Atlanta sports: So lousy we can’t even top the misery index
"Oh, yeah? Well, our one team is better than all four of yours!" (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Not long ago, this correspondent was moved to bemoan the forlorn fortunes of our local pro teams – 149 completed seasons, one championship. Now comes Forbes magazine to make like Smokey Robinson and second the emotion, and I do mean second it.
Forbes rates the nation’s most miserable sports cities, and Atlanta — that’s us, people! — is No. 2!
And who, you’re asking, would be ahead/behind us? Seattle would. And why? Writes Tom Van Riper:
The loss of its NBA club was just enough to nudge Seattle past Atlanta, a city with one sports title in 153 cumulative seasons, to the top of the misery list. Atlanta’s postseason misery is legendary, led by the Braves’ failure to take home a world championship in 13 of 14 playoff appearances from 1991 to 2004.
You might have noticed that Mr. Van Riper’s second sentence above contains an error. The Braves won 14 consecutive division titles over completed seasons — the 1994 season was truncated by the players’ strike — from 1991 through 2005. He also has the Atlanta Hawks reaching the Eastern Conference finals twice, when in fact they haven’t made the Eastern finals at all. (They did make the Western finals in 1969 and 1970.)
And I’m not sure how Mr. Van Riper comes up 153 pro seasons for Atlanta teams. The Braves and Falcons have each been here for 45 seasons, but we can’t count the 1994 baseball year as being completed, can we? The Hawks have logged 42 and the Thrashers 10 — we don’t count 2004-2005, lost to the NHL lockout — and the Flames were here for eight seasons. That adds up to 149 completed seasons, not 153. (I’m sensitive on this point because I, too, miscounted the first time around. We had to run a correction, and woe was I.)
The only way it adds up to 153 is if we count the aborted 1994 baseball season, throw in the NHL lockout and assume the Hawks and the Thrashers won’t win a championship in 2011. And that really would seem to fit the definition of misery: Being ruled out when there are still games to be played.
Oh, and maybe you’re asking: Where’s Cleveland? Astonishingly enough, that charming city ranks only eighth — this with no championships since 1964 — on the Forbes list.
- Seattle
- Atlanta
- Phoenix
- Buffalo
- San Diego
- Houston
- Kansas City
- Cleveland
- Denver
- Cincinnati
I guess the good news is that the only way we could sink below Seattle is to lose one of our teams, and we all know that could never happen. Don’t we, Thrashers fans?
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
234 comments Add your comment
Doug
February 28th, 2011
2:37 pm
First?
Billy Ray Valentine....Capricorn
February 28th, 2011
2:37 pm
What do we have over the rest of these places (with the potential exception of San Diego and Phoenix)? Great weather, pretty girls, and enough sense not to throw away our money following lousy teams. We’re not miserable, we’re indifferent, and that makes us stronger. When the Falcons bow out early, we don’t cry in our beer, knowing it’s another year before our pro team makes us happy. Instead, we go outside and play golf in January, or admire the sundresses in February.
Don’t worry fellow Atlantans, in the end, we win.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
2:38 pm
Kudos, Doug.
Outside Observer
February 28th, 2011
2:38 pm
So close and yet, so many comments away
Brayne Varner
February 28th, 2011
2:41 pm
cool article. im gonna go slit my wrists.
Dr. Warren
February 28th, 2011
2:41 pm
Seems like someone from Forbe’s “borrowed” MB’s article idea. What’s the Picasso line about mediocre artists borrow while great artists steal???
Buckeye
February 28th, 2011
2:41 pm
I hereby extend a warm invitation to join the Buckeye bandwagon. # 1 in NCAA basketball and likely # 1 seed in the Tourney. Consistent top 5 football program with back to back BCS wins and a National Championship that occured more recently than 1980. Come on board while the getting good. Hell, we’re even 1-9 against the SEC!
Brent
February 28th, 2011
2:44 pm
Well stated Billy Ray
Dr. Warren
February 28th, 2011
2:44 pm
Billy Ray, I was back in Atlanta in January. Seems more folks were shoveling snow than knocking golf balls. But if you take a look at that list, there are some very decent places to live. Atlanta, Denver, San Diego, and Seattle. Maybe a GA State professor can do some sort of associative study on that one.
Buckeye
February 28th, 2011
2:47 pm
Can’t we at least claim credit for The Masters? I mean, it’s here in Georgia after all.
Goldenrod
February 28th, 2011
2:48 pm
Luckily for Atlanta, Georgia Tech is far from miserable both on the football field, diamond and basketball court – well, after D-Rad FINALLY fires Paul Hewitt that is!
Gordon
February 28th, 2011
2:49 pm
It just makes it that much more special when we do win.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
2:49 pm
I’m pretty sure Forbes has been doing this a while, Dr. Warren.
Ryder
February 28th, 2011
2:49 pm
Billy Ray makes a great point. This city is nothing like Buffalo or Cleveland, in which fans have miserable weather to go with their miserable teams. To me Atlanta is a big market city and perhaps more should be expected, but I’d take this city over any others on the list. (OK, Houston is close)
If there’s one thing I am disappointed in, it’s that both the Atlanta Hawks and Braves had the Turner media machine behind them and only one one title. Today’s Hawks are more concerned with entertaining on the cheap that actually winning titles.
Fortunately the Braves and Falcons are building something nice for the next few years.
JR
February 28th, 2011
2:49 pm
Wow, Mark! You didn’t even wait two months before another piece of trash article on the state of Atlanta sports. As I said last time, your observations along with Forbes are 100% correct. But you are just way too good of a journalist to waste your efforts in such a crappy town like Atlanta. I am concerned with your mental state having to suffer year after year here in Atlanta writing about sorry sports teams. Please, please for your own mental state, find a job in another city that can better appreciate your talents. I’m really concerned for ya’, Mark. And by the way, “Has money changed you?”
Vixzilla
February 28th, 2011
2:50 pm
Billy Ray – you are wisdom shrouded in a bowl of imbeciles. Also – College football is supreme here. If that makes us lousy fans so what.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
2:52 pm
The one thing I would say (and do, when interviewed, which I occasionally am): The thing nobody from outside grasps is that Atlanta is the best big city for college football, and I’m not just counting Tech and Georgia but Auburn and Clemson and Florida State and Tennessee and Alabama and Florida and South Carolina. That’s where a large chunk of the Atlanta sports fan’s disposable income flows.
Phoenix Falcon
February 28th, 2011
2:52 pm
why is this even a ” story “?
thank you Billy Ray, and ditto what you said for the Great City Of Phoenix.
Fish Bisch
February 28th, 2011
2:52 pm
The Hawks should have drafted Chris Paul.
Magglio DiCapprio
February 28th, 2011
2:53 pm
Braves take it all in the fall!
You heard it here…
Speaking of coming out ahead — first?
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
2:54 pm
Can we please stop talking about Chris Paul?
(Sorry. Little joke.)
Phoenix Falcon
February 28th, 2011
2:56 pm
Enter your comments here
DC
February 28th, 2011
2:58 pm
hmmm DOL joke…
elroy
February 28th, 2011
2:59 pm
AJC- worst columnist in the country. Please make a trade!
