On the podcast we’ll be going over a handful of hurricane vocabulary. That might especially be helpful for newcomers to the state, so feel free to share the podcast episode with your friends.
Whose water?
So long, Birmingham Water Works. If you’re a customer, you’ll now be paying Central Alabama Water.
The name change was passed by the Board 5-2, with both board members from Birmingham voting against and all members from outside the city voting for the change, reports AL.com’s Joseph D. Bryant.
And it didn’t sit well with Birmingham officials.
Said Councilwoman Carol Clarke: “I’m curious what the cost is going to be, because you’ve got to rebrand every vehicle, every uniform, repaint every water tower, and for what? Birmingham is a city and a region so it makes no sense.”
A new state law regionalized the water-works board and took majority control away from the city of Birmingham. That’s led to 5-2 splits on several issues.
And not always a happy 5-2 split, either, as the Board navigated through some tense moments. Board Chairman Tommy Hudson began Tuesday’s meeting by saying the Board will follow bylaws that limit member comments to two per issue, mandating that all questions be directed toward him, and prohibiting disparaging remarks.
Don’t feed the bear
People in and near Coastal Alabama are accustomed to bear sightings. Some are being seen in North Alabama as well, with a few recently turning up in Huntsville.
I recommend that citizens take Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell’s wisdom to heart: “We ask that you please do not agitate the bear, try to feed it, or try to take a selfie with it. If you see the bear, you can call us. We are staying in contact with Wildlife. Our hope is the bear will return to a more remote area.”
Do not agitate the bear, folks.
Here’s an interesting note that Scott reported: The Coastal Alabama bears and North Alabama bears are actually different subspecies. In Lower Alabama we have the Florida black bear, while the Athens visitor is an American black bear whose bear relatives have migrated over from Georgia.
Tuberville on street protests
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is among Republicans on Capitol Hill who want to make it a federal crime to intentionally block or delay traffic on a public road, reports AL.com’s Heather Gann.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, wrote the Safe and Open Streets Act.
A release from Tuberville indicates that it is a response to the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles: “The First Amendment gives us the right to freedom of assembly, but it doesn’t give the right to block our streets and put American lives at risk.”
Cut out the lights
Here’s a story that’s local but can apply to anyone who’d like to save a buck on a utility bill.
Huntsville Utilities is asking folks to try to use less power during peak hours while this heat wave in on us, reports AL.com’s John R. Roby.
That means cut back on using dishwashers, washers, dryers, ovens and stoves from noon until 8 p.m. And — something I’ve heard myself say more than a few times — cut off lights when you’re not using them.
The TVA has put into effect its “Emergency Load Curtailment Program.” That’s standard procedure when demand is expected to rise. The TVA managed to get through its highest all-time peak demand in January without grid problems.
The Senior Bowl’s new title sponsor, Panini, will expand the “visibility” of Mobile’s annual all-star football game, according to the game’s executive director.
But another kind of visibility comes with the change from Reese’s to Panini as the title sponsor, starting with a new logo and continuing to the first Panini Senior Bowl on Jan. 31, where “there will be no orange” in the uniforms, Panini’s Jason Howarth said.
The Reese’s Senior Bowl had featured orange and brown as the primary uniform colors throughout the candy company’s 12 years as the game’s title sponsor, reflecting the packaging of its flagship peanut-butter cups.
“I can tell you it’s going to be red, white and blue again,” the Senior Bowl’s Drew Fabianich said about the 2026 game uniforms. “And there could be stars involved in it, too.”
Fabianich, the Senior Bowl’s executive director, and Howarth, the senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations at Panini America, were at an announcement party on Tuesday at Crown Hall in Mobile that celebrated the new title sponsorship, which had been revealed on Tuesday morning.
Panini will serve as the Senior Bowl’s title sponsor for the next five years – or, as Howarth put it, “a minimum of five years.”
Panini, the world’s largest licensed sports- and entertainment-collectibles company, had served as the Senior Bowl’s trading-card provider, player-lounge sponsor and practice sponsor before stepping up to title sponsor.
