In my perfect world, B'ham/Jefferson County (or possibly surrounding areas) would get their city's finances in order and build a 65- 70 thousand seat multi-purpose retractable roof arena. This would continue to draw NCAA tourney games, that big fishing tournament, and whatever else they could steal from ATL and N'Awlins. Every third year a true Iron Bowl would be once again renewed with the 50/50 split seating that you still see in the Red River Rivalry and "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." I've always enjoyed the road games more than those at home, due to that hostile environment and the bond that forms between fellow fans. That environment is electric opposed to the easy going strenght in number Bryant Denny games. The split seating with the Cowburn fans would really up the stakes, every third year. I would have also been behind a "throwback" game at Legion Field, every 5 to 10 years, if they had kept the Old Lady in better condition. It would be similar to the yearly Baron's Rickwood Classic. Speaking of Rickwood, I wonder if some historical preservation and funding could have been used for Legion, before it was too late. As the TV ratings prove, Birmingham is not only the "Football Capital of the South," but the center of the college football universe. Seems worthy of preserving.......
With the Birmingham/true Iron Bowl sentiments......
- Thread starter zachary77
- Start date
I lived in Anniston growing up. I loved Legion Field except the parking. My last time there was on Thanksgiving Day when Dye resigned that Morning. It was the coldest day I ever spent in Alabama. We went on to win a Championship.
no disrespect to the fine folks at B'ham but Coach Bryant & the Tide made it the football Captial not the city IMHO. Denny Stadium was awful & held very few people, but that has sure changed now what a Great venue & you have the campus museum & all the stores, personally I had rather have that, parking is Much better so is getting out of there.
These venues now cost over a Billion Dollars so I don't think you will ever see it. Wait until the Falcons finish theirs & that may be a neutral site option not that far away. RTR
no disrespect to the fine folks at B'ham but Coach Bryant & the Tide made it the football Captial not the city IMHO. Denny Stadium was awful & held very few people, but that has sure changed now what a Great venue & you have the campus museum & all the stores, personally I had rather have that, parking is Much better so is getting out of there.
These venues now cost over a Billion Dollars so I don't think you will ever see it. Wait until the Falcons finish theirs & that may be a neutral site option not that far away. RTR
The reason stadiums now cost so much is land and infrastructure. Baylor's new 45,000 seat stadium only cost $266 million. If it had been built within the limits of a large city it'd have cost twice that at minimum. The Patriots 68,000 seat Gillette Stadium only cost $430million adjusted for inflation because it's built in the middle of nowhere.
Of course I think Birmingham has much higher priorities right now though. Publicly funded stadiums are a scam.
Of course I think Birmingham has much higher priorities right now though. Publicly funded stadiums are a scam.
I'll piggy back on what's already been said about stadium cost by adding that neither Auburn nor Alabama would want to give up a true home game and the additional revenue in ticket sales that come from larger stadiums. Plus, I'd guess that Tuscaloosa and Auburn/Opelika would lobby hard to keep games at home due to the economic impact they have on the city.
Overall, I'm glad things are the way they are now and not just because Legion Field was a shell of her former self in later years when we were playing there. But, there was something kinda cool about the atmosphere when there were 70,000+ fans split pretty much evenly. When the alternating "Roll Tide!", "War Eagle!" chants were going back and forth from one side of the stadium to the other, getting louder and louder, it was amazing. Sadly, it's something the younger generations of fans will never get to experience. Every Alabama and Auburn fan should be able to know what that was like and it's something that really can't be adequately described. Not by me, anyway.
We all have nostalgic memories of the history and tradition of Alabama football, much of it made at Legion Field. LF and B`ham will always be associated with UA football. Having said that, with the current BDS, Alabama`s played its last game in B`ham, IMHO.
I don't EVER want to see ANY Alabama football game being played in Birmingham again. We should have moved the Iron Bowl out of Birmingham and in to Tuscaloosa every other year a lot sooner than we did. I remember that very last Iron Bowl at Legion Field in 1998 and how glad I was that the powers that be finally woke up and realized how much better off everyone involved would be if we hosted the IB in Tuscaloosa and NOT in Birmingham. Sure, Birmingham had it's time. The IB as a 50/50 ticket split neutral site game worked well for many years. But, time changes things. The on campus stadiums in Tuscaloosa and auburn were getting bigger and better while Legion Field was clearly going in the opposite direction. There is one thing left to do to Legion Field, and that it to put it out of it's misery once and for all. There are many who still miss the days of the IB being in Birmingham every year. But after just one trip to any Bama game in Tuscaloosa, there really should be absolutely NO comparison anymore.
