EchoBooming in Birmingham

from the Beautiful La Quinta Inn on McFarland Blvd!

Dr. Wife is doing a weekend stint as the Psych OD (Of the Day…. those wacky doctors) at Bryce Hospital….

We loaded up the whole Fam Damnly and headed west earlier today dropped the dogs off at Dr. Wife’s parents and then began our search for a place to eat. Somehow we always attempt to eat at the Cypress Inn (a place that my mom has been raving about for years) on the days when they are closed…. So after circling Tuscaloosa we settled on some sandwich shop with the plan of enjoying a sit down dinner later on tonight….

Well, as Dr. Wife was heading back from her afternoon rounds she eyed the parking lots of various restaurants around town and reported back that it wasn’t looking good. After attempting to eat at the last casual restaurant that would have a line and finding out that there was an hour and a half wait, we headed over to my sister’s boyfriend’s favorite place to eat in Tuscaloosa: Taco Casa.

So it’s a little after 10 on New Year’s Eve, my wife and I are laying on a standard size bed (the other bed in our room is literally covered with baby gear) flipping back and forth between MTV’s New Year’s coverage (seeing Nelly sing about “grills” makes us realize how old we’re getting…) and some standup guy on HBO. Thankfully we aren’t freaks about going out on NYE.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope it treats you well!

Richard Margison, UAB Vice President for Finance and Administration, will take on the additional responsibility of administering the Blazer Athletics department on an interim basis, effective immediately, allowing Watson Brown to devote all his energies to his head football coaching duties.

That means that UAB hasn’t had a full time AD since Clean Gene.
(Herman Frazier was PT AD, PT Olympic Committee member).

Someone with inside info had this to say on http://blazertalk.com:

OK, I still have some connections at UAB from my old days, and this one has administrative connections that puts her in the know. BTW, she didn’t know any of this until the past week, when it was put in motion, and she had to handle some of the details.

She says the following:

Margison will be AD through June, likely no longer. A quiet search is already underway, led by Garrison, with no input from Brown, but apparently lots of input from CMA. While Bartow has received tons of support, Garrison has no intention of putting him in power, even as a two-year or so interim. She considers that a step backward.

Brown has been told in no uncertain terms no conference title game next year, no more employment. Apparently, he doesn’t have to win it, he just has to have us playing in it, and in a bowl game. It’s assumed if we play in the title game, we’ll go to a bowl.

He has been told to “make corrections” to his staff, which is clearly inadequate. She doesn’t know more than that, but she said he’s very resistant to making any changes on his staff.

With his AD duties stripped, so is his salary. By half.

he knows little about sports, but she said this stuff is pretty common knowledge around her office. I doubt she’s making any of it up. She also said Brown wasn’t happy with any of it. She thinks, as did several administrators, that the MTSU thing was almost a done deal, and that Brown may still be looking because he’s feeling mistreated by the adminstration (sic). However, she did say Brown was given a choice between head coach and AD, and he decided he wanted to coach. She said Garrison and Margison both would have preferred he made the other choice.

It’s a step in the right direction, and I hope that the ultimatums that Garrison has placed on Watson are true. He needs a fire under his ass…

The Arcade Fire is proof that the best thing to happen to the independent music industry is the Internet. This band went from nothing to on the cover of the Canadian Time Magazine in less than 2 years with no help from a “record deal”.

Their debut full length album “Funeral” was released in late 2004 by Merge Records (an idie label out of Durham, NC). The band is one of those indescribable bands. Lead male vocals a-la the Frank Black of the Pixies, and a myriad of instruments from which they create their sound. From their wikipedia article:

The band employs a vast array of instruments—mainly guitar, drums, and bass guitar—but also piano, violin, viola, cello, xylophone, keyboard, accordion, and harp. With several able musicians, the Arcade Fire takes most of its instrumental diversity on tour, with band members switching instrumental duties between songs.

I stumbled across this band at the Nick one night (2005/06/11) after getting dragged in there to watch a friends local band (they were on the opening bill). I remember sitting outside talking with my friends after their set and thinking… “Wow, those guys are really freaking good.” After seeing them perform one song, I was amazed. They weren’t just good, they were awesome; talent incarnate, in my opinion.

Anyway, they got a nod for “Best Alternative Music Album” along with Beck, Death Cab For Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, and The White Stripes. Not bad company to be in IMO.

Here’s a link to a live performance that was broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio (yes those same great folks that bring us “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”, and “A Prairie Home Companion”): Link (it’s actually two songs and a funny botched intro)

It’s been nothing but UAB posts over the last few weeks…

ABC 33/40 does a great sports show called The Zone on Sunday nights. It is hosted by Mike Raita and it features Ray Melick and Doug Segrest of the Birmingham News. They spent a good 4 mins or so talking about the Athletic Department at UAB. Give it a listen: 4.1 MB MP3 Audio.

I had the opportunity to converse back and forth with a huge sports fan with an inside contact in the UAB Athletic Department. I can say that everything that we debated back and forth about was touched on by the reporters on The Zone. From the horrible morale issues within the department, to the importance of a football program at UAB; excellent, entertaining reporting from these 3 fellows.

Also, more from the rumor mill:

A local blazer supporter from Attalla had the opportunity to eat lunch with Clean Gene Bartow (yes in Birmingham at Full Moon BBQ) here’s what he was able to share from their conversation:

1. I can confirm … Coach Bartow wanting to return.
2. I won’t repeat what was said about (Lee) Moon (Asst. AD at UAB) but let’s just say he would be in line with a majority of this board (http://blazertalk.com) on the subject.
3. When I told him about all the people pulling for him to return as AD along with the letters to (UAB President Carol) Garrison etc, it seemed to make his day. He was somewhat giddy about it and he wanted me to tell everyone thank you. He REALLY appreciates it.
4. He said I Doubt if “they” would let it happen but holds out hope. (They being the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees)
5. I really believe he could solidify this fractured fan base and do some good. You can tell a fire still burns inside him for UAB.
6. I now have to attend a Grizzlies game. I (Attalla) will have nice seats though.

I’m pumped, let’s bring back Bartow!!!

Latest Blazer rumor states that Wayne Bolt has been fired along with Marcus Bush (the Strength and Conditioning coach).

Link to BlazerTalk thread.