How is Falcons’ stadium with no taxpayer liability a problem?
Arthur Blank wanted to keep Rich McKay around to be his front man for a new stadium deal. (Curtis Compton/AJC.)
A six-pack of observations about the Falcons’ push for a new stadium, which I have absolutely no problem with (I guess that counts as one):
♦ 1. Let’s reaffirm the obvious here: Yes, owner Arthur Blank wants a new stadium so that he can make more money. With too many club seats (thousands of which go unsold at games), too few luxury suites and limited ways for Blank to generate revenue at the Georgia Dome through signage, martini bars, etc., he is at a competitive disadvantage compared to other owners, many of whom run teams that represent the Falcons’ primary competition in the NFC: Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Arizona. (Minnesota also has been pushing for a new stadium. New Orleans has been receiving concessions and is in a special situation, given the city’s economy post-Katrina).
♦ 2. We obviously have more important needs in Atlanta than a new football stadium. The Georgia Dome is not falling apart. But if Blank wants to fund this project by himself, nobody should have a problem with that. If taxpayers are willing to pass an initiative for a special hotel-motel tax to help partially fund the project, nobody should have a problem with that, either. Yes, it would be wonderful if voters could be moved to vote for a hotel tax to help raise money for education and prevent 1,500 teachers from losing jobs. But realistically, that’s not going to happen.
♦ 3. I don’t like domed stadiums. I’ve been in just about every one, and the Georgia Dome actually is one of the better ones. But I’m old school in this way: football and baseball are outdoor sports. Rain, wind, ice, snow – don’t care. I would still rather see a football game outside. The elements should be part of a football game. The thermostat should not be.
♦ 4. Can domed stadiums make more money than outdoor stadiums? No question. Officials can host basketball tournaments, split the stadium in half for simultaneous conventions and stage rock concerts in a ridiculously over-sized venue without concern of bad weather keeping fans away. But I’m going old school again. Hate basketball and concerts in 70,000-seat venues. Is this supposed to be about attendance records or fan experience? And I’m certainly not worried that the SEC championship is going to wither if the game is moved to an outdoor venue.
♦ 5. The Falcons are right to push for a downtown stadium. Suburban venues stink. They don’t have a vibe. Ted Turner’s decision to build Philips Arena downtown helped revive downtown. The fact is, Turner could have made more money by putting the arena in the northern suburbs. (His advisers were pushing for it.) But he was committed to improving downtown. I’m not at all suggesting Blank is pushing for a downtown stadium for the same reason. But in town venues definitely are cooler.
♦ 6. If you want to know why Blank retained Rich McKay even after Thomas Dimitroff was hired to replace him as general manager two years ago, this is it. McKay has tremendous knowledge about the league. But his primary function is to get a new stadium deal. McKay’s presence and his being out front in this deal create a bit of a buffer for Blank on a hot button issue.
So, do you agree and disagree with my points? And if the Falcons could get a new stadium new without any taxpayer liability, how would you feel about it?
♦
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249 comments Add your comment
Born2Buzz
May 24th, 2010
1:26 pm
Move to the Suburbs, you too! Yea, just bump up the taxes!
And ask folks in Boston & Washington how they like their suburban football stadium. They will tell you it sux.
Jeff Schultz
May 24th, 2010
1:31 pm
Willdave — If the stadium is in the suburbs, than the Doraville site it the best because it’s on a MARTA line. But I still prefer ITP.
Jeff Schultz
May 24th, 2010
1:32 pm
Rekingball — I said earlier that if I was a fan I would prefer to sit outside. What was your question?
dan
May 24th, 2010
1:35 pm
My problem with the Dome isn’t the inside climate, but the way the Dome is set up. It really isn’t a very accessible building and it is easy to get lost in there. Otherwise though, I think it’s fine. I can speak for playing in the dome in high school player, and it’s a memory you’ll never forget. I also love the SEC title games in the dome as well. Some fans may disagree, but I prefer the SEC championship inside for some reason. Like the Sugar Bowl, it just gives the SEC title game a real championship.
dan
May 24th, 2010
1:36 pm
My problem with the Dome isn’t the inside climate, but the way the Dome is set up. It really isn’t a very accessible building and it is easy to get lost in there. Otherwise though, I think it’s fine. I can speak for playing in the dome as a high school player, and it’s a memory you’ll never forget. I also love the SEC title games in the dome as well. Some fans may disagree, but I prefer the SEC championship inside for some reason. Like the Sugar Bowl, it just gives the SEC title game a real championship feel.
