re: Could the state of Alabama support a pro team...

Yes. Plenty of times. But the Memphis metro encompasses more than the neighborhoods your're insinuating about. So does Oklahoma City.

And lets be honest. It's not 1950 anymore. Most metro areas, of even the most moderate sized cities, can't really be characterized as "hick".

Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile all have AA farm teams for major league baseball teams. Birmingham had a minor league hockey team in the 90's, but it eventually ended up having to move. I don't think any of the state's major cities have a venue suitable for an NFL team. Bham tried to get a dome stadium built a few years ago but that never happened (probably for the best) and probably won't any time soon with the city being bankrupt.

The state's largest metro area population is 1.2 million people. Is that really big enough to support a big league pro team? Would the people already paying out the arse for Bama or Auburn season tickets be able/willing to buy season tickets for a big league pro team too? A minor league team could do ok in one of Alabama's larger cities if it won consistently, but that's probably it.


TL;I'm sorry

I too am shocked that Alabama people keep saying Birmingham is bankrupt. It is not. Jefferson County mismanaged a gargantuan sewer project at the same time their ocupation tax was challenged and overturned. Yes, there are numerous crooked politicians, a disgrace. We currently trail Mississippi and Louisiana in public corruption convictions, nothing to brag aboit there. But please, get your facts straight. As someone else said, the problem for Birmingham is and has always been over 30 autonomous municipalities competing for business. The city of Birmingham is only about 20% of its Metro Statistical Area that also includes 5 counties.

As for the OP, yes it could, but not without a new venue and the problems stated above have kept that from happening.

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Before you bring up Huntsville let me remind you that it is only half the size of Baton Rouge and about as close to Birmingham as it is to Nashville

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No, it's not half the size. A little smaller, but Madison and Athens would bring it over. It's a little closer to Bham than to Nashville, and I doubt seriously Nashville's pro team would have any impact, if Huntsville were to get a proteam. If I were to bring a pro team to Alabama, Huntsville, is where I would probably go with it.

BR city 229,493

Huntsville city 180,105

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As someone else said, the problem for Birmingham is and has always been over 30 autonomous municipalities competing for business

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That was me. I think it's more that Birmingham city politics is so corrupt and has the attitude, everyone should bow to what they want. They do it with the county and everyone else. They have run off business and are the reason Bham is a shadow of itself. As I said, had they taken the Birmingham Race track property and developed that, they could have gotten Jeff Co, St. Clair Co, Irondale, Trussville, Leeds/Moody, maybe Mt. Brook involved in helping and reaping benefits. Things have grown south and over the mountain to the point its getting too far away from Bham and north and east is where future development is headed. They wasted a perfect opportunity and have kept the same M.O. of playing victim and driven business and population away.

NBA in Bham....maybe.

NFL could only have a chance in Mobile because of its distance from AU and Ttown.

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Wouldn't the NFL be to close to NOLA and the Saints in Mobile?

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Probably, but I still think it's the best case scenario.

They already support two.