ASWA 50th Anniversary Celebration to Include Special Dedication at Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

Alabama Sports Writers Association announces details of 2022 convention and awards banquet in Birmingham on June 12.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association will become part of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as a plaque recognizing ASWA Hall of Fame inductees will be unveiled during the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration this summer.

The plaque, which will include 2022 inductees Cecil Hurt and Mark McCarter, will be seen for the first time the ASWA annual summer convention, which will be at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on June 12.

“It feels like we’re going home,” ASWA president Christopher Walsh said. “We can’t thank the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and director Scott Myers, for helping make this happen.”

The annual awards dinner and banquet will be held later that night at the Hilton Birmingham at UAB.

This year’s ceremony will honor both Hurt and McCarter, the 50 Legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association, the athletes of the year plus the Mr. Baseball, Miss Softball and the Jimmy Smothers Courage Award. 

This year’s winners of the ASWA Presidents’ Award and the Bill Shelton Award will also be announced.

50th Anniversary ASWA Convention and Awards Banquet

What: The 50th Anniversary Alabama Sports Writers Association Convention and Awards Banquet

Where: The convention will be held at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and the awards banquet will be at the Hilton Birmingham UAB.

When: Sunday, June 12th. The convention starts at noon. The Banquet at 7 p.m.

Membership and Dues

• Registration for the convention begins at 11 a.m. As usual, the convention will include lunch. Our plan is to be completely done and out of the ASHOF by 4 p.m.

Address: 2150 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35203

The Awards Banquet

• The awards banquet will begin 7 p.m., and includes dinner. A pre-ceremony reception will begin at 6 p.m. 

Like last year a hospitality room and patio area will be open afterward.

Rooms and Reservations

The ASWA has negotiated a room rate of $119 per night, which includes complimentary Wi-Fi. The rate is the same for a room with two queen-sized beds or a king-sized bed with a balcony. 

To make a reservation call 205-933-9000 or follow this link:

https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/bhmhhhh-asw-ea00aac2-5f80-4fad-a902-73c7fbc17e1c/

Address: 808 20th Street South,Birmingham, AL 35205

RSVP

We are asking everyone to please RSVP, especially for the banquet. Email christopherofwalsh@gmail.com of you’re planning to attend. 

We’ve done our best to keep the costs low despite inflation, but we have to provide a head count for the banquet by May 21. That's a firm deadline. 

Message Christopher Walsh at christopherofwalsh@gmail.com if you plan to attend the convention, awards banquet or both. 

The 50 Legends 

(In Alphabetical Order)

1. Sam Adams
2. Tom Arenberg
3. Clyde Bolton
4. Mike Bolton
5. Al Browning
6. Jerry Bryan
7. Jimmy Bryan
8. Al Burleson
9. Paul Cox
10. Gregg DeWalt
11. Bill Easterling
12. Paul Finebaum
13. Charles Goldberg
14. Rubin Grant
15. Hoyt Harwell
16. Wayne Hester
17. Tommy Hicks
18. Charles Hollis
19. Cecil Hurt
20. Ron Ingram
21. Jon Johnson
22. Don Kausler Jr.
23. Randy Kennedy
24. Charles Land
25. Stacy Long
26. Bill Lumpkin
27. Kathy Lumpkin
28. Wayne Martin
29. Benny Marshall
30. Phillip Marshall
31. Kirk McNair
32. Mark McCarter
33. Ray Melick
34. Max Moseley
35. Zipp Newman
36. Bob Phillips
37. John Pruett
38. Kevin Scarbinsky
39. Doug Segrest
40. George Smith
41. Bill Shelton
42. Jimmy Smothers
43. Jon Solomon
44. Creg Stephenson
45. Naylor Stone
46. Ben Thomas
47. Alf Van Hoose
48. Christopher Walsh
49. Ronald Weathers
50. John Zenor