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 Leon
Fulton, owner of the New Orleans Thunder of the
Regional Football League (RFL), said he wants to
relocate his struggling franchise to Birmingham.
After losing more than $1 million this season,
Fulton claims Birmingham is his top choice.
The RFL is a six-team spring developmental
league and has lost more than $6 million during
its inaugural season. The Mobile Admirals
recently won the league's first championship.
Fulton said, "I'm definitely exploring the
option of moving to Birmingham. I hope to meet
with the mayor, with the city council and
chamber of commerce to see their interest."
However, he has already met with officials in
San Antonio, another city he is considering as a
site for his team. "I'm definitely moving the
team. San Antonio is a possibility, but I have
some significant reasons for wanting to move to
Birmingham. I have a home in Atlanta and it
would work out good for me. Plus, the economics
of it, I think, will work."
Fulton said he is not concerned that
Birmingham will field a team next spring in the
indoor Xtreme Football League. "We've not even
heard of it," Fulton said of the XFL, which will
begin play next April with a schedule that runs
concurrent to the RFL season. "To me, that's a
pipe dream. Being a naturalist, I believe the
people in Birmingham are like the people in New
Orleans in that they like real football. There's
a place for it, but it wouldn't bother me one
iota for there to be an indoor team in
Birmingham." |
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The Regional Football League was formed to be
the "major league of spring football." The RFL's
only season was cut short from 14 regular season
games to 8, due presumably to lack of capital.
On June 6th, 1999 the Mobile Admirals defeated
the Houston Outlaws 14 - 12. Despite efforts
to resume play for a second season, the league
folded. The main worry investors had was the
upcoming
XFL, a creation of the World Wrestling
Federation and its chairman, Vince McMahon. |
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