 Bama on the Bluff Update - BCS Ticket update posted on 12/23/09 I received this email a few minutes ago and decided to forward it to the chapter just in case some of you might be interested. $875 is about the going rate right now on the internet auctions. Good luck and ROLL TIDE! "Dear Alum, congratulations on another trip to the BCS Championship Game. Our company had the pleasure of working with your alumni in 2008 for the Sugar Bowl and we are excited to have the honor of working with the Bama Alumni once again for this much anticipated match up vs. the Texas Longhorns. We have secured a limited block of seats on the Alabama sideline that we are discounting $100 from retail prices. These tickets are coming directly from us, which allows us to offer lower prices than any other retail sites. We have included a link to TicketsNow BCS listings (http://www.ticketsnow.com/InventoryBrowse/BCS-National-Championship-Tickets-at-Rose-Bowl-in-Pasadena?PID=791855) to show the prices that we are offering the Alabama Alumni are lower than any comparable locations on their site (TicketsNowwill add a hidden 15% service fee right before check out to the listed price, we have no hidden fees). ""These tickets are in hand, and can be in your possession before noon tomorrow. This exclusive promotion will run till 8pm CST tonight or till the inventory is gone. As college football fans ourselves, we will be the first to admit that these prices aren’t “cheap”, but we hope that this discount makes it a little more affordable to the other options that are available. We are proud members of the Better Business Bureau, and we can provide references of Alabama Alum that we have worked with in the past. Feel free to call with any questions that you may have, or if you would like to secure your seats for the game. You can check our website, www.epicseats.com, for a list of our complete BCS inventory but the promo prices will be provided over the phone only. Please reference the Promo Code BAMALUM09. Thanks, and best of luck vs. Texas." Section 20 row 4 $1485 per ticket promotion price ($1585 retail price) Mark Bama on the Bluff Update - Christmas! posted on 12/22/09 Roll Tide! I don't think the 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football season could have been scripted any better. Let's see...another #1 recruiting class, another undefeated regular season, ripping the hearts out of our two biggest rivals on fantastic fourth quarter plays to win the games, a complete dismantling of the mighty Florida Gators and Tim Tebow in the SEC Championship game, a Heisman Trophy winner (Alabama's first), a NCAA record six First Team All-Americans, and the chance to play Texas in the BCS Championship at the Rose Bowl...a lot of folks say Alabama fans like to live in the past, but to me, the present (and future) ain't too bad either! I would say Coach Saban has been worth the investment. His (and our) biggest critics would have to agree. Here's some video highlights you might enjoy: As I mentioned earlier, Coach Saban has been worth every penny. You can actually help him win the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year by voting here: http://www.coachoftheyear.com/#meteor=-cfdtpJixhj. The winner gets a $50,000 donation to his favorite charity (Nick's Kids) and a $20,000 donation to their school's alumni scholarship fund. You can vote once a day until December 29th. Let's get behind Coach Saban and make this a reality. I've heard great things about the Grizzlies game. Thanks to all who participated in our BOTB night. What a big win over one of the NBA's best teams. I've also had a lot of requests for BCS tickets. Wish I could be more helpful but there are a lot of tickets on the market, just very expensive and cost prohibitive for most of us. Here's one package I found interesting, which includes a game ticket, hotel, and other amenities for under $2000. Airfare not included. http://www.tournamentofroses.com/bcs/Special-BCS-Game-Package.pdf Here's more info about the Rose Bowl Stadium and 2010 BCS Championship: http://www.rosebowlstadium.com If you have tickets and change your mind about going, please let me know and I'll be glad to help move them. There are plenty of chapter members in the local area who are VERY interested. Our book sale went well. I still have copies of CRIMSON available but will be leaving town Monday and won't return until after Christmas. If you are interested, please contact me ASAP and you'll get it before the holiday. Please visit our vendor/sponsor links on www.bamaonthebluff.com for all your Alabama Crimson Tide, SECCG and BCS merchandise. Bama Fever and Alabama Book Store (Bamastuff) go out of their way to help with our annual golf tournament and scholarship fund. Let them know you appreciate their contributions. These are truly historic times for alumni, friends and fans of The University of Alabama. Enjoy every minute of it folks. Now, have a great Holiday Season and let's go bring home #13 on January 7th. