This just in: Atlanta, Ga., is NOT a lousy sports city!
We get interested in college football pretty early down here. (AJC photo by Sunny Sung)
For reasons unclear, I’m occasionally called to converse via radio with an audience in some other town. Invariably I’m asked, “Why is Atlanta such a bad sports city?” And invariably I’ll say this:
“Actually, Atlanta isn’t a bad sports city.”
When folks in other places think of Atlanta sports, they see the empty seats at Braves playoff games or they recall the Falcons and their wild mood swings. (Sometimes they even think of the Hawks. Not the Thrashers, though.) But there’s more to Atlanta sports than the teams that carry the word “Atlanta” on their jerseys. We’re about to see it yet again.
Georgia Tech opens its season against Jacksonville State on Saturday. Georgia, which technically isn’t based in Atlanta but which has something of an Atlanta following, plays Oklahoma State in Stillwater that day. And that night Alabama and Virginia Tech, each ensconced in the top 10, meet under the off-white roof of the Georgia Dome.
And that’s my argument: We might be fickle and trendy when it comes to our pro teams, but when it comes to colleges we aren’t the worst sports city in these United States. We’re the best.
Says Gary Stokan, president of the Atlanta Sports Council: “I tell people all the time that our two biggest pro teams are Georgia and Georgia Tech.”
And it’s not just UGA and Tech. We have alums from everywhere. Take a lap around the Perimeter on an autumn weekend, and you’ll see cars bound for Athens, yes, but also farther north to Clemson. And east to Columbia. And west to Tuscaloosa. And north to Knoxville. And south to Gainesville. And southwest to the loveliest village. One lap and you’ll see so many different flags fluttering from vehicles you’d swear you’d happened upon a mobile United Nations.
Only that’s the thing: We’re not united in our collegiate loyalties. We’re split a dozen different ways. That doesn’t mean we care any less about sports. It just means that, unlike hardy New Englanders, we don’t all hang on Papelbon’s next delivery.
What outsiders fail to grasp is that we Atlantans don’t exactly ignore our pro teams. (Even when there were empty seats at Turner Field in October, did anyone among us not follow the games?) But there’s only so much disposable income and so many fan-hours in a week.
“That’s one thing people don’t consider,” says Khalil Johnson, who just retired as general manager of the World Congress Center and the Georgia Dome. “There’s so much money going out of this town on Saturday afternoons.”
Loading ...But plunk a big-time college game under the off-white roof and see how many empty seats you espy. The SEC championship is an automatic sellout. Ditto the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Ditto the new Kickoff Classic, which this year comes on a weekend when the Braves are home and NASCAR is running at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
I’ve been around this nation of ours, and I can tell you there’s no other major city — not New York, not L.A., not Chicago, not Boston, not Dallas — that behaves as we do on autumn Saturdays. Simply put, we care more about college football than we do about anything else, which isn’t to say we don’t care about the other stuff. But our roots to the college game simply run deeper.
Think of it this way: Bobby Dodd and Vince Dooley were coaching against one another when the Braves were still in Milwaukee. Dodd was coaching against Wally Butts when the Braves were based in Boston.
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197 comments Add your comment
Sanford Drive
August 31st, 2009
7:43 pm
Pulling for a team in a foot snow doesn’t make you a true fan. It makes you an idiot.
Mike L.
August 31st, 2009
7:50 pm
If you factor in that we get 20,000 for North Gwinnett versus Parkview(or, fill in the blanks), we have plenty of sports passion here. Also, we play the games here. Some dork from Boston is sitting in Fenway watching kids fromGeorgia and Alabama a lot more than they’ll ever see a Boston native on the field.
MightyQuinn
August 31st, 2009
8:19 pm
Someone mentioned it earlier, but if you want proof Miami is a lousy sports town, turn on the Braves game and look at that “crowd.” And talking about a New York media bias, it almost never gets mentioned that when Bobby Thompson hit the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” there were twenty thousand empty seats watching the playoff game for the right to go to the World Series. Or that when Maris hit sixtyone on the last day of the season, Yankee Stadium was well less than half full. And if it had been Jeter/A-Roid instead of Cabrerra/Bream it would be on every half hour on ESPN.
SthrnSrvy
August 31st, 2009
8:21 pm
I factor in the fact “if that’s possible” that the SEC/ACC rules Atlanta. Period
*note that SEC is first, sorry, it reigns supreme folks.
