Falcons fans: Are you willing to let it snow, let it snow …? (UPDATE: Will Bears-Vikings be moved here?)
Fans' view of last week's Bears-Patriots game in Chicago. (Don't worry. Atlanta's not this bad.)
(UPDATED below with news that the Chicago Bears-Minnesota Vikings game is considering the Georgia Dome as a fallback site.)
Hello. It’s cold outside. Do you love football enough to sit in this for three or four hours?
This topic has been going around ever since Falcons owner Arthur Blank announced that he wants to build an open air stadium. Personally, I love open air stadiums. The sounds are better. The smells are better. It just feels more like football.
Besides, I get to sit inside a press box.
Loading ...No seriously, while I’ll give you that I grew up in the not-so-brutal winters of southern California, I did sit outside through many cold and rainy games. (The hot chocolate never stayed hot in the thermos, by the way.) But I’ll grant you that I never had to sit as a fan through an outdoor game in snow or ice, at least not since press boxes were enclosed.
(I twice covered NFL playoff games at the old RFK Stadium, which had an open press box. I learned it’s difficult to type with frozen fingers and icicles hanging from your nostrils. But I do remember Furman Bisher wearing a very cool houndstooth cap.)
OK, back to the point of this blog. Would you sit in this weather for a football game? I imagine many of you have done it for a Georgia or Georgia Tech game.
But have you been spoiled in the last 18 years by the Falcons playing in a dome stadium?
Got a poll up. I’m giving you three choices. But if you’ve got some time, why not share a cold weather sports story with us. Could be fun.
(FYI, I’ve added a retractable roof as one of the three choices. But because of the significant additional cost, I’m not sure Blank considers that an option.)
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UPDATE: With the Minnesota Vikings still unable to play in the Metrodome because of its collapsed roof, there’s a chance their Monday night game against Chicago will be moved to the Georgia Dome, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Vikings’ first choice is to play at the University of Minnesota’s stadium, where workers are trying to shovel snow out of the seats, aisles and field. From the story:
The Vikings badly want to play the game in Minneapolis because Monday is the culmination of a weekend celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the franchise. Other dome stadiums have been mentioned as possibilities, including stadiums in Detroit and Indianapolis. Although they don’t have final say, the Vikings logically would be opposed to both options and even St. Louis because they know the stadiums would be filled with huge pro-Bears crowds. One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said if the game isn’t played in Minnesota the likely destination is Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
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200 comments Add your comment
mrs football fan
December 16th, 2010
12:57 pm
I relocated from Tampa Bay to Chicago many moons ago (prior to living here) and thought i’d watch the Bears and Bucs battle it out at the ‘old’ soldier field…in JANUARY! Their was not enough hot chocolate in the WORLD to keep me warm (and other folks were out there drinking COLD BEER!!!), it was the MOST MISERABLE sports spectating moment i’ve ever had, I had 50 million layers on and was still freezing. I don’t think Atlantans would survive a football game in the open cold.
Open air anywhere with the possibility of freezing temps is not fun for fans. Why can’t we have a retractable roof? It’s not like we can’t afford it.
Jay
December 16th, 2010
12:59 pm
I certainly hope Arthur does some focus groups with season ticket holders before building an open air stadium. As a season ticket holder, I’m not paying my money to freeze my butt off or sit in the rain.
Also, not that this is the reason, but is it possible that it may just easier to fill up a stadium in the south on a Saturday than a Sunday (Bible-belt)?
Vikingsfan1
December 16th, 2010
1:06 pm
I am a huge Vikings fan. This would make my day to have a Minnesota Vikings home game in the Georgia Dome verses the Bears unbelievable!!!! I hope it happens.
DawgFan
December 16th, 2010
1:10 pm
So, what? Should we put every team in a dome? Perhaps we could wrap all of the players in bubble-wrap and pillows and have them play with a Nerf football? I know, better than all of those. The players can play flag football instead. That way the league doesn’t have to worry about it’s oh-so-precious quarterback and receivers getting hurt.