Heath
February 28th, 2011
3:00 pm
On the other hand, if we lost the Hawks and Thrashers, we would only lose two championships every year. And you yourself Mark, said that the Falcons would be in the Super Bowl within 3 years, so we have that going for us!
bruce mac
February 28th, 2011
3:00 pm
Welcome to LOSERSVILLE. What a pathetic collection of also rans, near misses and whanabes.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
3:01 pm
Oh, yeah, Heath. Like I know anything. (But thanks for remembering. And they weren’t that far away this year.)
bruce mac
February 28th, 2011
3:02 pm
We could be so lucky as to lose the Thrashers and Hawks. Good ridance to both.
cantondawg
February 28th, 2011
3:02 pm
I think that Atlanta is a great sports town. However, we’ve had more than our share of lousy professional teams. Up until the 90’s , the braves were perenially the worst team in baseball. The Hawks went 7 or 8 years in the 2000’s being lousy and the Falcons never had back to back winning seasons before 2009-2010. However, when those teams were good the fans showed great support. We’re just more inclined to support college sports more than pro sports.
Paul H
February 28th, 2011
3:03 pm
Well said Billy Ray.
Mark, it should bear mentioning that Atlanta is also in the heart of SEC Country. College football reigns supreme here. The passion is directed to college sports first, pro sports second.
Mark Bradley`s Booster
February 28th, 2011
3:04 pm
Mark: I am still your Booster but I disagree with you
and the other writer. This is why: I say just because Atlanta teams do not win championships does not mean they are lousy. Consider all the division championships the Braves won and the Falcons and Hawks recent playoff appearances. Further, look at the winning season records as opposed to losing season records. I believe the definition of lousy teams are those such as the LA Clippers, KC Royals, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, NJ Nets, etc are the truly lousy teams.
Bryan G.
February 28th, 2011
3:05 pm
Mark – I hope you’re not trying to pick another fight with the “Mayor” of Cleveland.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
3:06 pm
I wouldn’t disagree, MB’s Booster. My original post was sort of a kneejerk reaction to the Falcons getting walloped by the Packers.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
3:07 pm
I believe the Mayor of Cleveland has other fish to fry, Bryan G. (Although he did, as I remember, refer to his metropolis as “the city of champions.”)
DC
February 28th, 2011
3:09 pm
Lets add up my favorite sports teams
NFL – Falcons – Disappointing
NBA – Hawks – Disappointing
NHL – Thrashers – Disappointing!
NCAA – Auburn – BCS NC baby!
MLB – Braves – Disappointing
Soccer – Arsenal – Disappointing (for those that dont follow soccer we haven’t won any silverware in over 6 years…thats like 30 years in soccer years….Gunners!)
1 out of 6…
This sucks. Doesn’t seem to be getting any better on the home front…
gtyj2
February 28th, 2011
3:09 pm
I would rather have 1 championship in 153 seasons than be a cleveland fan. How are they below us they havent won anything ever.
Chris Paul
February 28th, 2011
3:09 pm
Sucks to suck ATL
gdawginkalamazoo
February 28th, 2011
3:11 pm
Bradley, he is probably predicting 153 season which would be reasonable. You could write this story a few years and it would then be 153 seasons. At least Atlanta has hot cheerleaders and the weather.
cantondawg
February 28th, 2011
3:13 pm
Bruce Mac,
That’s ridiculous to want to lose a sports franchise. The Thrashers game experience is great but unfortunately the ticket prices are a little too high.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
3:13 pm
But Arsenal has a chance this year, DC. Four points back of Man U., ahead of Barcelona after the first leg.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
3:14 pm
Cleveland did win the the 1964 NFL championship game. Beat favored Baltimore 27-0. Gary Collins caught three touchdown passes. I can still name the Browns’ starters.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 28th, 2011
3:15 pm
What would really be hilarious is if my Detroit Lions make it to the Super Bowl before the Falcons.
The mayor of Cleveland is still plotting against King James.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
3:17 pm
What they say about hockey is absolutely true: It’s the one sport that is disproportionately better when viewed in person.
Scooby-Doo
February 28th, 2011
3:18 pm
With all of those venereal diseases burning his crotch, all of his lost million$ from Arthur Blank and his inability to now (legally) vote or own a firearm, I bet Michael Vick’s “Misery Index” is pretty high.
Of course, the nefarious, pot-smoking Vick is usually pretty “HIGH,” regardless.
DC
February 28th, 2011
3:20 pm
We lost to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final yesterday…it was absolutely pathetic. But, I’m trying to have faith in them..
Nonetheless, I think this list is little off…we are disappointing but not #2. My father living up in NY can attest that Buffalo is pretty bad.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 28th, 2011
3:21 pm
Hey Mark, where did you get that picture of Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers yelling at each other? Cool hat Matty Ice is wearing.
STOP THE NEW OUTDOOR STADIUM!
February 28th, 2011
3:22 pm
How is Houston or Cleveland better than Atlanta? We’ve actually made it the Super Bowl and several World Series.
We simply will not waste our money on crappy teams. Why don’t owners of Atlanta teams get that?
And Please will someone step forward to stop this idiotic plan for an outdoor Falcons stadium! The idea of sitting outdoors in December watching the Falcons choking again is not appealing. Yes Football is meant to be played outdoors……….in Green Bay! But not Atlanta!
Think about it
February 28th, 2011
3:25 pm
Atlanta sees pro-type athletics consistently on the college level with all the SEC schools within a car ride or short commuter flight distance, and even on the local high school scene. Also, as others have mentioned, we have great weather and lots of local recreational opportunities available to us that we prefer over sitting in an overpriced sports venue watching overpaid crybabies playing games. You dont watch bad TV shows because you are a fan of NBC or some other network, so why watch pro sports when the product isnt good?
ATL STEVE
February 28th, 2011
3:27 pm
Billy Ray…ain’t that the truth! Life does go on despite the lack of sports championships!
YardDawg
February 28th, 2011
3:28 pm
It’s about time for some Bobby fan to come on here and rave about all those division “pennants.” You know, the ones that MLB doesn’t even bother to award . . .
ASHCAN.
February 28th, 2011
3:29 pm
Atlanta is ranked #2 because of its lousy divided racist fans and sport reporters.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 28th, 2011
3:29 pm
I’ll bet a dollar that Paul Allen ain’t happy about that ranking. He can buy Forbes and change it though.
DC
February 28th, 2011
3:31 pm
“Think about it”, only problem with that is that the clubs use the sales from tickets to spend on getting players. Braves have the budget they do b/c of the amount of fans show up to the games…along with sponsors etc..but we do matter in the equation of putting a decent product on the field. Not everyone can be the yankees. I am thankful for that!
phil
February 28th, 2011
3:32 pm
Bradley is easily the most negative writer in the country. Belongs in NY. Does this guy EVER find the positive in ANYTHING? That article is crap. The 14 straight division title for the Braves were NOT the work of losers. We didn’t take it all most years but so what. A great run.
Then again, we DO have the Falcons, Thrashers and Hawks to drag us to down repeatedly to the depths of despair. I’m so disgusted in hindsight with the Falcons that I’m not sure i even want to watch em next year. What a sorry performance against the Pack. Pathetic, uncalled for, embarassing but i guess not surprising….
Michael in Dunwoody
February 28th, 2011
3:44 pm
Mark, your continued bias against Cleveland makes me so happy. Thank you.
I’ll say this again because it bears repeating: find me another city that has hosted a Super Bowl, a World Series, NBA/NHL and MLB All Star Games, the SEC Championship Game (some might consider it the National Championship Game), multiple Final Fours, the PGA Championship, and THE OLYMPICS. And Atlanta’s getting the College Football Hall of Fame soon, too.
Atlanta may not have many professional sports championships, but it is far from a miserable sports city.
ASHCAN.
February 28th, 2011
3:47 pm
@ phil,i was trying to tell everyone that the falcons was setting there fans up flying there hopes up high to doo doo in there face.What a sting from bird droppings 200+ yards in the air falling down on peeps face.no wonder they call them turdy birds.