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Un0QJHIjhA&feature=player_embedded Seasons Greetings from the Alumni Office: http://alumni.ua.edu/greeting09 Roll Tide! Mark Bama on the Bluff Update - November posted on 11/16/09 Well, here we are again. Undefeated in mid-November and consistently mentioned as a BCS front-runner. It’s great to be a Crimson Tide fan these days, no doubt. Alabama can do something no other SEC team can say in that if we win the SEC this year, it will mean a conference championship every decade since the league started in 1933. Other than the 12 National Championships, this might be the most remarkable accolade of all. Florida is certainly beatable and there seems to be a growing recognition among the national media that this Alabama team could be something special. Can I get a “ROLL TIDE?” To help celebrate Bama’s 22nd SEC championship (I’m pretty confident), I’ve secured a block of tickets for the December 8th Memphis Grizzlies/Cleveland Cavaliers game. It’s a wonderful opportunity to watch our home team take on the NBA’s brightest star, LeBron James and his supporting cast., which includes former Bama player Mo Williams. Tickets are just $5 for dues paying members. That’s a great deal and one more opportunity for the chapter to get together before the New Year. $5 seats (section 211) are limited so RSVP with me today. If/when we have more than twenty takers, we can get more tickets at $18/each. December 1 is the last day to apply for scholarships for next year. If you know of a high school student interested in Alabama, make sure they are aware of this date. Our website www.bamaonthebluff.com has good information regarding scholarships and applications for enrollment at the Capstone. I’m please to announce Cornelius Bennett will join us as a guest speaker at our spring chapter meeting. We’re in the process of securing a date and venue but I wanted to let you know about this exciting event. “Biscuit” is certainly an Alabama legend. He’s a three-time All-American, Lombardi Trophy Winner, SEC Player of the Year in 1986, a five time NFL Pro-Bowler and two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Needless to say, we’re proud he’s coming to Memphis to visit with us. I’ll have more information regarding Cornelius soon. If you can’t make it to Tuscaloosa this weekend for Bama’s last home game, please join us at Fox and Hound off Sanderlin for a game watching party. It’s an early 11:21 AM kickoff, so come out and cheer on the Tide with other Memphis-area fans. We’ll have some raffle prizes too. Hope to see you there! ROLL TIDE! Mark bamafans@me.com (new email) Bama 34 - Va Tech 24 RTR! posted on 9/9/09 Well, that was exciting wasn't it? Bama shot themselves in the foot time and time again yet persevered against a tough top 10 opponent. The Georgia Dome was rocking and it was great to see so many of you from Memphis at the game. If Bama corrects a few things and stays focused, they should be back there once again in December for the SEC Championship. I could write for hours about the game but here's some links written by the "experts" you might find interesting: Let down against Florida International? Don't let Coach Saban hear that. I heard his press conference live yesterday while driving through Birmingham. If you missed it, here it is. Last 45 seconds are priceless! http://www.tidesports.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090907/VIDEO/909072014&template=video&lineup=431782885 Here's what ESPN's Chris Low had to say about it: http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/2820/dont-dare-mention-a-letdown-to-saban Bama moves up to # 4 in the polls with two first place votes. Personally, I don't think there should be a poll until October but here it is after week 1: http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings Mark Schlabach: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4450197 Gameday wrap-up: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4450369 Finebaum: http://www.al.com/sports/press-register/pfinebaum.ssf?/base/sports/125240130911280.xml&coll=3 Tickets ARE locally available for this week's game against Florida International and next week versus North Texas. Contact me if interested. Still no news about Ole Miss tickets. Mark your calendars for the UA Student Reception at Memphis Botanical Gardens on Monday, September 21. It all starts at 7 pm. Thanks to those who have committed to attend. Looks like we'll have great alumni support! Florida International is a pay per view game beginning at 6 pm Saturday night. If you can't make it to Tuscaloosa, I invite you to watch it on high definition big screens with other Bama fans at Fox and Hound off Sanderlin. Still looking for a contact person who doesn't mind representing the chapter to restaurant management. ROLL TIDE! Mark Chapter Update - September 2009 update pt. 2 posted on 9/5/09 A few more things... First, the University will host a reception for Memphis high school students Monday, September 21 at Memphis Botanical Gardens. UA Dean of Engineering Charles Karr will be the keynote speaker. Some of you might remember him from the Caravan in April. He's highly motivational