Category: History and More

In “History and More” no sports topic is off limits, but deep dives into lost history and off-the-wall sports can be found here.

Section 30

Earlier this year the Birmingham City Council approved $6 million in funding for Rickwood Field and Legion Field.

Two million bucks will go to the oldest professional ballpark in the United States, mainly to spruce it up, strengthen its bones and make sure the home to the Magic City’s only major league team – the Birmingham Black Barons – can live on for another century as a working museum as well as active stadium. It comes in especially handy since Major League Baseball will be staging a regular season game between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals there on June 20, 2024.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

And Legion Field?

The Football Capital of the South will use its capital for a new roof over the northeast end zone, restroom renovations and technological improvements.

This is welcome news, especially for somebody like me who will always have a deep love for both venues.

But when it comes to Legion Field, the part of the stadium I want preserved for posterity is Section 30.

To you, it might simply be a corner of the Old Gray Lady’s east side, next to the north end zone and across from the press box.

To me, it was where my Birmingham sports journey began – a journey that continues today.

September 19, 1970, was my first visit to Legion Field. In fact, it was my first visit to any field that wasn’t home to a high school or YMCA team.

A week after Alabama was blasted by Southern Cal, 42-21 (an historic game whose significance was lost on me at the time), my dad and brother took me to the Magic City’s gridiron cathedral to watch the Crimson Tide take on Virginia Tech.

Two weird things I’ve retained from that experience; instead of the Hokies, Tech was called the V.P.I. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute) Gobblers, and I was wearing a corduroy jacket.

An acronym represented by turkeys I won’t question, but why I would have on an extra layer of clothing in the middle of an Alabama September will remain a hot weather cold case that will likely never be solved. Maybe it was merely an accessory designed to accentuate my black, horn-rimmed glasses and Lucky Tiger Hair Tonic-soaked noggin.

I was quite the dandy for a nine-year old – a nine-year old known as “Professor Four Eyes” to my frenemies and foes.

But this was a grand occasion, and as I walked between my pop and my bub and we headed toward the nosebleed seats in Section 30, I was proud to be seen.

And even though the players looked small from my vantage point, man, did I ever feel big.

A damp hot dog pulled from an aluminum wrapper – washed down with a Coke in a sweaty cup – was a kingly feast. And with dinner came a show in the form of 51 Alabama points to just 18 for those big cluckers from Blacksburg.

The sights, the sounds, the smells … on that particular day, Legion Field was the happiest place on earth for me.

And for half a century, it’s remained an integral part of my life.

I’ve been there for the World Football League, American Football Association, United States Football League, World League of American Football, Canadian Football League, XFL and Alliance of American Football.

I was in the stands when Banks played Woodlawn in 1974, the state of Alabama’s high school “Game of the Century” and one witnessed by 42,000 fans.

And I was up close to the action every day for every match when the 1996 Olympic Games made it a glorious showcase for association football, as well as many other times when the United States Men’s and Women’s National Teams came there.

But there’s never been a visit to Legion Field – not a one – when I didn’t make a point to point out Section 30 and smile.

Nowadays, greater Birmingham has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to public sports facilities. Protective Stadium (UAB, Legion FC and Stallions), Regions Field (Barons), Legacy Arena at the BJCC (Squadron), the Pelham Civic Complex (Bulls and soon Magic City SC) – there are plenty of teams to cheer, and plenty of places to cheer them.

But I’m still drawn to Legion Field, and took great pleasure back in April when I got to stop in and watch the final few minutes of a scrimmage between the modern-era USFL Stallions and New Orleans Breakers. I didn’t need a corduroy jacket, but I still own a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and can buy Lucky Tiger Hair Tonic online for about 10 bucks. (And frankly, “Professor Four Eyes” isn’t a bad superhero name).

Sadly, it was a bit lonelier that time; I lost my dad nearly 30 years ago and my brother back in February.

But that’s the beautiful thing about beautiful memories. They stay with you forever … in Section 30 and beyond.

Rugby X marks the spot

Association football, tackle football, lacrosse … sports designed for outdoor play on large fields can be and have been adapted to smaller, indoor venues.

The Major Arena Soccer League, the soon-to-be revived Arena Football League, and the National Lacrosse League maintain the spirit of their original sports while adding unique elements to make things faster and – arguably – more fun for fans.

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And this made me wonder if it had ever been done for one of my new favorite sports, rugby.

Turns out it has.

And I think it’s terrific.

It’s called Rugby X, and it’s the invention of Ben Ryan, the director of elite performance for Brentford FC who gained famed as a rugby sevens coach. (Rugby sevens features seven players playing seven-minute halves, instead of 15 players playing 40-minute halves, which is the set-up in rugby union. If you’re lost at this point, go to the Google Machine, learn about traditional rugby, and then come back here later).

Rugby X entered an experimental stage in 2017 when the England Sevens team took part in a closed-door Rugby X trial, and two years later the following rules were approved:

* The pitch is half the size of that used in rugby sevens, with 55 by 32 dimensions in meters (60 by 35 in yards) plus five-meter run-offs.

* There are five players per side plus seven rolling substitutes that are allowed to come in at breaks in play following tries.

* Scoring consists of five points per try with no conversions, drop goals or penalties.

* Kickoffs are replaced by tap starts on the five-meter line, with the opposing team standing 10 meters back.

* Chip kicks allowed but not box kicks, up and unders (kicks designed for height and not distance) or any kick over 10 meters in height.

* Line outs are replaced by quick throws made by a substitute.

