“I’ve had all I can stand. I can’t stands no more.” People need to get off this idea that the Tigers were more or even 50% at fault Saturday night. Were they partially at fault? Yep. But were they the driving force in the melee that followed the game Saturday night in Birmingham. Well, they kinda sorta were as they ruined the UAB celebration but they didn’t deserve what they got from the UAB fans and students. And they definitely aren’t deserving of all this holier than thou criticism that many are tossing at them.

The truth is simple crowd control by UAB prevents any situations like this from happening. C-USA rules state that the student sections are not supposed to be anywhere near the visiting team. They aren’t supposed to be near the bench nor the entrance/exit of the visitors. UAB has the students placed at the end of the Tigers bench and alongside the lockerroom entrance.

Why shouldn’t the players be excited and strut a little after such a win? It was a very emotional win. I know I was strutting afterwards because I thought it was the greatest comeback ever by a Tigers team. Yes, even better than Bradley because this was on the road so they earned the right to celebrate. “Shirt popping” is not offensive. If you are offended by it then you need to get your feelings off your sleeve and get past all the PC male bovine feces. It is nice to know in this “me” era that players and fans are proud of the name on the front of the shirt instead of the one on the back.

Instead of accepting the loss, UAB students and FANS went nuts. They cursed our players. They spit on our players. They threw things at our players some of which could have caused serious injury. It wasn’t just the players subjected to this kind of treatment either. I know a woman in her 20’s that was kicked by an older UAB fan in the arena. Memphis fans were threatened with jail while the UAB fans ran amok taunting fans and players alike. Most everyone I know that was in the arena were fearful of what might happen to them.

It is easy to say walk away from that but that is one of those easier said than done things in life. So before you pass judgment on these kids take a moment look at all the facts and look at the video tape from the floor. You will see students on the floor confronting the Tigers players. Oddly enough they had on UAB letter jackets. Reports are they were UAB football players. These out of control people simply hated the fact that they lost and were determined to take it out on our players. I’m actually surprised it didn’t get worse than it did.

The media reports have been flat out twisted to put a negative light on the players while disregarding the UAB students’ actions. ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb is reporting that Joey Dorsey went into the stands. Apparently Doug is dabbling in fiction because he’s the only one that has reported that. Why, you ask. Because it didn’t happen.

If you see someone you know took the position that it is easy to walk away, I challenge you to just spit on them. Slam them with obscenities. Get up in their face and challenge them. I can promise you that you would be met with a right hook. They wouldn’t and couldn’t just “walk away.” But they expect that out of young, emotionally charged young men. But I guess it is easier to pass judgment than to have a little understanding.

80% of the problem was the UAB student section and fans. The Tigers were 20% at fault because they needed to get out quicker than they did. But as Cal would say, “it is what it is.” Sorry to have carried this on more but all the media reports, message board posts and radio babble finally took its toll on me.