Jeff Schultz
May 24th, 2010
1:37 pm
G Garcia — 1) I don’t believe Atlanta’s chances of getting a convention are going to hinge on a motel-hotel tax. 2) I have criticized Arthur Blank in the past, both during coaching searches and for being fooled by Michael Vick. As I wrote, I do not believe local taxpayers should pay for his stadium. How is that stumping for him? And if you can find a state official to get a motel tax on the ballot to support educators, I’m all for it. For one thing, my wife is a teacher. 3) Nobody has said the city owes Arthur Blank anything. Now you’re just making stuff up.
ChicagoATL Guy
May 24th, 2010
1:37 pm
I just read some of the comments here and I gotta say Atlanta fans have turned to a bunch of whimpy whiners. ‘Oh it’s so hot in September and so cold in December and it’s so loud’. There is a reason Atlanta has been voted Worst Sports City in America by Forbes and numerous other organizations. Just google “worst sports town” – You guys are pathetic!
Jeff Schultz
May 24th, 2010
1:38 pm
Bugkiller — It’s Atlanta over Birmingham, not a domed stadium over an outdoor stadium.
Jeff Schultz
May 24th, 2010
1:39 pm
It’s amazing to me how many of you folks have become weather wimps.
Jeff Schultz
May 24th, 2010
1:41 pm
EW — Thanks. I’m still looking for my limo and the private AJC parking deck, too.
dan
May 24th, 2010
1:44 pm
ChicagoATLguy
Good riddance! The ATL won’t miss you. How fun cheering for your sorry Bears,Bulls, and Cubs! I’ll enjoy the inside atmosphere of the Dome watching my team go to the playoffs while you sit in the snow and watch Cutler choke AGAIN!
Ain't that the Truth, Ruth
May 24th, 2010
1:46 pm
ChicagoATL Guy–you’re actually bragging you’re gonna be a lifelong fan of Chicago teams after only living there for 3 years? That quick you give up your roots?? You sound like you’ve got no backbone or soul. Go live in Followersville, conformist man.
ChicagoATL Guy
May 24th, 2010
1:59 pm
Awww did I hurt some feelings here…I’m so sorry.
@Dan. Trust me the ATL misses me. The Bears/Bulls/Cubs/ are far from sorry my friend. At least we can sell all of our seats during a playoff. Speaking of playoffs there is a good chance I might be attending the StanleyCup finals to root for a certain Team from a certain town…hahahaha….
@Aintthat the Truth Ruth – Let me tell you someting, you come up here and you go to a game at Wrigley or Soldier Field you will too become a Chicago fan or least secretly wish you were. It’s not about living in Followesville its about rooting for the team that you have the most fun when seeing. Atlanta just can’t seem to get that. Yes, it’s GREAT when your team wins & makes it to Championships but it also has to be about the experience and not just selling seats and making money. Sports is just that Sports….if you want an event drinking champagne, seating in a comfortable air conditioned area for god’s sake go to the Ballet or the Opera….you can even get dressed up and wear your tux.
FalconFanForever
May 24th, 2010
2:02 pm
I heard a man on the radio satte he stopped going to teh games, becasue of the weather. I cannot help if you have arthritis and old bones. Please give us an outdoor stadium!!!
ct
May 24th, 2010
2:03 pm
retractable roofs are wimps!!!!!!!!!!! go play with your dolls, you don’t don’t know jack about football!
james
May 24th, 2010
2:04 pm
Based on these earlier posts, I am in the minority in that I really enjoy the Dome experience and would love to see indoor football continue in Atlanta. The Dome’s sight lines are good and its a clean, enjoyable place to watch a game. When the Falcons get all their pieces in place, opposing teams will come into the Dome at an automatic disadvantage with even more crowd noise. But I agree the Falcons are going to need a new facility because the ability to host the Super Bowl, Final Four, Chick-fil-A and SEC Championship should be paramount. These are all significant revenue generators and there’s no way our city should be willing to let these events slip away just because we THINK outdoor Falcon football would be so superior and such “pure” football. I think the answer is to find some large, intown, preexisting industrial facility (similar to the old Atlantic Steel facility that was cleared to make way for Atlantic Station) and convert it to a domed football stadium, a la Lucas Oil in Indianapolis or Ford Field in Detroit.