“I keep saying this has been years in the making,” Howarth said. “This is not something that happened overnight. We started out as a partner with the Senior Bowl in 2020 and managed to get through that tough one in 2021 and COVID and worked through that and worked really closely with the Senior Bowl staff. And that collaboration just seemed so natural with them that we started to continue to progress.
“We felt like at some point there’d be a day when this would be called the Panini Senior Bowl, and I’m so excited that today’s the day we get to celebrate that. We believe in this game more than any other game out there. We have direct relationships with these athletes that are going to play in this game.”
The Senior Bowl and its new title sponsor also had checks for two additions under the Senior Bowl Charities umbrella — the Child Advocacy Center of Mobile and the Africatown Community Development Corporation.
“We’re excited to be a part of the Mobile community,” Howarth said. “I feel like we’ve been a part of the Mobile community for the last five years. Now we’re just taking it to the next level. …
“One of the things we talked about with the Senior Bowl staff and Drew is: How do we dive into this community and not just make this feel like a thing we’re a part of for one week a year? And so we’re excited that we’re adding some new charitable partners.”
The Panini Senior Bowl will be played at 1:30 p.m. CST Jan. 31 at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The Panini Senior Bowl will be the 76th annual all-star game in Mobile after the first Senior Bowl was played in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1950.
Representatives of the Child Advocacy Center accept a donation from the Panini Senior Bowl on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Crown Hall in Mobile. Drew Fabianich (left), the Senior Bowl’s executive director, and Jason Howarth (third from right), the senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations at Panini America, help present the check. (Mark Inabinett / AL.com)(Mark Inabinett / AL.com)
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
A Las Vegas Raiders helmet and Panini Senior Bowl stickers decorate a table on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Crown Hall in Mobile. (Mark Inabinett / AL.com)(Mark Inabinett / AL.com)
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Wimbledon has finally arrived, as the qualifying rounds are underway. Notably, the qualifiers will continue until next week. Coverage of each qualifying match will be available on ESPN+. The matches will start at 5 a.m. CT this morning. Fans can watch Wimbledon online by purchasing a monthly ESPN+ subscription for $11.99.
One of the best matches to watch this morning will feature No. 1 Marton Fucsovics and Zachary Svajda. This tennis match is scheduled to begin at 6:10 a.m. CT, but it will depend on the length of earlier matches.
Fucsovics looked dominant in his first qualifying match, as he defeated Jurij Rodionov in two sets. He never lost more than four games in either set, so it was a relatively easy victory for the top seed.
Svajda will be the underdog in today’s match, but he has the skill to pull off the upset. He defeated Lukas Neumayer in two sets during his first Wimbledon match, so he will look to perform similarly this morning.
Notably, Svajda did not concede more than three games in a single set against Neumayer.
The new moon in Cancer is the ideal mother. She wants us to succeed even though she knows that success might mean we’ll fly far. She wants to give us everything but doesn’t because it’s the limits that form our character. In this moment of the moon’s blessing, what would you nurture in yourself if you were her? “We are born of love; love is our mother.” — Rumi
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ll be effective as long as your intensity and emotion are in check. Avoid coming in hot. Check in with others about how your presence is being received. A simple “How are you feeling about that?” goes a long way.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Friends may hold back their truth because they don’t want to risk hurting you or causing tension in the relationship. That restraint can be a sign of respect, loyalty or emotional intelligence — and it’s also why you need opinions from outsiders.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Working harder than necessary is the very definition of inefficiency, and you can’t stand inefficiency. That’s why you tinker with your plan and strive to create excellent systems, ones that reduce friction and maximize momentum.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Nothing motivates you quite as much as the prospect of getting attention from someone you admire. Your drive is deeply connected to connection. This doesn’t mean you’re needy — it means admiration is a kind of fuel. You’re lit up by the exchange of energy today.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The hard tasks appeal to you. You have an inkling about what you can do, and there’s nothing quite like the thrill that comes over you when you realize you’re actually doing the thing that seemed so impossible but a few short incarnations ago.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Today has rhythm and symmetry. How you begin sets the tone. Start with full focus and strong interest. If you’re only half in, it won’t carry. But when you lead with genuine energy, the finish will match the start.