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  6. article_body => "<p>The Raiders' search for a home field for the 2019 NFL season just keeps getting weirder. Somehow, it's now turned to Alabama ... and Arizona.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Both Birmingham, Ala., and Tucson, Ariz., reportedly are vying to partner as&nbsp;hosts for&nbsp;Raiders home games this season.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BREAKING: Birmingham is partnering with Tucson, AZ in an effort to host the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Raiders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Raiders<\/a> for the 2019 season. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/citycouncilbham?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@citycouncilbham<\/a> William Parker tells me the plan will be for each city to split hosting duties. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RaiderNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#RaiderNation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xuTohnNEaK\">pic.twitter.com\/xuTohnNEaK<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Kyle Burger (@kyle_burger) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kyle_burger\/status\/1095318019885228037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>Birmingham&nbsp;city councilor&nbsp;William Parker told AL.com that hosting the Raiders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.al.com\/news\/birmingham\/2019\/02\/birmingham-city-councilor-wants-2019-oakland-raiders-home-games-at-legion-field.html?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=aldotcom_sf&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=reddit.com\" target=\"_blank\">would be \"a perfect marriage.\"<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fans in Alabama love football. Obviously, the people in San Francisco and Oakland don\u2019t want them and there\u2019s a fan base here for the Raiders,\u201d Parker said, adding that he \u201cgot calls from a lot of citizens saying they\u2019ve been Raiders fans since they were kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Professional football returned to Birmingham on Sunday. The&nbsp;Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football&nbsp;played their inaugural game at Legion Field, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghamal.gov\/parks-and-recreation\/legion-field\/\" target=\"_blank\">holds over 71,000 people<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Iron <a href=\"https:\/\/www.al.com\/sports\/2019\/02\/birmingham-iron-draws-17000-for-in-pro-footballs-return-to-magic-city.html\" target=\"_blank\">drew just 17,000 fans<\/a> in their debut.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>[RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/raiders\/here-are-odds-where-raiders-will-their-play-home-games-2019\" target=\"_blank\">Odds are in on where Raiders will play home games in 2019<\/a><strong>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned, you never know which city, or cities, will reportedly host the Raiders next before they head to Las Vegas in 2020.<\/p>\n"
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Raiders

Raiders

The Raiders' search for a home field for the 2019 NFL season just keeps getting weirder. Somehow, it's now turned to Alabama ... and Arizona. 

Both Birmingham, Ala., and Tucson, Ariz., reportedly are vying to partner as hosts for Raiders home games this season. 

Birmingham city councilor William Parker told AL.com that hosting the Raiders would be "a perfect marriage." 

“The fans in Alabama love football. Obviously, the people in San Francisco and Oakland don’t want them and there’s a fan base here for the Raiders,” Parker said, adding that he “got calls from a lot of citizens saying they’ve been Raiders fans since they were kids.”

Professional football returned to Birmingham on Sunday. The Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football played their inaugural game at Legion Field, which holds over 71,000 people.

 

The Iron drew just 17,000 fans in their debut. 

[RELATED: Odds are in on where Raiders will play home games in 2019]

Stay tuned, you never know which city, or cities, will reportedly host the Raiders next before they head to Las Vegas in 2020.