Ain't that the Truth, Ruth
May 24th, 2010
2:15 pm
@Chicago ATL Dude–
I did live in Chicago, bro. Was there for the ‘91 championship vs. the Lakers, Jordan’s first. I’ve lived in NYC and LA, too. But I grew up from age 6 attending every Falcons home game in the 70’s. I sat through the Dallas playoff loss and could barely function at school that week. I was there for 715. I saw the Eddie Johnson and Terry Furlow rolling around on the court in joy after the Hawks beat the Bullets in Game 6, only to break our hearts in Game 7. I even went to the Flames games. You name it–I either was there or watching it on TV. And it stuck with me. It’s called heart. It’s called identity. I lived in those other cities and proudly attended the games when Atlanta was in town. When the Yankees played the Braves in ‘96, I threw on a Braves t-shirt and ran in Central Park, opposite the running traffic so more people could see my allegiance. Thugs threatened to beat me up. But I’m an Atlantan, bro, 5th generation. I could never have brought myself to cheer for the Bulls or the Lakers or the Yankees, even if their “fan experience” was better, whatever the hell that means. Real fans don’t need great hot dogs or cuter mascots or more folksy announcers singing during the 7th inning stretch. Real fans are there to watch the damn game. They love sports. And they love their cities, warts and all. Good riddance, ChicagoATL Dude. You’re a lost soul.
pjay
May 24th, 2010
2:16 pm
Jeff, the hotel/motel tax laws are written specifically to support trade/tourism/conventions, etc because it’s pd when someone rents a hotel room. It can’t be used to supplement other general fund expenses, so that fantasy of using it to support education and teachers salaries, by law, will never happen.
And I’m not one of those fans who feels that football has to be played outside and won’t go to a game in the middle of winter in an open stadium. The ice storm we had in Atl when we hosted the Super Bowl keeps us at the bottom of the list for future Super Bowl consideration, and an open stadium will probably remove us from the list permanently. Who the heck can enjoy a football game in the middle of a freezing ice storm?
JP
May 24th, 2010
2:23 pm
Larry, no the majority of Atlanta metro residents don’t like going into the city. Tell that to people in New Orleans, Austin, San Francisco, New York, Chicago….cities with a downtown WORTH going to. Atlanta has done a horrible job (even counting Turner Field and Phillips) of making downtown attractive and safe.
DLE
May 24th, 2010
2:24 pm
Appreciate the perspectives here, but let’s be honest. While almost all of us would prefer to see a college or professional football game in an outdoor stadium, with partly cloudy skies and 72 degree weather…that’s not reality. This is not San Diego. Those same fans who yell that football indoors stinks are the same ones who will stay home when they’re here in Atlanta and its 38 degrees and windy or 96 degrees with 95% humidity. I don’t need the emotional ‘badge of honor’ of sitting in extreme weather to back up my commitment as a fan.
The Ga Dome’s a heck of a facility that allows the overall best scenario for a football fan. Ideal? No. But you have to factor in in all extremes.
And while we’re at it…look bigger picture and not let the tail (or the feathers) wag the dog here. The Falcons play 8 regular season games and two pre-season games that generate revenue…mostly for Mr. Blank. Meanwhile the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff and the SEC Championship represent three of the largest “conventions” in the city each year…and I guarantee you that those event organizers appreciate the quality of the Dome experience. Ask yourself if the city leaders would be happy with putting the $100 million+ of economic impact of these three events at risk…not to mention Final Fours, Conference BB tournaments, etc.
build it south....
May 24th, 2010
2:24 pm
let them build a new stadium, in the suburbs, but build it south of town instead of north. put it in hampton next to atlanta speedway. you have the new road infrastructure to handle the traffic. plenty of parking around the speedway. double billing of race and football weekend. most bad weather has a tendency to run up the i-85 corridor from columbus to the north of atlanta. change the name to the georgia falcons. let the braves play a few games there for s#*&@ and giggles. put in a high speed rail to bring all the town folks down. sounds like fun to me…….
