Discipline issues on the Strip

[BAMARICH]

Regardless of what the tone of the place is, you have to realize that before you ever set foot in those places and adjust your behavior accordingly. On occasion, I attend funerals. I've learned in my experiences that it's not the place to yell "Roll Tide" or break out booing when someone I don't care for enters the room. It's a principle of life... and our guys have got to learn it.

 

[DiamondDust]

Agree about Egan's and for the time I've spent in any bar I would say Cheap Shots as well. As to closing every bar, I don't believe Dr. Witt is a complete liar or dishonest, and he told a small group which I happened to be a part of that in his opinion the bars and places like the Strip had a place in the college atmosphere. He did think it had gotten out of hand with something like 17 bars in that section of town though. To my recollection he didn't have much to say about the Alabama Bookstore though. Although I do think it had something to do with turning that empty lot and the one the bookstore is on into a parking deck.

It might not be Dr. Witt who doesn't want the bars in place, but there are higher ups in the administration that would love to see them all go.

17 bars on the Strip, though, was a stretch. I believe they were going by liquor licenses in the area, and that included things like restaurants, including those in the University Town Center, and Publix.

Right now, you've got (Fill in the blank if I'm missing some):

Actual bars:

Egan's
The Houndstooth
Cheap Shots
The Legacy
The Red Shed
The Library
The Jupiter
Gallete's

Other places with a liquor license, regardless the limitations:

Buffalo Phil's
Qdoba
El Rincon
Publix
The Crimson Cafe? (I know at one point they did)
BP
Swen
The package store next to Gallete's

(That's 16 right there)

You're right about the Alabama Bookstore. They wanted to turn that area into a parking lot, and then they were trying to go after the other bookstore on Bryant Drive.

 

[AeroEngUA07]

It might not be Dr. Witt who doesn't want the bars in place, but there are higher ups in the administration that would love to see them all go.

17 bars on the Strip, though, was a stretch. I believe they were going by liquor licenses in the area, and that included things like restaurants, including those in the University Town Center, and Publix.

Right now, you've got (Fill in the blank if I'm missing some):

Actual bars:

Egan's
The Houndstooth
Cheap Shots
The Legacy
The Red Shed
The Library
The Jupiter
Gallete's

Other places with a liquor license, regardless the limitations:

Buffalo Phil's
Qdoba
El Rincon
Publix
The Crimson Cafe? (I know at one point they did)
BP
Swen
The package store next to Gallete's

(That's 16 right there)

You're right about the Alabama Bookstore. They wanted to turn that area into a parking lot, and then they were trying to go after the other bookstore on Bryant Drive.

That's what I was thinking as well. If you add the Booth in because it was still in existence at time I talked with him, you get the magical 17 number. I also agree about some higher ups desirous of a no bar environment. The bookstore on Bryant Dr. didn't make any sense other than to gain a monopoly.

 

[LTBamaFan]

I heard a caller on Finebaum say that some of the officers have Auburn tags or stickers on their private vehicles. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is wouldn't this indicate that some people moght be looking for trouble?
Does anybody think that an Auburn police officer would survive if he had an Alabama sticker on his vehicle? Would Lowder , Inc. even allow it? I don't think so.

 

[Bamaro]

Bottom line is players cant go to the strip without getting in trouble, CNS needs to lay down the law and ban players from going there. We need no more headlines about players getting arrested.

 

[tidefanblake]

The bookstore on Bryant Dr. didn't make any sense other than to gain a monopoly.

Yep....that explains that...

 

[bamanut_aj]

I heard a caller on Finebaum say that some of the officers have Auburn tags or stickers on their private vehicles. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is wouldn't this indicate that some people moght be looking for trouble?

that sounds like more of an excuse than a solution.

 

[DiamondDust]

Bottom line is players cant go to the strip without getting in trouble, CNS needs to lay down the law and ban players from going there. We need no more headlines about players getting arrested.

Then they'll go downtown... or house parties... or Birmingham (Just imagine that the chaos that could bring)... or a number of other places where trouble could happen.

College students will be college students, regardless if they were a football uniform or not. Not saying it's right, but it's reality.

 

[DiamondDust]

Yep....that explains that...

