Memo to Mr. Blank: Atlanta is a COLLEGE football town
Let me begin by saying that I have all of the admiration in the world for Mr. Blank, Rich McKay and the Falcons franchise. I’m not a pro football guy but I recognize a good organization when I see one.
So understand that what I’m about to say is with all due respect:
Have you people totally lost your minds?
McKay, the Falcons’ President, told the AJC yesterday that the Falcons’ first preference for a new stadium would be an open air facility that is still on the campus of the Georgia World Congress Center. The Georgia Dome, despite its renovations, just doesn’t quite do it for the NFL franchise any more. When I see facilities like Jerry Jones’ new playpen in Dallas ($1 billion) and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy (site of this year’s Final Four) I understand. It’s about generating revenue outside of ticket sales. I’ve got no problem with that.
But Mr. McKay told the AJC that building a stadium with a retractable roof is too costly (presumably the cost of a new building would be shared). So the Falcons basically throw this problem back in the lap of the folks at the Georgia World Congress Center who, if the Falcons get what they want, would have to continue to maintain the Georgia Dome in order to hold on to a bunch of signature events.
Several points here:
1. To Mr. Blank and Mr. McKay: This ain’t Dallas. It ain’t Philly or New York or St. Louis or Minnesota. This is Atlanta, Ga., and no matter how many football games your franchise wins—and I hope you win them all—Atlanta is and will always be a college football town. And a lot of these college football fans are your customers. You don’t want to hurt college football in this town and this has the potential to hurt college football. It would be a bad PR move.
2. If Atlanta is dumb enough to be a part of building an open air stadium without a retractable roof, then the champagne corks will start popping in Birmingham. Because you can bet that they’ll figure out a way to build a ball park to get the SEC championship football game to come back (the first two games were played in Birmingham in 1992 and 1993). And you can bet that New Orleans would be putting together a bid and sprucing up the Superdome. A big part of what has made the SEC championship game one of the great success stories in sport is that weather is not a factor. Weather has been a factor for the Big 12 and the ACC and the results on those championship games has been mixed at best. The SEC, in my opinion, will not play this game in an open air stadium.
3. Then there is a little basketball event called the NCAA Final Four, which is coming back in 2013. It’s clear that in the future the rotation for that event will be limited to a few cities with the building and infrastructure to support it. With a domed facility like Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy, Atlanta would still be in that mix. Without it you can write off post-season college basketball in this town. The NCAA has too many good options. The ACC and SEC Tournaments may or may not want to come to Philips Arena. They have other good options as well.
4. The Chick-fil-A Bowl people have grown that event into one of the best after the BCS level. They are positioning that bowl to get into the BCS picture if things change after the next four-year cycle. Right now Dallas has an edge with Jones’s magnificent stadium. Take the Georgia Dome away, or build a downtown stadium without a retractable roof, and Atlanta has no shot at being a part of those discussions.
5. Here is my bottom line. I know the NFL is powerful. I know that people sell their souls to keep the NFL franchise happy. But it is not the only game in this town. There is a reason why Indy, Dallas, Houston and Glendale, Ariz.—all NFL towns—built stadiums with retractable roofs. The people involved saw the bigger picture. I’m just assuming that Rich McKay said a retractable roof would be too costly because he and the Falcons want the city to pick up a larger portion of the tab on the stadium. Hey, that’s business. But Atlanta can’t go for that bait or the city has to realize that the cost is worth it. It can’t be short-sighted.
My recommendation: Do exactly what Indy did. It kept the RCA Dome in place and built Lucas Oil Stadium right next to it. The transition was pretty seamless and now Indy has one of the best setups in the country. If there is a Big Ten championship game in the future, it’s a pretty good bet that it will be in Indy.
Let’s get it done. This decision is too important.
By the way: I am right or am I wrong about Atlanta being, first and foremost, a college football town?