Walker, Texas Ranger
February 28th, 2011
3:50 pm
As long as Cleveland is not number 1, then I can’t believe this ranking. This must have been compiled before Lebron left. Our only championship, we beat Cleveland. Little did we know, that World Series would be the Super Bowl of Miserable.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
February 28th, 2011
3:51 pm
Mark, does this mean that Atlanta is so bad, that its actually very good? I now have something else to ponder along with broad jumps and 40 times.
Buckeye
February 28th, 2011
3:54 pm
Mark,
Frank Ryan # 13, Gene Dickerson # 66, Ernie Green # 48 and Gary Collins # 86 to name a few.
Admit it Mark, you’re a Buckeye at heart!
Walker, Texas Ranger
February 28th, 2011
3:55 pm
This whole list is like a beauty contest with Phyllis Dillar, Bea Arthur and Abe Vigoda as the contestants.
STRETCH
February 28th, 2011
3:59 pm
gdawginkalamazoo,
The Lions will NEVER make it to the Superbowl before the Falcons because of the fact they went in the 98 season. Remember the Dirty Birds?
Hope springs eternal
February 28th, 2011
4:04 pm
I’m starting to like the Hawks’ trade.
Maybe Sund’s a decent GM after all.
MB article to follow in a few days, I’m sure.
I may try a new handle today shortened to Hope.
Funny the Heat let themselves get beat.
Hope springs eternal
February 28th, 2011
4:11 pm
That index is a joke.
Cleveland is the most miserable.
Losing Lebron should have sealed the top spot for them.
And no town has a more insulting monicer: mistake by the lake. ha ha.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 28th, 2011
4:17 pm
Stretch, Not in the history of the teams as Detroit used to rock the old football league in the 50’s, Bobby Lane etc. At least that’s what I have read. I mean in the future. Let’s say starting today. Of course who could forget those dirty birds chasing the undercover police chicks around the night before the big game. Classic.
I do believe though that if “Lake effect snow” can have an outcome on your football game then Cleveland and Buffalo should be 1 & 2.
TM
February 28th, 2011
4:22 pm
Thank God for Seattle!
Hope springs eternal
February 28th, 2011
4:23 pm
Anyone else wonder what the Bills would have done had the damn kicker made the kick vs the Giants in their first Superbowl? I think they would have won three or four and been a dominant team like Dallas.
Hope springs eternal
February 28th, 2011
4:24 pm
Phoenix should not be third.
They are newcomers to suffering.
Not enough of a body of work to make the top ten.
Atlanta United
February 28th, 2011
4:24 pm
Atlanta…Imagine if we could buy alcohol on Sunday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TOM_UuQzc0
Hope springs eternal
February 28th, 2011
4:26 pm
And Seattle doesn’t care.
They either work for MSFT or bought the stock when it was an IPO.
jerry
February 28th, 2011
4:26 pm
What about Brooklyn? They lost the Dodgers, all they had.
jerry
February 28th, 2011
4:27 pm
And now the “Duke” is gone.
jerry
February 28th, 2011
4:29 pm
I bought some alcohol on Sunday about 40 years ago. Got me in trouble.
purple gorrila
February 28th, 2011
4:33 pm
It’s just a typical northeastern snubbing of their nose at the south and the west. Tell me what other cities have a baseball team that is in it every year, the football team is a top competitor in the NFL. The Hawks, though they have no realistic shot of winning it are in the final 8 the last two years. We have a hockey team, I guess that should say something. Outside of that we have hosted just about every major professional and collegiate sporting event in addition to the occasional PGA tour comes tour comes through town. Tell me how Cleveland, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, etc…
Also, arent’ we being penalized for having sports teams in this account. KC doesn’t have basketball or hockey so they aren’t docked as many points. I bet those people wish they had teams as strong as the Braves and Falcons and had the other sports to root for. Lamenes! I’d say Forbes is the number 2 magazine that I wouldn’t want to have a subscription to anyway.
Wollybugger
February 28th, 2011
4:36 pm
Mark:
What about the Atlanta Silverbacks who brought how the “Willie B” cup in soccer (or was it kickball) back in the 90’s and the Atlanta Xplosion professional women’s football team that brought home the “Rosie O’Donnel” trophy?
I also believe the Marthasville Mauraders won a title in 1842 before the city changed it’s name. Before that, Terminus was known as the “winnersville” of the 1830’s deep south.
TruthSeeker
February 28th, 2011
4:39 pm
Everyone talks about Cleveland, but I would submit that Atlanta has suffered more postseason misery than any other city in North America. Our teams don’t just lose in the postseason, they lose epically.
Braves: 18 winning seasons and 15 playoff appearances since 1991 and only one World Series. 1996 was the worst chokejob, but 1997 and 1998 were pretty bad too. Then losing four straight NLDS’s from 2002 to 2005 when they had home-field advantage in every series…mindboggling.
Falcons: Got blown out in their one and only Super Bowl. This year suffered the worst blowout loss ever by a No. 1 seed. (It looks a tiny bit more respectable in hindsight considering the Packers won the Super Bowl.)
Hawks: Lost in the Eastern semis in ‘94 and ‘99 to lower-seeded teams. In fact, they weren’t even competitive in either one of the series’. Then the Orlando debacle last year which was the worst blowout in NBA playoff history.
Thrashers: Swept in their only playoff appearance by a lower-seeded team
The only reason Atlanta’s postseason failures don’t get talked about as much is because we haven’t had the narrow, heartbreaking defeats that Cleveland has suffered. But I defy you to find me a city that has seen its sports teams implode as consistently and as spectacularly on the big stage as Atlanta’s has.
AFDawg
February 28th, 2011
4:44 pm
Goldenrod, Unfortunately GA Tech falls under the Atlanta curse too — only one NCAA Team National Championship in its entire history. How can that even be possible for a school with such a fertile recruiting base and longstanding tradition? I’m telling you — Atlanta is under a spell when it comes to sports. I say its time to perform an exorcism.
Skeezix
February 28th, 2011
4:46 pm
Mark: All Atlanta has is the Braves. It should be a modern day “Mecca” of sports. It is pretty depressing when you think about it. Man, what a downer. And no woman around to comfort me, to dry my tears.
Oh well………….I guess I’ll go have a drink now.
glsjunior
February 28th, 2011
4:49 pm
We suck again!
Coach Grohbo
February 28th, 2011
4:50 pm
If Athens was large enough, it would be #1.
purple gorrila
February 28th, 2011
4:50 pm
So, it’s better to not have a winning season than to do well but not quite win it all. Give me a break!
purple gorrila
February 28th, 2011
4:51 pm
Ummm, in Athens we have numerous championships. So back off there coach Grohbo
sidewalk 74
February 28th, 2011
4:52 pm
Hey Mark,
Read the article again. It states that Seattle has 1 title in 153 seasons not Atlanta.
The Sonics won the NBA title in the late 70’s.
Desperation on the Ave
February 28th, 2011
4:52 pm
Man oh man…….
how about that THUG baseball player at Tech. Wow. DUI??? Really??
What kind of athletic program is being run at Tech??
Buncha T.H.U.G.S.
MF
February 28th, 2011
4:52 pm
Great points Billy Ray! If the Falcons lose on a Sunday in november, I can’t sulk about it too long. I can just go on my back porch and drink a beer in the sun and everything is ok in the world. Can’t say that about Philly or Boston.
Coach Grohbo
February 28th, 2011
4:55 pm
They don’t count the sissy sports.
Sorry, Athens is even worse in futility than Atlanta.
Coach Grohbo
February 28th, 2011
4:59 pm
Ave,
How IS that Georgia baseball team doing on the field?