Gratefuldawghead
August 31st, 2009
8:22 pm
Athens the best sports town in GEORGIA!
Navigator
August 31st, 2009
8:31 pm
Ignorance leads the world, and sports are no different. When they talk about the Braves not selling the last of a few bad seats, ESPN is first to point that out. They fail to point out that a local metro area puts 3,000,000 in the stands every year, and yeah the Yankees usually put 4,500,000. Yeah but there are 9,000,000 people supporting the franchise, and ours is less than half of that. On Mike and Mike (ESPN) before the baseball season was well underway, they were talking about the worst sport cities, and of course Atlanta was mentioned. I have no idea where they determine these things, but facts seem to be lacking. On a weekend of good games, UGA, Tech and the Falcons could easily put 225,000 fans in the seats on one weekend.
Hammer22
August 31st, 2009
8:37 pm
Dont forget about the sleeping giant that is slowly waking in Georgia State Football. We have 30,000 students in downtown Atl everyday.
Let’s discuss more of this at the GSU sports’ blog http://boards.caazone.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20
Josh
August 31st, 2009
8:45 pm
“Hammer” nobody does or will care about GSU football. It will NEVER compare. Look at the dork school next door, they can’t even sell out their high school stadium unless UGA or FSU is in town and when that happens, its at least half UGA/FSU.
GT Falcon
August 31st, 2009
8:51 pm
MB,
Great read. Those who complain that we have a dome are crazy. As a season ticket holder i know there are really only about 2-3 games a year when i would want to be outside. After tailgating in 90 or 30 degree weather for a few hours, there is nothing better than a dome…also tech sells more than 18,000 tickets per home game.
Hammer22
August 31st, 2009
8:56 pm
Josh, I’m assuming you are one of those uga idiots. Your comment is not even worth responding to.
Josh
August 31st, 2009
8:58 pm
GT Falcon they still don’t sellout, EVER (minus UGA/FSU). In fact did they not make the stadium SMALLER a few years ago? How sad. Maybe they could do a promo…..if you get mugged by the good ole thugs downtown, you get a free ticket and ice pack.
Josh
August 31st, 2009
8:58 pm
Why is that “Hammer?” Because I spoke the truth?
Mark Bradley
August 31st, 2009
8:59 pm
In a perfect world, the Dome would have a retractable roof. And maybe Mr. A. Blank’s next stadium will.
Hammer22
August 31st, 2009
9:01 pm
Josh, I’m assuming you are one of those uga idiots. Your comment is not even worth responding to.
We folks at GSU have a little more class than you. Stay in backroad where you belong.
Josh
August 31st, 2009
9:07 pm
Ha ha. “Hammer” I have my bachelor and masters degree and make more then you ever will, I assure you. All you people have at GSU is crime.
Mr. GPS
August 31st, 2009
9:12 pm
Ah, Clemson. North till you smell it; east till you step in it!
game day girl
August 31st, 2009
9:22 pm
Good article Mark Bradley! Now I can’t wait for Saturday Game day!! I love fall in the south. Nothing like it!
Mitch C
August 31st, 2009
9:27 pm
Mark, I cant claim to watch football or college sports, but here are my thoughts.
In the early 1990s, the Braves had very passionate fans. However, it seemed that as the decade wore on, and we got into the 21st century, that Braves fans became less interested. It’s very rare that Turner Field has any electricity anymore, even though we all know the Braves are only mediocre to maybe good now.
As for the Hawks, until the last two years, they were bad for nearly a decade before that. Phillips Arena was deadville. It was embarrassing to watch games there. It’s gotten somewhat better during the playoffs the last two years.
I lived in NY for 29 years, and fans there lived and died on their teams. I’ve since moved to PA, and even when I go to Philly to see the Braves, the Philly fans are very passionate. Atlanta fans aren;t like NY or Philly fans, but they do enjoy their sports when teams are good.
Atlanta has plenty of good sports. I wouldnt say it is lousy by any means.
Mitch
Stan
August 31st, 2009
9:41 pm
Mitch if NY people “lived and died” by their teams, why were Shea and Yankees Stadium barely half full when the teams were bad in the 80’s and 90’s? Same with Philly.
