Football may be back, but Ray Watts still needs to go

Reports are pouring in that UAB football, bowling and rifle will be back at UAB in some form. However, the fact remains that the monumental moron who made the decision to disband the program after its second-most successful season in school history -- and who justified that decision with lies, deception and outright disdain for those it impacted -- still must go. That moron is UAB President Ray Watts.

If reports are to be believed, UAB football (and, we presume the rifle and bowling teams), which were eliminated with an unbelievably callous announcement to the football team (and via email to the bowling and rifle teams, really, Ray?), will be back in 2016. Watts is reversing course after unprecedented support from the city of Birmingham, surrounding municipalities, votes of no-confidence from practically every University constituency, a state representative who has gone full-boar into supporting the cause, and millions of dollars in pledges for the program if it's reinstated. However, the damage by Watts remains.

Dozens of employees who had JUST BEEN HIRED for their jobs were displaced. More than 100 student-athletetes were left looking for new colleges if they wanted to continue playing the sports they loved. The University was left holding the bag for millions of dollars in buy-out clauses for games on the books. It also bought-off the athletic director, presumably to keep him silent about the shenanigans that led to this catastrophe in the first place.

Bringing back UAB football is the right thing to do. But the fact it came to this is based on a string of bad, incompetent decisions that can never be fully rectified. For those reasons, until Ray Watts is fired or has a second brief moment of common sense and resigns, this web site will continue its mantra:

Fire Ray Watts. Today.

UAB Champion Club: Ray Watts lied point-blank regarding fundraising

A letter to Ray Watts from the members of the UAB Champion Club, posted at the UABStrong Website, reprinted with permission:

December 8, 2014
Dr. Robert E. Witt
Chancellor
The University of Alabama System
500 University Boulevard East
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401
Dear Dr. Witt,
For many years, the members of the Champion Club have been one of the primary sources of charitable giving to UAB Athletics. We have been involved in countless endeavors to strengthen our programs, facilities, and our institution. The Champion Club has been a driver of funding necessary to elevate UAB Athletics and it has been an honor to do so.
This past Saturday, UAB released information regarding Dr. Ray Watts decision to dissolve UAB football.  Although we disagree with his decision and the assertions included in the rationale, there are two points in particular that are simply not true.  In fact, they are disingenuous, especially to those who have worked so hard for, and care so deeply about, UAB and its impact on our students and greater community.
Below are the excerpts we wish to bring to your attention from UAB's website:

“We met with our biggest donors before we made this decision, and also studied past and current giving. The financial support was simply not there.”
“Suggestions that there existed sufficient philanthropic and community support to maintain football are simply not true. To be clear, we did not turn down a single donation, nor did we receive tangible gifts or written commitments.”

Please be advised that none of us were contacted by Dr. Watts, Brian Mackin or any UAB staff member regarding the alleged deficit reported in the Carr Report. In fact, the vast majority of our members learned of the Carr Report results through the media following Dr. Watt's announcement of abandoning football last Tuesday.  It is important to note that Dr. Watts "officially" had the study for two weeks before notifying the public.  In that interim period, if his intentions were genuine, why would he not make contact with UAB's leading donors and business leaders seek our help and resources in working towards a solution?
This situation is extremely disappointing and has called into question the leadership of UAB. At a minimum, students, faculty, alumni, donors, and most importantly, the players of all impacted sports, deserved a transparent and honest process which would have provided an opportunity to analyze the Carr Report and create a framework that would have saved and elevated UAB athletics and the university.  If Tulane University, who mirrors UAB in so many ways, could work to galvanize and unite their community in saving its football program, surely UAB could have made an authentic attempt to do the same.
To hear Dr. Watts say that he never turned down a single check is also disingenuous because all of us would have made major investments to save UAB Football; however, as with the UAB Football Foundation, the City of Birmingham, and our community at large, we were never given that opportunity.
We want to know why. 

Sincerely,

UAB Champion Club Members
Harold Ripps
Don Hire
Adam Cohen
Justin Craft
Charlie Nowlin
Roy Berger
Craft O’Neal
Jimmy Filler
Barney Ireland
David Cockran Jr.
Michael Putt
Don Huey

Ray Watts: UAB's Nero

While UAB fans, employees, students, and especially student-athletes, read story after story that the athletic director has been fired and that football will be eliminated within days, if not hours, the man who has supposedly orchestrated this catastrophe, UAB President Ray Watts, has reportedly been partying it up in New York City, refuses to return emails or calls, or speak to the parties affected, and has yet to speak publicly on the matter beyond a prepared statement released to the media two weeks ago.

If this isn't proof this man is unfit to lead a major research university, I don't know what is.

Just a sampling of today's news:

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/104283/uab-football-program-cant-outrun-past-escape-shadow-of-alabama?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

http://footballscoop.com/the-scoop/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/11/30/uab-to-shut-down-football-program/19702899/

http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/11/30/alabama-birmingham-shuts-down-football-program-fires-athletic-director

http://www.120sports.com/video/v102791056/uab-nixes-football-program


Steven Chappell
B.A., 1991, M.P.A 1997