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287 comments Add your comment
JC
May 20th, 2010
11:40 am
Whether or not Atlanta is a college town is irrelevent. I am inclined to believe that football should always be played outdoors on real grass. However, it would be a terrible business decision to build a completely open-air stadium. If you do, I agree with Tony that the SEC Championship will likely move, and the Peach Bowl will suffer as well. Bad weather makes for bad football. That leaves only Falcons games and maybe a neutral site college game to generate revenue. However, a dome or retractable roof stadium pretty much guarantees the SEC Championship, Chick-fil-a kickoff games, NCAA tournament, and other events stay. Also, you’re going to sell more tickets if you can control the climate in the stadium. People stay home if they’re going to get rained on all game. Plus, if you have a retractable roof, you can always open the roof for football games on nice days and have real grass, like they do in Phoenix. Its the best of all worlds, and even though its more expensive, we know it will get paid off easily with all those events, plus help from the city and public.
11Dawg
May 20th, 2010
11:41 am
If they want to play outside so bad, why don’t they just go to Turner Field or the joke by Coke?
44
May 20th, 2010
11:42 am
Um, Alphare, have you been to a Falcons game lately?
Remember when the seats were blue?
The reason Blank had most of the seats re-done in RED was to
hide the GLARING HOLES of unfilled seats …in prime locations.
And, somehow a retractable roof is gonna “fix” attendance?
Think Super Bowl
May 20th, 2010
11:52 am
Uhh P Rose,
If Green Bay and Chicago are laughing at us then why do so many people from up north keep moving down here and stay here because of the weather? Also, remind me of the last time Chicago or Green Bay held a Super Bowl or the NFL even considered them having a Super Bowl.
And for those of y’all referencing Tech for the reason Atlanta is not a football town, Tech is not the reason anyone claims Atlanta is a football town. It is the fact that you can go to a whole lot of bars across Atlanta and find fan bases from every SEC team and almost every ACC team, and ohio state, michigan and other BIG 10 transplant fans. The fact that Atlanta has the largest out of state fan base for 9 out of 12 SEC schools and 6 out 12 ACC teams makes it a college football town. There isn’t another city in the nation in which you have so many alumni from such a diversity of schools.
Falconsforlife
May 20th, 2010
11:59 am
Atlanta would be an NFL town if the team would have been worth a d@mn for most of it’s history. We have a historically awful franchise with little to no success. That isn’t how you build passionate fanbases. We’re just now starting to turn things around and it only took 44 years.
Alphare
May 20th, 2010
12:00 pm
44,
Yes I went to the game vs Denver, which the Falcons lost. The game itself is wonderful, but other stuff are dull to say the least.
Most people don’t care much about the Falcons because Falcons are not on the radar. But remember 1998? If Blank had the idea in 1999, weren’t we all behind him? What I mean is, Atlanta is college sports town, but that can change if the Falcons are in mix once in a while.
Back to Tony’s topic, I think a retractable Dome is a better choice since Falcons fans are mostly bandwagon fans. And the dome should be in the old GM site in Doraville.
RxDawg
May 20th, 2010
12:02 pm
1. Amen brother!
2. I duno. Football is made to played outdoors. Although Dec in the south is usually wet. All the other SEC games are played outdoors, I don’t think this would be that big of a deal.
3. K, don’t care that much but K.
4. Good point…sorta. Orange bowl? Fiesta Bowl? Rose Bowl? In fact, to my knowledge the Sugar bowl is the only one in a dome. Although I’m not 100% sure about the Fiesta and the NEW Orange bowl.
5. It’s hard to see them going from a dome to an outdoor stadium. That has a feel of stepping down doesn’t it?
Honestly I don’t see what’s wrong with the dome. It’s in good shape, and it does what it’s supposed to do. I feel like I’m listening to a bunch of fisherman gripe about what bass boat they are going to use.
GeezusDawg
May 20th, 2010
12:10 pm
1st?
Yurtle_the_turtle
May 20th, 2010
12:13 pm
I guess I’m still trying to figure out the argument you are proposing, Tony. What does Atlanta being a college town have to do with a tractable/open air/domed stadium? ALL of our major college football events happen outside except the Chick-fil-A Bowl. I’m also NOT a propoenent of the stadium in downtown Atlanta. NO ONE can tailgate there. The event is more than an NFL/College game. Folks want to tailgate to the game with your friends and the current Dome location is miserable.
Tech is a Joke
May 20th, 2010
12:16 pm
Tech has a nice open air stadium and nobody to sit in the seats. Hmmm . . .
