Birmingham city councilor William Parker made national headlines on Sunday after he ripped Bay Area fans and said that the Alabama community could host the Oakland Raiders in 2019.
Now he’s redoubling those efforts, telling Kyle Burger of WVTM 14 in Alabama that Birmingham is teaming up with Tucson, Az. in an effort to split hosting duties and lure the Raiders away from Northern California.
BREAKING: Birmingham is partnering with Tucson, AZ in an effort to host the @Raiders for the 2019 season. @citycouncilbham William Parker tells me the plan will be for each city to split hosting duties. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/xuTohnNEaK
— Kyle Burger (@kyle_burger) February 12, 2019
So, this isn’t just some feeble attempt to stir up some interest and make headlines.
Birmingham, which hosts the Birmingham Iron of the AAF, wants the Raiders to play at Legion Field this coming NFL season.
“I JUST THINK WE POSITION OURSELVES AS A CITY TO BE A SPORTS DESTINATION,” THE COUNCILOR SAID previously. “WHY NOT HAVE THE RAIDERS BE A PART OF OUR BIRMINGHAM FAMILY?”
It stands to reason that Arizona Stadium — home of the Arizona Wildcats — would be the venue for the proposed joint venture.
At this point, Oakland itself might end up being the team’s destination, despite a recent lawsuit filed against the NFL and the Raiders. The City of Oakland reportedly has an offer to rent out the Oakland Coliseum for one more year at the price of $7.5 million.