and fun to watch. Refreshments will be provided and I'm looking for a minimum of ten chapter members to help me represent the University of Alabama to other local Memphians. All you have to do is show up, raise your hand when I identify you, then mingle and talk about UA to anyone who will listen...all informally of course. No "public speaking" involved. It's also a fantastic opportunity to hear about recent academic achievements from University representatives themselves. Dress is business casual and the reception begins at 7 pm. I would love to hear from those who are interested. Although Ole Miss tickets are still up in the air, other tickets are currently available from some of our chapter members. If you need Florida International (Sep 12), North Texas (Sep 19), UT-Chattanooga (Nov 21) or Kentucky (away-Oct 3) tickets, please give me a call or email and I'll put you in touch. Other folks are looking for Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tennessee tickets. If you've visited our website lately, www.bamaonthebluff.com, you've noticed tabs for several merchants, notably Alabama clothing suppliers. These folks give back a percentage of sales to our scholarship fund. If you can't visit them in Tuscaloosa, I encourage you to shop on the provided websites. Also notice the Bryant Museum tab. The museum provided a lot of our goodie bag and raffle items for the golf tournament. It's a great website, with links to old archives and the latest information about the great Crimson Tide tradition. Be sure you stop by the museum when on campus and mention you saw the add on Bama on the Bluff's website. Active National Alumni members are admitted free. Please join and visit our facebook page, as I update it often with videos, commentary/articles, and pictures from chapter functions. It's also linked with a convenient tab on our website. Hey, it's not just for teenage girls anymore! :) Don't forget the game watching parties at Fox and Hound all season. Come celebrate the Tide with other Bama fans in our own private room. Roll Tide! Beat Va Tech!!! Mark Chapter Update - September 2009 update posted on 8/29/09 Football season is here. The Tide is a pre-season top 5 pick and expected to build upon last year's 12-2 season. "The Process" is alive and well in Tuscaloosa. I've received many emails concerning Ole Miss tickets and I'll address that first. The rumor is we will receive 20 tickets for the chapter. I've been trying to confirm that for weeks to no avail. As you may know, the Rebels are expected to do well this year too, and have set a new season ticket sales record. In fact, many rival fans who ordered single game tickets through the Ole Miss ticket office have had those refunded. While I share your frustration in wanting a definite answer, please understand it's a fluid situation. I hope to hear from the University soon and will determine a fair way to allocate any tickets we receive amongst our dues paying members. There are a few folks who have been VERY generous to our group this year and I will ensure they receive priority. Regardless, expect no more than two tickets each if selected. If you MUST be in Oxford for the game this year, I recommend securing your tickets from another source. Anything can happen between now and October 10. If Ole Miss collapses, as they tend to do, I'm sure there will be a lot of tickets on the market. Right now, they're at a premium. We've entered into a new relationship with the Fox and Hound for game watching parties. Our group is guaranteed its own room with several new HDTVs. All Bama games, including PPV, will be shown at Fox and Hound (E. Memphis-Sanderlin location). Fox and Hound will also provide a "party starter" package of 50 wings, three pizzas, chips and salsa and two hours of pool FREE for the Virginia Tech game. If you can't make it to Atlanta, or any of the other games this season, stop by Fox and Hound and have a good time with other chapter members while cheering on the Tide. I'm looking for a volunteer to be the chapter point of contact for Fox and Hound, someone who plans on being there for every game. If interested or want more information, give me a call. Fox and Hound was recently selected "Best Sports Bar" in Memphis and is a good place to watch a game. However, it is 21 years and up, so plan accordingly. If you know someone interested in attending Bama next Fall, please have them visit our website, www.bamaonthebluff.com, for updated application and scholarship information. We work closely with Jamie Woods, UA recruiter for Tennessee, to provide the latest news and information to our local high school students. Many important dates and deadlines are between Labor Day and December 1. One of the perks of my position is getting to talk to students interested in Alabama. It makes my day to get an email from a student prospect interested in our University. Do your part to recruit Memphis' "best and brightest" to The Capstone! We don't have any chapter meetings planned for the rest of the year, other than the game watching parties at Fox and Hound. We've kicked