Reid Adair
May 20th, 2010
12:17 pm
Tony, the SEC would never move the championship game back to Birmingham – for the very reason you said Atlanta would lose it. Birmingham doesn’t have a dome, and they won’t have one in the foreseeable future. The city just put a 10 percent pay cut on all of its employees. Unless a private funding source steps up, Birmingham won’t have a dome.
I don’t know that I would agree that Atlanta is a “college football town,” and while I agree with your idea of Atlanta doing something similar to what Indianapolis did, I have gotten the impression that two facilities is not an option, at least not from the perspective of the management for the Georgia World Congress Center.
Brunswick Tech
May 20th, 2010
12:17 pm
NO ONE can tailgate there…thats the way Big business likes it. Sell more $8.00 beers,$4.00 bag of nuts.
P Rose
May 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
Uhh “Think Super Bowl,” what do you care whether we host a Super Bowl? Are you going to get a ticket? Green Bay and Chicago have both WON Super Bowls. They don’t need to host one.
Icon
May 20th, 2010
12:20 pm
Yes, yes, Atlanta will always be a minor league football (college) kind of town. Woof, woof and all that. Yawn.
Bishop
May 20th, 2010
12:24 pm
No problem, Ga. State will take over the dome when we become a member of the Big East in 2015
JL
May 20th, 2010
12:27 pm
I am sure this will be totally disregarded, but some kind of open-air stadium would make Atlanta much more likely to be one of the final cities in the US World Cup bid. Everyone on here surely hates soccer, but hosting World Cup matches has an economic impact in the $400-600 million range.
GaDawg
May 20th, 2010
12:33 pm
Rich – Win a freakin Super Bowl then you can talk about a new stadium. It is sad that NO has already accomplished this and ATL has one lousy appearance in the big game. McKay should have been canned a few years ago. ATL gets alot of revenue from the NCAA basketball championships, SEC tournament, motocross, monster trucks and the use of the dome for conventions. All of that would be lost.
I am a native ATL and remember when you could not give a ticket to the Peach Bowl away because it was going to be played in lousy weather. There were many PB’s played in rain and snow. The attendance was terrible. I remember the hoopla about the motorcross being ran in the old ATL-Fulton County Stadium that it tore up the sod. Now it ran on concrete covered with dirt. There is just too much to lose without some type of “domed” stadium whether it is the dome or a retractable roof stadium. Mckay put a good product on the field and people will come and your revenues will go up. Last year is a great example. All of this talent and we could not make the playoffs.
Better yet, do like Jerry Jones and break the rules and get your own sponsorship deals. You can’t tell me Jerry Jones built that stadium just for the Cowboys alone. Check to see how many other events were held there. I know that the Cotton Bowl was played there.
YoungDawg
May 20th, 2010
12:34 pm
Tony,
You’re right on this one! I’m surprise Charlotte hasn’t built a dome yet to try & steal some games from Atlanta. Especially considering the ACC needs a place to play there championship game. I think the BIG 12 will now play there’s in Dallas & if the BIG 10 expands they’ll play there’s in Indianapolis.
The powers that be in Birmingham are already in the process of trying to build a dome.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/07/groundbreaking_for_birminghams.html
Just Google Birmingham Dome to see more articles.
Atlanta needs to get the plan for a new dome on the fast track!
Dejay
May 20th, 2010
12:36 pm
Okay Tony, we’ve established that Atlanta is a college football town. I think the Falcon brass is looking at a city of 5+ million and see tons of folks who didn’t grow up with pictures of Herschel Walker or Bear Bryant mounted on their parents’ living room wall. The problem is that many who fall in that category are from other places and could care less about showing up unless their hometown NFL team is playing here. But don’t take my word for it; ask the Braves how many Cub, Yankee, and Red Sox fans have magically appeared when they’re at Turner Field, only never to be seen again after they leave town.
I think it’s simple postering and the beginning of a long negotiating process between the Falcons and the GWCC. At the end of the day, we will have a retractable-roof stadium and the Dome (which to be quite truthful, is a dump compared to the newer facilities other NFL teams are playing their home games in) will be no more.
The same folks who say that football should be played outdoors are likely the same ones who will be at home when the first cold front arrives in mid-November while wondering why reruns of Cops is showing on Fox instead of the game (can you say blackout?).