* There are only three persons per scrums with no pushing and hooking is allowed.

*Drawn matches are settled by a “one on one” competition involving one defender on the five-meter line and one attacker 30 meters from the goal. The attacker has 10 seconds to score. It’s conducted like a sudden death penalty shootout.

* Game length is 10 minutes with no break.

“It’s a really interesting attempt to make the game more accessible,” former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio told the Evening Standard in a September 29, 2019, story. “I know that rugby can be complicated and this should be easily digestible with hopefully try after try after try.

“There’s no doubt that 15 a side is not for everyone. This is easy to understand … it’s just full-on and there’s not the complexities of law after law. It’s just fast and furious. You still have full contact but it’s an accelerated version of the game, a sort of rock ‘n roll rugby.”

In October, 2019, the inaugural event took place at London’s O2 Arena, with Argentina winning the men’s title and England taking top honors among women’s teams.

“We have no intention of this game ever trying to compete with sevens or 15s, it’s a really good entry-level to the sport,” Ryan told Sports Gazette in November, 2019. “I don’t see it ever competing with the World Sevens circuit, but I think as a one-off, two-and-a-half-hour indoor venue at international level I think it works, the signs are pretty good. I have been really pleased with the sessions and the player’s feedback has been excellent.”

I have no complaints with traditional rugby; I’ve become a huge fan of Major League Rugby, Premier Rugby Sevens, and enjoy the sport in all its forms. Today, the third round of the Rugby Championship is taking place in Melbourne and Johannesburg. But Rugby X, I think, could become really popular if given the chance.

But will it be given a chance?

The Rugby X website hasn’t been updated since 2020, its last tweet (a retweet, actually) came on July 3, 2020, and my request for more info via the Rugby X press contact has gone unanswered.

But I remain hopeful we haven’t heard the last of it.

Who knows? Maybe MLR can set up an offseason Rugby X tournament, similar to what the Premier Lacrosse League did with its recent championship series.

Until then, go to rugbyx.com and check out highlights from the 2019 event.

It’s worth a look … and something I hope to see again soon.

Becoming a pickleball fan

My last job in the newspaper business (yes, kids, there used to be news that was printed on paper), was in Seneca, South Carolina. When I first started there – in June of 2016 – the staff was busily working on a story about an upcoming pickleball event in the area.

I was told I wouldn’t have to write anything about it because it was being handled by the news division instead of the sports department. That came as a relief; I had no idea on earth what pickleball was.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960, Spoutable @ScottAdamson, t2.social @adamson60, and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

Seriously – I’d never heard of it. If you had told me it involved a bunch of morons flinging gherkins at each other, I’d have absolutely believed you.

But even when I read about it, I didn’t care. It just sounded like some sort of gimmicky pseudo-game. In fact, I thought it had just been invented (not realizing its roots date back to the mid-1960s).

For the next few years, I merrily went on my way, aware that pickleball existed but still not having the least bit of interest in the larger pickleball world.

So why is it that earlier this week I was excited that the Major League Pickleball Premier Level team Brooklyn Aces drafted Catherine Parenteau, Andrea Kopp, Hayden Patriquin and Tyler Loong?

And why did I want to know that the Challenger Level New York Hustlers took Jill Braverman, Kyle Yates, Sarah Ansboury and Jaume Martinez Vich?

Because I’m a fan of Major League Pickleball.

And the Aces are my favorite PL team.

And the Hustlers are my favorite CL team.

And I’m unapologetically hooked on it.

Moreover, it doesn’t involve people throwing pickles at each other – at least not that I’ve seen.

I’m not going to go into a tutorial about the sport here; if you’re interested, you either know the rules or are willing to learn more about it. If not, you’ve probably already abandoned this column and are now watching cartoons.

But I will say that it has become a pretty significant part of my life.

I credit my niece, Tina Maluff, with planting the seed. She lives in Jasper, belongs to a pickleball group there, and invited me up to play.

I like staying active and figured it couldn’t hurt to give it a try. I didn’t really expect to like it, but she was nice enough to be willing to teach me how to play, so I decided to have an open mind.

Man, I’m glad I did.

Saying it’s like tennis and ping pong had a one-night stand and produced a hard-headed baby might be an oversimplified (and weird) description, but I think it’s fair. I used to enjoy playing both, and pickleball captures the spirit of those games.

Yet, to enjoy playing it is one thing. What I didn’t anticipate was becoming a fan of watching it.

The players in MLP – and members of the Professional Pickleball Association Tour – are incredible.

The first time I watched I was looking for a soccer match on ESPN+ but came across a PPA pickleball event in Florida. A couple of hours later, I was busily eying the TV schedule in search of more.

It’s top-notch entertainment from high-level athletes who are very, very good at what they do. And what makes it more fun for me is that while I can’t play it at their level, I can play it at a level that provides great enjoyment. And considering how many trips I’ve made around the sun, I’m kinda proud of that fact.

Speaking of which, my niece and I will be competing in the Hops and Drops Pickleball Tournament July 29th at City Walk in Birmingham. We’re in the “Hops” division, which is for players still learning the game and who are more interested in having a good time than winning.

I’m pretty pumped, mainly because it’ll be fun for Tina and me (our team’s name is Kitchen Sync in case you wanna become groupies) to meet other people in the local pickleball community.

I doubt the Aces will be looking to add us to their roster following our performance, but who knows? If someone wants to form the Major League Senior Pickleball Just For Fun League and place a franchise in Birmingham, we’d love to be a part of it.