around the idea of having lunch socials at local restaurants...if there is interest, please let me know. Other than that, here's to a GREAT Alabama football season! I'm usually at the games myself and always enjoy seeing some of our local members at different venues. If you find yourself in Tuscaloosa or at one of the Tide's away games looking for something to do, give me a call. We can always get together for an impromptu pep rally. ROLL TIDE!!! Mark Some helpful links: http://www.chick-fil-akickoffgame.com/ http://www.atlabama.com/alumni/index.php http://alumni.ua.edu/viewing09.html http://uagameday.com/football/index.php http://memphistider.blogspot.com/ Chapter Update - August 2009 posted on 8/4/09 First, thanks to all who supported or participated in our annual golf tournament. Sponsorships are still trickling in but we estimate to have cleared close to $2000. While numbers were down from previous years, I'm fairly encouraged by what we did considering the sour economy. As I stated at the tournament, I heard the local Arkansas and Florida chapters canceled their events due to lack of participation and funding. If you committed to sponsoring a hole or still wish to contribute to the scholarship fund, please do so as soon as possible so we can tie up some loose ends and start planning our next event. The send off luncheon was a huge success and I've received very positive feedback from Jamie Woods, UA recruiter for the state of Tennessee, and from several of the parents of seniors headed to Bama this Fall. We plan on doing this again next year in conjunction with the golf tournament. Congratulations to our two scholarship recipients, Kylie Donnelly and Devin Grissom, and best wishes to all our local students on their way to Tuscaloosa. Former Tide football legend Siran Stacy, who spoke at our golf tournament, will be in town again on Sunday, August 9 at Germantown Baptist Church. Siran has started a new ministry and is a gifted, inspirational speaker. Services begin at 9:30. I'm sure he would love to see some Crimson Tide faithful in the crowd. As you may have guessed, Alabama football tickets are at a premium this season. Many "experts" rank Bama in the top 10 nationally and expect to see us back in the SEC title game against Florida. I've contacted the alumni office about chapter tickets to Ole Miss and expect an answer this week. The Rebels are also a pre-season top 10 pick so it may be more difficult to get tickets than previous years. IF we do get a block of tickets, I will first contact our 2009 dues paying members and then offer any remaining tickets out to the rest of the emailing list. As of today, I have 59 folks out of 439 on the contact list who have paid 2009 dues. If you are looking for game tickets or wish to sell some, I will again try to facilitate any transactions between our members. Please send me your requests and I will have them posted on our ticket board at www.bamaonthebluff.com. There's also a link on there for joining the chapter and instructions on where to send your dues. :) 34 days until Virginia Tech! ROLL TIDE!!! Mark Bama on the Bluff Golf Tournament - TOMORROW!!! posted on 7/16/09 Final reminder for the annual Bama on the Bluff Golf Tournament tomorrow, July 17 at The Links at Galloway. Lunch begins at 1200, catered by Central BBQ. We're also recognizing our departing local high school seniors headed to Alabama this Fall and presenting our two scholarships. Golf begins at 1 pm. Registration is $100/person which includes golf, cart and lunch. Hole sponsorships are still available at $200. Bama Fever and Tide Treasures will also be there selling great Crimson Tide merchandise. We'll have great raffle prizes and a special appearance by Bama football legend Siran Stacy. Come out and support the chapter and our scholarship fund. Please call me @ 652-8395 or Brad Burton @ 590-7686 if you have questions or need more information. Roll Tide! Mark Summer update! Golf tournament, etc. posted on 6/24/09 Hello everyone! Hope your summer is off to a good start. First things first: Our annual golf tournament will be Friday, July 17th at The Links at Galloway. This year, we're also going to present our two scholarships and send off our local students headed to Alabama. Lunch begins at Noon and golf begins at 1 PM with a shotgun start. Tournament fees are $100/player which includes cart and lunch. Lunch is available to everyone for $10 and like last year, we'll have a raffle during lunch and one after golf is complete. Bama Fever and Tide Treasures will also be on hand with plenty of great Crimson Tide merchandise. Our golf tournament is our largest fund raiser for our two scholarships we award annually. We need your support, and there are many ways to contribute. Other than players, we need hole sponsorships ($200), trophy sponsors, catering sponsors, and volunteers the day of the tournament to make it a success. Brad Burton, our chapter VP, is planning this year's tournament and would love to hear from anyone who wishes to play or volunteer. Please contact Brad at 901-590-7686 to get on board. If you