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When the Boston Patriots called Birmingham home

BIRMINGHAM - The details are sketchy at best, photos are almost non-existent, and it's really hard to believe these days without a book with pictures, but the three-time Super Bowl winning Patriots have at least one small root in Alabama soil.

     It was September of 1968 and the Boston Red Sox were still playing baseball and not yet willing to share Fenway Park with the stepchild AFL team. Owner William "Billy" Sullivan frustrated with the city's unwillingness to help his team with a new stadium, combined with lackluster fan support in Boston, Mr. Sullivan decided to shop his team around the country for a possible new home in the New England area and throughout the country.

     With an attractive home date in hand, Sullivan was willing to play these games in locations that he could make the most money and test out a possible new home for his beloved Patriots. Also with the national college football success of the University of Alabama, Birmingham and most of Alabama had been football crazy since the early 1900s and there were active civic leaders in town that coveted a pro football team.

     Armed with a Week 2 home game against the New York Jets with their popular strong-armed former Crimson Tide quarterback, Joe Namath, Sullivan rolled the dice to play a regular season game in Birmingham's Legion Field, at that time known as the "Football Capital of the South" and arguably so. It was the Magic City's chance to shine and for the football fans of Alabama to show their support for the pro game.

     The game was not a total  disappointment for Sullivan and his Patriots. 29,192 fans attended which was close to double what they averaged in attendance in 1968 in Boston. However, his team lost 47-31 to the eventual Super Bowl III champions as Namath threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Click here for the game's actual box score.

     As flattering as it was for Birmingham to be chosen to host an AFL regular season home game, it was just not enough to encourage the Pats to relocate to Birmingham and become the  Rebels. Once Robert Kraft bought the team and New England realized what they had, then Brady replaced Bledsoe, well the rest is as they say, is history.

2009 Roster transactions:

Magic City Mayors

Established 1995

CITY: Magic City
NICKNAME: Mayors
OWNER/GM: Alan Arrington
HEAD COACH: Cecil Leonard

TEAM COLORS: Ebony, Sky Blue & White
HOME STADIUM: The State Fairgrounds at Fair Park
MASCOT: The Dashboard Crown
TEAM THEME SONG: "Hammer Time" by M.C. Hammer
TEAM MOTTO: "Cronyism will get you a win every time"

WORK PHONE: 205.257-1068
HOME PHONE: 205.663-3888
CELL PHONE: 205.253-4643

EMAIL: adarring@southernco.com

Team Colors

Magic City Mayors - Sweet Home Alabama blue comes from the Lynyrd Skynyrd ballad where the skies are so blue and black is from the coal in the region. The Mayors head gear logo is a "M" shaped crown modeled after the scented dashboard crowns of the late 80's and early '90s and the crown represents royalty.

AFL Throwback Week Team:

1968 Boston Patriots

Magic City Mayors to represent the 1968 Boston Patriots - Since the Boston Patriots once really did play a regular season game at the Magic City's Legion Field in 1968 against a Joe Namath led New York Jets team (Sept. 22 L 47-31), this seemed like the perfect choice for the Mayors to adopt for the AFL Throwback Week. Hall of Fame line backer Nick Buoniconti will serve as the team's honorary captain.

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