UAB

University of Alabama – Birmingham (70) vs. Tulsa (63) 02/11/2024

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Game #128 of 362 35% complete

As you can see, I was sitting behind the ESPN announcers. I was surprised at the low turnout of the crowd for a Sunday afternoon game. Perhaps the reason was that it was Super Bowl Sunday.

The American Athletic Conference brought in 6 new teams this year. The turnover at these smaller conferences resembles the transfer portal where the best teams or individual players are always looking for higher ground. The conference did strengthen itself this year with the addition of Florida Atlantic (a final four participant) and North Texas who defeated AAC fellow member UAB in the 2023 NIT final. As a UConn fan, I wish the AAC members nothing but success but I am glad that we are in the Big East.

I had a great seat sitting in the second row right behind the ESPN announcers. The analyst was Pooh Richardson who I remember from his UCLA days. I took a picture of me on the TV monitor at the game and on on the replay when I got back home as you can see below.

The UAB coach was Andy Kennedy who has been a familiar face with his tenure at Cincinnati and Ole Miss. He never looked happy on the sideline regardless of who was winning.

Another first in the Operation 351 mission is a player who has the same first and last name. UAB has a player named Tony Toney. Another unusual name was UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg who was the best player on the court and a probable all league selection. He and teammate Eric Gaines led the UAB Blazers with 17 points.

If you had to come up with a costume resembling a Hurricane, this will do I guess.

I was impressed by a display honoring the POWs and MIAs in the concourse.

Tulsa made the Elite 8 in the year 2000 eventually succumbing to North Carolina 59-55. The concourse had a team picture for this event which was the highest the Hurricanes have gone in the NCAA tournament.

UAB pulled away in the end and was the best club on the floor. The Blazers now have an overall record of 16-8 placing them on the March madness tournament bubble.

I have 2 more games to go in my Operation 351 season visiting Myrtle Beach for games with Costal Carolina and UNC Wilmington.

Rice (57) vs. University of Alabama – Birmingham (85) 02/23/2023

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Game #117 of 362 32% complete

This is the first game of a three-game trip to sunny Alabama. The Bartow Arena was named after legendary UAB coach Gene Bartow. He left UCLA in 1977 to start the athletic program at UAB becoming its first athletic director and coach staying on for 18 years before retiring in 1986.

It is rare that I see a coach twice in my travels leading different teams. This is the case with UAB coach Andy Kennedy who I saw coach at Ole Miss in 2017. Kennedy had a good run at Ole Miss in 12 seasons and became the schools’ all-time leader in wins. He resigned in 2018 when Old Miss refused to give him a contract extension; he took the UAB job 2 years later.

I cringe when I see a buffet for what I assume are donors or season ticket holders set up in the main concourse smack in the middle of fans heading towards their seats. I would feel foolish sitting there in an open space having fans look at us eat like we are somebody important.

This game on senior night was over at halftime with UAB leading with a score 55 -24. The press put on by UAB was stifling to Rice.

I was very impressed with UAB guard Jordan “Jelly” Walker who scored 32 points. Having previously played for Seton Hall and Tulane, Walker was named the Conference USA player of the year in 2022. Standing only 5’11”, his shifty moves and propensity to shoot gives him the look of a scorer. No one on Rice could guard him. Ironically, his 30 plus total broke the record for most 30-point games by a UAB player previously held by Coach Kennedy’s scoring record when Kennedy played at UAB in the early 90’s.

My nightmare parking scenario came through tonight. I parked in an outdoor lot when you had to pay upon exiting the lot. The line and wait were so long that I pulled over and listened to Jimmy Bufffet for a half hour before leaving. I was lucky that there was not a second game afterwards. I know better but I could not back out once I saw the ticket machine.

Here are some obligatory pictures of some Birmingham Zoo animals. I always visit zoos on my travels.

Finally check out the rental car – A GTO sitting very low to the ground. I am more of an SUV guy but this GTO was very cool to drive.