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). There are those who search for extraterrestrial life in hopes of finding someone in this big universe who might be willing to shed some fresh light on the experience. You can relate. You too await a distant affirmation, and today you finally get a sign.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Where there’s a lack of structure, your influence will make a difference. Today shows you stepping into a situation that needs what you do best: clarity, order and direction. You’ll use what’s there, rearranging the elements in support of the plans.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Unhelpful and irrelevant thoughts pop to mind based on your past experiences, habits or worries — not unlike internet ads that track your browsing history. But just because a thought appears doesn’t mean it deserves your attention or action. Click the “X” and it goes away.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Golden collaborations are coming together. Encourage unity. It doesn’t mean losing your identity, just syncing up for the sake of a common goal. Pretend the group is one mind working for the betterment of all.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Good people wrestle with what they’ve done, not to punish themselves but to grow. The ones who feel nothing can’t change. So, if you feel bad, take heart — it means you’re still someone worth trusting. Regret can only be felt by those who care.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Knowing enough to be dangerous means having just enough knowledge to feel confident but not enough to be wise — a risky place to operate from. Today, it’s better to stay curious. When something tugs at your attention, go deeper. It could save you from a costly oversimplification.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (June 25). Your decisions in the world are like a dance of legendary grace, not because there’s a smooth dance floor beneath your feet but because you’ve stopped expecting there to be one. Your sense of humor sharpens, your sense of purpose deepens, and people will follow your lead. More highlights: A wild idea finds structure. A relationship will be your great, shining pride. Scorpio and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 17, 22, 30 and 9.
CELEBRITY PROFILES: Cancer’s comedic sense is born of a need to protect themselves against harsh realities. Like a crab whose best defense is a hard shell, Cancer comedians deflect harm by turning it into a laugh. Textbook Cancer Ricky Gervais, the mastermind behind “The Office,” “Extras,” “Derek” and more comic masterpieces, blends vulnerability with bite. His humor disarms, then delivers truth — a classic Cancer move: make them laugh, then make them feel it.
Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.
The Birmingham Water Works Board no longer exists. In its place, get used to referring to the state’s largest water utility as “Central Alabama Water,” following a vote by board members to rebrand the system.
Board members Tuesday evening approved changing both the legal and public name of the utility. Officially, the name will become “City of Birmingham Regional Water Works,” doing business as Central Alabama Water.
“The statute says we can change the name as long as the official name says Birmingham,” said Board Chairman Tommy Hudson, a Mountain Brook member who was appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey.
The vote to change the name occurred on a 5-2 split with all members from suburban areas agreeing and the two members from the city of Birmingham opposing it. Jarvis Patton and Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson were the lone members in opposition.
The amended name to include Central Alabama Water was made by Jeffrey Brumlow, an appointee from Shelby County.
The new name for the water works brought immediate reaction from some Birmingham city leaders.
“I’m curious what the cost is going to be, because you’ve got to rebrand every vehicle, every uniform, repaint every water tower, and for what?” Councilwoman Carol Clarke told AL.com shortly after the action. “Birmingham is a city and a region so it makes no sense.”
Clarke said the new board configuration was touted as a way to bring in reforms to benefit ratepayers, but haphazard name changes don’t reflect that purported mission.
“It just seems like reform is nowhere to be found,” Clarke said. “It makes you wonder what is all this really about because we need the system to work better for the ratepayers.”
Tuesday’s meeting was tense at times with a frequent 5-2 split illustrating the political and regional divide among board members.
The five-member majority are all appointed by Republican authorities and come from outside Birmingham’s city limits. Patton and Tyson were appointed by Birmingham’s mayor and city council in a largely Democratic city.
Hudson began the meeting by asserting his authority and declaring that the board would adhere to bylaws that limit member comments to twice on an issue, mandate that all questions be directed toward him and prohibit disparaging remarks.
Hudson’s dramatic clamp down on discussion came after a sometimes heated exchange during a work session last week where Patton and Tyson pushed back against the majority on several items, including the hiring of an additional law firm to handle the city’s lawsuit challenging the new board’s composition.