Doug
February 28th, 2011
5:09 pm
Purple gorrilla = coach grohbo = jerry
all same person, blogging to self
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
5:11 pm
I did read it again, sidewalk 74. And it still says: “Atlanta, for instance, has compiled 153 MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL seasons while winning one championship, the 1995 Braves.”
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
5:12 pm
Gene Hickerson, Buckeye. Not Dickerson.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
5:13 pm
And it’s good to see esteemed colleague D. Orlando Ledbetter chiming in from the combine. D-Led grew up in Cleveland and works in Atlanta.
"Chef" Tim Dix
February 28th, 2011
5:20 pm
Agree with you Mark, that Atlanta is ground zero for college football.
StingerSplash
February 28th, 2011
5:30 pm
Phoenix? Seriously? Phoenix?
San Diego should be removed from the list because, well, it’s San Diego. As Lewis Black said, the easiest job in the world is to be the weatherman in San Diego. Today’s forecast: Nice. Back to you.
I’d put Buffalo and Cleveland’s torture above Atlanta’s because I’ve been to Buffalo and Cleveland and … to be nice, Atlanta they ain’t. I mean, their fans have to live in Buffalo and Cleveland, for crying out loud. Atlanta fans live in Atlanta, where there are trees and tons of pretty women. I’ll sacrifice a championship or two or three for that. Any day. All day.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
5:33 pm
I’m still a Braves fan but I love the picture of the young Packer telling the old Dawg/Falcon fan where to go.
Then the Packers broke all the Dawg/Falcon fans hearts, stomping them with their second team (because of all their injuries).
Lovely.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
5:35 pm
Just think where Georgia basketball might have gone had Dooley just given Tubby a raise before Ky swiped him.
Too bad.
Doug
February 28th, 2011
5:41 pm
McGarity has cursed the state!!
Coach Grohbo
February 28th, 2011
5:43 pm
Phoenix has won a World Series and an NFC Championship this decade.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
5:48 pm
And very close to winning the Superbowl.
Their fall since then shows again how important the QB is.
Phoenix should not even make the list.
Small fries in suffering.
Cleveland should be #1.
Mistake by the Lake.
Who else gets insulted like that?
Dan
February 28th, 2011
5:50 pm
“Atlanta is the best big city for college football…” Not with the Nerds playing ball there.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
5:52 pm
Answer: Goff, Curry and Shula.
Name three college football players who never should have gotten the head coach job at their alma maters without much more experience.
dawg4u
February 28th, 2011
5:54 pm
Good article Mark. The thing that is so frustrating is that even Bobby Cox says that the ‘95 WS team wasn’t his best. The ‘93 Braves that won 104 games was probably the best but lost in the first round to the Phils. The great choke was in ‘96 against the Yanks and of course the ‘98 team that won 106 games and lost to the Padres in the first round I believe. I am surprised that Buffalo is ahead of us because at least the Braves won one WS, but the Bills never won the Super Bowl. Did Buffalo win a world championship in anything?
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
5:55 pm
Since Herchel, the hated Gators have three football NCs and two basketball NCs.
And half the Uga fan base is too young to remember your one from 1980.
There is no thrill like the NC.
Five count em five.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
5:56 pm
Forbes hates the south.
Phoenix should not make the list.
Bills should be higher.
What could be worse than being so close 4 times and never winning it all?
Coach Grohbo
February 28th, 2011
5:59 pm
Being close 13 times and not winning it all. Go Braves.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:00 pm
Say why didn’t some Dawg fan kick a$$ on that punk packer fan for picking on the old man?
Otto
February 28th, 2011
6:01 pm
Native southerners are generally College Football or Basketball fans. Pro sports have never done well in the deep south. I do not expect that to change anytime soon. The transplants generally are fair weather on the local team but may show up for their hometown.
College however if you look at the size of Football stadiums, and the SEC hold on the BCS CG and then UNC, Duke, UK, and UF in basketball The south does very well.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:02 pm
Oh many of those 13 years you knew they hadn’t jelled and were not going to win.
One beats the Bills none.
No Superbowls kept Mark Levy from being recognized as a great coach.
Mark Bradley
February 28th, 2011
6:04 pm
I agree that the 1993 Braves were the best of the bunch, dawgfu. They just got outplayed by the Phils. Sometimes it happens.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:05 pm
What the hometown and college of the Forbes writer.
He knew to dump on the South with his selection.
Cleveland #1.
Lost Lebron.
Best insult of a nickname: mistake by the lake.
And last championship in 1964?
It’s no contest.
Has to be a northern writer.
Coach Grohbo
February 28th, 2011
6:06 pm
1995 wasn’t a full baseball season. It was shortened by the player’s strike.
Very few people cared about baseball that year.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:07 pm
Mark
What about the roids use by their centerfielder?
I thought he had a great attitude and now we know it was aided by drugs.
We need astericks by WS winners as well.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:08 pm
Wrong year I think.
Strike was 1994.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:09 pm
Braves also beat Cleveland in 1995.
They are so #1 loserville it is ridiculous.
Coach Grohbo
February 28th, 2011
6:10 pm
Mistake by the lake = Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which no longer exists.
Losersville = Entire city of Atlanta, which still very much exists.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:11 pm
BTW why should hockey even count?
I have seen maybe 3 Flames games and none of the Thrashers.
Few in the south care.
Transplants care a lot more than us.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:12 pm
Well well well.
I must have exposed a Cleveland fan.
Thank u Packers
February 28th, 2011
6:13 pm
Better check your stats on which cities are growing (Atlanta) and which are dying (Cleveland and Detroit).
Lebron
February 28th, 2011
6:15 pm
Cleveland or Miami?
Help me decide.
Ha ha ha.
1eyedJack
February 28th, 2011
6:26 pm
Anybody remember the “good ol’ days” when you could buy a general admission seat in the outfield of Atlanta Fulton Co. Stadium and then once inside you could sit anywhere you wanted?
Paul in RDU
February 28th, 2011
6:32 pm
1eyedJack
Early 80’s – I loved those days. Buy a ticket in the “lower pavilion” – wait until the 3rd while you watched the game and spied out your preferred seats near home plate. Walk down the steps with a beer in your hand like you knew where you were going. You were never stopped by the ushers
max money
February 28th, 2011
6:40 pm
what is needed is a state of art, $700 mil new outdoor stadium—that will draw more fans and attract the top free agents, pushing atl to the top! Get busy atlanta and build that stadium–blank’s waiting.
dawg4u
February 28th, 2011
6:45 pm
Paul in RDU
Those were definitely the days and I remember at times you could carry on a conversation with someone 20 rows up. The best line I remember was directed at Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba – “Hey Biff what are you gonna be when you grow up?” Remember the Thursday night one dollar admission prices. Those were some good times.
Supes
February 28th, 2011
6:55 pm
What a craptastic article…too bad you are just throwing gasoline on the FIRE Mark!
Let’s examine the local sports shall we?
FALCONS – Yes the playoff loss still hurts, but all things considered we are on solid ground there. FUTURE is bright!
Braves – With the Phillies in our division, and other teams getting better (watch out for the Nats in the future) still holding our own. Made the playoffs last year. Wealth of young promising ARMS, solid position players at key positions (FREEMAN, McCANN, HEYWARD, PRADO). Future looks bright.
Hawks – Will be in the playoffs, the East is very much top heavy…Heat, Celtics, Bulls, (now Knicks)…what more do u want?
Thrashers – We’ve seen better days…but if NEW ownership arrives there is HOPE.
College – Tech/UGA – both decent (not great but better than many other cities college football/basketball/softball/baseball teams)
So how are we 2nd (you can’t just count CHAMPIONSHIPS) on that list is total CRAP.