ChicagoATL Guy
May 24th, 2010
2:28 pm
Truth Ruth – You’re getting pretty deep there. This isn’t about Chicago being a better city than Atlanta. It’s about sports. I still love Atlanta and there are things in Atlanta that Chicago and no other city can touch. I still yell at people if they try to give me a pepsi and tell ‘em that they haven’t lived untill they had a Chick Fil A and that pizza should be thin crust. But we are talking about sports and the fact is other cities do it better. So stop trying to make excuses and just say “Yeah pro football is much more exciting in Chicago, Green Bay, NY” and how we can get that here. The same goes for other pro sports. Believe me when my mid west buddies talk trash about college football I let them know that the SEC is where it’s at. So let’s not get all philosophical on me but I can’t help that I have a damn good time at a Bears game and maybe I wished that I had this much fun at a Falcons game but I didn’t. God I feel like I’m breaking up with my girlfriend or something.
florida falcon
May 24th, 2010
2:28 pm
@Buildnow- Interesting thoughts you put out there. In regards to the cities you mentioned. Orlando is too close to Tampa Bay. The Bucs would not want a team in their own division moving an hour away. Not to mention, that the Birds would commite business suicide moving next to a rival. LA- is soooooo cash strapped, that state is a few years from going belly up. A stadium is the last thing on their minds, not too mention that the birds would end up playing at the colloseum. A huge downgrade from the GA. Dome. San Antonio is interesting, the fans out there were so enamored when the Saints played their “home” game at the Alamo Dome a few years back. If the birds went there, they would end up playing inside a dome again. That is unless the city of San Antonio promises the Falcons a deal they could not resist.
David
May 24th, 2010
2:35 pm
Thats why you have a retractable roof….if we do this new stadium the way it needs to be done…we WILL get the World cup…we wont get the 2018 bid..we can forget about it..thats going to england…and FIFA has already stated that the next places they want to go it needs to have a stable infrastructure in place…and they were in ATL last year and loved ATL and loved the atmosphere they saw with the two sold out matches..We are already going to be the host site for the media for the WC if we get it in 2022..thats 60 million alone..If we get host site for WC thats 600 mill+..i think that will take care of the roof issue..WC generates roughly 2.8-4 billion dollars..i believe South africa has record numbers this year..
trust me if we build this stadium we will host the WC. Plain and simple. but im with the many its retractable roof or bust…and im with Schultz…we have a bunch of weather wimps around here!
Nope
May 24th, 2010
2:35 pm
And one additional comment. The Falcons’ desire is not designed in any way to generate a better product on the field. It is a financial play, plain and simple. The Falcons know that with their own stadium, built with government support, the profit margins are higher and the franchise continues to increase in value. Fans, beware. You’re thinking like a fan…the Falcons are thinking how they can charge you $10k for a PSL, $60 for parking, $12 for a beer and $110 for a Matt Ryan jersey. The price for an “outdoor” stadium is too high….in many ways.
Hamad Meander
May 24th, 2010
2:37 pm
A few facts: Georgia Dome was built in 1992 for $216,000,000. It is owned by the State of Georgia. It holds 71,228 for football, 26,000 for basketball, and held 53,600 for soccer. NFL Teams with smaller stadiums than the Falcons: Patriots, Vikings, & Bears. Teams with older stadiums: Bills, Dolphins, Chiefs, Saints, Chargers, & Vikings. You don’t need a bigger stadium to be successful. You don’t need a newer stadium to be successful. You don’t need an open stadium to be successful.
SOGADOG
May 24th, 2010
2:38 pm
You could play the SEC championship on the north pole and it would sell 90 thousand plus tickets.
Ain't that the Truth, Ruth
May 24th, 2010
2:40 pm
Chicago Dude—when someone switches their allegiances to teams so easily, it’s a character flaw bro. There’s nothing deep about it. Doesn’t take a psychology Ph.D. to figure it out. Go sit in bar full of lifetime Bears fans and say you grew up in Chicago and moved to San Diego three years ago and now you like the Chargers much better. They’ll think and tell you that you’re a pu**y. And if you want to act like I’m a girl with your double-meanings, that’s fine, bro. You’re the pu**y, not me. I’m out of here…
Outdoor Rules
May 24th, 2010
2:45 pm
Outdoor stadiums are the only way to go. A few games with bad weather? No big deal—Atl fans can tough it out. Just drink more beer or Jack Daniels and the weather will be no big deal!!!! Plus, the more Jack you drink, the less pain when the falcons lose!! It got me through the season last year. Just build an 80,000 seat stadium next to the Dome—raise sales taxes and it will be paid for in 2-3 years!!! Blank and McKay want the outdoor thing—so the city better pay up quick!
Buckhead Ed
May 24th, 2010
2:46 pm
Score the win for Ain’t that the Truth. Very good stuff.
otis
May 24th, 2010
2:48 pm
i just cant stand watching a football game and at the end of the game nobody is dirty.