There’s a reason why tons of people migrate south; COMFORT. No one wants to freeze their hindparts off in the upper deck nor get rained on, especially if/when the team isn’t winning. If that wasn’t the case, the old Fulton-County Stadium would’ve been packed during those 5-11 campaigns, not to mention those hideous Peach Bowls back then.
So calm down, ladies and gentlemen. Until you see sides shaking hands on an open-air stadium, just wait this one out and see how things go…
Terrell
May 20th, 2010
12:36 pm
You’re right Atl is a college football town, but that’s hardly saying much compared to the other football towns in America. The problem with your statement is you are basing it only on the college football fans. If you ask the majority of Falcon fans they would prefer an outdoor stadium. The other problem with you statement is that you only told me two games from college football that are played in the Dome the Peach Bowl and the SEC championship game. This isn’t a basketball town so the NCAA Final 4 is a mute point. Those two game don’t generate the same income as the 8 Falcons home games and the 2 preason games. You take the Falcons away from the Dome and it’s seldomly used. Your #5 point won’t work because there isn’t enough room next to the GA Dome to build another stadium. If the Braves can get away with having Turner half full then the Falcons should be fine if they decide to go that route.
Jeff
May 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
Falcons>Ga Tech football. Atlanta is a major market with a ton of potential for pro sports. Give Arthur Blank what he wants. I wish he owned the Braves.
this aint dallas
May 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
you are right this aint dallas the falcons dont have enough money to do what my cowboys did
npgator
May 20th, 2010
12:45 pm
Atlana may have a lot of college football fans but the city is lacking anything close a possible contender in Georgia Tech. They are and always will be a mid level team.
Gen Neyland
May 20th, 2010
12:49 pm
GeneralNeyland96 : It wasn’t the players I was concerned with. It’s that fans of the game have grown soft and like the comfort of indoor facilities. Praise be to the Green Bay Packer fan… While the players remain oblivious to the elements, many over the age of 35 like the Domed enviroment. As a runner, I like slopping around in the mud, muck, rain, and snow both on and off the roads. But to sit in it, well, that’s another story. Guess that’s why they created miniatures. That and they’re easier to tote through the gate than quart jars…
Lou Holtz aka the Spitting Cobra
May 20th, 2010
12:52 pm
The Georgia Dome blows. I’m a senile SOB and even I know outdoor football is where it’s at.
ATL
May 20th, 2010
12:54 pm
I agree Dutch. Atlanta is NOT a COLLEGE football town! Ofcourse it was prior to the arrival of the Falcons, but that simply isn’t the case anymore. However, I do believe that building a stadium with a retractable roof makes more sense to continue support for the event that the “Dome” plays host too. For those of you that believe the dome is just fine the way it is, stop fooling yourselves! The “Dome” is the reason Atlanta hasn’t hosted a Super Bowl as of late. Why do we need to host a Super Bowl you ask? Tourism. It’s as simple as that. This is a “World Class” city, and I don’t expect people that reside in Athens or wherever the hellville, GA to understand that.
Really?
May 20th, 2010
1:00 pm
The dome is important for more than just pro football. FIrst of all,I hate having the weather decide a game. Second, if i am spending 100-300 on something I want to be as comfortable as possible. What are the chances of getting another superbowl with the open air stadium. The NCAA and SEC BB tourney always draw more fans than Phillips can handle. For the hogh school fans, who wants to sit out side for hours at a time if you want to watch multiple games and heaven forbid it rains and you are trying to have 5 games on natural grass. Then what about if the falcons have a game the next day?
This is a new Falcon Team
May 20th, 2010
1:00 pm
Tony, this is exactly why you write and Arthur makes millions.
This Falcon team with its rock sturdy foundation of McKay, Dimitroff, and Coach Smith is a new team the like Atlanta has never known. I honestly believe we will be contenders for years to come. The philosophy is solid hard work and good NFL football minds—gone are the one-man superstars that bring you up and down quickly.
A new stadium is more than a revenue opportunity but an identity for this emerging franchise. Some day it will be the Falcons and oh yeah those teams in Athens and on North Avenue.