Atlanta will be a premiere sports town in the future…it maybe many years down the road, but our pro/college teams will always CONTEND.
hiramsaint
February 28th, 2011
7:00 pm
can’t even get a #1 in that category.-typical
Dejay
February 28th, 2011
8:58 pm
I’ve been preaching this sermon for over a decade now and I’m glad to see that a few are finally echoing my sentiments. Job well done, Billy Ray.
Atlanta is not a bad sports city AT ALL. In fact, I would dare anyone from another place to challenge the loyalty and support that we have for the college football programs we love and adore. You want to tell a UGA fan from Acworth how ‘unsupportive’ they are or a lifelong Vol or Bama fan in Lithonia about being a ‘fairweather’ fan? Better bring some friends if you do. Those colleges were around LONG before the Braves moved in town, Rankin Smith’s $4M check to the NFL for an expansion franchise cleared his account, or the Omni was built. Trying to get us to think otherwise would be like trying to convince Philly fans to run out and buy tickets to see Temple football; over half of them don’t even know they still carry the sport.
While a lot of us do love the pro teams here, they don’t have enough beacon points on their FICO score to get the benefit of the doubt. Just like SEC coaches are put on the hot seat after one too many Music City Bowl appearances, we demand EXCELLENCE when it comes to the teams we follow. Simply put, the pro teams here have to win and win big in order to get us to the building. Anything less than a championship-caliber product and/or having a transcendent superstar will put us back on the golf courses, back to watching what technique the 3rd string left guard has during spring practice at our alma mater, and AWAY FROM THE BUILDING WHERE SAID PRO TEAM PLAYS ITS HOME GAMES. Winning 50 games and getting bounced two weeks later might keep hope alive in one-horse towns like OKC, Sac Town, and Salt Lake but isn’t enough here as Dan Roundfield, Nique, JJ, and Steve Smith will attest. Winning division titles, only to watch (insert NL team here) splash champagne on each other days later might get the fans in a frenzy in Kansas City but isn’t enough here, as Chipper, Glavine, and John Smoltz will surely attest.
Know why? Because unlike those other cities, whose citizens openly crow about their loyalty and undying support, we’ve seen enough losing here, especially in the playoffs, to discern the difference between a playoff phony and the Real McCoy. We don’t spend hard-earned jack on tickets to boo a bad team like they would in Philly or NYC, while the owners laugh in his luxury box because he still gets to take home their $$$. We don’t care about how nostaglic a place their games are being played like they do in Chicago or Boston. We care about the bottom line; THAT’S IT. If we don’t think the local team here has a shot at winning a world title we’re not wasting our time, energy, and $$$ on the product until they do.
And that’s the major issue most (NOT ALL) of us have with the local pro teams. With very few exceptions, our teams have historically been run as sideshow items, an entertainment venture like the WWE. As long as the team is ‘decent’, everything is a-ok in the owners’ minds. In fact, they get disgusted when the place isn’t sold out because in their little world, they did their part (see Gearon, Michael Jr.) and the fans should be kissing their hindparts that they’re over .500, no matter how many draft picks their GM blew or how capped out they are because of bad free agent moves. Nevermind that the team is no closer to winning anything that matters than they were when they were a lottery-bound bunch of misfits.
My only gripe with the fans here is that they’re not as demanding of the pro teams as they are with their college teams. You think folks in NYC would’ve had sendoffs of Bobby Cox after losing in the playoffs 14 out of 15 tries? They fire managers after MAKING the playoffs; just ask Buck Showalter and Joe Torre. You think the folks in Philly would tolerate Don Waddell having anything to do with their hockey team? He’s the sole reason why folks in Quebec City and Winnepeg are salivating at the Thrashers right now. And I really could care less how many times Gearon and his mighty men crow about the Hawks payroll; it still doesn’t excuse them for hiring a GM who’d pass on the likes of Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Al Jefferson, Andre Igoudala, Brandon Roy, Rajon Rondo, and Luol Deng. Wonder why JJ received a $120M extension to stay in town, knowing that he wasn’t worth half the price? Have you taken a look at this roster? They had no other choice but to pay him or have us suffer the indignity of watching Marvin Williams fall over himself in the paint, Josh Smith fight Jamal Crawford over the ball, and Al Horford blow a gasket and demand a trade. But then again, we all know that, don’t we????
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
February 28th, 2011
9:36 pm
Who is the homo that started with this First BS-Get a life loser-LAST
Matt
February 28th, 2011
9:43 pm
The folks at Forbes must be reading Mark Bradley’s blog — he’s a miserable bastard.
Tammy
February 28th, 2011
9:59 pm
Mark Bradley,Ur a D***!!!Why does this even matter!!!!Your just making ATLANTA look like a fool!!!Now go write a article on how ur still a virgin!!!Yes,im a girl.
Tammy
February 28th, 2011
10:01 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn-_b-1dXPo
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
10:02 pm
Tough to say we have great weather with the tornado sirens blaring outside!
I’d rather have snow than have my ass blown across the state.
This survey only matters to people who take sports too seriously. I sat through Super Bowl losses and still had to go to work the next day. It’s sports folks, Bradley has to take it seriously because it’s his paycheck – it’s not yours. If this matters so much to you then move to Pittsburgh with their multiple Super Bolws and Stanley Cup championships. But remember, you will still wake up in Pittsburgh Monday morning.
Since when do we go to Forbes Magazine for sports? That’s what Penthouse is for…..
Red
February 28th, 2011
10:04 pm
I just lost brain cells just reading this. I am now having uncontrolled bowel movements.
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
10:04 pm
dawg4U-Bills won 2 AFL Championships, 64 and 65
hope
February 28th, 2011
10:05 pm
i love the thrashers but the owners are frauds…they are selling out in what could be a great hockey market
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
10:07 pm
Denver has 2 Stanley Cups and Super Bowls in the last 15 years-so why are they on this list. Steve Forbes in not a handicapper in any sport.
Michael
February 28th, 2011
10:12 pm
Can we not count top-level pro soccer teams and double our championship total to two? Since the Seattle Sounders never won the old NASL and haven’t won an MLS Cup, we can gain on them that way! Phoenix, Buffalo and San Diego might even jump us if we include soccer. NEW FORMULA!
KEEPING IT REAL
February 28th, 2011
10:13 pm
Atlanta is last because the city doesn’t push sports in marketing… All major cities support there teams. You can go to Chicago, L.A, New Orleans and as soon as you get in town you know what teams belong to the city..
So it starts with the Mayor and trickles down to the citizens of the city.
Zaza
February 28th, 2011
10:20 pm
What about the Atlanta Chiefs?
Unsportsmanlikeconduct
February 28th, 2011
10:20 pm
Lets face it people…espn, forbes, etc. always knock Atlanta sports and their fans because we are a city full of transplants… Or in other words, many don’t support our professional teams because their azzes are too busy supporting their own home teams… Really, how many people actually get on their high horses and move to cleveland?
deezanuts
February 28th, 2011
10:20 pm
What people seem to forget is that Atlanta is an implant city. How many people who actually live in Atlanta are even from the state of Georgia? I would say about 20% at the most. These people are loyal their hometeams and also cheer for Atlanta when they are doing good.
Ed
February 28th, 2011
10:21 pm
The Hawks are a wet fart snoozefest. Who cares.
The Thrashers are ok but have terrible ownership.
The Falcons are sometimes exciting but hard to get behind 100%. I really like the Falcons, but there’s just something about them that keeps me from getting completely on board. Sometimes I think its the dome. I hate that place. This is Georgia, for chrissakes. Build a regular stadium and play football outside on the grass. And a retractable roof dome is not a stadium. Its a retractable roof dome.