would like to sponsor a hole, please let us know by July 7th so we can have your hole sponsorship sign created. Check out www.bamaonthebluff.com for more updates. Speaking of scholarships, I asked Jason Fair, our Treasurer, for a scholarship/account update. Here's his response: "We have two scholarships: the A. Duncan Williams Endowed Scholarship and the William P. Warren IV Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Both of these scholarships have been contributed to over the years by the local chapter they are set up to partially fund the cost of a deserving student from the local area for their first year at the University. The award that is given to the students is based on the size of our scholarship balance, which is why each year we try to contribute to and grow the scholarships. The more money that goes into the scholarship pot, the greater the award will be each year for our local students. Adding to our balances, each year the alumni association matches our gifts to the scholarships based on license tag sales in the state that are tied to the alumni association. The match usually averages around 70 or 80% dollar-for-dollar for what we put in, and that adds up! Currently each scholarship has a balance of around $36,000 (the Warren Scholarship has a little bit more than the Williams Scholarship), and the award that is given to the students is currently around $2,900. This year, due to a more active chapter with more members and more dues, along with some successful fundraising events, the chapter was able to contribute more than I have ever been aware that we have before. We made a total scholarship contribution to both scholarships of $9,000 ($5,000 to the Williams scholarship and $4,000 to the Warren scholarship-to even the two out). With the probable University match, that will equate to a total contribution to the Memphis-based scholarships of more than $15,000! That will be getting both of the scholarship balances closer to $50,000 which would be a great milestone, and will give our local students better awards. Great job to everyone involved at the chapter!" Thanks Jason. We're doing what we can to take advantage of the University's matching program. I'm confident we can establish another scholarship in the near future and am currently working towards that goal. I'll have some more information about that soon. As you know, the University was recently placed on probation again regarding the textbook problem. I've attached some talking points the Alumni office recently sent me. Hopefully, the University has got this situation under control and we can avoid future problems. I don't know know about you but I'm tired of seeing these kind of headlines. UA does plan to appeal the sanctions, so keep your fingers crossed. Fortunately, there were no scholarship reductions in any sport! I look forward to seeing you all at the golf tournament and send off party. As always, don't hesitate to call or email if you have any questions or ideas to improve the chapter. 74 days until Virginia Tech! Roll Tide! Mark Crimson Caravan almost sold out! posted on 4/22/09 The Crimson Caravan is coming through next week on Tuesday, April 28th at the Peabody in downtown Memphis. There are only a few tickets left (and by few I mean an incredibly small portion...haha) so make sure you get yours today! You can order them by clicking on the Crimson Caravan image in the events section to your right (and using the promotional code ROLLTIDE) or by calling the ticket office at 205-348-BAMA. Thanks guys! Crimson Caravan Update posted on 4/5/09 Crimson Caravan tickets are almost SOLD OUT. The University is very pleased with our ticket sales and so am I. Thanks for the help! If you haven't purchased your Caravan tickets, I strongly urge you to do so this week. Our website, www.bamaonthebluff.com has a useful link to Crimson Caravan. When you get to the University's website, use the promotional code ROLLTIDE. All caps, one word. If you still have trouble, don't hesitate to contact the ticket office at 205-348-BAMA. Be sure you tell them you want MEMPHIS Caravan tickets! :) I expect this to be a first class event. There will be several opportunities to bid on some PHENOMENAL prizes, so bring your check book! Dress is business casual. I've said it before and I'll say it again...$35 for a sit down dinner at The Peabody Hotel with Coach Saban is a real bargain. What a great, personal opportunity to let him know Memphis appreciates the turnaround with our football program. Thanks to those who have already bought tickets. You've help put my mind at ease. After the Andrew Bone social, I was wondering if we could deliver enough folks to make the Caravan successful. I think we will based on the ticket numbers I've seen. If/when I have more Caravan information, I will let you know. See you APRIL 28, 5:30PM at The Peabody. Roll Tide! Mark "Join Chapter" page is up! posted on 3/19/09 Hey hey guys! Just a brief update today. I finally have the "Join Chapter" page up and running, so if you'd like to submit your information to Mark that way, you can do so