GTFan
August 31st, 2009
9:44 pm
Hey Pensacola dawg,
You will be suprised at how much Tech fans I am seeing nowadays. I am proud to say I am a Tech Fan. The Hawks, and Thrasers suck!! I don’t even hear about them at all. And, the Braves…..they choke every year! I don’t even keep up with them because they do the same crap. But, whatever your college football team is, I am just glad college football is back in a couple of days.
AtlantaSportsFan
August 31st, 2009
9:49 pm
It is sad. About 85% of the comments are meaningful and well received. The other 15% are ignorant Bulldog fans spouting their mouth off. Take a hint from your fellow UGA fans that have contributed insightful comments without resorting to insults.
Concerning the blog, I agree with several comments about the generations rooted in other cities. Atlanta will eventually get to the point where a majority of the residents support the Atlanta pro teams. My parents are originally from the North (resided in Atlanta 28 years now), and it took them several years to begin following the pro teams here. Eventually, they grew into passionate fans, which has trickled down to myself along with my brothers. I felt the same way after I graduated from Tech and moved to Charlotte and Nashville. You can not just simply cut ties with your original home team; it takes time. Luckily I made my way back to Atlanta to cheer on both GT teams and Atlanta pro teams.
Stan
August 31st, 2009
9:56 pm
“AtlantaSportsFan” is a homo.
brad
August 31st, 2009
10:07 pm
Dont forget that Valdosta was voted the Nation’s Best Championship city by EPSN veiwers!!!
George P
August 31st, 2009
10:11 pm
I think the strength of high school football in the state is a big part of why college ball is so strong. I’m in Louisville now, and Kentucky doesn’t have the ingrained love of football we do. They all love UK, except here in town, where maybe a third of them love the U of L, but they don’t pack high school stadiums on Fridays (except for two private schools here).
Atlanta has only been a “major league town” for forty years. The Crackers used to play to a packed house every game.
Finally, in the early ’80s I used to take MARTA to twenty to thirty Braves games a year. General admission, which was the whole outfield, was only $2.50, so it was a cheap night’s entertainment. We took the train to Georgia State and walked the rest of the way. It’s not a much longer walk to Turner Field. I bet you’ll find a lot of people making that walk for every home game now.
Mike B
August 31st, 2009
10:20 pm
I live and die Atlanta sports. The problem is, I am tired of being let down in the big game. The Braves win thier division 14 years in a row and only 1 world series title. The Falcons in The super Bowl in 98 didn’t turn out so well either. The Hawks are turning things around after losing Blaylock, Mutumbo, and Laettner back in 99 I think it was. Atlanta fans get thier hopes up just to be let down it seems like, and the fans are just ready to be winners for the first time since 95. A couple of years ago the Celtics won the NBA Finals while the Red Sox took the World Series, and The Patriots Went 16-0 before losing on the final play of the Super Bowl. My point is Boston fans seem like great fans because thier teams are winning. Atlanta really dont go spending all of our money on big names like other teams like the Yankees or Phillies or the Cowboys atlanta tries to do it with Farm systems and such. And whats up with Atl trading Mark Texieria? That kinfa thing makes me mad. Trading Andruw Jones, John Smoltz,Tom Glavin, and Greg Maddox makes us mad too these players are ours. Atlanta just needs to WIN WIN WIN
Najeh Davenpoop
August 31st, 2009
10:46 pm
After attending a game at Citi Field a couple of weeks ago and seeing the number of empty seats there, at an important division game in which the Mets’ best pitcher was on the mound, I can safely say cities like New York which have much better reputations for sports fans are in fact just as fickle as Atlanta.
I think a huge reason why Atlanta’s pro sports teams don’t receive the level of support in the form of ticket sales that the college teams do is because of the nature of metro Atlanta when compared to cities up North. Metro Atlanta is (unfortunately) a very spread out city, and people don’t feel like driving 40-50 miles from the boondocks in bumper to bumper traffic to watch games, especially since MARTA is not a very reliable alternative. In cities like New York, Philly, Boston etc. people from across town can just get on the subway and make it to the game pretty easily.
George Bush
August 31st, 2009
11:24 pm
I just wanted to say that I believe that Athens is the best sports town in the entire state of Atlanta!