Tom
May 24th, 2010
2:51 pm
Interesting that lots of folks would like the stadium moved to the ‘burbs. So if’s built on the other side of town from you, will you drive the extra miles? Which side of town gets slighted? A central location in optimal, unless you really like cheering for the Milton Falcons…. yeah… right…
Don’t call a team Atlanta if it’s not really in Atlanta!
Blood soaked worm
May 24th, 2010
3:00 pm
Schultzie…..Look at my comments regarding the Dome and notice they are not weather related.
Julius
May 24th, 2010
3:01 pm
As to the matter of indoor vs outdoor, I have been both a Falcon and UGA season ticket holder and there is a big difference in their seasons. The Dogs season is virtually over by Thanksgiving, which is when the weather usually takes a turn for the worse. I think there was a recent stretch of about three years that I never got a drop of rain on me in Athens. The Falcons, on the other hand, is a different story. There is nothing worse than the fog, rain and near-freezing temps to try to watch a game, not to mention the players slopping around in the mud on those December and January games. Then your field is torn up for the rest of the season. I don’t care for games that are decided by the “elements” I was a ticket sales committee chairman for my local Lion’s club, the original sponsor and founder of the Peach Bowl. The weather was so abysmal in December, you practically couldn’t GIVE the tickets away. It was just too an important, once-a-year event, to leave to the weather.Give me the Georgia Dome or a venue with a retractable roof vs the days of old Fulton County Stadium.
P. Bull Terrier
May 24th, 2010
3:01 pm
Call me a wimp if you like, but I don’t need to sit outside in the freezing rain to prove my manhood to a bunch of bloggers. It’s great going to a football game outside on a nice fall afternoon, but early season games when it’s still 90 degrees outside and late season games when it’s cold and rainy are a lot more enjoyable to watch when I’m comfortable. Money aside, a retractable roof would be the perfect solution. If that isn’t possible, save the cash and keep the Dome.
SKYROCK
May 24th, 2010
3:05 pm
As a Falcon fan, it would be nice to have the best of the best. I agree about having an outdoor stadium, but having a stadium that has the option would be ideal. Closing the roof on certain games to increase the noise factor is a plus for some teams. I would like that option and then you have the best of both worlds!!
ChicagoATL Guy
May 24th, 2010
3:05 pm
hahaha….”Allegiance” Truth Ruth….my allegiance is only to my country. I never swore allegaince to the falcons?! It’s because of guys like you that a New Yorker can come down, buy your beloved football club, provide a shatty team year after year with a shatty experience and still take your money. You’re too funny….I’m out. Go Blackhawks!
CW
May 24th, 2010
3:07 pm
I agree with your prerequisite that no tax dollars be used for a new stadium. I have a vague recollection that a study of the economic impact of stadiums conducted several years ago concluded there was little to no positive economic impact. Also, as we lay off teachers and watch our education system get decimated, or infrastructure deteriorate (bridges, potholes, sewer systems), I would much rather use scarce funds for those sectors rather than to support a stadium for drug enhanced athletes with drug enhanced perfromances making tons of money (for themselves and their pro teams, or for colleges). Those that want sports teams (and all the other things that go with them such as stadiums) should pay for them and not burden the rest of society.
Frank
May 24th, 2010
3:13 pm
Another New Stadium…for WHAT???
City of Atlanta is too STUPID not to fund it to keep it in the City Limits and that is why we do not go to town. We wonder shy the City of Atlanta Population is shrinking….
Larry
May 24th, 2010
3:13 pm
It’s clear Chicago ATL is an ant-Semite with his veiled references to “a New Yorker” and “take your money.” Who needs you here? You make me sick.
RG
May 24th, 2010
3:14 pm
It really sucks to tailgate for several hours in beautiful fall weather and then have to go inside to watch a football game.
David
May 24th, 2010
3:15 pm
CW, you started off well then went all extreme on us…
Paddy O
May 24th, 2010
3:21 pm
ChicagoATL did not grow up here in GA – he is BSing every one of you. Bears, Bulls, Cubs & BlackHawks have stunk the 15 years -every one of ‘em. Chicago is the second city, although the neon in O’Hare is cool. You think ATL has poverty & problems? Chicago has that amplified by about 5 – plus lousy weather, rotten roads and dilapidated buildings (sort of like the residential areas of Philly).
