I was wondering why UAB fans come on Troy State boards and bash us all the time. I think Troy State and UAB can develope into a great series against each other. Why do you think we are below you? The fact is your basketball team is good but your football team and baseball team are not as good as us. You excel in different things as do we. Why not use it and play each other because you know it will draw lots of fans for every event. And the thing where we are not good enough to be in conference USA give me a break. Our football, baseball, tennis, softball, and training facilities are well above yours. Sure you have a better basketball arena but hey we are about to build a new one as well. Just wait in two years when you visit Troy to play us in football you will see how good our atmosphere is and how yours can not even come close to ours. Face it Legion Field is a pile of crap it needs up gades. So wise up you would only benefit from us joining Conference USA. An in state rival, hey sounds like money so please realize this and work with us not against us are we will never get to the point we both want to be.
You come over here suggesting we be civil but then you start bashing us. What the hell is that??
Fact is that you aren't SUPERIOR to us in football. Sure, you beat us last year but we are more competitive on a bigger level than Troy vs UAB. We can hang with the big boys and we play in a MUCH tougher conference.
Second, it should be expected that you have better facilities than us. You've had an athletic program for over a century while we have only had one for 25 years.!!
Third, UAB doesn't own Legion Field and will not put its money into upgrading it. Also, we've ONLY HAD A DAMN FOOTBALL PROGRAM FOR 16 YEARS! HOW CAN YOU EXPECT US TO HAVE A TOP OF THE LINE, ON-CAMPUS STADIUM THAT COSTS AROUND $75-100 MILLION??!! For the love of God, try using some damn sense if you are going to bash us and get in an argument with me. You have no room to talk because you FINALLY made upgrades to your stadium after over 75 years!!
If we went on Troy's pace we would've been D1 in 2080 and had nice facilities by 2082.!!
UAB is also under the thumb of a separate BOT that doesn't really focus on the best interest for UAB, while Troy has a BOT comprised of people that work for the best interest of Troy State.
The biggest problem I have with Troy fans is that when they bash UAB they don't use FACTS, they don't look at all issues pertaining to why something is the way it is, and they exaggerate (saying they had 3,000 more in attendance at the UAB vs Troy game in 2003). You just did a fine job of backing up my statement.
However, there are UAB fans that say things about Troy but most of what I have actually seen is that most UAB fans can't stand the city of Troy.
Both sides have guilty partners, I, being one of them. I'll defend UAB to the death and in doing so try not to bring down Troy unless I have to. :D (like I just did)
Fact of the matter is that if Troy belonged and was wanted in CUSA then they would've been invited. There are many reasons why UAB was picked and Troy St wasn't, one being that you weren't D1 at the time.
The hate is mostly mutual and if it was one big love fest it would be disgusting and the games wouldn't mean as much. However, there's nothing wrong with being civil to each other.
With that said, I hate you.
jk
Nil Separ Abit
I would have to say the general student at UAB doesn't give a rip about Troy State other than when we play TSU.
I just wanted to respond the Schard's statement that the general student at UAB doesn't give a rip about TSU. While I certainly believe that to be an accurate assessment, I was the keynote speaker to a student group at UAB last fall (the week of the Troy/UAB game) and came to realize something that I pretty much already knew. As I began my speech, I thought that I'd have a little fun with the UAB students by telling them that I was an alumnus of Troy State and that I was really looking forward to the Trojans putting a whipping on UAB in Legion Field that upcoming Saturday. After I said that, I noticed a few crooked smiles from the audience and that was it. No "Go UAB" or "Go Blazers" was shouted back at me. When I commented on their lack of enthusiasm, two people (one a male and one a female) spoke up and said to me: "this is UAB, we don't care what happens with our football team." Then several other students chimed in to support those statements.
It's what I had thought all along. UAB for the most part caters to students (mainly communters) who don't have any interest whatsoever in Blazer athletics. Sure, the bandwagon is there anytime one of the teams (e.g., men's basketball) puts together a great season, but other than that, the students are either Crimson Tide fans, Auburn fans, or no fans at all.
W. Sullivan
Troy State, 1998
Quote:No "Go UAB" or "Go Blazers" was shouted back at me. When I commented on their lack of enthusiasm, two people (one a male and one a female) spoke up and said to me: "this is UAB, we don't care what happens with our football team." Then several other students chimed in to support those statements.