David
August 31st, 2009
11:24 pm
Grew up here… my dad started taking me to Falcons games in the late 70’s- watched the Braves when I was a kid too. We weren’t all that good those days, but I loved it. Now? We’ve got UGA and Tech programs that are both pretty good and a stones throw from each other. There is not a month of the year when some local team isn’t in the hunt for the playoffs or something. For someone to think we are not that great of a sports town… what do they know anyway?
Sure, I wish we sold out more games than we do, but in what city can you always grab some friends and go catch a game (without shelling out a grand).
Long live Atlanta. I love this town.
Danford Quayle, VP of Potatoe Issues
August 31st, 2009
11:31 pm
Why doesn’t anybody ever ask ME what I think is the best sports town? I’m not a potted plant, after all….
Taurus
August 31st, 2009
11:41 pm
Ok, Atlanta is a really bad sports town. There are way too many fair weather fans. Even when the Braves were consistently winning the division they wouldn’t come out and support them. Even David Justice had to commewnt about the fans. The Falsons would get no love until Vick came and now Matt Ryan. The Hawks would get no love until they made the playoffs. Oh yeah and adding college football to the mix as a sports town, silly. College football in the south is huge period, whether it’s Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and etc. I love the the “A”, but the truth is the truth.
A Sports Fan
August 31st, 2009
11:46 pm
I just wanted to say that the BRAVES SUCK!!! THEY’RE FINISHED!! THEY’RE….
..what?
You say they won tonight?
.
.
.
.
hmmm….
.
.
.
.
.
GO BRAVES!! PLAYOFF BOUND!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!
david
September 1st, 2009
12:11 am
Michigan St.???? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA Now thats funny– big ten (11) cant hold the SEC’s jock strap. Dont go there little green
scottbravesfan
September 1st, 2009
12:14 am
Man when the Phillies played at the Vet there were maybe 17,000 fans at the game. The Sixers haven’t sold out a playoff game in almost a decade. Stop with the crap about how passionate and great the Philly fans are. And the Yankees were outdrawn by the Expos in the 1980s and early 90s so stop with that crap about New York too.
Keith
September 1st, 2009
12:38 am
Re: David. What little green is saying is that the Big Ten loyalty very much rivals in comparison to the loyalty of SEC fans. When you see a stadium filled with 100,000 fans in the bitter cold, that’s a true fan. THat doesn’t mean that Mich St won’t get beat by UGA or Florida, but that the fans are just as solid.
Vick Supporter
September 1st, 2009
1:14 am
Atlanta was a sports town from 2001-2006. When Vick got in trouble, we became nothing again. The fans came to cheer for the Falcons and only the falcons during that great era
GoHomeYankee
September 1st, 2009
1:27 am
As a lifelong Georgia resident , I for one can say that I support the pro teams in atlanta more than college teams, I never understood the big deal about a bunch of 30 and 40 somethings trying desperately to relive their college days by attending games with a bunch of 20 year old college students who only care about getting drunk. The quality of play by college teams is so piss poor compared to their pro counterparts , its almost like getting excited over your kids little league games. Atlanta is a decent pro sports town , but the college fans can grow up and realize that their college days are long gone and its time to watch how the game is supposed to be played then maybe atlanta can reach the attendance levels of the other cities. As far as the transplants go , You are RUINING IT FOR THE REST OF US!!! either root for your new hometown team or go back where you came from , you look like an idiot and a social outcast when you come to turner field in the other teams gear.
Scott
September 1st, 2009
1:38 am
I never got the whole college football thing either. I think it’s just people trying to relive their college and days and people from the middle of no where that have no pro team so they just think that the Alabama Crimson Tide is the greatest thing ever because they have their state’s name on their jerseys.
If you go to the school then by all means root for your team.
Kevin
September 1st, 2009
2:16 am
Its a great sports town we sell out the SEC championship Game every year….do u see ACC sale out in Jacksonville Nope they not a sports town anyway.and they sold out for a ACC Vs SEC game since they started it on day n booom sold out in mins….here at GT its more like a whimper crowds More concerd with school work which is inportant to.But remember if Tech president had a sports fellow AD like do pass Bobby dodd would be always full. Now it take times for get GT fans here some can’t find it (bobby dodd stadium) so u see empty seats at least u have leg room n stuff..lol With tech new coach they should come maybe unless they being held up some where.Are to buzy sayin i should i go n get mugged are stay at home….Anyway reason redsox fans n yankees show up more is fact they winnin more then us (braves) …However what is true these same idiots came out of wood work to support us like crazy after 1991….till 2000…then yankees started winnin n redsox again and all sudden as fast u can say…Honey braves stink lets support are old teams…They return to the form of bed wetters wear there redsox gear n Yankee gear like its a gift from God! Yes we have diehard fans true blue to end…Unless u espn are fox are MLB network then we get blasted as the worst sports town….Maybe we are but dammit we are the Nicest sports time in america Today!
