The first full day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament was a lot of fun. It was especially heartwarming to see UAB’s basketball team come up with one of the more notable upsets on day one of the tournament. The No. 14 seed Blazers upended No. 3 seed Iowa State in the early action (it was not a good day for the Big 12). Months after losing its football program, it is good to see UAB fans have something to cheer.
Of course, the calls for the job of UAB president Ray Watts were not far behind.
In Louisville, after UAB upset the Cyclones, a handful of UAB supporters assembled outside the arena by the vehicle for Watts. As the president made his way to his car from the arena, the UAB fans chanting in unison, “Fire Ray Watts!” At least one fan was also holding a sign. One can be heard calling him a criminal.
Who knows if UAB will again play football. At this point, the return of the Blazers would not happen until 2016, but the tension remains as long as Watts makes himself available as a face of the university.