UA was contractually obligated to give Birmingham one last football game, and that obligation was fulfilled on opening weekend in 2003. It has now been more than a decade since we set foot in that place, and to me it still hasn't been long enough. Starting in the early 1990's BDS was nice enough to host the likes of tennessee and auburn, yet we were still having to play those games in B'ham while Tuscaloosa was getting games like Tulane and Chattanooga. To say that that was complete bull crap would be an understatement. Walking away from Legion Field for the final time all those years ago was an awesome feeling.
I for one, would love a 3rd year rotation. To me it is the IRON BOWL , but it still isn't the iron bowl bowl since it left BIRMINGHAM. Things I remember about the old iron bowl, FULL UPPER DECK , BRIGHT GREEN TURF. OLD STEEL LIGHT TOWERS and the sights and sounds of the old grey lady & keith Jackson. I am only 40 but I remember how it was. sure the parking sucked. but the the stadium had mystique and all the big games use to be played there. Before the 1990 season started I went in and a southern miss KICKER was there, I can't remember his name only that he was from the Birmingham area, I remember asking him how were they gonna far against bama in the opener. He said we have a lot of players that bama including myself overlooked, They have had this game on their minds all summer. Boy was he right !!!! Coach Bryant loved the FOOTBALL CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH .
I absolutely LOVE the city of Birmingham.
That being said, I NEVER want to see us play a game there again unless they build a multi-purpose stadium large enough to host the Championship game. Other then that, BDS is the MECCA of College Football in my opinion. Why would you not want to play there?
That being said, I NEVER want to see us play a game there again unless they build a multi-purpose stadium large enough to host the Championship game. Other then that, BDS is the MECCA of College Football in my opinion. Why would you not want to play there?
Coach Bryant loved Birmingham because of recruiting, IMO. And that has changed drastically since his time.
I agree...I'm very sentimental about Legion Field, but as a pragmatist and, yes, a realist too, you just can't move away from what we have at BDS for an inferior venue such as Legion Field...Those were great and grand old days, but they are gone...and we have such a prime place in which to play, there's no reason to move. If Birmingham built a new stadium, I don't think I would even want to play there either. Home is always better.
The current game as it is played is not the Iron Bowl anymore. It's just the Alabama-Auburn game. We should drop the moniker, because it has lost it's meaning (it's not in the Iron city any more, and it's not a bowl because the tickets are not 50/50). I would prefer a neutral site game, but not in Atlanta. I've been to Auburn for several Alabama-Auburn games, and it was not much fun.
I also used to love the game in Legion Field, but now would HATE to go back. Both home stadiums are too large, nice and too great an atmosphere to leave.
Saying that....if Birmingham had a new very nice stadium and guaranteed each team a large payday( like these other neural site games) it possibly could happen. I'm thinking 7-8 million per team guaranteed.
In other words....it will never happen.
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If I were the city, i would jump on the ideal of " netural site" and get big teams to play on this field few times a year. I've been to Legion Field and its horrible! Time to either tear it down and build a new one, or just tear it down and be done with it.
It would not surprise me to see Atlanta put a package together to get the Iron bown there at some point when the new Falcon's stadium is done. They'll need the revenue, but it would be very hard to make it more beneficial financially to either team to move it as they get all the ticket revenue every 2 years. Tickets would cost the same as a major bowl game.
Birmingham will never get its act together enough to build a stadium befitting the rivalry. Season ticket holder's at Alabama would be very preturbed if they didn't get Auburn tix.
I too miss the days when both sets of fans would get to the stadium 3 hours before kickoff and yell at each other for 7 hours. Unfortunately most of the fans will never get to see one of the great spectacles in collegiate sports. I just don't see it happening ever again thanks to the greed of the boogs. The boogs still can't sell out their stadium even on years when they have a good team and Alabama fans buy up their season ticket packages so they can go to the game. Pitiful.
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Wow the poster, a couple above me, had an awesome idea. The TV ratings, fan popularity, and success of the state's teams clearly place Birmingham in the center of the college football hurricane. A wise B'ham or even Shelby County leader would find away to build that domed, our retractable roof stadium, even if it was an erector set type like the Central Florida or Stanford Stadium (but obviously larger). The center of the college football universe and the football capital of the south, could seriously have it's own SEC vs ______"Kickoff Classic" like Atlanta and Dallas have at the beginning of the year. If there isn't a current SEC Hall of Fame or historical museum, then a location near the stadium would enhance the neutral site game. An arena team could help fill the void, along with larger music acts. The bowl game would grow in drawing power with these additions, as well. As I said before, in a perfect world. Imagine the possibilities if one could make it happen. Now accepting campaign contributions, 
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