Why doesn't Birmingham have a Major league team? (Auburn, Troy: rent, vacation)

[mp33]

My husband and I REALLY miss pro ball ... especially baseball -- and basketball will be missed when the season starts (even hockey). My Angels are doing GREAT ... and I miss 'em. Can't really watch the games consistently because they start too late out here. Football is EVERYWHERE. What started that? Does anyone in Alabama have any sport interests other than football? Or is it just magnified because the season just began?

I know, still adjusting over here and slightly complaining -- I just miss the diversity one might find elsewhere and miss being in a town where more-people-than-not liked a variety of things.

[Eeyore]

Birmingham is home to fans of Auburn and Alabama college football. What does that mean? It is a city that has become accustomed to winning. Alot.

There seems to be very little patience here for teams that don't deliver. Many towns with great teams had to stick with the teams for years when they weren't winning. That doesn't seem to happen here. I dont think Birminghamians are just that snooty or impatient. I just think we're just used to winning. We dont know how to lose.

My observation....opinion.

Eeyore

[Keeper]

I lived in Tampa and the Devil Rays are having a hard time getting people to attend their games. The cost of tickets and losing just doesn't attract people. The area was thought to be a good place with all the training camps but it hasn't worked out that way.
They even built a covered stadium..

[san phlegmatico]

Does anyone in Alabama have any sport interests other than football?

College football -- Alabama and Auburn -- dominates the sporting landscape all four seasons (the actual season, recruiting, spring practices, and the offseason). The spring game at Alabama was attended to the tune of 90,000+ this past year for Coach Saban's debut; these practice games are covered as if they are real games. Get used to it: the vast majority of citizens in the state of Alabama have this football-is-king mentality. It's a nonstop, relentless obsession based on love for the game itself, fierce alma mater loyalty, societal ties, business deals, traditional pageantry, and old-fashioned revelry. Alabamians couldn't care a whit about pro sports -- exception: the Braves have a sizeable following. But these Braves fans pick up football shakers in the fall.

Tied for second: golf, auto racing, and any college sport other than football at Alabama or Auburn. Everything else is a distant third, save for the betting aspects of all sports.

My advice: learn to cheer for either Alabama or Auburn. Repeat after me: ROLL TIDE, ROLL TIDE... (forgive the alumnus bias).

Seriously, good luck. College football garners a highly impassioned following unparalleled in many respects nationwide; the game itself is nuanced and interesting; the talent on display in the SEC is superb. The South breeds great athleticism. Birmingham considers itself (was actually formally coined) "The Football Capital of the South."

What started that?

Easy: winning and tradition. Alabama claims 12 National Championships in 115 years of football. The bowlingest team ever, home to countless All-Americans, the 3rd or 4th winningest program in college history, and arguably the finest college coach of all-time -- Paul "Bear" Bryant. This isn't regional propaganda; these are universally accepted notions, nationally (the 12 Nat'l titles are somewhat in dispute, but at least 6 of them are in stone -- unanimous AP Titles). Auburn has a strong tradition of winning as well, perennially finishing at the top of the national polls for much of its history, home to a couple of Heisman Trophies. The difference between the two: Auburn's greatest success has been in the two or three most recent decades and their raison d'etra is always to be the Anti-Alabama, and to one day achieve and surpass Alabama's successes -- to knock 'Bama off its high horse, if you will. It's all very competitive, all-pervasive, and a bit of a sickness -- this rivalry, the passion for these teams.

To put it into your terms, as an MLB enthusiast: Alabama football is the New York Yankees, situated in the South (thus with a southern axe to grind); Auburn football is the Boston Red Sox (the Anti-Yankees -- successful, but always the bridesmaid, relegated to second billing).

Everyone -- the working class and the middle class, the down and out, the college kids, the bohemians, the city slickers and the country hicks, the tea-sippers and the rednecks -- if they're FROM Alabama or have lived there for a time, they follow college football to some extent. Look at me! -- I'm out here in San Diego, and I watch/ listen to 'Bama games religiously (and respond to posts like these).

If you moved to Kentucky or Indiana, you'd find college basketball to be treated with the same fervor. If you lived in Green Bay, you'd be find a monomaniacal pro football bandwagon. You're going to have to deal with this phenomenon in B'ham or somehow sequester yourself away from the throngs year-round by purchasing a good pro TV package, and hunker down by yo'self.