now. Don't forget you can go ahead and submit your information and then pay your dues tonight at the Andrew Bone speaking engagement at Hardin Hall at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. Admission is only $20 for tonight, and that includes a catered dinner from Central BBQ. Dinner at 6, Andrew at 6:30. Hope to see you all there! Roll Tide! Gary March 13th Update posted on 3/13/09 Roll Tide Everyone! Less than a week to go before our first social of 2009. I'm very excited about recruiting expert Andrew Bone coming to speak to us. It's certainly great to see Alabama back on the national scene again when it comes to attracting the top prospects. Andrew will have plenty of good inside information on the latest #1 recruiting class. I'm a little concerned about the potential turnout as I've only heard from a handful of folks who plan on being there. Please make every effort to come out and support the chapter. Remember, it's Thursday, March 19 at Memphis Botanical Garden beginning at 5:30. Central BBQ will serve a great dinner around 6:00PM. $20/person plus the opportunity to win great raffle prizes. Pay at the door. Hope to see you there! Crimson Caravan ticket numbers have been steady but not great overall. I certainly hope all of you plan on attending arguably the biggest event an alumni chapter can host. I don't know how else to put it...Coach Nick Saban and other University of Alabama VIPS will be in our back yard for a personal "pep rally." How great is that? $35/person for a sit down dinner with Coach Saban at The Peabody is as good as it gets. You can buy tickets through the link on www.bamaonthebluff.com. Speaking of the chapter website, we're moving hosts VERY soon and will have the JOIN CHAPTER tab and all features working as soon as possible. Our new webmaster, Gary Segars, works full time just like the rest of us but is doing a great job with the vision your officers gave him for a new website. Also, check out his blog "Memphis Tider" on the website too. It's full of great commentary and insight into Alabama athletics. I've spoken to several of you lately about the current NCAA investigation. I think it could be potentially serious, as it occurred during our most recent probation period (2002-2007). That places us under a "repeat offender" status. While the textbook "scandal" appears to be relatively minor, we all know how the NCAA has looked at Alabama during recent years. I'm not predicting severe punishment but you never know. Cecil Hurt raises some great points in one of his latest articles. Read it here: http://www.tidesports.com/article/20090308/NEWS/903082995/1067/NEWS?Title=CECIL-HURT-Exactly-who-was-minding-the-UA-store- On a happier note, today is the first day of spring practice. Chris Walsh of the Tuscaloosa News breaks down the open positions and practice schedule here: http://www.tidesports.com/article/20090313/NEWS/903132962/1011?Title=Several-debuts-for-today-s-first-spring-practice. Thanks to those who have sent me their dues. Overall, its a small percentage...I'm hoping many of you will pay up at the Andrew Bone event. New dues are $20/individual with family dues at $30. As always, you can mail your dues and contact information directly to me at: Bama on the Bluff That's it for now. Hope to see all of you March 19 at Memphis Botanical Gardens. Roll Tide! Mark E-mail Update from Mark #2 posted on 2/24/09 On Thursday, March 19, we'll have Football Recruiting expert Andrew Bone speak to us about Alabama's most recent #1 recruiting class. Andrew works for Scout, BamaMag and is the recruiting reporter for The Tuscaloosa News. He's also seen regularly on sports programs throughout the southeast. Come out and get the "inside" scoop on Alabama recruiting. Here's some info on Andrew: http://alabama.scout.com/2/752193.html. We'll gather at the Memphis Botanical Gardens in Hardin Hall around 5:30 pm for cocktails (cash bar) then Central BBQ catering for dinner at 6:00 pm sharp. Andrew will begin his talk at 6:30 pm. Admission is $20/person, another bargain for a guest speaker and dinner. Let me know if you're attending as seating is limited. We wanted to have it at a family friendly place so more folks could come out. I hope to see you there! In case you haven't heard, A-Day is scheduled for April 18. It's a great opportunity to get inside Bryant-Denny and watch the Tide scrimmage for free. Bama has several key positions to fill this spring, most notably QB, C and of course, LT. It will be interesting to see who's getting the nod and practice reps from Coach Saban. I'm sure many of you are aware the south end zone expansion has begun. In fact, the score board is already down. Check out the campus if you haven't in awhile. Lots of outstanding progress being made at the Capstone. Our new website is up and running. We're still tweaking it a little but I think it looks great. Thanks to Gary Segars for his hard work. Check it out at www.bamaonthebluff.com. Don't hesitate to forward the link to friends you think might be interested. Here's another change you might find worthwhile. We're going to