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(01-22-2015 03:55 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:51 PM)blzrclub80 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:44 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  If the committee findings are favorable (they should be), we can sign Coach Clark to a 7 year deal and by the time players hit campus we should have the IPF built and ready for use.

I agree. If Coach Clark is still here when the football program is reinstated, the first thing done should be to sign him to a 5 year contract. And, if I had my rathers, the 1.5 million he has been paid would be for services through 2015! Contract would be through 2020.

If the findings are due in April and we've all ready paid out his old contract, then we should give him a 7 year deal because he was robbed of his last 2 and it will take him a minimum of three years to get even close to where we were.

Sounds good to me but a 7 year contract may be difficult to get to fly. Heck, I would try to sign him to a 10 year deal if we could get away with it. I've got confidence in the man. As I mentioned in my additions to the 4 bullet points at the NAS comment meeting, we need to establish a schedule to roll out facility improvements including the OCS. I want to see an OCS sitting just south of Regions Park within the next 5 years! Enough waiting!

(01-22-2015 03:55 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:51 PM)blzrclub80 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:44 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  If the committee findings are favorable (they should be), we can sign Coach Clark to a 7 year deal and by the time players hit campus we should have the IPF built and ready for use.

I agree. If Coach Clark is still here when the football program is reinstated, the first thing done should be to sign him to a 5 year contract. And, if I had my rathers, the 1.5 million he has been paid would be for services through 2015! Contract would be through 2020.

If the findings are due in April and we've all ready paid out his old contract, then we should give him a 7 year deal because he was robbed of his last 2 and it will take him a minimum of three years to get even close to where we were.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Who the heck thought he could take us to 6-6 in only his first year? I agree that 2016 might be rough, perhaps even his first losing season in NCAA, but 2017 should be as good as or better than 2014 if we get that IPF.

Another thing that would help would of course be to field a club team in 2015 that would transition to FBS in 2016, but if we can't even do that, look at the bright side: we'll be undefeated in 2015 and Bama's probably gonna lose a game or two!

(01-22-2015 03:39 PM)EnviroBlazerD Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:30 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:20 PM)EnviroBlazerD Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 02:55 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  “@Joey35209: Hire: 2015 football is impossible. We're shooting for Football in 2016.”

Well there goes the pipe dream of bringing our 2014 players back.

But we DO still have Coach Clark. Hopefully we can at least give him a club football team to coach this fall, but if all we can do this fall is early recruiting for the 2016 season, I guess I'll be fine with that.

There will be no activity this fall concerning any players. Might as well face that fact.

Now that's just not true. As long as we have Clark, he can start recruiting in November '15 like he would have done in November '14 if the program wasn't being shut down. Now if we lose him, we wouldn't do any recruiting until we got a new head coach, January '16 at the earliest.

Activity being players playing in any type games.

(01-22-2015 04:16 PM)EnviroBlazerD Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:55 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:51 PM)blzrclub80 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 03:44 PM)kdblazer Wrote:  If the committee findings are favorable (they should be), we can sign Coach Clark to a 7 year deal and by the time players hit campus we should have the IPF built and ready for use.

I agree. If Coach Clark is still here when the football program is reinstated, the first thing done should be to sign him to a 5 year contract. And, if I had my rathers, the 1.5 million he has been paid would be for services through 2015! Contract would be through 2020.

If the findings are due in April and we've all ready paid out his old contract, then we should give him a 7 year deal because he was robbed of his last 2 and it will take him a minimum of three years to get even close to where we were.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Who the heck thought he could take us to 6-6 in only his first year? I agree that 2016 might be rough, perhaps even his first losing season in NCAA, but 2017 should be as good as or better than 2014 if we get that IPF.

Another thing that would help would of course be to field a club team in 2015 that would transition to FBS in 2016, but if we can't even do that, look at the bright side: we'll be undefeated in 2015 and Bama's probably gonna lose a game or two!

I buy it but keep mind I follow my alma mater and no other that's why the decision was so painful for me. Therefore I don't care how many games another team wins or loses .

The idea that Coach Clark is going to be recruiting for us in November of this year is just plain silly. What in the Sam Hill would have to recruit with? "I am a football coach with (possible) access to outdated facilities formerly used by a football team that was dissolved?" "There is a possibility that the president of the university that you are going to try and get your degree from will be removed in a long-drawn out fight and then you can come play football for us?" I love HCBC but we are lucky he has stuck around this long.

(01-22-2015 04:25 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote:  The idea that Coach Clark is going to be recruiting for us in November of this year is just plain silly. What in the Sam Hill would have to recruit with? "I am a football coach with (possible) access to outdated facilities formerly used by a football team that was dissolved?" "There is a possibility that the president of the university that you are going to try and get your degree from will be removed in a long-drawn out fight and then you can come play football for us?" I love HCBC but we are lucky he has stuck around this long.

