Sports in the State of Alabama

[zen509]

"So, if Alabamians didn't watch football, school taxes would magically increase and citizens would instantly become wealthier?"

You're missing the point. If citizens of Alabama were as passionate about the welfare of their state as they were about their college football teams, then yes over time the quality of life in the state of Alabama would improve. Instead many Alabamians remain apathetic and/or complacent when it comes to these issues. I do not think you'll ever see citizens of Alabama clamoring for constitution reform the way they do for a coaching change.

[A2]

^^^How this became a debate over Alabamians is anyone's guess.^^^

This money is NOT coming from the tax payer in Alabama. The obsession with college football in AL is one of the many things that makes it a special place to live in.

Alabama has always been a program built on tradition, however, over the past decade it has been mired in controversy. This has had a HUGE impact on the program overall. This hiring is more than just about $30M+ being thrown at a coach, but rather about bringing back a dynasty, which pays much larger dividends than the $30M+ being spent over an 8 year period.

If you want to discuss obscene let's discuss the 210,000,000 dollars the former CEO of Home Depot just got for LEAVING his company, all the while he lost BLLIONS in Shareholder value.

Let's talk about INDVIDUAL players who are awarded 100's of Millions of dollars to play at the professional level.

$30M+ is a lot of money, but it certainly does not mean that Alabamians have their priorities wrong. I am an alumni and live over 450 miles away in Charlotte. I work at a great job, and make great money, thanks in part to a great education that I recieved at the UofA.

If I want to support my school along with local boosters that is my business, and by no means states that my priorities are out of whack. (for that matter I would not be shocked if most of the money raised to meet the 34M goal came from the boosters and alumni from accross state lines)

I for one was awe-struck when we landed NS. I think in the end the school will be the bennificiary of this hiring through increased revenues in merchandise sales as well as bowl appearances.

Wheather or not some would like to admit it, collegiate sports are HUGE sources of revenue for these schools. It goes without saying that winning programs bring home more bucks, than losing ones. Why is it then, that we are not looking at the shear genius by the UofA to hire such a coach that will help improve their future???

A2

[DruidCity]

quit the charade of "student-athletes" and start paying the players based upon their value to the program.

[rnc]

Wheather or not some would like to admit it, collegiate sports are HUGE sources of revenue for these schools.

[A2]

No doubt that college athletics is a big money maker. Do you think that these huge revenues should be used at least in part to help keep tuition in check? Tuition is going off the charts, even at state schools.

[kayman]

I'm not a native, so I'm not wrapped up in Alabama-Auburn football. Does anyone else find it a little obscene that he is getting $4mil per year for 8 years? I realize it is a free market, but man that just seems crazy. Where does it all end? Do big universities just keep paying coaches more and more while they raise tuition 20% every year?

Don't get me wrong, I love college sports (particularly basketball), but things just seem out of whack in our society.

[kayman]

In all honesty it is sad. The state of Alabama really has it's priorities screwed up. I grew up in Alabama and I'm a huge college football fan but refused to let myself get sucked into the whole Alabama/Auburn idiocy. The south is no doubt a football crazed region, but in GA,TN,FL,etc. football has it's own place, in Alabama it permeates into every aspect of peoples lives. My buddy, who lives in Alabama but is not an Alabama native, said it best yesterday,"Only in Alabama would the news interrupt the funeral of a president to show a football coach getting off a plane." It's crazy. Until the people of Alabama get their priorities straight and learn that football is football and nothing more, they will never change their lot in life.

[AlienCity]

I hope no one is holding their breath waiting for a pro sports team of any kind in Alabama. The stranglehold of college football is too great, I don't think UA or AU would stand for a team stealing the spotlight they have enjoyed in the state over the last 50+ years (yes I know they have been playing longer than that).

And Birmingham building a dome won't help to bring one here any faster, it will just mean a large amount of money spent on a facility that could, at best, host the Super Six indoors or Taylor Hicks/Ruben Studdard co-headlining an "Alabama Idol" concert in the dome. It's a really bad idea for a city that needs to focus on far more important things.

In reality though, Birmingham is not Philadelphia, its not sitting 3 hours from NYC or Washington, DC, the population base just isn't there to support a third or even fourth pro football team inside of a 3-5 hour radius.

[Southron]

South Alabama loses basketball coach to Arkansas

University of South Alabama fifth-year head basketball coach John Pelphrey is now the new head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Pelphrey won 80 games as the Jaguar head coach, 44 games in the last two years.

Pelphrey rebuilt the program -- who do they go to now?

Birmingham News: Kevin Scarbinsky column

[Alabadrock]

Wow, I knew that the A-day game was gonna have a big attendence but, I had no idea. CAPACITY!

[Southron]

Wow, I knew that the A-day game was gonna have a big attendence but, I had no idea. CAPACITY!

[Alabadrock]

I can't remember that ever happening before. Things are looking up at the Capstone!

[Southron]

When I was in school at UA I think it was usually 30-40k. This is simply incredible.