The Braves are still the best sports attraction in this city for me. Liberty Media isnt an ideal owner, but it could be worse. And the team dynamic is outstanding, the leadership is fantastic, and the young talent is exciting. These guys still make me love baseball, and they are the only team in the city that I will repeatedly pay money to go see in person. I love you, Braves.
Thanks for letting me share.
Dose of Reality
February 28th, 2011
10:22 pm
Lets face it people…espn, forbes, etc. always knock Atlanta sports and their fans because we are a city full of transplants… Or in other words, many don’t support our professional teams because their azzes are too busy supporting their own home teams… So really, how many people actually get on their high horses and move to cleveland?
Dose of Reality
February 28th, 2011
10:22 pm
Lets face it people…espn, forbes, etc. always knock Atlanta sports and their fans because we are a city full of transplants… Or in other words, many don’t support our professional teams because their azzes are too busy supporting their own home teams… Really, how many people actually get on their high horses and move to cleveland?
deezanuts
February 28th, 2011
10:25 pm
Mark how about you go jump off spaghetti junction seriously. the ajc sucks with articles like these. i wouldn’t even consider you a journalist. I can tell he must be an undercover guy from midtown who secretly plays with his peter and supports the New Orleans STANKS!!
scott
February 28th, 2011
10:26 pm
what??new orleans not on the list??it should be..all in all i have never been so dissapointed in the Atlanta teams till january 15th 2011 when the falcons failed to show up in a ROCKIN GEORGIA DOME!!THE CROWD WAS READY BUT THE FALCONS WERE NOT!!!THE GEORGIA DOME ROOF WAS ABOUT TO COME OFF FROM THE NOISE AND THE FALCONS LET US DOWN ..THATS WHY FANS HERE HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING BEHIND THE TEAMS HERE WIN BABY AND WATCH THE RESULTS!!!ATLANTA IS HUNGRY FOR A WINNER !!THE FALCONS WERE HOPE FOR THE METRO AREA THIS YEAR AND THE LET US DOWN..build an outdoor stadium and watch it get worse please arthur blank do a retractable roof..i will not spend money to broil , or freeze in Atlanta weather
Angie O'Plasty
February 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
oil well…..
willnrva
February 28th, 2011
10:36 pm
How did Denver end up on the list? Two superbowls and lots of success with the the Avalanche winning two Stanley Cups in recent history. Also the Rockies have done fairly well since their inception albeit no championships.
Peter
February 28th, 2011
10:52 pm
Please would you rather root for the Braves ….or the Reds, or the Indians or the Mariners….How about the Falcons or the Browns the Sea hawks or the Bills ?
Who made up this silly stuff…..some guy with an ego problem wanting to point out his team is better, or his town is better ?
We have two legitimate teams here the Braves and the Falcon’s……
Hawks and Thrashers are a joke, but all goes as management goes………the Spirit suck as owners period.
Vick Supporter
February 28th, 2011
10:55 pm
We haven’t been sh!t since Vick left…
mike
February 28th, 2011
10:58 pm
if the sports arenas were outside the city of atlanta it would be a lot better. I like sports but do not attend because of the traffic and being channeled into unsafe areas after the games by apd
Yoyo
February 28th, 2011
11:01 pm
Seattle? What have they done lately? Why are we at #2? Who dies and let Forbes in charge? Why aren’t we #1? Atlanta should be by far the #1 sports town which can never win a championship. If you do not believe me, just ask the falcons or braves and soon hawks or threshers. The dreams deserve better.
John Schuerholz
February 28th, 2011
11:05 pm
You will be happy with division titles.
-John Schuerholz
Stew
February 28th, 2011
11:13 pm
We have fantastic surounding counties to Atlanta. Big sport fans but no one wants to go to downtown Atlanta to see pro sports. Thats The problem.
tommy
February 28th, 2011
11:18 pm
DUH!!!! our teams always give up in the playoffs!! ALL OF THEM!!! They wonder why our fans dont leave the house……. WE ARE ASHAMED OF THE LAZINESS OF ATLANTA TEAMS DURING THE PLAYOFFS!!!!!!
Robert
February 28th, 2011
11:21 pm
Thanks Mark. As a native Atlantan living in Seattle for the last ten years I was already bummed out about the seemingly non-stop rain and cloudy days; not to mention being unemployed for more than a year. Now you tell me my two sports cities are on the bottom of the barrel. Thanks for the good cheer!
Rx
February 28th, 2011
11:22 pm
The validity of such a list depends on the criteria. Some folks would have Dallas at the top of the list. How could a sports town worth its salt run out of strippers during Super Bowl week?
mirandalambert2012
February 28th, 2011
11:23 pm
The Hawks made the Conference (Western) Final in 1970 (not 1969). Perhaps you meant to refer to the 1969-70 season. That year the Hawks beats the Bulls in 5 games and then lost in the western final in four games to the Lakers.
tommy
February 28th, 2011
11:28 pm
oh yea. The City of Atlanta is run by uneducated crooks that only get a position because of their race. Unqualified People run this city! Have you been downtown lately??? or in the city ??? it is garbage.
Chuckles™
February 28th, 2011
11:31 pm
It must be a slow Monday for inferior sportswriters, Mark. As you know from radio, the classic ‘what make us a good/bad sports town’ topic is a lazy man’s topic. You’ll get opinions on both sides of the issue, the fans will think they’re defending or trying to diss the city in question, and the hosts don’t have to work. It’s a favorite topic of hung over, pudgy, 40-something sports talk hosts.
You are not one of those guys. I appreciate your opinions, and your knowledge of the sports you cover. It’s a testament to the quality of the AJC’s coverage of sports in general.
And I still think you’d do great on GST with a permanent gig (perhaps with Mike?)
GwinnettDad
February 28th, 2011
11:58 pm
All depends upon how one defines “most miserable sports cities.” I barely know the Thrashers exist. High School Football gets 10 times more publicity than the Thrashers. The Atlanta Hawks get 1/10th of the space that UGA or GA Tech get for college sports. This is a football crazy city that has a pretty good baseball team. The Falcons stadium is sterile, indoors, and ordinary. The Braves stadium is state of the art. But regarding misery, Atlanta fans can’t possibly be as miserable as Cleveland fans. Lebron + 2 Cy Young winners evacuated the city in just three years. Lebron had his evaculation on ESPN. Atlanta knows nothing like it, and no other city does either.
Mitchell
February 28th, 2011
11:59 pm
It says a lot that the primary reason for our collective misery is not the middling Thrashers of the NHL or the underwhelming Atlanta Hawks, who along with the Falcons have certainly given us little to cheer about, but the once mighty Atlanta Braves.
This affirms the belief by most people that greatness in the sports world is measured by post-season performance.
Based solely on that Bobby Cox has no place in the Hall of Fame.
Even if the Braves win the World Series this year, it won’t come close to making up for ‘91, ‘92 and ‘96… not to mention every other year over the past twenty in which the they finished first in their division and choked in the playoffs.
Those three World Series though, that will never go away. Those are wounds that may never be healed.
Word.
Dogham
March 1st, 2011
12:09 am
Last time i checked Seattle has won both an NBA championship and an NHL Stanley Cup (Many, many moons ago)….
Sandra
March 1st, 2011
12:21 am
I’d say we could be number 1. Atlanta has a lot of band wagon fans. I am a St. Louis Cardinal fan first and foremost…then the Atlanta Braves. But to win that many divisions and only have 1 title stinks. Look at the Yankees, even Boston after the curse broke….
