A Tale of Two Stadiums

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
The warm morning air on 1st Ave South was filled with the sounds of jazz and the excited voices of people who had gathered to witness something momentous. Down the street in the UAB Alumni building another gathering had commenced yet was noticeably more subdued than the first. The groundbreaking for the new Barons stadium downtown was filled with smiling people, bright balloons, and delicious food. The UA System Board of Trustees meeting was filled with dour-looking UAT grads (plus two UAB alumni), FreeUAB signs, and questionable finger sandwiches. The contrast between the two was undeniable. In the first case you had an entire community coming together to celebrate a big step forward in the revitalization of their city. In the latter you had a somber assembly of self-important, self-appointed dictators lounging in their cushy chairs ruling a $4 Billion empire by fiat. (I admit my biased opinion of the Trustees as both a pro-Birmingham activist and a UAB alumni)
But perhaps the story really begins and ends with home rule. Due to a (probably unintended) law, cities in Alabama enjoy fairly broad home rule. They can set (most of) their tax rates, conduct business, engage in capital projects, and run things as they see fit.* Contrast this with the way the University of Alabama System is run. All campuses are ultimately subject to the whims of the Board of Trustees.** UAB and UAH have both been the recipients of Board decisions that have either limited their potential or negatively impacted them. Meanwhile, the favored child in Tuscaloosa is blessed and doted upon.
The FreeUAB movement has been building steam and pushing hard to get their message out about the viability of an on-campus stadium and the potential beneficial impact it would have on the Birmingham community. Populating midtown with a series of attractive entertainment and cultural elements would surely go far in assisting the city in unlocking its promise and potential and the UAB stadium can play a major part in that. For the Board to dismiss it as they did is nothing less than a slap in Birmingham's face as I see it. And it should be answered.
But while UAB may have stuck out in Mudville (for now), the Barons will surely hit more than few balls out of the park and into a burgeoning midtown district which is due to see the development of many new businesses, residences, and other urban amenities in the years to come. If I have any advice for the good people working at FreeUAB it might be this: drop UA and become a #FreeBirmingham.***


* We shall reserve discussion of the lack of county home rule for later in the Legislative season...
** OK, we're discussing it now. Sensing an Alabama pattern here? The operation of the Board is just about equivalent to the Legislature. It's hostile to Birmingham, filled with people whose authority is disproportional to their contribution, and it fights against change and progress unless it benefits them or their pet projects.
*** Advocates for county home rule, public transit, metro government, constitutional reform/replacement, and other civic efforts are more than welcome to adopt this for a rally cry. Considering that The Machine is out of Tuscaloosa I think the logic is more than applicable.