Tokyo jacket
September 1st, 2009
4:10 am
Don’t knock the big ten, those people get football the same way southerners do.
I’m sorry, but to the guy who posted, very eloquently, that we don’t have anything to talk about becasue MIT, Harvard and Boston University all have basketball and hockey teams: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA & LMAO! There are days in September, October, and November when, within a four-and-a half-hour drive of ATL, there are literally a million people in the stands of the stadiums in that circumference.
Think about it. Sept and October will have Bobby Dodd, Sanford Stadium, Death Valley, Doak Campbell, Turner Field, Neyland Stadium, USC(e), Jordan Hare, Bryant Denney, Vandy. In November, we trade the Turner Field for Phillips and several of the basketball arenas around each of the football stadiums. That’s 1/3 of the entire nation’s population in stadiums within a day’s drive of the ATL. We’re not a bad sports town, we’re sports fanatics!
I’m sorry, MIT, Boston U, and Harvard don’t compare; bad argument dude. Actually, if you add up New York, Philly, Jersey and Beantown, I bet you they can’t come anywhere near competing on any given day.
hop
September 1st, 2009
4:16 am
atlanta is a poor sports town who could not sell out during the glory days of the braves while in the play0ff’s.if smaller markets such as cinny,pittsburg,baltimore or kansas city had such a run, they would have drawnj far more fans than atlanta during the braves great run of awesome fourteen year of baseball championships
athens is 70 miles from atlanta and trying to tie that to atlanta is crazy,but if atlanta is such a great college football town why does tech never sell out and this year the only have sold 25000 season tickets sold is awful.
this is after a spendid year for the tickets and clearly shows how bad this town is.
jerry
September 1st, 2009
6:54 am
I wonder what the attendance would look like if the Dawgs has been as unsuccessful as the Falcons have been since their inception and the Falcons had been as successful (if success is playing 500 against your peers and beating the nobodys is success) as the Dawgs have been.
Topp Dogg
September 1st, 2009
7:08 am
Where else can you get a free Camel ride with purchase of GT tickets.
LET THE BIG DAWG EAT!
September 1st, 2009
7:24 am
you mean that 30,000 tech fans at grant field for an acc game is a sign of passion? the only time they sell ot is when we come to atlanta and buy most of the tickets!
Tim Teeball
September 1st, 2009
7:28 am
Atlanta is filled with transplants and tumbleweeds from someplace else, hence the lack of identity with any of the pro teams as a group. Having clucks like Blank as an owner of the Falcons doesn’t help bring fan loyalty either, at least to the Falcons.
The Root
September 1st, 2009
7:38 am
Towns are rated by Pro Sports in this country. This is the only major city in the United States where the college teams are followed important than the Pro teams. Chalk it up to people who are not born here? The bottom line this is the worst sports town in the country.
Topp Dogg
September 1st, 2009
7:41 am
GSU please!They might ask to share B Dodd empty seats or maybe combine teams.This will help pay for CPJ salary and keep him a little bit longer .
SecondSage
September 1st, 2009
7:48 am
Lou said it best. If you look at what people did in the 20s, you will see the loyalties today. All the pro teams were up north. It was city against city, and the teams represented a sort of city pride. Down here, the colleges did the same. The colleges represented the state or region. southerners got their pride from the college teams. As Lou said, generation to generation the tradition was built.
We are starting to get some city pride here in Atlanta, I’m starting with the Hawks. I still have my loyalties in other sports, hard to give up 20+ years of routing for a team. But it does make a difference routing for a team you get to see often, without DirecTv or extra innings.
But one thing Atlanta and Miami have in common, fair weather city brings fair weather fans.
j
September 1st, 2009
8:26 am
Georgia!
j
September 1st, 2009
8:26 am
Southern!
j
September 1st, 2009
8:29 am
Josh, for somebody who has a Masters degree, you sure are a huge douche