JASon
March 1st, 2011
12:24 am
Ranking Atlanta the “2nd most miserable” is a bit ridiculous, but I think we can all see where he is coming from. Atlanta = build-up then let-down, usually in embarassing fashion
philthecat
March 1st, 2011
12:34 am
It doesn’t matter what pro sports teams are in Atlanta, the number one game in this town is Georgia football and they also believe mediocrity is an art form. And their fans are almost as bad as Gator fans. Oh wait, the Gators win championships and kick Georgia’s ass every year. At least they have something to be brag about. Two strikes and crowding the plate.
blue_moon
March 1st, 2011
12:45 am
Forbes needs to take another look at Charlotte!
James
March 1st, 2011
12:55 am
Atlanta sucks as a sports city.
Pete
March 1st, 2011
12:57 am
14 division titles and 1 world series to show for it we are a pathetic sports city.
Terry Forster "fat tub of goo"
March 1st, 2011
1:06 am
How soon we forget the 1968 Atlanta Chiefs.
winnipeg thrashers
March 1st, 2011
1:38 am
maybe when we lose our 3rd hockey team to Canada shorly and yes fingers crossed we will move into first. hopefully unlike most of atlanta Tom Van Riper will actually notice they are gone and care
AFDawg
March 1st, 2011
1:39 am
Coach Grohbo, You sound jealous of all of UGA’s championships. The UGA baseball team has a national championship to its credit — how many does Tech (who are supposed to be relevant in baseball year every year) have? None.
Reptillicide
March 1st, 2011
2:05 am
I think Billy Ray pretty much said all there is to say. I’d just like to add that since Atlanta is miserable in so many categories, there’s no reason for the arrogant yanks to continue migrating down here.
Let’s face it, most of the time stuff like this is written, it’s by pretentious northerners perpetuating pre-civil war hostilities. Burning Atlanta to the ground wasn’t enough for those cretins; they won’t be happy until it’s completely wiped off the map.
And yet, as soon as they need a job, they’ll be on the first Delta flight.
sprtsluvr
March 1st, 2011
4:23 am
How immature to equate success ONLY with championships. Most cities have very few championships – they are very difficult to come by unless your team can afford to buy them – i.e. Yankees, Lakers.
Luke
March 1st, 2011
5:37 am
AFDawg, sounds like you’re jealous Tech football then. Tech has four. How many does UGA football (who are supposed to be relevant in basically everything every year from the way I hear it) have? Two. 30 years ago.
Mr. Negative
March 1st, 2011
6:33 am
I got a freezer full of steaks ready on a moments notice
shaggy
March 1st, 2011
6:33 am
Well said Billy Ray.
The sundress girls observation is especially true. Atlanta has the prettiest females on the planet, bar none, and plenty of them. I’ll take that over a yankee honker new york fan’s “scenery” any day.
G'Vegas Dawg
March 1st, 2011
6:45 am
I guess we are just following the lead of our local journalists.
shaggy
March 1st, 2011
6:49 am
“1eyedJack & Paul in RDU”
Yeah man, I remember buying Atlanta-Fulton County $2 outfield seats for Braves games, and by the 4th inning, I was sitting behind home plate watching some major league ball.
Plus, does anybody remember the picnic area on the 1st base side? You could bring in a cooler, with the necessary beer for sitting in the sun watching b-ball, and whatever food you could carry in…for the price of admission to the area.
Good times indeed, and a fantastic atmosphere, better than any other major league city. Then, came success and the pretend fans from the burbs, whose whining ruined it for the rest of us.
MitchC
March 1st, 2011
6:59 am
Mark, just before the Braves started winning division titles in 1991, you may remember the Sports Illustrated article about Atlanta, calling it “Losersville”. Ernie Johnson Sr was still announcing games for the Braves back then, and, in the Braves 1991 highlight video, he makes reference to this.
Sadly, the Braves could have, and probably should have.. won at least one.. or two.. more championships in their fourteen year run. 1992 comes to mind, when Reardon served up Ed Sprague’s homer in Game Two of the WS, and.. of course.. we all know about the little faux pax by Mark Wohlers in Game 4 of the 1996 WS. If he saves that game, I think the Braves finish the Yankees the next night.
“What ifs” aside, Atlanta is what it is in terms of sports cities. It seems unfortunate to rub it in. At least in baseball and basketball, I dont see any championships coming anytime soon., especially with the Phillies being so good, and the Celts, Lakers, Spurs, et all, being better than the Hawks.
So, it seems we may have to endure more articles like this.
Bubba
March 1st, 2011
7:00 am
First!
How are we worse than New Orleans?
March 1st, 2011
7:00 am
Both of our football teams historically suck. They lost the Jazz and got the Hornets..we lost the Flames and got the Thrashers. but now the Hornets may move, and the thrashers may move..but the tie breaker is they dont have and have never had a baseball team while the Braves have drawn in excess of 2.5 mil annually fans for 20 yrs.
Ive been here for all of em
March 1st, 2011
7:03 am
149 or 153..it still has been torture since I moved here in 1966.
This poll doesnt take into acct though that Atlanta is the best college sports town in USA, especially football, and it obviously doesnt take into acct participatory (golf,ALTA, etc) sports since Atlanta would be in the top 5 there for sure..
Bone
March 1st, 2011
7:07 am
What do you expect from the Corporate town of Atlanta…where the upper business class can only afford the tickets, and buying them is just a write-off and they could care less about the teams.
The people in and around Atlanta, and this is including the owners of these teams, have got to look at the teams more than a tax write-off. They have to play to win. The notion of “playing not to lose” has got to be taken out of the mix. Simple as that.
Joe
March 1st, 2011
7:07 am
Bradley, You should be thankful Atlanta is so bad. You would have to write about something else since you cannot do so except about something negative. Thanks for the help in making Atlanta and Georgia something great….With your help we will soon be number 1 in this rating.
Dave
March 1st, 2011
7:10 am
Not only did the Chiefs win the NASL championship in 1968, this little hick town (back then, anyway) actually outdrew the so-called “soccer hotbed” at the time called St. Louis (Stars) four out of the eight years (1967-1973) that both cities had teams! And the years they didn’t, they weren’t far behind most of the time.
what a crock
March 1st, 2011
7:11 am
Hmmm….every city on that list is worse off than Atlanta.
Ted
March 1st, 2011
7:12 am
Atlanta has a bunch of fair weather fans who only care about their teams when they’re winning.
bro
March 1st, 2011
7:21 am
You really earned your pay with this article. If this was in a paper from any other city it might be back page. Why would the AJC or any writer who cared about their city write this kind of trash. Must be a slow news day and your brain must be leaking. You are just like a computer-garbage in garbage out.
woebegong
March 1st, 2011
7:29 am
Buckeye,
Did you not read the article. IT is about pro sports, not college ball. Man you really need to quit hitting the hootch. LOL. A number one seed in the NCAA in college basketball has proven to be a death sentence for most of the big college teams if you look at the history. Something about that first round bye knocks these teams for a loop. I believe it was coach K. that said a few years back that he hated the first round bye. I seem to remember that OSU had a kid a few years back that was going to take you folks to the promised land by the name of Odom. How did that work out for you.
Ekim
March 1st, 2011
7:31 am
Florida Marlins have won two World Series championships since we got our one. The year after each, they blew up their team and (I think) finished below .500.
I’d rather be sitting in Atlanta. A consistently competing team to me is more enjoyable to watch than one that gets hot every once in a while.
Can’t speak to the sports other than baseball, though. They don’t matter to me. Which means maybe I shouldn’t be posting on a blog about overall misery index.
Good day!
