would be great.

IF size of school (and therefore size of anticipated crowd) is considered, B'ham has the Harris Arena to offer as well near the Crossplex. Plenty of parking is out there, but not much in the way of places to stay. Your final line would probably be the deciding factor though.

when I went to the MB vs Blount game on Thursday for the Final 4 it was very loud on our part and we only brought around 5k-6k people. I didn't realize the acoustics in the BJCC were that great

The BJCC is the best venue for the AHSAA Final 48 because you have dedicated parking, adjacent hotel rooms, and the largest basketball fan base to generate the most ticket revenue possible. You simply couldn't hold all-day games during a weekday at Bartow because there would literally be nowhere to park.

Yeah, trying to do it at Bartow would be a nightmare. Parking being the number one issue, by far. BJCC is perfect for such an event. It's why large cities have venues like that even if they have universities with facilities.

(02-27-2013 05:10 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Where else would it go? I can understand dumping Legion Field for the football championships, but Birmingham is centrally located, has a great venue for basketball, and has plenty of lodging for an event of its size

Still wouldn't stop tuscaloosa and anywhere else from pilfering from this town just to show that it can like it did with the football championship. I went to the Thursday session, got there in time to see Hoover's Girls sweat out a tight game against Carver-Montgomery, matter of fact, all but one of the games I witnessed that evening were instant classics. That is a very entertaining event, one that I'm glad Birmingham is not allowing to slip away anytime soon as it did with the Super 6. Just the same, would love to see Bartow Arena host the High School Basketball tournament at some time in the future.

B'ham did not have anything to do with "allowing the FB Super 6 to move away". The same folks who pulled those strings are probably the same ones who wanted the Iron Bowl in their cities. Getting the state's top talent to get to play where these folks want them to play their college ball was that motivation. If either (AU or UA) could have cut the other out, they would have done it in a heartbeat, but Montgomery would not have allowed it. B'ham gets to keep it in part because neither of those schools really want to bring in the state's best BASKETBALL talent anyways.

Jeff Sentell tweeted that this was the best year for the event since 2007 and the total attendance was around 57,000. I know the new restaurant in the Westin hotel, Todd English PUB, was packed all week.

The Super 6 got away because Legion Field sucks, it's plain and simple. Now that it's gone, it may never come back, even if Birmingham and/or UAB build a new stadium (dome or otherwise).

And sorry, Matrix, the Final 48 won't ever be in Bartow. We've hashed out why that is a terrible idea, and it's the same reasons that holding it at the BJCC makes infinitely more sense than the event moving to Tuscaloosa or Auburn. College basketball season is still going on, and so are classes. Parking is a nightmare on a college campus without 48 high school teams and their fans showing up for a week.

(02-27-2013 10:28 PM)UABrandon Wrote:  

(02-27-2013 09:50 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(02-27-2013 05:23 PM)Blazer88 Wrote:  Good.

(02-27-2013 05:10 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Where else would it go? I can understand dumping Legion Field for the football championships, but Birmingham is centrally located, has a great venue for basketball, and has plenty of lodging for an event of its size

Agree I know Auburn couldn't hold enough for a big time 6A or 5A match up, I guess Coleman could. BJCC is pretty good for basketball.

I don't know that Tuscaloosa could handle it. You're running 48 teams (from semi-finals on for 6 classes, boys and girls) in a very short time frame. Plus, this is in the middle of the college season. It'd probably be tough for the BJCC if UAB were playing there

I don't think they would ever do it at a college because as you said it's still basketball season for another few weeks for the Alabama D1 schools

Anyone here besides old enough to remember when the "Land Of The Updykes" used to be meeting point for the state high school championship? The last time my high school alma mater won one was in "Coal Mine Coliseum" in 1975...So they have hosted the game(s) before, that's why I was glad that Birmingham finally grew a set and made sure this event wasn't allowed to relocate elsewhere as the Super 6 did.

(03-04-2013 10:47 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  The Super 6 got away because Legion Field sucks, it's plain and simple. Now that it's gone, it may never come back, even if Birmingham and/or UAB build a new stadium (dome or otherwise).

And sorry, Matrix, the Final 48 won't ever be in Bartow. We've hashed out why that is a terrible idea, and it's the same reasons that holding it at the BJCC makes infinitely more sense than the event moving to Tuscaloosa or Auburn. College basketball season is still going on, and so are classes. Parking is a nightmare on a college campus without 48 high school teams and their fans showing up for a week.

No apology necessary, your point is most valid. Just wishful thinking on my part, I would just love to see the average crowd that turns out for those games at Bartow, the noise and excitement generated would be astounding.