If football comes back and we are able to retain Coach Clark I'm sure the IPF will be the first thing built before the ink is dry. Remember the decision should come within the next 3 months therefore we can sign Clark and start construction before the summer .

(01-22-2015 04:25 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote:  The idea that Coach Clark is going to be recruiting for us in November of this year is just plain silly. What in the Sam Hill would have to recruit with? "I am a football coach with (possible) access to outdated facilities formerly used by a football team that was dissolved?" "There is a possibility that the president of the university that you are going to try and get your degree from will be removed in a long-drawn out fight and then you can come play football for us?" I love HCBC but we are lucky he has stuck around this long.

If football is restored, it's because there is a commitment to fund the program adequately. The UA BoT will not be in a position to oppose facility improvements, including an OCS in the near future. We will just have to have the financials spelled out for them - make them an offer they can't refuse - especially since the media now knows the BoT has screwed UAB athletics over for 24+ years.

(01-22-2015 04:31 PM)blzrclub80 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 04:25 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote:  The idea that Coach Clark is going to be recruiting for us in November of this year is just plain silly. What in the Sam Hill would have to recruit with? "I am a football coach with (possible) access to outdated facilities formerly used by a football team that was dissolved?" "There is a possibility that the president of the university that you are going to try and get your degree from will be removed in a long-drawn out fight and then you can come play football for us?" I love HCBC but we are lucky he has stuck around this long.

If football is restored, it's because there is a commitment to fund the program adequately. The UA BoT will not be in a position to oppose facility improvements, including an OCS in the near future. We will just have to have the financials spelled out for them - make them an offer they can't refuse - especially since the media now knows the BoT has screwed UAB athletics over for 24+ years.

And all of that makes relative sense, if you ignore how highly unlikely any of that even beginning to happen is. (I would be thrilled to be wrong)

The IPF was a deal they could not refuse. A $10 million dollar facility for free. Let that sink in a minute.


Now on to SACS cleaning house and board reform.

(01-22-2015 04:34 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 04:31 PM)blzrclub80 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 04:25 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote:  The idea that Coach Clark is going to be recruiting for us in November of this year is just plain silly. What in the Sam Hill would have to recruit with? "I am a football coach with (possible) access to outdated facilities formerly used by a football team that was dissolved?" "There is a possibility that the president of the university that you are going to try and get your degree from will be removed in a long-drawn out fight and then you can come play football for us?" I love HCBC but we are lucky he has stuck around this long.

If football is restored, it's because there is a commitment to fund the program adequately. The UA BoT will not be in a position to oppose facility improvements, including an OCS in the near future. We will just have to have the financials spelled out for them - make them an offer they can't refuse - especially since the media now knows the BoT has screwed UAB athletics over for 24+ years.

And all of that makes relative sense, if you ignore how highly unlikely any of that even beginning to happen is. (I would be thrilled to be wrong)

I'm one of those "glass 1/2 full" kind of guys. I look for signs of hope in the worst news. Killing the football program brought to light the threat to the undergraduate program and made more people aware - and believe - the BoT has not been treating UAB athletics evenhandedly for almost its entire history. Now forces are mounting to fight the future of UAB undergraduate programs threat too. Changes are coming and I believe they will be for the better.

Hello all,

I post as @joey35209 on Twitter. I was at the meeting today and have a much better feeling about this committee. Getting the look & feel of a group, being able to look them in the eye and shake hands gives a much better perspective.

My initial reactions today were:

1. Don Hire & Frank Messina will not take crap from anyone on this task force. If there is any hanky-panky, they will blow the whistle loud & clear. Hire said if you see him walk off this task force, its a signal to the public because something is wrong & not as advertised. Messina concurs and would do the same.

2. Though Wes Smith did a lot of the talking, I have softened my stance on him & believe his stance with the NAS statement was an attempt to reach out to the Admin instead of a slap. He is growing on me & he deserves a chance.

3. The panel today: Ealy, USGA President, Wes Smith, Don Hire, Clay Ryan, Frank Messina and Pat/Pam ??? all agreed that whatever decision made by April 2nd would be a consensus.

4. A big push will be made next week to try to convince the C-USA Presidents & Commissioner to delay any vote re: UAB conference membership until AFTER the Task Force recommendations are finalized.

5. The task force has recommended to Watts that any decision regarding the new AD should be after the Task Force recommendations are finalized.

6. They have authority to create any sub-committees / involve anyone they want. Someone asked about Mackin and Hire said he has no reason to believe they cant talk to him.

7. This will be a give & take processes, full communication with anyone who has a stake UAB Football.

8. I felt slightly as if Ryan was there as defense counsel for Watts, making sure nothing from the Hire/Messina camp was rushed through. Though Ryan's arms were folded and his faced was flush the entire hour, he is on record as being part of the team.