It's what I had thought all along. UAB for the most part caters to students (mainly communters) who don't have any interest whatsoever in Blazer athletics. Sure, the bandwagon is there anytime one of the teams (e.g., men's basketball) puts together a great season, but other than that, the students are either Crimson Tide fans, Auburn fans, or no fans at all.
Trojan1998,
What were you speaking on, how polymers are used in making bouncing balls that you buy at Wal-Mart for .25??
True, a lot of UAB students don't care about UAB athletics but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of them that do care about them.
My fraternity was 50+ strong and every single one of us cared about UAB sports. We were there during the Murray Bartow years, there during the back-to-back UAB losing seasons, and we will be there every year from here on out.
One thing you should consider about UAB is that a lot of students are there because they went to AU or UAT, partied too much and their parents brought them home. They are pissed that they got brought home and only care about school, that's it.
UAB has also had a football program for 16 years and in that time has started to gain more and more fans. We entered the market when loyalties were already bound and when the comepetition was tough. It's not like it was back when everybody was starting up and going through growing pains together.
You proved me right once again by failing to look at all of the factors involved into why something is the way it is. Had you take into consideration the factors I just mentioned you might have a little different perspective on why SOME UAB students are the way they are.
uabpikapp,
You are an angry little man.
Just calm down...I know you're upset that Troy wouldn't take you and I might be upset too if I were you. But don't take it out on the ones who were fortunate enough to go to such a great university.
P.S. If I have to hear about your school only having football for 16 years one more time, I'm going to gag! Shut up with the excuses they only make you look whiny and pathetic!
St.Louis Blazer,
I actually appreciate the great response that you just gave and I would have to say that the vast majority of it is true. I'm just speaking from experience, and from what I've observed, most current UAB students that I know, and ALL of the alumni that I know, cheer primarily for other schools. I graduated from law school with a guy from Dothan who went to undergrad at UAB (by choice) and he's a big Bama fan. He was in a fraternity at UAB (from 1993-1998).
I know of several other very similar stories. That's what I was attempting to point out after I read Shcard's post.
Quote:You are an angry little man.
Just calm down...I know you're upset that Troy wouldn't take you and I might be upset too if I were you. But don't take it out on the ones who were fortunate enough to go to such a great university.
Holy crap!! That was actually funny! I never even considered Troy St as a school to go to. Not saying that anything is wrong with that but I chose between UAB, Auburn, and Arizona State.
Quote:P.S. If I have to hear about your school only having football for 16 years one more time, I'm going to gag! Shut up with the excuses they only make you look whiny and pathetic!
It's a FACT, not an excuse. If you don't understand the business aspect of college athletics, competition barriers, and market structure then I can't help you.
I'm willing to bet that if UAB was the first football team in Alabama then we would be the ones drawing 90,000 per game and that the team that started in 1988 would only be drawing 20,000.
Stop now while you have the chance SarahBelle. You are digging yourself deeper and stand no chance in this argument.
Quote:I graduated from law school with a guy from Dothan who went to undergrad at UAB (by choice) and he's a big Bama fan. He was in a fraternity at UAB (from 1993-1998).
I know of several other very similar stories. That's what I was attempting to point out after I read Shcard's post.
Let's look at this logically:
UAB football started back in 1988 but UAB has been a university since 1969. UAB had about 20 years with no football so naturally the UAB students/alumni would root for other schools.
If UAB started football in 1988 is it reasonable to expect the students and alumni to drop their loyalty to other schools and make UAB football their main priority? No
Another thing to consider is that many AU and UAT fans have been that way since birth. In Alabama most children are given a team to root for before they are given a name. Since UAB football is only 16 years old you could reason that there are not many second generation UAB fans. Fans who's parents are loyal to UAB, fans that attend UAB games with their parents, etc.
Building a large, loyal fan base doesn't happen overnight, in 5 years, 10 years, or even 20 years. It takes time, takes success, and most of all reproduction. I can guarantee you that most of the UAB fans now that have kids are raising their kids to root for UAB and the fans/alumni that will have kids in the future will do the same.
When you think about it, it's pretty amazing that UAB draws even 15,000 to games because it is directly in between UAT and Auburn, schools that draw 90,000 to games even if they both play on the same day.
It could've been any school in UAB's place and the results would still be the same with loyalty and attendance.