ATL
May 20th, 2010
1:09 pm
You’re absolutely right this isn’t dallas! I lived there for three loooonnnnnng years, and wouldn’t think of returning. And if you think that Mr. Blank doesn’t have the resources to build his own playland like Jerry’s Kid then you are truly a Texan! And I mean that in the most sacastic way possible!
'BAMA 1
May 20th, 2010
1:12 pm
Just look at the out of town revenue that college teams bring in. You have two different teams from other states that spend tons of money here.
Mash
May 20th, 2010
1:12 pm
Tony,
1) Football, whether it be of the professional or collegiate variety is always best played in an open air environment.
2) Atlanta, Georgia, has what many has beautiful weather in the fall; perfect for football games. Early December in Atlanta produces cool, crisp, perfect football weather: not too cold, not too hot.
3) Playing in a dome in Atlanta the heart and soul of football dies a slow death. We have optimal, God-given conditions for outdoor football and we sell this right to make a few dollars because we might get a Final Four every 8 or so years.
I wholeheartedly disagree with your reasons. Whether or not Atlanta has more college football fans than NFL fans is not the issue here. The issue is delivering to fans the best football experience possible. For years, there has been a huge groundswell of fans in Atlanta longing for football games to be played in open air stadiums.
To your point that college football fans should somehow be upset about this, I don’t get it. Have you ever in your years of covering college football heard a fan say, “geez, the Florida-Georgia (or Auburn-Alabama0 (or insert college game) is pretty good, but I sure wish it was played in a dome. Wouldn’t that be awesome?!” No. I have never once heard anyone even hint at that. Has the Big 12 champinoship suffered when they play game at Arrowhead in the cold? No. It has produced excellent games in an even better football atmosphere.
If Atlanta chooses to build an open-air stadium, and God-willing they will, why on earth would the SEC Championship try to move. They too would want use of the state-of-the-art stadium, with premium seats, luxury boxes, etc. You know why Tony, because they can charge more for the tickets. Atlanta has a perfect central location in the SEC footprint, they won’t move the game to New Orleans. Birmingham is the only possible competition; and unless they plan to build a better stadium than the Falcons are planning, I doubt they could pry the game away. Come to B’ham SEC, you’ll make less money isn’t exactly the best sales pitch in the world.
As far your argument that the Chic-fil-a bowl possibly being in line for the next BCS upgrade, we all know that shipped sailed when Jerry-world opened its doors. It just did. The BCS Cotton Bowl ( I presume) could charge more for tix to that palace than the Georgia Dome/Peach could dream.
As far as basketball tournaments, who cares? I thought your main beef with Mr.Blank’s plan is that it would hurt the SEC Championship. And that simply isn’t true, it would make it a better game for all parties.
TOny, I love your column, but I think you should find the good in this stadium, not the bad.
Think Super Bowl
May 20th, 2010
1:13 pm
P Rose,
It doesn’t matter if i’d get a ticket the point is that hosting a super bowl brings huge sums of money to your city and i was making that point to negate your argument of having an outdoor stadium. The GWCC wants to continue hosting marquee events because of the revenue they bring into the city. Even during the recession when the GWCC was losing convention money they were still making plenty on football games in the Dome which also brings money to hotels and restaurants in the area. That’s why they will not build an outdoor stadium because it will significantly hurt the marquee events that Atlanta now host and would like to host in the future.
And what does green bay and chicago winning super bowls have to do with anything? Oh wait…nothing
Dawg 3/20
May 20th, 2010
1:13 pm
You can say the same thing to the Dawgs……Sorry Dawgs this aint Dallas.
Grantham – From 11 All Americans on D in Dallas to 0 at UGA
Sports Blog Atlanta
May 20th, 2010
1:17 pm
It comes down to the owners pushing the envelope here. I respect Arthur Blank, but he has drunk the kool-aid all the other owners drink; asking the city and its people to replace the “antiquated” less than 20 year old dome with something new. How often does they city and the people need to pay for this, and how many times can owners hold the people ransom before somebody says no?
You correctly pointed out that the decision to have a new stadium versus making the Dome a retractable one is a financial decision. It will cost Mr. Blank less money to build a new stadium than to renovate the current one. The problem is that it will cost the city taxpayers more money in Mr. Blanks scenario. These are the same people who will be buying the Falcon’s tickets. Has he thought of that?