9. Overall, I think this Task Force is the best thing to address the nonsense that is the Carr Report. It's short-term effects are the re-reinstatement of Football, Bowling & Rifile for the 2016 season. Long Term, it can be a springboard for larger issues: Capital Improvements: Indoor Practice Facility, On Campus Stadium. Messina asked us to look at it that way - Use this task force while we have a voice right now.

10. They have promised to both look into the data & assumptions that were used as well as the data, assumptions that were not used - as well as RECENT data. Messina said there were people coming forward that were involved in providing data/assumptions originally to CarrSports that now want to help bring current, correct, COMPLETE and relevent data to the process.

I'm sure there's more but feel free to ask me anything.

(01-22-2015 04:53 PM)BlazerHam Wrote:  I'm sure there's more but feel free to ask me anything.

Could you elaborate on why Wes Smith now appears trustworthy? I remain ready to wrap him in copies of Charlie Hebdo and ship him to ISIS.

(01-22-2015 04:53 PM)BlazerHam Wrote:  Hello all,

I post as @joey35209 on Twitter. I was at the meeting today and have a much better feeling about this committee. Getting the look & feel of a group, being able to look them in the eye and shake hands gives a much better perspective.

My initial reactions today were:

1. Don Hire & Frank Messina will not take crap from anyone on this task force. If there is any hanky-panky, they will blow the whistle loud & clear. Hire said if you see him walk off this task force, its a signal to the public because something is wrong & not as advertised. Messina concurs and would do the same.

2. Though Wes Smith did a lot of the talking, I have softened my stance on him & believe his stance with the NAS statement was an attempt to reach out to the Admin instead of a slap. He is growing on me & he deserves a chance.

3. The panel today: Ealy, USGA President, Wes Smith, Don Hire, Clay Ryan, Frank Messina and Pat/Pam ??? all agreed that whatever decision made by April 2nd would be a consensus.

4. A big push will be made next week to try to convince the C-USA Presidents & Commissioner to delay any vote re: UAB conference membership until AFTER the Task Force recommendations are finalized.

5. The task force has recommended to Watts that any decision regarding the new AD should be after the Task Force recommendations are finalized.

6. They have authority to create any sub-committees / involve anyone they want. Someone asked about Mackin and Hire said he has no reason to believe they cant talk to him.

7. This will be a give & take processes, full communication with anyone who has a stake UAB Football.

8. I felt slightly as if Ryan was there as defense counsel for Watts, making sure nothing from the Hire/Messina camp was rushed through. Though Ryan's arms were folded and his faced was flush the entire hour, he is on record as being part of the team.

9. Overall, I think this Task Force is the best thing to address the nonsense that is the Carr Report. It's short-term effects are the re-reinstatement of Football, Bowling & Rifile for the 2016 season. Long Term, it can be a springboard for larger issues: Capital Improvements: Indoor Practice Facility, On Campus Stadium. Messina asked us to look at it that way - Use this task force while we have a voice right now.

10. They have promised to both look into the data & assumptions that were used as well as the data, assumptions that were not used - as well as RECENT data. Messina said there were people coming forward that were involved in providing data/assumptions originally to CarrSports that now want to help bring current, correct, COMPLETE and relevent data to the process.

I'm sure there's more but feel free to ask me anything.

I agree on the Wes Smith comment. I came to the same conclusion after talking to one of the NAS Board members. The ringer on the Task Force is Ryan. He will be Watts' (and the BoT's) eyes and ears on the task force and there isn't anything that can be done about that. If he tries to push Watts agenda or derail/delay the process any, I feel reassured that Don Hire & Frank Messina will sound the alarm! It will be interesting to see what questions were submitted to Brad and what the Task Force incorporates into the RFP for the review committee.

(01-22-2015 05:04 PM)58-56 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 04:53 PM)BlazerHam Wrote:  I'm sure there's more but feel free to ask me anything.

Could you elaborate on why Wes Smith now appears trustworthy? I remain ready to wrap him in copies of Charlie Hebdo and ship him to ISIS.

I feel his motives are in the right place, but he used a tactic that was more consensus-driven that demanding after the NAS. I think he felt this was the easiest way to get things done. He nearly apologized today for going that route, but stopped short of it. I'm going on pure gut feeling here by looking a man in the eyes as he speaks.

(01-22-2015 04:37 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  The IPF was a deal they could not refuse. A $10 million dollar facility for free. Let that sink in a minute.


Now on to SACS cleaning house and board reform.

What he said.

(01-22-2015 05:04 PM)58-56 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 04:53 PM)BlazerHam Wrote:  I'm sure there's more but feel free to ask me anything.

Could you elaborate on why Wes Smith now appears trustworthy? I remain ready to wrap him in copies of Charlie Hebdo and ship him to ISIS.

PBJ+Ray+Wes=Human Centipede!!