Birmingham mayoral appointee Jarvis Patton at the first meeting of the regional Birmingham Water Works Board on May 14, 2025Roy S. Johnson
The newly-hired firm, Capell & Howard P.C. of Montgomery, was placed on the agenda Tuesday without Birmingham members Tyson or Patton having any input, according to both Birmingham members.
Capell & Howard P.C. was approved Tuesday evening – on a 5-2 vote.
The firm became the latest in a growing series of lawyer hires for the new governing board. The old board had been often criticized for – among other things – spending ratepayer money hiring outside law firms.
“Is this how we’re going to run this the rest of the year?” Patton asked Hudson during the work session regarding the item last week. “I see you as a better man than that.”
“That’s no way to run a board,” Tyson added at the time.
But by Tuesday night, such conversation was not tolerated under Hudson’s new rules, and Patton was silenced at times when seeking to elaborate or ask questions.
The old water works board was also criticized, shortly before the legislature moved to get rid of them, for a policy limiting public comment.
The new board’s policy limits comments from its own board members.
“You’ve got to let us speak, now,” Tyson told Hudson when she pressed for more discussion before a vote to hire an auditor.
“No, I don’t,” Hudson shot back.
Patton then pressed to know how items appear on the agenda without board discussion.
“I’m sorry, but I’m asking for a vote now,” Hudson said before the 5-2 vote to approve the measure to hire Warren Averett CPAs.
The family of an Alabama teen fatally shot by police in a Homewood soccer park said he was not armed, not aggressive and did not resist police.
Jabari Latrell Peoples, 18, of Aliceville, died at UAB Hospital in Birmingham less than hour after police say he was armed and struggled with an officer who then shot him.
“We will pursue this case until the truth is fully exposed, and justice is served,” according to the family’s statement posted on Facebook, “not only for Jabari, but for every family who’s been forced to bury a loved one without answers.”
Sgt. Mark Trippe said a Homewood officer was investigating a suspicious vehicle at the park. The park was otherwise empty at the time, police said.
Peoples, police said, was inside the vehicle in question and engaged in a physical altercation and then pulled a gun.
The officer then shot Peoples.
He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:06 p.m.
Per department policy, the investigation was turned over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation.
In a Tuesday night statement, ALEA officials echoed Homewood’s account of the incident, and said the officer was treated on the scene for injuries.
The family’s statement said they were not notified by law enforcement or medical personnel but instead learned of People’s death at 10 a.m. Tuesday when they were notified by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
Efforts by AL.com to contact the family were not immediately successful.
By the time they were contacted, the family statement said, his body had already been transported, and an autopsy had been conducted without their knowledge or consent.
They were instructed to send a funeral home to retrieve his body.
“We were denied the right to identify him. We were denied the right to be present,” the statement read. “We were denied basic dignity.”
The family said Peoples’ was approached by an individual in an unmarked vehicle, with no lights, no sirens, and no visible identification. That officer exited the car, tapped on the window, and told the occupants to exit.
“They followed directions,” the family said. “Jabari complied — and within seconds, he was taken to the ground and shot.”
“A witness was present. That person saw everything,” they said. “There was no weapon. There was no threat.”
The family said the officer took no life-saving action and left Peoples to die. “He was left to bleed out on the street,” the statement continued.
“Jabari was a college student,” according to the statement. “He had a family. He had a future.”
The family said they have not received a police report or seen video footage of the incident or heard from Homewood police.
“But we have heard the lies. We’ve read the headlines — and we’ve watched attempts to twist this narrative,’’ the statement said.
“Let us be clear: This was not just negligence. It was a violation of Jabari’s civil rights, of our family’s human rights, of due process and decency,” the statement read.
The statement said the family is demanding public release of the full police report, all available body cam and dash cam footage, identification of the officer, and a full, independent investigation.
“His life mattered. His death will not be ignored,” the family said, “and his story will not be rewritten.”
Christian rock group Newsboys claimed that they’ve been dropped from their record label following former lead singer Michael Tait’s confession earlier this month that allegations of unwanted groping of young men and abuse were largely true.
Newsboys, consisting of Adam Agee, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein and Jody Davis, took the stage at Arizona’s Elevate Music Festival on Sunday, where they stated that they had been dropped from Capitol Christian Music Group in the fallout from Tait’s announcement.