I just miss the diversity

One thing Birmingham and Alabama are NOT, in any respects (esp. when compared with coastal U.S.): diverse. Other things they're not: hip and modern. Food? BBQ and anything fried. Sport? College football. Music? Classic rock and country. Race? Black and white. Politics? Libertarian, aka Sons of the South (voting Republican). Celebrity? American Idol. Religion? Protestant. Transportation? Car. Clothing? Laura Ashley and Mom Jeans for women; Ralph Lauren Polo and Levi's for men. Drink? Bourbon, Coke, and beer. Architecture? Classic and southern. Vacation? Florida. Art? What's art??

[Bravo35223]

The only thing that would fly here is the NFL. The city has danced with the league on several occasions in the past and it has never come to fruition.

With NFL teams located 150 miles east (ATL) and 180 miles north (Nashville) - I doubt seriously that the league would locate a team here.

But - there is no doubt in my mind that an NFL team here - in a stadium in a good location - would positively flourish.

This is a football crazy state and it is one thing that would truly unite Alabama and Auburn fans. This happened with the USFL. Our team succeeded and the league failed around it....

Basketball wouldn't fly and neither would baseball.

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by san phlegmatico

One thing Birmingham and Alabama are NOT, in any respects (esp. when compared with coastal U.S.): diverse. Other things they're not: hip and modern. Food? BBQ and anything fried. Sport? College football. Music? Classic rock and country. Race? Black and white. Politics? Libertarian, aka Sons of the South (voting Republican). Celebrity? American Idol. Religion? Protestant. Transportation? Car. Clothing? Laura Ashley and Mom Jeans for women; Ralph Lauren Polo and Levi's for men. Drink? Bourbon, Coke, and beer. Architecture? Classic and southern. Vacation? Florida. Art? What's art??

I've only read a couple of your posts and you are so off track on some of your dribble its not even funny. You are on here giving people who are considering re-locating INCORRECT information.

I am Protestant but have literally dozens of Catholic friends. The Catholic church is thriving in Birmingham and there is NO prejudice against Catholics. They are prominent in every part of Birmingham life....as are Jews. We have a thriving Jewish community as well. I attended a Jewish funeral a month ago and there was a throng there. The Jewish community is well respected by Gentiles.

You said food: BBQ and anything fried. You are so completely dead wrong and I'm sick of it..Here's an article from the NEW YORK TIMES about Birmingham cuisine...

Birmingham Has a Lot on Its Plates These Days - New York Times

You give the impression there is nothing here culturally when we have one of the finest regional art museums in the country and one of the finest regional orchestras.

People who are reading this site: This guy needs something better to do with his time that make up some of the complete crap he has posted here.

[Eeyore]

Thank you Bravo, I too was shocked when I read his post. I thought: Obviously this guy doesn't live here and if here ever did he didn't get around much.

Here are some facts to prove him wrong:

Religion:

"Birmingham is a city of remarkable diversity; as but one example, it is the only Southern city with representation of three primary branches of the Catholic Church: Roman Catholic, Maronite, and Melkite" Source: birminghamwhoknew.com

Deepsouthjewishvoice One of only a couple of Jewish Newspapers in the South is located in B'ham

Guess where Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) is located? Yep, B’ham. So if you’re watching Mother Angelica on TV….she’s in Birmingham Can you get more Catholic than that?



Food:

"What are the up-and-coming food cities? There are so many! Both Portlands -- Maine and Oregon -- are obsessed with good food. So are Seattle, Boston and Birmingham, Ala. I'd throw in Las Vegas, but the profusion of restaurants there is more about an obsession with money and restaurant brands than it is with the soul of good food." -- New York Times (June, 2006)

With little fanfare outside the world of devoted gourmets, white-tablecloth establishments that rival New York’s or California’s have bloomed like azaleas all over Birmingham. Building their reputation little by little, by now Birmingham’s chefs have won praise from Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Esquire and the James Beard Foundation.--New York Times

"Highlands Bar & Grill named #5 in the list of 'The 50 Best American Restaurants."--Gourmet Magazine

"Some of Frank Stitts [local celebrity chef] awards: James Beard Award winner for "Best Chef of the Southeast" 2001. Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence," Highlands and Bottega 2001. Voted into the 1992 Fine Dining Hall of Fame by "Nations Restaurant News" Named one of Food and Wine magazines's Top 25 Hot New American chefs


Drink:

"Birmingham, Alabama: One of the Wine Capitals of the World!
...hopefully this article might begin to correct some of your misconceptions. yes, ... there really is a Birmingham, and it really is one of the wine capitals (no kidding) of the world."--Chattanooga Wine Buzz, October 2002


Sport:

"There are 999 holes of gold in the Birmingham area."--birminghamwhoknew.com

Birmingham is home to the nation’s oldest existing baseball park
Rickwood.com

ESPN just came out with a list of the top 100 sporting events (worldwide) and Rickwood made the list at #78.
Birminghamwhoknew

The 3rd longest golf course in the world is right in Hoover at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa
Birminghamwhoknew

Music:

WorkPlay Theatre is among America's 40 best music venues.--Paste magazine June, 2007

"Alabama's largest city cannot be pigeon-holed--musically or culturally. The 3 idols are a good example. Hicks sings pop-wrapped soul, Studdard belts out R & B, and Brice channels Southern rockers. Indeed, there's no pure Birmingham sound; it's more like a compilation disc."--Washington Post

City Stages grew rapidly in its first 5 years from a small regional festival to a world-renowned music event. At its peak, the festival featured 13 stages and performance areas over a 13 block area--Wikipedia

Until recently Birmingham had the top rated ALTERNATIVE radio station in the country. The station manager being listed in the top 30 “most powerful people in rock music” by Rolling Stone Magazine


Fashion:

Home of Saks, Inc. Formerly Saks, 5th Avenue


Art:

The Birmingham Museum of Art is an important regional public art museum, located at 2000 Eighth Ave. North in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. It is currently the largest municipal art museum in the southern United States and one of the finest regional museums in the country. It houses a nationally-recognized permanent collection of more than 15,000 works of art dating from ancient to modern times, featuring paintings, drawings, and decorative arts from diverse cultures including European, American, Asian, African, Precolumbian and Native American.--Wikipedia


Hip and Modern?:

Birmingham is ranked as one of America’s most charitable cities, ranking 8th in the nation, with an average contribution to charity per taxpayer of $1,524, according to TurboTax, a division of Intuit, using IRS data for 2004

Birmingham ranked 18th in the nation in the 2004 "Most Literate Cities" study, ahead of such cities as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The criteria were: education level of residents, number of magazines and journals published, newspaper circulation and number of booksellers.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2004 (as reported in The Birmingham News, December 28, 2004.)

Birmingham’s annual "Miss Apollo Pageant" began in 1975 and is now the 2nd oldest continuously running drag queen festival in the nation.--Black & White magazine


The Sidewalk Film Festival--From the Filmmakers' Reception and the Filmmakers' Retreat to a myriad of breakfasts, field trips, parties and galas, Sidewalk connects filmmakers. The atmosphere at Sidewalk is electric with creativity and collaboration as filmmakers and film-lovers mix and mingle between screenings, participate in panel discussions, or simply enjoy a brew at the Sidewalk Café.
One of TIME MAGAZINE's "Film Festivals for the Rest of Us."
One of Chris Gore's BEST VACATION FILM FESTIVALS in the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide.
Named BEST KEPT SECRET and one of 20 FILM FESTIVALS WORTH THE ENTRY FEE in MovieMaker magazine.
"This is how film festivals should be." Peter Gilbert, producer, HOOP DREAMS

Well, this was what I found just sitting here. Im sure there's alot more "evidence" this person has no idea of what he speaks. But Im tired.

eeyore

[Socal2Bham]

Originally Posted by san phlegmatico

One thing Birmingham and Alabama are NOT, in any respects (esp. when compared with coastal U.S.): diverse. Other things they're not: hip and modern. Food? BBQ and anything fried. Sport? College football. Music? Classic rock and country. Race? Black and white. Politics? Libertarian, aka Sons of the South (voting Republican). Celebrity? American Idol. Religion? Protestant. Transportation? Car. Clothing? Laura Ashley and Mom Jeans for women; Ralph Lauren Polo and Levi's for men. Drink? Bourbon, Coke, and beer. Architecture? Classic and southern. Vacation? Florida. Art? What's art??

You apparently forgot to add sensitive.

LOL, I'm sorry, but I laughed. I've only lived here a couple of years but I found this to be mostly true. I like Birmingham and I found this amusing.

American Idol and Mom Jeans... LMAO! The fascination with American Idol here is quite eerie.

[Keeper]

San does have a way of getting post off topic. Why not start a new topic and discuss all the interesting facts about AL.

[Bravo35223]

Thanks for your post Eeyore...filled with FACTS about the city and opinions from those outside the region about the city....Gourmet magazine and the NY Times certainly have no prejudice one way or the other.

Again, readers of San's posts need to understand that rather than providing factual information - he has some sort of personal agenda based on.....frankly I don't know.

But I would give his posts very little creedence. Eeyore has thoroughly discredited him with objective data.