That was the general feeling from the people down here. Everyone saw it as the University trying to stamp out competition for the Supe Store's textbook racket. It's also why Barnes and Noble couldn't come into the University Town Center like originally planned.

 

[Bama1970]

Then they'll go downtown... or house parties... or Birmingham (Just imagine that the chaos that could bring)... or a number of other places where trouble could happen.

College students will be college students, regardless if they were a football uniform or not. Not saying it's right, but it's reality.

That is the problem that Saban is dealing with. The guys that want to go party and drink are going to do it whether it's on the strip or elsewhere. About the only thing that may stop it would be facing immediate dismissal from the team and losing the scholarship received for being a football player. IF that were to happen, I think it would do more harm than good, not only to the current team, but recruiting as well. It really boils down to the players just staying out of trouble. Like mentioned before, they are not "normal" college students, and when they get in trouble, it is national news. All the players need to have the pride within to do everything in their power NOT to embarrass the University of Alabama. Until all players get that mentality, we will continue to see this embarrassing behavior.

 

[Capstone46]

Steve's and Earle's comments are dead on. The negative publicity of a few past incidents on the strip have caused unbelievably bad PR for the University. Dr. Witt has listened to focus groups of parents when they have expressed concern for the safety of their prospective students. No parent wants their child to attend any school that doesn't provide a safe environment. The fact is the University of Alabama has a very, very safe environment for students but the proximity of the strip has caused some concerns. Dr. Witt drinks and understands college students will drink. He is just interested in the safety of the students.
The most serious of the incidents on the strip in the last couple of years were caused by non University students but the zero tolerance has hit everybody. Any and all disturbances -whether serious and/or significant- will be addressed with zero tollerance by the police. Anyone who spends time on the strip needs to keep that in mind.

 

[tidefanblake]

Ironically...besides the 'Strip Issue' that i disagree with him strongly on, I think Bob Witt is the best President UA has had in many, many years.

 

[ColumbusTide]

That is the problem that Saban is dealing with. The guys that want to go party and drink are going to do it whether it's on the strip or elsewhere. About the only thing that may stop it would be facing immediate dismissal from the team and losing the scholarship received for being a football player. IF that were to happen, I think it would do more harm than good, not only to the current team, but recruiting as well. It really boils down to the players just staying out of trouble. Like mentioned before, they are not "normal" college students, and when they get in trouble, it is national news. All the players need to have the pride within to do everything in their power NOT to embarrass the University of Alabama. Until all players get that mentality, we will continue to see this embarrassing behavior.

It is absolutely unfair to hold these guys to a higher standard than we hold other students. They are students at Alabama who happen to play football. For the most part they are kids being kids.

I thank goodness most of you folks weren't judging my future potential or endeavors by what I did in college. I'd be on the streets right now rather than running a succesful financial firm.

These kids are not professionals. they are working their tails off to get to the next level. They get paid less than minimum wage. Cut them some slack.

Even as far back as 1992 when I graduated the UAPD had a horrible reputation. Now that Herr Witt has decided to shut down the Strip the UPAD is taking an even more draconian approach to enforcement. I personally witnessed some police misbehavior this past season. Just follow the money trail and it will all make sense.

Quit being so doggoned sanctimonious and remeber what it was like to be a 18-22 year old guy. Some of these guys are acting out to stand up for their buddies who they feel are being mistreated. On the football field we call that being a team player ... on The Strip some of you would call it being a thug.

 

[Bama1970]

It is absolutely unfair to hold these guys to a higher standard than we hold other students. They are students at Alabama who happen to play football. For the most part they are kids being kids.

I thank goodness most of you folks weren't judging my future potential or endeavors by what I did in college. I'd be on the streets right now rather than running a succesful financial firm.

These kids are not professionals. they are working their tails off to get to the next level. They get paid less than minimum wage. Cut them some slack.

Even as far back as 1992 when I graduated the UAPD had a horrible reputation. Now that Herr Witt has decided to shut down the Strip the UPAD is taking an even more draconian approach to enforcement. I personally witnessed some police misbehavior this past season. Just follow the money trail and it will all make sense.

Quit being so doggoned sanctimonious and remeber what it was like to be a 18-22 year old guy. Some of these guys are acting out to stand up for their buddies who they feel are being mistreated. On the football field we call that being a team player ... on The Strip some of you would call it being a thug.