“As a result of all this, and the things that have come out that he’s done, he’s confessed, we’ve been dropped from our record label,” said Agee, who stepped in as lead singer of the group following Tait’s departure in January.
“We had radio stations pull our music and we’ve been canceled by promoters and venues all over the world. But not tonight.”
The label did not respond to Variety‘s request for confirmation, and Newsboys is no longer listed on the site’s artist roster, where they were featured as recently as April.
“A couple of weeks ago, our world was rocked by the devastating news about what that confession and what that double life really was,” Agee told the crowd.
“We were shocked because in January, he had mentioned a few things about substance abuse and some personal struggles he was having at home when he wasn’t on the road, but never anything of the magnitude of what we read and what was reported and never anything, ever just anything, that could have made us ever think that he could possibly be a danger to others or anything like that.”
Tait abruptly quit Newsboys in January after being the face of the veteran group for the last 16 years. On June 4, Christian site Roys Report published a lengthy article describing “Nashville’s worst-kept secret” and detailing a pattern of “predatory grooming” as well as drug abuse.
The following day, Newsboys issued a statement on its Instagram, writing, “When he left the band in January, Michael confessed to us and our management that he ‘had been living a double-life’ but we never imagined that it could be this bad.”
Days later, Tait himself responded to the report and confirmed that the allegations in the article were largely true. “For some two decades I used and abused cocaine, consumed far too much alcohol, and, at times, touched men in an unwanted sensual way,” he wrote.
“I am ashamed of my life choices and actions, and make no excuses for them. I will simply call it what God calls it — sin. I don’t blame anyone or anything but myself. While I might dispute certain details in the accusations against me, I do not dispute the substance of them…”
“I hope the CCM industry crumbles,” she wrote on social media. “And f..k all of you who knew and didn’t do a damn thing. I bet I’ve got your number. And btw if you’re not angry too then maybe it’s time to question why.”
A top Justice Department official suggested the Trump administration might have to ignore court orders as it prepared to deport Venezuelan migrants it accused of being gang members, a fired department lawyer alleged in a whistleblower complaint made public Tuesday.
The whistleblower’s claims about Principal Assistant Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove come a day before Bove is set to face lawmakers Wednesday for his confirmation hearing to become a federal appeals court judge.
In a letter seeking a congressional and Justice Department watchdog investigation, the former government lawyer, Erez Reuveni, alleges he was pushed out and publicly disparaged after resisting efforts to defy judges and make arguments in court that were false or had no legal basis.
The most explosive allegation in the letter from Reuveni’s lawyers centers around a Justice Department meeting in March concerning President Donald Trump’s plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act over what the president claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Reuveni says Bove raised the possibility that a court might block the deportations before they could happen. Reuveni claims Bove used a profanity, saying the department would need to consider telling the courts “f— you,” and “ignore any such order,” according to the filing.
“Mr. Reuveni was stunned by Bove’s statement because, to Mr. Reuveni’s knowledge, no one in DOJ leadership – in any Administration – had ever suggested the Department of Justice could blatantly ignore court orders, especially with” an expletive, the filing says. In the weeks following the meeting, Reuveni says he raised concerns in several cases about efforts to violate court orders through “lack of candor, deliberate delay and disinformation.”
Reuveni’s claims were first reported Tuesday by The New York Times.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the allegations “utterly false,” saying that he was at the March meeting and “at no time did anyone suggest a court order should not be followed.”
“Planting a false hit piece the day before a confirmation hearing is something we have come to expect from the media, but it does not mean it should be tolerated,” Blanche wrote in a post on X.
Reuveni had been promoted under the Trump administration to serve as acting deputy director of the Office of Immigration Litigation after working for the Justice Department for nearly 15 years under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Reuveni’s firing came after he conceded in an April court hearing that a Salvadoran man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, should not have been deported to an El Salvador prison, and expressed frustration over a lack of information about the administration’s actions. After that hearing, Reuveni says he refused to sign onto an appeal brief in Abrego Garcia’s case that included arguments that were “contrary to law, frivolous, and untrue.”