TG
December 16th, 2010
1:22 pm
My cold weather memory game was back in 1990 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. GT was playing Virginia tech on their way to a National Championship. The temp was like 30 degrees with a howling wind that made the wind chill single digits. We sat in the old North End Zone with the old bleachers and the wind hitting us in the back of the head the entire game. The final was something like 9-0 or 6-3. All field goals. We couldn’t wait to get back into the car and get the heater going.
Retractable roof or stay at the Dome. I love outdoor football but i love the creature comforts of indoor football better. GO FALCONS!!!!!
Dome Only
December 16th, 2010
1:23 pm
I will not sit in bad weather and watch a bunch of millionaires throw, catch or run with a ball. Make it a dome only or retractable roof, or I’ll stay home–very simple.
Go Birds
December 16th, 2010
1:23 pm
I’ve had season tix since the mid 80s. I also have them for UGA. I like the Dome: the home field advantage is tremendous in a Dome (did the Cards have their roof open for playoff football in 08?). Play to your strengths-the Dome is outstanding and it won’t result in more taxes for a new stadium. I love Sanford and being outdoors, but we’ll never get 92000 Falcon fans, and I’ve seen enough Bengal/Raven/etc fans this year…the size is right and so is the stadium, especially for our playoff run this year! GO FALCONS!
falcon fan
December 16th, 2010
1:25 pm
There is nothing wrong with our current stadium. Even if someone wants to pay for the entire new facility it would be a waste of money that could be spent elsewhere. I am from up north and respect the outdoor game, but having an enclosed facility has many benefits for both the falcons and panther games and the other events that the GA Dome is used for.
Giants Fan
December 16th, 2010
1:26 pm
In 1978, the inaugural year for the NY Giants at their own stadium in the Meadowlands, I attended a game in freezing rain with my 9 year old son. At half-time I said “let’s go”. He, all bundled and snug said “no way”. With the promise of a hot chocolate at Rosie’s Diner on the way home he relented. Got home in time to view the second half in warmth with a sniffter of brandy in hand.
And to think they’ll host a Super Bowl in the new stadium!!!
DTC
December 16th, 2010
1:55 pm
It has not been that long since Atlanta Fulton County Stadium hosted the Falcons. I was there more times than I have been to the Dome (I am much older now, than I was then – I think there is a song out there somewhere along this same line), however, I have always enjoyed the games in the dome than the games in AFCS.
Why in the world can they not do some renovation to the dome, to make whatever upgrades to the stadium that Blank wants. Money is too tight in this day in time to build another football stadium.
BoLegs
December 16th, 2010
2:22 pm
Hell no to out- doors..Old Fulton Co. I froze my A@@ off for 10 years..never again.
Love to see Monday night’s game in Atlanta.
Matt
December 16th, 2010
2:23 pm
the georgia dome is the only dome i’ve been to, and i must say, it’s always felt cheap to me. the fake field, the way sound echoes, and the perfectly conditioned air all leave something to be desired. i’d be happiest if they replaced the current dome’s roof with a retractable one; that way, 2/3 of the falcon’s home games that take place during nice weather would have a natural, open-air feel to them. and then take a page from the arizona cardinal’s dome, in which they have a retractable, natural grass field that lends itself to the traditional football turf. both changes could be made without building an entirely new complex… what a waste of money that would be.
Bob
December 16th, 2010
2:38 pm
I have sat at Georgia games in the cold, but that season ends in late November. The last time I sat outside for a Falcon game I froze while the Birds let the Cowboy come from behind to win in a play off fame. I swore then I would never do that again and I never will.
JSS
December 16th, 2010
2:44 pm
To all of those citing the BC Place renovation…
The cost ($458 million Canadian) is too close to what Blank and McKay have said is there cost for a completely new stadium with the number of Luxury suites and concourse accommodations… Blank has shown no inclination to compromise on those matters…
Kane337
December 16th, 2010
2:48 pm
I’m a season ticket holder. Retractable roof please!