Hanging My Head
May 20th, 2010
1:19 pm
Atlanta is a small time town posing to be a big city. What other MAJOR metropolitan city in America (aside from Miami) cares more about collegiate athletics (translation amateur sports)more than its pro teams? We’re a city of five million plus and we have more in common with Tuscalosa than we do Dallas, New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. We’ve held the Olympics, won a World Series, and had teams in the playoffs (things other towns would die for) and yet we don’t support any team that pays its athletes over the table. This is SEC country baby!!!!! Yee Haw!!!! Don’t bring no darn opened roof stadium down these parts!
No wonder we’re known as Loserville.
Pathetic.
lazydawg
May 20th, 2010
1:19 pm
Tony you could not be more right,this is a dumb idea if Mr.Blank wants a new stadium let him fund it 100% himself. Billionaires must get stadium envy.lol.
Muschamp to UGA
May 20th, 2010
1:24 pm
Enter your comments here
Hot Tuna
May 20th, 2010
1:26 pm
Falcon fans are all ready fair weather fans..Now Blank wants them to sit outside in the elements and watch them loose…..
Blank's Billions
May 20th, 2010
1:27 pm
Blank became a billionaire by getting other people to do what he wants. He’ll threaten to leave Atlanta, threaten to locate the team in another part of the city…., come up with some bonus “economic study” showing the benefits of the falcons in atlanta—-and ultimately, out of fear, the city of atlanta, fulton county…will cave in and give him $500 million to build his stadium. It never fails. The city’s broke, so they will have to raise taxes to pay for it. But the chumps in atlanta will pay up—Blank needs more billions!!!!!!
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
May 20th, 2010
1:38 pm
I totally agree with this article. In fact, I hope that you personally send a certified copy of it to Arthur Blank, Rich McKay, Coach Smith and TD. If the citizens of Atlanta and the GA World Congress Authority go along with this, then the fans and the citizens need to boycott the Falcons’ games.
Why build a facility that can only be utilized for a portion of the year, when a retractable roof would provide many more options for the city and the World Congress Center to bring more revenue to the city and the local businesses.
In fact, we fans should start a petition that we start signing at the start of the preseason games….HELL .. I’ll even stand outside prior to the game with a clipboard collecting signatures.
Otto
May 20th, 2010
1:52 pm
The Peach Bowl is the game with the biggest risk of decline. As other have said the Peach often had poor attendance do to often having bad weather.
Orange, Fiesta, Rose. Outdoors yes but look at the locations South Florida, Arizona, and California.
Yes I was at the ‘04 UGA game where it rained and many of the fans went home early. Greene looked to have the game well in hand before getting injured and it was GT not Auburn, Bama, UF, UT etc. GT had UGA’s best ever QB in the game throwing it out of bounds on 4th down. I have been to UGA/Auburn games at night were it rained and was just as cold, you could not tell if anyone went home early.
The SECCG will sell out where ever it is played but if it goes open air they will take a serious look at other locations.
Atlanta a College sports town? How many fans in Metro Atlanta drive all the way out to Athens sitting out on 316, shelling out much more money for tickets? ….while the Falcons struggle to sell out the smaller Dome.
I still hope the SECCG and Chik Fil A kick off game move especially the kick off game.
bamafan
May 20th, 2010
1:54 pm
With GA Tech leaving the SEC in 1964 and the arrival of the Falcons in 1966, ATL was not a college football town. Far from it. From 1964 to 1990, Tech was a non-player. The national title in 1990 started the movement back to a college football town. The arrival of the SEC Championship Game in 1994 helped immensely. The upgrading of the Peach Bowl also has helped, as have the two Chick Fil A Kick-Off games. Birmingham was much more of a college football town, with Alabama playing 5 games or more there each year. However, Legion Field is and has been falling apart and Bama has moved its games back to Tuscaloosa. In 1974 and 1982, the WFL and the USFL had teams in Birmingham but they were not supported as well as the college teams. The Falcons are an improving organization (many years there is nowhere to go but up), but it is still pro football with its inherent limitations. I think the Falcons need ATL worse that ATL needs the Falcons today. Mr. Blank and Mr. McKay need to be careful not to overplay their hand. There is nothing wrong with the Dome – I have been there for the past two SEC Championship Games and the Dome still seems nice to me. Sure it seats only 74K, but most NFL stadiums seat fewer folks except for one or two
(and one of those is the new Dallas stadium). I like football outside but if a Dome is what it takes to play important games in December, then so be it. I still remember the early years of the Peach Bowl when in the late 60’s and early 70’s the horrible weather at Fulton County Stadium for the Peach Bowl was a story in and of itself. I still prefer Lowe’s to Home Depot, too.
