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RIP Gene Bartow

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by slappy4428, Jan 3, 2012.

  1. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/gene_bartow_father_of_uab_athl.html

    Gene Bartow, known as "The Father of UAB Athletics," died Tuesday evening at the age of 81 after a two-year battle with stomach cancer.
     
    slappy4428, Jan 3, 2012
    #1
  2. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    Never be the man who follows The Man. RIP.
     
    Football_Bat, Jan 3, 2012
    #2
  3. dixiehack

    dixiehack Well-Known Member

    He made up for that by being The Man at a brand new program. Going from ground zero to multiple Elite Eights inside a decade is damn impressive. He wound up in a feud with Wimp Sanderson, accusing him of paying players, that led to a lot of the butthurt between UAB and the mother ship in Tuscaloosa. But still, he is responsible for that school having varsity sports period.
     
    dixiehack, Jan 3, 2012
    #3
  4. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    As dixie mentioned, Bartow and Sanderson openly hated each other. This led to one of the great moments in sports talk radio history, when Wimp referred to Bartow as "that lying cocksucker" during a live radio interview in 1987.

    Apparently, they were coming out of a break, and there was some confusion as to whether they were live.

    The host (Herb Winches) said, "coach, you know we're on the air."

    Wimp said "We better not be!" and hung up.

    As an aside, it was Bartow's claims against Sanderson that led to the story that made Paul Finebaum's career, when he showed up at the home of Buck Johnson's mother and asked if her new refrigerator really was a gift from an Alabama booster. So we can thank Gene for that as well ... ;)
     
    Steak Snabler, Jan 3, 2012
    #4
  5. Yodel

    Yodel Active Member

    I knew someone would tell the Herb Winches story. It just has to be told.
     
    Yodel, Jan 4, 2012
    #5
  6. lone star scribe

    lone star scribe Guest

    RIP to a great coach who had the misfortune to follow the greatest coach of all time.
     
    lone star scribe, Jan 4, 2012
    #6
  7. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    The way I heard that story, it had a lot more F Bombs in there. Auburn and Alabama were playing in Birmingham and they asked UAB to change a practice time so they could do their shootarounds. And Bartow said he'd be happy to do that - IF they would each schedule his team. Wimp had some things to say about that, too.

    I don't know what he was like to deal with every day, but in my dealings with him Bartow was terrific. UAB had some great games against VCU when J.D. Barnett was coaching at VCU.

    My favorite Bartow story - Barnett has left VCU for Tulsa, replaced by Mike Pollio. Nowhere near as good a coach at Barnett. Not close. So on a Monday night, VCU gets hammered at George Mason. Pollio opens his postgame by saying, "You know who I feel sorry for? UAB." VCU was to play UAB in two days. Pollio goes on to note VCU has done well in games off losses thus far.

    Worked for a PM paper then, so my paper gets to the airport about the same time UAB arrives in town. Bartow buys a copy, reads the story and goes back in and buys a copy for everyone on his team. UAB then shithouses VCU.

    Bartow opens HIS postgame by saying, "We'd like to tell Mike how much we appreciate his sympathy."

    Of course, Pollio gets pissed at ME but that's a whole nuther story.

    RIP Gene Bartow.
     
    Moderator1, Jan 4, 2012
    #7
  8. Second Thoughts

    Second Thoughts Active Member

    Bartow was a fine coach. Sorry to hear of his death. R.I.P.
     
    Second Thoughts, Jan 4, 2012
    #8
  9. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    Excellent opportunity to work "Memphis State" into some newspapers.
     
    HejiraHenry, Jan 4, 2012
    #9
  10. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    See, I think Wooden was great but No. 2 all-time.
    Coach K certainly didn't win 9 titles in 11 seasons and God rest Coach Wooden's soul.
    I just think Coach K has a better body of work against more integrated teams and out-&-out better opposition across the country and there in the ACC region over the years.
    That holds a lot of water in my school of thought.
    And I love them both as coaches. The Pyramid of Success was what Coach Don Evans gave us in high school and I believe all that stuff.

    RIP Coach Bartow
    You did a heck of a lot while the game was transitioning into the "modern" state of being that it exists as now.
     
    Blitz, Jan 4, 2012
    #10
  11. JosephC.Myers

    JosephC.Myers Active Member

    A good coach, RIP.
     
    JosephC.Myers, Jan 4, 2012
    #11
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