Falconsnut
December 16th, 2010
2:57 pm
As a long time Falcon fan (had my picture made with Tommy Nobis and Randy Johnson at a county Fair as a kid) and a season ticket holder, I would not renew to sit out in this kind of weather. It’s bad enough with the long walk from the parking lot. I have been to Carolina several times and much prefer the Ga. Dome. Besides, the Falcons play great in a dome. Outdoor stadiums are for baseball.
a football fanatic
December 16th, 2010
2:58 pm
I cannot believe how people have become so soft….Football was meant to be played outside, on real grass, in the elements…..mud, rain, sleet, snow, sun…it dont matter…and I can gaurantee that if Atlanat built a new outdoor stadium, it would be full…..that is if the Falcons are winning…..This is the SOUTH folks…It is not Green Bay or Chicago…..How many games in a row has the Packers sold out in sub Zero temps???….all of them…You will never see a dome in Green Bay, and we should not have one either.I sat through alot of cold, wet Falcons game in Atlanta Stadium and loved every minute of it….Lets Get Back Outside
Headley Lamar
December 16th, 2010
3:01 pm
Im for outdoors football.
Sure you are going to have cold weather or rain/snow on occasion
But lets not act like Atlanta is the South Pole. Most of the time it is quite pleasant in Atlanta.
Year Round.
Headley Lamar
December 16th, 2010
3:04 pm
For example.
This Sunday is going to be clear and 46 degrees and Sunny.
Sounds like a great day to be outside at a football game.
The Hell with Goodell
December 16th, 2010
3:12 pm
Hey King Arthur: The heck with what Goodell says. Listen to your season ticket holder base. We aint renewing if it goes back outside. Who the heck wants to sit out on days like today. Sorry purists. The only thing bad about domes was the artificial turf. Now with the advent of fieldturf even the outdoor stadiums have gone to it…so what’s the purpose…put a roof or at least a retractable one on there and you are in the hunt for superbowls, final fours etc. Listen to your season ticket holders. I, for one, would not renew.
Kane337
December 16th, 2010
3:18 pm
I can handle the cold and snow. No problem. But cold rain and ice? EFF that.
fish2774
December 16th, 2010
3:27 pm
Jeff, it wouldn’t work. a retractable roof would be Arthur’s best bet. When the falcons played at the old Fulton County Stadium with Deion they couldn’t fill the seats when the weather got cold or when it rained. But, if Arthur thinks a outdoor stadium is going to be profitable tell’em to try it and he’ll lose out. To many season ticket holders will cancel their accounts. For those that really haven’t experienced the riggers of sitting in a cold weather stadium like Fed Ex Field during mid december it’s brutal. You’re coco and coffee gets cold the minute you’ve paided for it………. LOL
Enemas for Christmas
December 16th, 2010
3:29 pm
It’s not the heat but the humidity.
Jack G
December 16th, 2010
3:30 pm
In 1948–give or take a year either way–I sat through a downpour to watch Tech play Tenn. Since that game I have watched a number of games in icey weather, but have never watched another game in the rain. My date and I were soaked to the skin. Drying out was fun but that is another story for another day.
Oscar
December 16th, 2010
3:35 pm
No surprise that you are from S cal being the ignorant liberal you are. Go back to that bankrupt state please.
fish2774
December 16th, 2010
3:37 pm
Somebody please tell me what’s fun about watching a parent bring their kids to a game with blankets to keep them warm. It happens all the time in D.C., Baltimore, Jersey, and New England. I’ve seen it for myself when parents had to leave at halftime because they’re kid or kids were to cold. And please quite saying that UGA and GA Tech play outside because their season is normally over before the cold sets in, and their bowl games are played in warmer temperatures.
Falcon from Rockdale
December 16th, 2010
3:44 pm
Let Blank build what he wants and pay for it himself.
If he is smart he will build a stadium that the majority of his season ticket holders want. Never mind the bloggers.
bamaguy
December 16th, 2010
3:51 pm
You can’t compare the loyalty of a southern football fan to his college team and professional. Most southerners are fans of either the Saints or Falcons. Around my house we love watching the Falcons, even go to some games, own a Matt Ryan jersey, but our blood runs Crimson! I’s say the same is true for Auburn, UGA and Tech fans who are also Falcons fans. The loyalty to their college teams comes first.
