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Dr. Larry Lemak, a notable local orthopedic
surgeon, announces he is interested in bringing
a Canadian Football League team to Birmingham.
The CFL is expected to field teams in the United
States for the 1993 season, most likely in
Sacramento (CA) and San Antonio (TX). Birmingham
was on a list of potential cities for future
expansion. "I've talked to them (the CFL)
actively for the past three months. I was
interested in getting information to judge if
this is the proper time to get into the CFL, or
wait and watch. I decided to see how it works,
and wait until next season if it does work. I'm
very interested," Lemak said.
Lemak has been one of Birmingham's biggest
boosters for professional sports and has been
involved with the World Hockey Association's
Birmingham Bulls, the United States Football
League's
Birmingham Stallions and the World League of
American Football's
Birmingham Fire. The Fire was recently
folded by the league. At the same time, the WLAF
voted to suspend league operations for one year
to focus more on the European aspect of the
league. Lemak was a frontrunner to buy the team
from the league before the decision was made to
fold the team.
"I think the Canadian League is a good
alternative for Birmingham. I'd like to move in
this year, but I don't think the city is ready
for it." Lemak said.
Lemak is currently head of the Chamber of
Commerce's committee on professional sports.
"I'm going up for the Grey Cup this month and
meet with them then. I'm going to sit down with
commissioner Larry Smith and some of the
principal figures in the league and really
pursue it. It looks like it may be something
worthwhile for us," Lemak said. |