I'm not holding football players to a higher standard. They need to hold themselves to a higher standard. The fact remains that if a "regular" student gets into trouble, it doesn't make the national news, but let an football player get in trouble, and it's in every paper in the state and on ESPN!

And asking the players to think about the consequences of how their behavior affects the rest of the team and the University is not asking too much. They owe their teammates and their school that much.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

There's a time and a place to "stand up." A smart place and a dumb place. "Standing up" when the the guy on the other side has a badge and a gun is the dumb place. "I fought the law, and the law won." I think that's the lesson CNS is trying to get across...

 

[bmcklv]

I'm not holding football players to a higher standard. They need to hold themselves to a higher standard. The fact remains that if a "regular" student gets into trouble, it doesn't make the national news, but let an football player get in trouble, and it's in every paper in the state and on ESPN!

And asking the players to think about the consequences of how their behavior affects the rest of the team and the University is not asking too much. They owe their teammates and their school that much.

Excellent post. Playing football is not a right, it is a privilege; and the players need to realize it.

 

[ReturnToGlory]

If someone feels they are being mistreated by the authorities, there are other remedies other than cursing out and putting your hands on the police.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Dr. Witt has listened to focus groups of parents when they have expressed concern for the safety of their prospective students. No parent wants their child to attend any school that doesn't provide a safe environment. The fact is the University of Alabama has a very, very safe environment for students but the proximity of the strip has caused some concerns. Dr. Witt drinks and understands college students will drink. He is just interested in the safety of the students.

Capstone, you're right as far as you go, but we're missing a hugely important part of the equation -- money.

There are two major reasons Dr. Witt wants to clean up the strip. First, making students as safe as possible is just the right thing to do.

Second, it's money. If it costs an out of state student a total of about $20,000 a year to attend in Tuscaloosa, that's $80,000 for a four-year career. $100,000 for a more common 5 years.

Simple math is that, if ten out-of-state students make the decision to attend elsewhere because of a misperception of danger, that's $1,000,000 in foregone income to the University. How many buildings can be bought on the strip for $1,000,000?

Plus, I can guaran-dang-tee you that in the Vestavia, Homewood and Mountain Brook burbs of Birmingham before Dr. Witt took over, we were losing five times that every year. over this issue. True, those were in-state students at $10 - $12,000 apiece per year. But that's still millions of dollars that could have been spent on buildings, professor salaries, labs, libraries, computers, research, and all the other things necessary to recruit and retain top-notch students in meaningful numbers. Given the Alabama legislature's funding of higher education, this is a vital source of money.

Dr. Witt wants students to have fun. And he thinks places like the Strip have a role in the development of a young person from "high school kid" to "socially composed young adult college graduate." So when the University bought the Booth building, it wasn't the first in a wave aimed at shutting down all the bars. It was a warning shot across the bow of the Strip merchants -- clean this place up, pay for lighting and patrols. Make it safer or we'll take care of the problem for you. And he said as much in print.

Looks like it's working. After all, how hard can it be to conduct oneself in such a manner as to avoid public arrest?

 

[PalmBayBama]

He did think it had gotten out of hand with something like 17 bars in that section of town though.

College students enjoy going to bars. If you double the number of students, then it stands to reason that the number of bars will have to double to satisfy the increased demand that you created. Either that, or the existing ones all have to get twice as large.

 

[deliveryman35]

As a 20yr+ resident(former until just recently) of Tuscaloosa and avid visitor of the strip over the years, I have to agree with Earle and Capstone46. While I think players should be able to go and spend time where they want, just like other students, they need to understand that when they CHOOSE to go into an environment that already has a reputation for trouble and is being closely surveilled by law enforcement--i.e. the strip--there is an element of risk involved AND they may be the victim of unintended consequences, simply because of who they are.

Guys, if you want to enjoy some drinks and talk to the ladies, I suggest you do it OFF the strip and on up University Blvd, and even on Greensboro Ave. There are some nice, classy establishments up that way and you will not be subject to the scrutiny that you will if you are down on the strip, and you will be away from most of the riff raff. Also they are much cleaner and the food is much better also....