Birmingham NBA Team

[Auburn4Winners 0]

What do you guys think? I heard that Bham was the 6th largest market for the NBA semi-finals this year and it got me to thinking that we desperately need an NBA team. Opinions?

[telling tiger 156]

The BJCC is all but outdated. The NCAA has had tourney rounds there in the past and it has been a while since they have deemed it worthy to revisit. There is a reason for that. TV ratings and money to spend on tix for a very long season, are two drastically different things.

Birmingham had an opportunity in the past for a pro football franchise from a league of actual substance, instead of the ABC league of the week. Bham has been among the leaders in attendance for the USFL and various other leagues from the past. At one time UAB packed 17,000+ into the BJCC for games with teams who were strong at the time from their league, like Memphis and Depaul. SADLY, Bham attendance patterns in all forms of entertainment have changed and not for the better.

The city gets all sorts of negative press and most of it comes from people who like to put things like Legion Field down and anything that has to do with *gasp* "a city". The city used to be the center of a lot of SEC championship games . The SEC is headquartered here. I'm sure Atlanta or Nashville would love to change that, that opportunity exists in the real world.

Small minds keep you in small times.

Would I love to see it? Yes. Do I think it will ever happen? No.

I just do not think the city  or state has leaders that are that visionary. Far too fragmented, look at Jefferson County alone, if the city governments would consolidate instead of maintaining their "tiny kingdoms" the population rank would approach a 1.4 million roughly. In one city, numbers like that catch attention from investors. People scream about government waste and the duplication of services in Jefferson County is among the worst. Trussville, Gardendale, Hoover, Vestavia, Homewood and Mountain Brook all provide the same things while sitting on top of each other.

If you are in contact with the young man from MB that has somewhat spearheaded this, tell him I said good luck. He'll sadly need it.

[Auburn4Winners 0]

i guess my main thing with this is, while the NBA basketball season is long, it also doesn't interfere with college football at all, which we all know is king here in AL. With that said, people in Birmingham are generally big into sports. I am a full-time musician here in the ham, so I realize greatly how hurting the market for entertainment is here. However. Part of the reason our city suffers so badly is because of a lack of professionalism. Bars will hire just about anyone to come play music and "entertain" instead of putting in the extra effort to get quality people. This holds true for a lot of aspects of Birmingham entertainment. Which leads to a place like we are in now, where people would much rather pay a higher cable/satellite bill and stay home and watch tv than go out and actually do something. I fully believe that an NBA basketball program in our city would not only succeed but would revitalize the people of the city to get up off of their lazy butts and do something actually social.

[WarEagle10 77]

To close to Atl.. I don't think anybody would even consider moving a team to B'ham. bama is a football State to boot.

[telling tiger 156]

Musician here as well, relocated to the ham from Nashville for family reasons and CANNOT wait to return. Bless our hearts. Bham area native however.

So many things would need to fall into place for this to even remotely come into being.

Is there or will there be a franchise for sale and WILLING to move. Most teams when offered the chance to move here, the answer is going to be no thank you.

Got an owner lined up? That is some large ol' dollars you are talking about.

First things first, we've been hearing about a dome in this city for as long as I can remember. 50% of this city is happy living in the far distant past. 50% wants to move forward. The power structure is torn somewhat in the same way. That same power structure, imo, is mostly happy living in the past.

The facility available in the Ham for major attendance basketball absolutely pales in comparision to other cities. They have built the Georgia Dome since we have made any major improvements on anything and they are already talking about/planning replacing it. The entertainment district here has been under construction for about the same length of time, the dome has been under discussion. There was a tax passed in the form of business license fees that were increased to be the seed money for the dome effort. That money has been absorbed by the bankrupt county and by the city of Bham. It was not invested or saved and none was put toward the effort.

Charlotte has pro teams, Atl, Tampa, Nashville, Jacksonville, Memphis and New Orleans. Oklahoma has a team. Oklahoma has oil money, but have you ever been to Oklahoma? Alabama now has more in common with Mississippi than any other of the forward moving , acting and thinking states in the south. It pains me to say that, but imo, it is true. Kind of hard to dispute. I've hoped and acted toward getting this place to move for a long time. Sometimes things just are what they are. Sometimes that is good and sometimes it is not.

If you can get people to act, more and almighty power to you.

[NoALtiger 3,924]

A team would have support for a while, then it would wane IMO. There just doesn't seem to be enough support long term.