“The consequences of DOJ’s actions Mr. Reuveni reports have grave impacts not only for the safety of individuals removed from the country in violation of court orders, but also for the constitutional rights and protections of all persons — citizen and noncitizen alike — who are potential victims of flagrant deliberate disregard of due process and the rule of law by the agency charged with upholding it,” Reuveni’s lawyers wrote.
U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg in April found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for violating his order not to deport anyone in its custody under the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg had told the administration to turn around any planes that already headed to El Salvador, but that did not happen.
The administration has argued it did not violate any orders, saying it didn’t apply to planes that had already left U.S. airspace by the time his command came down.
Trump nominated Bove last month to fill a vacancy on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He was already expected to face tough questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee given his role in some of the department’s most scrutinized actions since Trump’s return to the White House in January.
The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, said Tuesday that the allegations from Reuveni are part of a “broader pattern by President Trump and his allies to undermine the Justice Department’s commitment to the rule of law.”
“I want to thank Mr. Reuveni for exercising his right to speak up and bring accountability to Mr. Bove,” Durbin said in a statement. ”And I implore my Senate Republican colleagues: do not turn a blind eye to the dire consequences of confirming Mr. Bove to a lifetime position as a circuit court judge.”
During an appearance on the Zach Gelb Show, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers made it clear that he still respects the Tide.
“Shoot, Alabama’s still Alabama to me,” Sellers said. “They were good last year. They’re a good team. They’re big, strong and fast. That’s how I remember watching them growing up, and I don’t really think they’ve changed that much. Obviously they’ve got a new coaching staff and all that, but that’s still SEC ball, that’s still Alabama.”
Sellers got to see Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama up close last season. The Gamecocks lost a nailbiter in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and almost certainly would have made the College Football Playoff if they had beaten the Crimson Tide.
The QB threw for 238 yards, two touchdowns and a costly interception last year in Tuscaloosa. He and South Carolina will see the Tide in Columbia this season.
Sellers comments come after Castellanos, who joined Florida State as a transfer from Boston College this offseason, disparaged Alabama in an interview with On3.
“I’m excited, man,” Castellanos told On3. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
The Crimson Tide will likely be favored against the Seminoles to open the season. FSU struggled last year, finishing 2-10, with just one win over an FBS opponent, a one-score victory over Cal.
Alabama will begin preseason camp in early August. The Crimson Tide will make the trip to Tallahassee to face Florida State on Aug. 30.
Last summer, when Joe Mauer earned his place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, headlines celebrated St. Paul, Minnesota, for punching above its weight with four homegrown Cooperstown inductees.
But as local TV anchor Peter Albrecht put it, another city still wears the crown.
“They know that Mobile is No. 1 when it comes to baseball Hall of Famers,” Albrecht said Tuesday, as Mobile, Alabama, threw a full-blown celebration of its outsized impact on professional sports with the official opening of its new $11 million Hall of Fame Walk.
Mobiel, the city that’s smaller than St. Paul, Chicago, New York, or L.A., leads the pack in Hall of Famers per capita.
Chicago Cubs great Billy Williams, a Whistler native inducted in 1987, had a simple answer as to how Mobile is at the top of the heap: “I tell them it’s in the water.”
Unmatched legacy
NFL Hall of Famer Robert Brazile greets his fans with his imposing “Dr. Doom” statue in the background following the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. It officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in downtown Mobile, Ala. The park features six bronze statues, each 9-foot tall. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame for Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
With two of the city’s three living sports Hall of Famers in attendance, Mobile honored its storied athletic legacy with the debut of a park featuring six towering bronze statues — each nine feet tall — immortalizing native Mobilians who rose to the top of their games.
Williams, 87, and Robert Brazile, 72, addressed a cheering crowd at the ribbon-cutting.
Brazile, the city’s lone Pro Football Hall of Famer, stood beside his statue, took pictures with his fans and looked to the future: “We’ll be here for generations and generations,” he said.
Williams, during his speech, encouraged youngsters to not give up on their dreams about being a professional sports ballplayer. He said the statues of each ballplayer can serve as a testament for what can be achieved.