reduce our annual membership dues to $20 per individual and $30 per family membership. Sure times are tough, but I'm hoping to actually increase our membership and motivate those who haven't paid in awhile to get on board. This money helps us get quality speakers and subsidizes refreshments at our gatherings. There will always be a small fee to offset the cost of each event but hopefully, you'll appreciate the dues reduction. So, unless you paid in the last couple of months, everyone is overdue! I would like to start a January-Dec cycle for dues, with them coming due at the beginning of each year. Please get your membership updated at www.bamaonthebluff.com or plan on settling up March 19 at our first chapter social with Andrew Bone. You can also mail your membership dues and general information (like phone #, mailing address and email) to me at: Bama on the Bluff It's tough to ask for money in times like these but that's what it takes to fund our events. I've heard from many of you wanting more activities and speakers, and not just football related. Now is the time to step up and put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. Just so you know, it takes around $2000 minimum to put on a social similar to the one March 19. Please help recruit new members as well. The website is very straight forward on how to become a Bama on the Bluff member. I challenge each of you to recruit just one new member this year. I get asked this question all the time...no, you don't have to be an alumnus to be a member!!!! I've heard from a few seniors at Alabama looking for jobs in the Memphis area. If you need a civil engineer or someone in publications or advertising, let me know and I will forward you their resume and information. Got to admire their initiative, especially in this job market. For those of you looking to continue your education or maybe didn't quite finish up at Alabama, here's some information you might be interested in: http://www.BackToBama.ua.edu. Want to get involved? We need student recruiters in the Memphis area. Lots of opportunities to introduce our beloved University to Memphis' finest students. Contact Jamie Woods, UA Regional Recruiter for Tennessee at jamie.e.woods@ua.edu for more information. For those Facebook addicts out there, Bama on the Bluff does have a page. Just search for us and add it to your favorites, or click here if you're already logged in. We'll try and update it along with the website. The more positive exposure our chapter receives, the better for us all. Spread the word about Andrew Bone on March 19 and of course, the Crimson Caravan April 28. See you soon. Roll Tide! Mark Update from Mark posted on 2/24/09 Roll Tide everyone! I trust you had a great holiday season and your new year is off to a good start. It's been a few months since I last communicated with you but your officers have been working hard planning some big things for 2009. More of that in a later email but here's the biggie: If you're a Tide Pride or A+ member, you may have received the Crimson Caravan email from the University. As you know, our chapter will host Coach Saban and the Caravan on April 28 at The Peabody Hotel. Doors open at 5:30 pm and the event will begin promptly at 6:00 pm. YOU CAN ONLY PURCHASE TICKETS THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY'S WEB SITE. If you did not receive an email from the University, click the link below and enter the promotional code ROLLTIDE. http://ev10.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/evenue/ev69/se/DisplayPromoList.d2w/report?linkID=ubama&RSRC=&RDAT=&caller=PRMore information is also available here: This is a very unique opportunity for the Memphis chapter to shine. We've been working on this project since November 2007 and need a great turnout. I told the folks down in Tuscaloosa we would, so don't let me down. $35/person for a sit down dinner at The Peabody is a GREAT deal, not to mention hearing Coach Saban and representatives from the University of Alabama speak to us in our own back yard. I think last year Caravan tickets were $100/person. Please make every effort to attend and drop me an email when you purchase your tickets. I want to track how many are going. Seating is limited to 500, so I suggest you buys tickets early. Also, we plan on bringing back the Bama Fever merchandise tent to the Caravan, just like we had at the golf tournament. Should be a great opportunity to stock up on all things Crimson Tide and support our scholarship fund in the process! Please feel free to call or email me with your questions. We'll also have a Crimson Caravan link on www.bamaonthebluff.com. Roll Tide! Mark Welcome to the New Site! posted on 2/17/09 Hope you guys enjoy the new website! We are still working on making sure this site is more user friendly. The "Join Chapter" page is still kinda giving us fits, so if you'd like to join in the meantime, please contact Mark. You can find his e-mail address in the contacts section. Thank you guys for your patience! We hope to make this site your one stop source for Bama happenings here in Memphis! |