[Weegle777 78]

A team would have support for a while, then it would wane IMO. There just doesn't seem to be enough support long term.

It's not Wane's decision. 

[El Tiburon 1]

IMHO, the maket is too small and people will only go to games if the team's really good i.e. the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think Alabama would have a better chance with an MLB team, but even that is a stretch.

[Weegle777 78]

Need to bring Ice Hockey back. That was great entertainment.

[Auburn4Winners 0]

If you can get people to act, more and almighty power to you.

The problem getting this state to move forward is that the number of people stuck in the past is so high. However. The younger people in this city are getting super fed up with the lack of effort put in by the city's leadership and are starting to do things on their own, to improve this place.

The only way to get people to act is to be ACTive and that takes the effort of everyone that believes in this city.

I, for one, fully and totally believe in this place. I love Birmingham but I hate to see the way it's failing. We as the people of this city have to do what we can to own it.

So basically, you say "more and almighty power to you" and I would say to you my musician friend, you are that power.

[telling tiger 156]

Good luck. It will take a change of several generations to move away from what Alabama is. Any improvement is improvement, I'll grant you that. I'll stick with my opinion that an NBA team is anything but realistic for Bham.

Ex mayor Langford once suggested that Birmingham bid on the Olympics. Yeah, seriously. There is a difference between dreams and fantasy.

Vision is vital. Correct vision is even more vital.

When climbing mountains rare is  the man who gets to start at the top. You've got to envision the final goal, that goal will change as times and circumstances dictate. That goal and building it cannot stand without a foundation and we do not have one.

Horizon 280, Bham 2020 have you ever sat in on or attended any meetings of those organizations? The only consensus is that there is no consensus. Hoover, Vestavia, Mountain Brook and Birmingham representatives bicker like children over a candy bar. Everyone has different goals and no one realizes that all must compromise.They repeatedly agree to do nothing. Poorly.

I've been in civic groups of that nature most of my life, even when not living here. My opinion is not formed out of prejudice but of experience. Damn near all bad experience.

Unlike almost every major city in the nation, Birmingham's first interstate loop is still incomplete after 30 years of planning and  FEDERAL funding administered by the state. Birmingham has long suffered resentment from the state of Alabama since the days of George Wallace. Still all but 45-50 years later a rational person who has even casually read about the legislature cannot say that has changed. The state tax revenue given to Alabama from the metro area remains VASTLY unequal to the amount given back to the metro area. Any economist will tell you, you cannot starve your economic engine. It doesn't help that Birmingham often aids in starving itself.

I applaud your efforts and wish you the best.

[Auburn4Winners 0]

Good luck. It will take a change of several generations to move away from what Alabama is. Any improvement is improvement, I'll grant you that. I'll stick with my opinion that an NBA team is anything but realistic for Bham.

Ex mayor Langford once suggested that Birmingham bid on the Olympics. Yeah, seriously. There is a difference between dreams and fantasy.

Vision is vital. Correct vision is even more vital.

When climbing mountains rare is  the man who gets to start at the top. You've got to envision the final goal, that goal will change as times and circumstances dictate. That goal and building it cannot stand without a foundation and we do not have one.

Horizon 280, Bham 2020 have you ever sat in on or attended any meetings of those organizations? The only consensus is that there is no consensus. Hoover, Vestavia, Mountain Brook and Birmingham representatives bicker like children over a candy bar. Everyone has different goals and no one realizes thay all must comprimise.They repeatedly agree to do nothing. Poorly.

I've been in civic groups of that nature most of my life, even when not living here. My opinion is not formed out of prejudice but of experience. Damn near all bad experience.

Unlike almost every major city in the nation, Birmingham's first interstate loop is still incomplete after 30 years of planning and  FEDERAL funding administered by the state. Birmingham has long suffered resentment from the state of Alabama since the days of George Wallace. Still all but 45-50 years later a rational person who has even casually read about the legislature cannot say that has changed. The state tax revenue given to Alabama from the metro area remains VASTLY unequal to the amount given back to the metro area. Any economist will tell you, you cannot starve your economic engine. It doesn't help that Birmingham often aids in starving itself.

I applaud your efforts and wish you the best.

I really appreciate that information about the civic groups and the state tax problems. It helps a lot to know what  the problems are when you're trying to solve them. If an NBA team isn't the right answer I will not be disappointed. It's one of a trillion ideas that I have to get this place rolling in the right direction.

As long as there are people actively trying, we will get there eventually.