Kane337
December 16th, 2010
3:52 pm
The reason the Falcons want a new stadium is because they do not own the current stadium. It is owned by the World Congress Center. Owning a stadium = revenue. The Falcons revenue stream is consistently ranked around 29-32 out of the 32 teams primarily because their currently stadium deal sucks (thanks to the Falcons previous owners, the Rankin Smith family). A good chunk of the gameday profits go to the World Congress Center. Teams with new stadiums make money. The Falcons are running a business and want to make money also. That is the reason for wanting a new stadium.
Decatur Falcon
December 16th, 2010
3:52 pm
You have to love football to be outdoors, I have experience it, and it is not cool. Hail, rain, snow, and wind be at you at a outdoor stadium. You are at the mercy of God when go to football game in December thru January. I went to Carolina game, and folks I won’t do it again. So, I hope Authur Blank think heavy about a outdoor, put a attractable roof on the stadium when bad weather hits Atlanta. I understand this is the South, come on this the technology age, and we need to be inside where it is nice and warm.
Falcons Fan
December 16th, 2010
3:56 pm
There is absoluetly NOTHING wrong with the GA. Dome and if Blank wants to build another stadium LET HIM PAY FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!
keep your hands off the tax money
December 16th, 2010
4:23 pm
Kane,
I think most people understand that but it doesn’t mean the taxpayers should foot the bill. If the Falcons want their own stadium, they should pay for it.
Ditka
December 16th, 2010
4:49 pm
Love hearing from people like bamaguy. In Chicago, we adopt OUR team, the Bears. In the south, they adopt a college team regardless if you went there or not. It’s not even in Chicago really…it seems like it’s everywhere. Too bad the Falcons don’t get the support of all those from this area, they actually deserve better…a college should get your support if you went to school there. Could care less about people’s thoughts from around here, just funny to see how bizarre things are with the rest of the country. Go Bears-bring a real teams’ fans into the Dome please!
chipontheroad birdsrus
December 16th, 2010
4:50 pm
I went to the peach bowl at fulton county stadium a couple of times brrrrrrrrrr
Mike R.
December 16th, 2010
5:04 pm
bmoney @9:32…..You must be talking about the 1-AA playoff game in Dec of 1989 between Furman and Stephen F. Austin. I was there too. Stood the whole game. Too much snow, sleet, and ice on the seats.
Jacques Strappe
December 16th, 2010
5:09 pm
I would prefer the retractable-roof option, but a dome if retractable is too expensive. I love outdoor football, but the good-weather games are too few. Most games here are the wet/cold variety that are enjoyable only on tv. I for one have not forgotten the shivering suffered in the Fulton County Stadium.
I believe there should be a vote by only season ticket holders, maybe even weighted on cost of tickets. Those who are single-ticket purchasers (which they probably would NOT be on wet/cold sundays) should not be allowed to influence the decision.
JohnnyP
December 16th, 2010
5:09 pm
Is it a given that the GA dome will come down when a new stadium is built? If not, can’t it continue to host all these other events? I understand the Falcons want a spiffier place but it does not mean the GA dome has passed its useful life… just its Falcons’ useful life. If we keep the dome it leaves the Falcons and GWCC folks with fewer restrictions on what the new place will have to accommodate. Of course, the question is then, will there be sufficient income to keep them both going?
26belly
December 16th, 2010
5:47 pm
Build a new stadium…If they make the stipulations the same as it was when Atlanta-Fulton County stadium closed…oh heck yes! Nose-bleed seats, 30-degree weather in December, but heated up and full of liquor, and a snack box from KFC! Oh man, talk about some great times.
As the saying went, “the Georgia Dome is like a big living room with guests you don’t know!”
heartofdarkness
December 16th, 2010
6:41 pm
Whatever the final decision, just do it smart. That would mean build the stadium so that there is no access to public transportation, and lots of surface traffic around the site on a normal, non-game day. In fact, the old Atlanta Fulton County Stadiium site would be perfect. You could absorb all the street level parking for both the Ted and the new stadium.
