16 September 2009, 3:03 am
Back in March the word being passed lawn to lawn in a historic area native Mobilians call Midtown was that the Senior Bowl was leaving Mobile. A passing rumor one could say at the time because the Senior Bowl has been a staple of the historic football culture of Mobile since its inception in the 1950's. Played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium the Senior Bowl brings together top college football seniors for a week long showcasing of their talents in hopes of being drafted in the NFL. The game has brought such great coaches to Mobile as Chuck Noll, Tom Landry, and Bill Walsh and countless players. The Senior Bowl through the years has donated more than 7.7 million to local charities including the Women's and Children's Hospital of Mobile. Fast forward to near October and the Midtown word was as they say "good as gold".
The Mobile Arts and Sports Association which is made up of Mobile Business types make the final decision on where the Senior Bowl will be played. One would think they would logically keep the game in Mobile. Not so fast they have a planned conference call with the Jacksonville Fla. Economic Development Commission for next week meaning the Senior Bowl could be headed there. Steve Hale the Senior Bowl President and CEO says the issues with the city may have something to do with money. The Mobile Commission budgets the game $150,000 each year. The Commission has become heated recently over money and the Commission giving the Gulf Coast Classic $215,000 some say the Senior Bowl should receive the money. The Gulf Coast Classic is a football game between Southern University and Alabama State two African-American Universities. It's economic impact is debatable but Mayor Sam Jones stands behind the game and even seemed to be playing the race card in the Commission meeting this week.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium is not a state of the art stadium like what you may get in a bigger city but the last time I checked the field was still a 100 yards long. In football tradition matters just ask any Alabama Crimson Tide fan. Mobile needs to step up soon to keep what is rightfully its own creation after all the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame opened September 15 in Mobile.
Bob Riley the Governor of Alabama has helped the state attract Thyssen Krupp Steel USA to the Port City with tax breaks. Thyssen Krupp will just add to the long list of German companies doing business here in Alabama. Alabama exports 3.1 billion to Germany. The point is maybe Klaus Scharioth Ambassador from Germany could break out his checkbook for his new friends in Mobile, Alabama. If not him how about the University of South Alabama who started a successful football program in 2009 under Joey Jones. The Jaguars opened with a win in Ladd-Peeples Stadium. The University of South Alabama started in 1963 has become one of the fastest growing colleges in the south. South Alabama's endowments are $270,300,000. The campus is under major expansion at this time one project the Shelby Hall Engineering and Computing Sciences Building being built is one of a kind. Named for Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama even bringing him to Mobile this very week for the groundbreaking ceremony. Senator Shelby was mute on the Senior Bowl subject. The Mitchell School of Business is high ranking and along with the Univeristy of South Alabama Medical School the University has the capabilities of fundraising and helping its host city hold on to the Senior Bowl.
Mobile need not do more than look to the north to see what it might become if it does not work in unity. Birmingham, Alabama has through the years run itself into the ground by electing corrupt politicians and allowing race to become a dividing issue. Their Mayor Larry Langford is the latest in a long line of voter mistakes. The FBI just released a report ranking Mobile in the Top 10 in the nation in the murder rate per capita of people. See Mobile is out ranking Birmingham already in something tradgic. Mobile is over 300 hundred years old and has one of the richest Catholic heritages in America something to be proud of. Would it be wrong to ask the Vatican to sponsor the Senior Bowl? Traditions are hard to create and should be valued the Senior Bowl is a native Mobilian it would be a shame to have it leave.
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