[telling tiger 156]

Even if that is your goal, back it up with some market research. Phone poll unitl you get enough people to commit to a season ticket purchase and not just for one year, go for 3-5 years or even longer. Do not limit that to citizens, involve the business community. Banking, medical, legal, engineering, construction, insurance or any other large employment base community.

Get thee to the Bham Chamber of Commerce and the Hoover Chamber of Commerce. The pool of financially capable people in this area has shrunk from what it once was in the past. They can be found, but if they are not named McWane, Johnson, Barber, Harbert or several other names in the "tiny kingdom" the money is not in play like it once was.

A movement is more than an article touting TV ratings, it is hard core data that proves your point and that my friend is a lot more involved than a facebook campaign. Again, best wishes.

[AuburnGrad97 37]

I lived in B'ham for 24 years, born and raised there.  Sadly, there will never be a pro team of any sport in my lifetime.  B'ham tried USFL, XFL, minor league hockey, and the Baron's baseball.  Other than the Birmingham Barons, nothing ever stuck for long.  College football is the sport of choice, and even then, if bammer isn't involved, the attendance really suffers.  Take a look at the bowl game played in Birmingham.  Granted, it's not a major bowl, but it is still college football.  Attendance for it sucks.  It would be great for B'ham to get an NBA or NFL team, but I just don't see it happening. 

Hey, I know.  Let's just make bammer a pro team.  They fully believe they can beat any pro team out there with the 2nd string, so let's make them prove it!

[around4ever 4,139]

Check'em out at http://nbatobham.com/

[telling tiger 156]

The NBA was contacted and asked about this, this week and their response was, "This is the first we've heard of that. At this time, no teams are planning to move, no teams are interested in moving and there are no plans for expansion."

Might want to involve the desired organization if you plan on getting one of the teams, just sayin

[around4ever 4,139]

Yeah, good point.  But, the ground is just now being broken on the movement.  I'm not sure how contacting the NBA to tell them you are starting a movement to bring the NBA to Birmingham would benefit you until you get a little further along.  When you get 10,000 signatures and big money backers then you go to the NBA and say here we are, this is what we have, now let's talk about some of the lower tier teams. 

But, what do I know, I've never tried to start a professional sports organization.   

[telling tiger 156]

I'd love to see it happen, do not misunderstand. Someday it might, just do not think it will be a day anytime soon.

[around4ever 4,139]

I think if OK City can make it work, Birmingham may have a shot. 

[telling tiger 156]

OU basketball has historically had more support in attendance than most of our state teams have ever had. Though I'm sure most see it as a football state, proximity to Kansas, K.State and former conference affiliations with Mizzou, Texas and several other schools that have a boatload more roundball interest than this state does. Markets are similar is size, but not interest imo. Wichita State has greater fan interest than a lot of SEC schools have. Tulsa is almost the same way.

I just do not think TV ratings and tix sales are the same thing. I'd love to be wrong.

[Barney 10]

OU basketball has historically had more support in attendance than most of our state teams have ever had. Though I'm sure most see it as a football state, proximity to Kansas, K.State and former conference affiliations with Mizzou, Texas and several other schools that have a boatload more roundball interest than this state does. Markets are similar is size, but not interest imo. Wichita State has greater fan interest than a lot of SEC schools have. Tulsa is almost the same way.

I just do not think TV ratings and tix sales are the same thing. I'd love to be wrong.

Love me some Shocker bball. 

[Wareagletd 0]

I personally don't think B-Ham will ever have an NBA team.

[AUTUmike 79]

Yeah unless this basketball team plays football then I don't see it ever happening.

[Elephant Tipper 430]

This is a college sport state and primarily for football.  College/hs basketball is to fill time till spring practice.  Pro football struggled for a few seasons to just exist in B'ham.  Pro basketball would just wither on the vine,  plus the fact that there are no resources to house a team.  The Hawks struggled financially for yeeeeeeaaarrrrs just to exist and that market had 3+ million which is more than enough for pro b'ball.  Just can't imagine water cooler talk about a B'ham b'ball team in a state where we thrive on ripping each others throats out year round about college football.......and that doesn't really have to be about a game.  It could even be about the mascot or recruiting or tailgating but pro b'ball in B'ham ?  Never gonna happen and it would be a crime if it did.   

[Auburn4Winners 0]

soooo as a change of pace, let's ask the question not so much if you think it WILL happen but if it DID happen, would you support it? such as would you go to games or possibly purchase season tickets?