Football's [almost] back

It occurred to me as I was watching the Hall of Fame Game last Sunday night — the official start to the NFL’s preseason — that four weeks of writing about the domed stadium was an awful long time.

Sports & Leisure

"Enormous white elephant": Valerie Abbott makes the case against a dome

Valerie Abbott, the most vocal opponent to Birmingham’s planned multi-purpose domed facility, discusses her opposition to the project with Birmingham Weekly.

By Matt Hooper

(Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of reports examining the feasibility of a domed multi-purpose facility for downtown Birmingham.) This week, I sat down with perhaps the most vocal oppo

Sports & Leisure

Domes 101: Just the facts on domed stadiums

With the prospect of a multi-purpose domed facility in Birmingham now more certain than ever before, it behooves all of us to learn as much as we can about these behemoth structures.

By Matt Hooper

This is the second in a series of reports examining the feasibility of a domed multi-purpose facility for downtown Birmingham. Last week, the Birmingham City Council granted Mayor Larry Langford’s

Sports & Leisure

Dome if we do - Chatting with dome-backer Jack Fields

To dome or not to dome? That is the question Birmingham has grappled with for better than a decade now.

By Matt Hooper

This is the first in a series of reports examining the feasibility of a domed multi-purpose facility for downtown Birmingham. To dome or not to dome? That is the question Birmingham has grappled wi

Sports & Leisure

RIP, Steve McNair: Remembering the former Titans quarterback

By now – regardless of how much or how little obsessed you are with football, you should be familiar with the tragic and bizarre shooting death of McNair and his 20-year-old girlfriend Sahel Kazemi at McNair’s condominium in Nashville.

By Matt Hooper

I don’t have to remind you, Birmingham sports fan, that despite calling itself the “Football Capital of the South”, our town has no pro football team to call it’s own. Instead, we have two options.

Sports & Leisure

Some thoughts on zeroes & heroes

By Matt Hooper

My mom called me last Thursday and told me that Michael Jackson was dead. My initial reaction? “Meh.” I was born in 1984, the same year that "Thriller" was released as a single. The first time I

Sports & Leisure

Happy Anniversary to me...and Gene Chizik

June marks six months since Gene Chizik was hired as Auburn’s new head football coach, a move critically panned by yours truly in this column, which is also six-months old.

By Matt Hooper

A couple of weeks ago, while I was bogged down researching that Ears Whitworth cover story, I let the six-month anniversary of my column slip by unnoticed. Now I’m not high on sentiment, nor am I un

Sports & Leisure

Monday morning bull session: Matt and Kyle discuss the NCAA

Ever wonder what it's like working with Matt Hooper and Kyle Whitmire? We talk in circles a lot and drive all of our co-workers crazy. Take this week for example, when we riffed on the NCAA...

By Matt Hooper

“So, 201 athletes, huh? And only seven of them we’re football players.” I look up to see my Weekly cohort and award-winning “War on Dumb” columnist Kyle Whitmire saunter into my office and plop down

Sports & Leisure

Midnight Writers: Alabama baseball and a long night's journey into day

If they played a baseball game at 2 a.m., would anyone cover it? Yes, yes they would. In fact, the Weekly did.

By Matt Hooper

A tick after midnight last Thursday, DeAngelo Mack led off for the South Carolina Gamecocks to begin the seventh inning at Regions Park. Jesse Chambers and I were each two cups deep into a pot of Max

Sports & Leisure

Live-blog recap: SEC Championship - LSU vs. Vanderbilt

The Weekly's three-day SEC Tourney binge ended Sunday afternoon with the championship game at Regions Park. Relive all the action from LSU/Vanderbilt right here!

By Matt Hooper

LSU vs. Vandy - SEC Tournament Live