Compiled by Erica Wright
The Alliance of American Fotball is no more and gone with it is the Birmingham Iron, which was a team in the league. We asked Birmingham-area residents:
Were you surprised to see the AAF fold so quickly and what does that mean for the future of professional football in Birmingham?
Mike Gedgoudas: “I was not surprised to see it fold so quickly. As far as professional football in Birmingham, I don’t think we’re going to see it anymore because we’re too close to Atlanta and New Orleans for us to have any kind of competition in the market.”
Brian Miller: “I wasn’t surprised to see it fold so quickly but I was surprised to see that they made it as far in the season as they did. There’s just not enough people in this community to support NFL football or AAF football from the looks of it. They won’t keep the stadium full and it’s just not a big enough market for it here.”
Sophia Perry: “I didn’t know that it had folded, so I am a little bit surprised about that. Since this happened, we probably won’t have an opportunity to do that again, I think the opportunity is gone and it’s unfortunate because I think a lot of people were in support of the Birmingham Iron and it’s just sad that it has had to come to this.”
Bryan Johnson: “I was not surprised because amateur football leagues have never survived. I think this is the third or fourth one in Birmingham. I didn’t attend though, so maybe I’m a part of the problem but I would say our chances of professional football in Birmingham are bleak now and we should stick to the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.”