ShortBravesFan
May 24th, 2010
3:22 pm
I don’t care about getting a new stadium. I care about getting to the playoffs, making it to the superbowl, and FINALLY winning a superbowl! Then we can talk about a new stadium! GO FaLcOnS!!!!!!
Paddy O
May 24th, 2010
3:23 pm
Frank – i think the pop over the last decade is up. The prior 50 years was primarily white flight, which was not too surprising. However, ATL’s downtown is crappy compared to major cities like Chicago, NY, even New Orleans. No there, there, if you know what I mean – this is what happens when your city is run by business men.
MariettaMark
May 24th, 2010
3:26 pm
Oh m gawd….how did we go from talking about one city’s pro sports being more exciting than anothers to antisemitism and the poverty level between two towns. It’s just sports folks. A bunch of grown millionaires throwing around a ball.
DrJ
May 24th, 2010
3:27 pm
Surprise ! Actually, Arthur wrote the article. A lot depends on how the financial responsibilities are worded. If Atlanta goes into a recessionary mode, and the hotels and motels can’t pay, then who is ultimately responsible. If it is the city or the state of Ga, then it becomes the taxpayers. If it says that when the hotels and motels can’t hack it, that Arthur pays… that sounds ok. The Falcons franchise has only increased in value throughout the many losing seasons, so it has been a solid investment for the owners.
Dan
May 24th, 2010
3:28 pm
Actually Paddy O Atlanta is what happens when the city is run by crooked politicians. Business is why those other cities were able to create a vibe and a feel to there intown venues, business thrieves around most of them. Atlanta? the only business that thrives due to games is parking
MrHughes
May 24th, 2010
3:30 pm
I love how people say they’d love an open air stadium like they’d love to eat a triple cheesburger with all the fixings and bacon on top. It looks really good, but after you digest all that meaty goodness you can’t help but have an upset stomach along with some gas. Who do you expect to pay for this stadium? The GA Dome bonds aren’t paid for yet? The GA Dome was opened 1991. And, it’s still not paid for… My taxes are high enough. Ticket prices are high enough!! The financial documents should favor the state of Georgia. They built, own, and operate the GA Dome. They (we) are on the hook for the bill if things don’t work out, not the Falcons. Think about that… some of you are talking about screwing yourselves in the way of higher taxes for a football team. I don’t care if the Falcons are at the bottom of the Forbes list. The stadium should benefit the people that pay for it. In other words, the Dome was built using public money and the proceeds that come from its operation should go back into public coffers. That should be the norm, not the exception! I’m not going to lose sleep over a billionaries profitability. He’s given away over 100 million dollars. We don’t need to give it back to him in the form of a football stadium and then cry poverty as a state while the money from it’s operation goes into his pockets while we are left holding the bill. That’s like cosigning for a car for someone and letting them drive it all over, continuing to pay the note, having them ask you for gas money, talk about getting something new, and getting indignant/treating what you paid for like it’s theirs because they put in an air freshner and some fuzzy dice. At what point is it enough?
I don’t want to pay for another stadium so I can sit outside 10 times a year. If you want to sit out side, then go to the park and take a portable TV with you. The beauty of the GA Dome is that you can come in jeans and a tshirt and not worry about dressing like you are going on an expedition to the north pole. Gameday experience is not about how old or nice a stadium is. Fenway park is a hole. The same for Wrigley and Dodger Stadium. Would you rather see a game at Cameron Indoor, The Dean Smith Center, or the new facilities built by NC State and Virginia? What about Lambeau Field/Arrowhead/Qualcomm or University of Phoenix/Reliant Stadium? It’s really a simple answer. I’d rather go for the nice atmosphere. The GA Dome provides a fine atmosphere. And, as a season ticket holder I remmber the rainey days at Fulton County. The atmosphere at the Dome has been better than it was at Fulton County.
I don’t buy that glory of the game football is meant to be played in the elements bull either. I went to school in Massachussetts. It’s not fun drinking to just stay warm. Playing with snow at a football game is overrated. I don’t buy the you are going through it with your team while they are playing on a field with heating coils under it, heated benches, helmet warmers, $300+ jackets, a heated lockerroom, underarmour everything, and space heaters on the sidelines. Where’s the fans heaters? In the bathroom next the the trough of urine? Where’s my free underarmour for going through it with the team? Where’s my heated seat? John Madden and the like sell you that garbage while they sit in a heated press box. I ain’t buying!!
FUZZUP
May 24th, 2010
3:30 pm
Who cares if the falcons leave town ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!