Fair weather hater
December 16th, 2010
6:45 pm
I’ve always thought that Atlanta had the worst fair weather fans and these comments prove it. Better make it a dome, Arthur, or no one will show up to the games!
Katie
December 16th, 2010
7:46 pm
Football is meant to be played outdoors in the elements! If Lambeau field can fill the seats I would think that Georgia would be able to fill an open air stadium too.
JSS
December 16th, 2010
7:56 pm
@ Bill…
Read it and weep…
http://cynicalpinnacle.com/?p=52
Mike
December 16th, 2010
8:16 pm
Does it matter if it’s a dome stadium or not. Yes. A dome stadium brings in more people. Being comfortable makes a big difference. But it’s not the stadium thats the problem it’s the parking and since MARTA quit going to the stadium people have to walk a long distance to the stadium. Then there is the cost of parking at those out of the way places. Then when you get to your car it has either been broke into or stolen or booted or towed off. We need better and more and closer parking at the stadium.
fish2774
December 16th, 2010
8:29 pm
JSS, that’s a good article. It truly makes sense to build a retractable stadium instead of trying to upgrade the old one. This city couldn’t afford to have and outdoor stadium that would only be used during football season. During the off season the taxpayer’s would foot the bill on a outdoor stadium while a retractable stadium can generate revenue throughout the year by hosting numerous events. makes sense to me…………..
JSS
December 16th, 2010
10:41 pm
@ Fish2774…
Thanks, he certainly breaks it down… Arthur is going to have pony up more assets or actually finance the whole thing if he wants something different it seems…
Jay
December 16th, 2010
10:49 pm
Fans do watch UGA and GT games outdoors, but their season is over before it really gets cold in this area.
Bill
December 17th, 2010
8:21 am
JSS: I read the article and didn’t weep. The article indicates that many BC taxpayers are not happy paying for a retractable roof for a stadium especially when there are more important priorities, that there have been major cost overruns and that there could have been cheaper options. All facts. It’s simply an option for Mr. Blank (hopefully not GA taxpayers) to consider given that the GA Dome is a perfectly good facility.
jw
December 17th, 2010
10:11 am
In an open air stadium, I wonder if Arthur Blank would be so quick to be on the field for those very important TV shots he gets at the Dome? Cold weather messes up those Italian suits – plus he doesn’t strike me as a heavy wool coat and hat kind of guy – he just wouldn’t come off as being the cool, suave multi-millionaire in a Lombardi like woolen coat and Landry type hat.
With an 18 game season looming – January/February weather would be brutal – plus he’s taking away an advantage that we have in the Georgia Dome –
Don’t do it Arthur – just strong arm the group running the Congress Center – they will cave in, they can’t afford to lose tenants in the Dome. Trade some 2×4’s for some concession money.
JSS
December 17th, 2010
8:44 pm
@ Bill…
They (the BC voters) are unhappy and the next provincial elections are going to be a blood bath… Unlike GA where the General Assembly gave Arthur Blank as close to a $725 million dollar tax credit last March, the other $400-600 million will have to come from him now… The Municipal Bond markets are not going to let him get away with only carrying 20% of a stadium financing scheme… Bernie Madoff would blush at the proposed financing scenarios being floated by Rich McKay to community leaders…
Conner Huffman
December 22nd, 2010
6:34 pm
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many babies in my life before. THIS IS GEORGIA!!!!!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE HIGH IS FOR DECEMBER AND JANUARY?? 50-55 degrees. On average, it doesn’t get down much further then 30 at night. Yeah, there are times when the temperature is down in the teens and 20’s but not often in late fall, early winter. Having an outside playoff game in Georgia in January wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Are all you southern folk really that much of a baby to not go out in 30 or 40 degree weather for 3 hours? Were not talking about Chicago, Minnesota, or New England. Were talking about GEORGIA. We don’t get blizzards, heck we hardly get snow for that matter. Get over yourselves!