Ramblin Wrecker
May 20th, 2010
1:57 pm
With all due respect Tony, there are zero SEC or ACC football teams that play in a dome stadium. So why all of a sudden is it so important to play an SEC championship game (or a Chik-fil-a kickoff classic) indoors?
I get the NCAA basketball tourney preferring to play indoors, but McKay and the Falcons aren’t suggesting that the Georgia Dome has to be torn down, just that the Falcons would like the stadium THEY play in to be open air. And that’s how football should be played. Outside in the cold and elements.
If the Minnesota Twins can build an open air baseball stadium, I think we Falcons fans can survive (and the SEC fans too) a little 40 degree weather in December.
5IML
May 20th, 2010
1:58 pm
The Falcons have not built the credibility to expect us, Falcons fans, to sit through inclement weather to watch them.
RabunDog
May 20th, 2010
1:58 pm
I agree – you loose the dome you loose – They want a new place to play – build and pay for it yourselves – just another form of a bailout – if you make so much money – goldmansachs can get you financing – not the taxpayers
Otto
May 20th, 2010
1:59 pm
Hanging my head, Any southeast or Texas town (outside of Dallas) will be a college town. It is part of the southern culture and no we don’t want to change or get excited about drama queen Pro Athletes. If you don’t like it, please move.
I will point out that LA has not been able to keep a NFL team but USC has no problem selling out.
Buford Pusser
May 20th, 2010
2:01 pm
The public portion of any stadium funds will come from the Hotel/Motel tax. Georgia “taxpayers” aren’t involved, unless they’re staying in a Hotel/Motel.
You’re a college football guy Barnhart; how bout sticking to that, instead of trying to ruin things for Falcons fans!
gdawginkalamazoo
May 20th, 2010
2:03 pm
You want to watch football outdoors in the winter time? It’s called Jim Beam.
You want to watch football in a covered area? Go sit in your recliner.
Tide Rising
May 20th, 2010
2:04 pm
I remember the 92 and 93 games in B’ham. Both years it was rainy, cold, just a nasty day both times.It was in Bama’s backyard and in 93 at least it there were empty seats cause the weather was so abysmal. The seccg is much better off and far more profitable being played in a nice indoor arena. The fans come first and the memo to the football purists that football should be played outdoors is this: Get over it. We’ve been playing football indoors in places like the Super Dome, for 40 years now. The whole reason for the major bowls being played in sunny sun belt destinations like Tempe, AZ, the Rose Bowl, the Orange bowl, etc is to avoid nasty weather to begin with.
One other thing. I have tremendous respect and admiration for Arthur Blank and I personally consider him to be a great man. I also was never became a Falcons fan until he took over. I became a falcons fan the day he became an owner because the man is a winner and regardless of how the Falcons have done under him the point is that one day we will get there for the simple fact that he cares and he is a winner.
All that being said the one thing I disagree with Blank on is the need for a new stadium, especially one at taxpayer expense. There is not a darn thing wrong with the Georgia dome. Why he thinks a whole new stadium should be built for the simple fact that he can make more money with a few more luxury boxes is beyond me. If he wants a new stadium for more luxury boxes then be my guest. Just don’t ask me to pay for it when the city and state are both broke and things like Marta are broke, Grady is broke, Atlanta is broke, etc.
Otto
May 20th, 2010
2:05 pm
Bamafan, just because UGA does not play in Atlanta does not take away from it being a CFB town. B’ham is very much a CFB town too despite not having Bama in Legion field. If UGA played in the Dome it would sell out every game just as Bama would sell out Legion Field.