“You see Rookies of the Year, Most Valuable Players, Hall of Famers, Gold Gloves, and an All-Pro in Robert Brazile,” Williams said, adding that the city has also contributed other professional sports superstars like the entire 1969 New York Mets World Series championship outfield – Amos Otis, Tommy Agee and Cleon Jones.
“We have more Hall of Famers down here than any one city,” Williams said, referring to the enshrinements of native residents into Cooperstown, N.Y., on a per capita basis. “Not only Hall of Famers, but players who played in the Major Leagues and made a great contribution to every ballclub. I wish this gets more exposure and that we can let the country know we were good.”
Jones, celebrating his 83rd birthday, was honored by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson with an exceptional citizen award. Jones then recognized former St. Louis Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith, the lone living Hall of Famer who was not in attendance.
The other Hall of Famers recognized with statues, and who were recognized by family members or friends, included:
Hank Aaron, the 25-time All-Star who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1973. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1982.
Satchel Paige, regarded as among the best pitchers to ever live, was the first predominately Negro League player to enter the MLB Hall of Fame in 1971.
Willie McCovey, once regarded by Bob Gibson as the “scariest hitter of all time,” was a six-time All-Star and former MVP with the Giants organization.
Park features
Artist Brett Grill listens to the speakers during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center in downtown Mobile, Ala. The park was officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. It features six bronze statues, each around 9-foot tall, which Grill created. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
All six statues were sculpted by artist Brett Grill of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Grill called the project a “dream” and one that connected his work back to his childhood growing up “obsessed with baseball” in the late 80s.
“I had a paper route, collected baseball cards and nearly every dollar I earned went to baseball activities,” Grill said. “Meeting Billye Aaron (Hank Aaron’s widow), Ozzie Smith, and Cleon Jones was meaningful as I heard their firsthand stories.”
The Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center, officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in downtown Mobile, Ala. The park features six bronze statues, each 9-foot tall. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame for Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
Aside from statues, the park includes new landscaping, hardscaping, built-in seating, and a new water feature. Its location is highly visible at the front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center along Water Street, and next to a future train stop that will accommodate the revitalized Amtrak route from Mobile to New Orleans.
The ceremony drew some notable names including Brazile’s former Houston Oilers teammates – Vernon Perry and NFL Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell. Also in attendance were Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, and former NFL offensive lineman Willie Anderson.
The park was inspired by an idea from Jones, who has long wanted to create a “Field of Dreams” in a prominent location in Mobile celebrating the city’s rich sports heritage that, for years, has often gone unnoticed even among city residents.
Future development
New York Mets Hall of Famer and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson share a moment on stage during a luncheon ahead of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Hall of Fame Walk, an $11 million park in front of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. The park was officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. It features six bronze statues, each around 9-foot tall. The statues recognize Mobile’s homegrown members of the Hall of Fame in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.John Sharp
The overall project remains incomplete. Stimpson, during a luncheon ahead of the ribbon cutting ceremony, vowed to Jones that he would like to get his Field of Dreams addition started before his time as mayor ends in early November.
Stimpson also said an empty pedestal will be added within the park, as part of an idea by former Mobile City Councilman John Williams, that will serve as a place where people can stand and take pictures among the statues.
The mayor offered high praise to Jones and his wife, Angela, for the work they do in the city’s historic Africatown community approximately six miles north of downtown. That includes mowing yards, fixing roofs, tending to a food pantry, and repairing homes.
“What an example of someone who could have chosen another pathway in life but returned home and has given back to the City of Mobile,” Stimpson said.
He then vowed to make the Field of Dreams addition to the park a reality.
He said the location could be near the McCovey statue and would feature acknowledgements to other athletic superstars from the city including Jones and the 1969 Mets outfield. Other possible additions could span the generations from Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe of the Negro Leagues to Peavy, the standout pitcher from multiple world championship teams in recent years.
Jones, who seemed to relish Stimpson’s pledge, said the public should expect more additions and hopefully see them completed quicker than the seven years it took to get the park completed.
“It took us seven years to put this together,” he said. “This is seven years of perfection. There is more to come.”