World Be Free
March 1st, 2011
7:44 am
People should be thankful of what we have here in 4 major pro sports and major college football. This is the place to be if you are a fans of sports, not necessarily a fan of winning though that would be nice! It could be much worse Mark, much worse.
Patman
March 1st, 2011
9:16 am
Oh how terrible! I think I’ll move to either Pittsburgh, Boston or Cincinnati. Pitiful weather and an unfriendly climate are worth it as long as the city I live has championship teams (sarcasm).
ConVick
March 1st, 2011
9:25 am
Keep your money people. The rest of the nation bitches about Atlanta fans, but this article states why. The pro teams have given us no reason to support them, yet we still do. I bet if we kept our wallets closed for a couple of games, these pro primadonas would understand they need to get off their butt and produce.
Cant wait for the spring “college” football practice to begin.
ATLfan15
March 1st, 2011
9:38 am
excellent comments by Billy Ray…even if this city had championship teams every year, some fans and sportwriters would find something to bitch about regarding that. what a waste of space on AJC.com
TD stinks
March 1st, 2011
9:52 am
Who cares?
The Nerd
March 1st, 2011
9:54 am
Yes, Seattle won the Stanley Cup, but they’re not in the NHL, but in a another league. (They would have won their second if it wasn’t for the flu outbreak!)
VolGuy
March 1st, 2011
10:01 am
What possible difference does it make where some jerk ranks Atlanta on some absurd list. If you really think that wins by an Atlanta pro sports team will put any money in your pocket or make your life better, you should rethink your life. The Braves are owned by a faceless conglaomerate in another city that cares only about their bottom line. I think it’s a minor miracle that they can still contend with the other teams in their division that have owners who really care about their teams and their cities. As far as the Atlanta Spirit goes, they are a bunch of inept rich guys who seem out of their depth when it comes to professional sports. With the exception of the Falcons who have an owner who actually lives in Atlanta and cares about the team and the city, our pro sports teams are consistently mediocre to outright lousy. A lot of folks in Atlanta are so used to it that they don’t care much whether the teams win sometimes because they know they will ultimately fail. Life goes on anyway. The athletes are rich, the owners are richer and the fans continue to pay more and get less. On top of everthing else,now we don’t even have a transit system in Atlanta that can get people to Turner field to see a Braves game. What a boon for the gypsy parking lots!
Buck Commander
March 1st, 2011
10:09 am
I’m just happy to be here and if you so-called fans dont like it you can kiss my @ss.
Dominique Forever
March 1st, 2011
10:23 am
The Hawks did make the eastern conference finals against the Celtics in 86 and lost in seven games. It was the series where ‘Nique was dueling with Larry Bird.
jon
March 1st, 2011
10:29 am
Given the HUGE number of Florida,Bama, LSU and Auburn fans here we should be allowed to claim the 2006-2010 BCS Championships.
Robert
March 1st, 2011
10:31 am
With Bobby Cox finally gone, Atlanta’s sports fortunes should improve significantly, at least in baseball
Vic
March 1st, 2011
10:32 am
I think this article is spot on. It’s talking about CHAMPIONSHIPS. Not eastern conference finals and the like. Just like the Buffalo Bills and its fans remember that it’s not good enough to get there. You have to win. Atlanta’s teams continue to fall short, so the transplants will never switch sides and get on the bandwagon. The falcons fooled us into thinking they were about something last season and choked their way out of the playoffs. It’s like a broken record around here.
Cousin Curtis
March 1st, 2011
10:35 am
This list is baloney, Mark. For one, if there are eight post-season teams in baseball each year, statistically each team has a one in eight shot at the title (unless you are the Yanks or Sox and your payroll is >$200M – then your chances are probably better). So by the numbers, one in eight or two in sixteen is about right. One in fourteen falls in the range, whether we’re happy about it as fans or not.
By comparison the Bills played in the SuperBowl four times IN A ROW where they had a 50-50 statistical shot at the title and lost all four. That kind of misery can’t be touched.
Obviously, there are some collegiate sports factors that should knock us down the list in my book, too. I’d say we ought to be middle of the pack.
sulley
March 1st, 2011
10:46 am
Yea, Second is 1st loser for having loser teams.
Mark Bradley
March 1st, 2011
10:58 am
That wasn’t the Eastern Conference finals, Dominique Forever. And it wasn’t in 1986, either. It was the Eastern Conference quarters in 1988.
bill
March 1st, 2011
11:11 am
To the buckeye guy. See you after March Madness when the Big 10 lays another egg. Didn’t you guys get the crap beat out of you when they stupidly put you in the big game PLUS no place between Cincinnati and Cleveland will ever be anything good because you are always down wind of one or the other. And by the way rust bucket state thanks for giving us the US representative you guys lost.
Jim R.
March 1st, 2011
11:14 am
We’re #2! We’re #2! We’re #2! A few more horrible draft picks, some mediocre coaching, throw in some fickle fans and rapid transit that avoids the basebal stadium where overpriced food and beverages are served and I think we have a chance to hit #1 next year. We’re #1! We’re #1! We’re #1!
bill
March 1st, 2011
11:29 am
Its all PR anyway. The most underachieving team in baseball history is the BIG RED MACHINE which won only 2 championships when it was a two series playoff. The crap shoot,high payroll started after their two wins with hall of famers at first(undesrved), short stop, catcher( one of the best ever) starting pitcher, and Pete Rose. Must mean Sparky Anderson (HOF)was not much of a manager til later in his career.
bill
March 1st, 2011
11:32 am
If you look at our coaches we look even worse. Wilkens most loses in NBA history. Petrino,and the seven dwarfs that preceded him most of the guys before Cox including Joe Torre who later became a genious in NY( must be the water). Boom Boom,where are you when the thrashers need you
souppysales
March 1st, 2011
11:37 am
atlanta is miserable regardless of sports
mike
March 1st, 2011
11:39 am
What a city full of excusers and excuses. No wonder the teams here always run out of what it takes when they get near the end. I think next year I will start selling brown bags to the fans of this city. You guys remember those bags with the faces drawn on the front used to cover your face while sitting in the stands. At least you can get a laugh while the teams lose as usual.
Old_Skool
March 1st, 2011
11:51 am
At least we aren’t known as the “mistake on the lake” (at least until we run out of water in a few years). Rather than say we indifferent, I would rather think we have a little better perspective on things than do some of out counterparts in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, et.al. Our life isn’t ruined just because our team loses a football game or basketball.
If you are one of those that let the outcome of a football game or baseball game affect your hapiness than I feel sorry for you.
kFolsom
March 1st, 2011
11:55 am
Like I tell people all the time — we’re Atlanta; we don’t need a sports team to make us feel like somebody! World-class cities do not depend on any one facet of their culture to make them go ’round and ’round! Plus, we’ve already had the ultimate sports experience, the Olympics.
dirtyo11
March 1st, 2011
12:03 pm
Like I statement last month, fans in ATL hollar who they want and who they don’t want to come to the teams. We need to win a few Championships in the state of GA. Once we do that then top players in each sport will want to play in ATL. We are the laughing stock in every sport. Why you think players want to play in NY, TX, Cali and Fla these states are known for winning.
Bulldogs haven’t won a National Championship since H. Walker days and can’t beat our biggest rivary Fla. Richt chokes when it comes to preparing his players for big games or making adjustments during the game
Hawks have the talent but can’t get out of the 2nd rnd. True Center and PG away from being the best team in the East, oh & adjust J. Smith attitude to where his head is always in the game
Braves look good for the 1st or 2nd half of the season but can’t beat Philly and they got a old player name C. Jones that should of been traded 4 yrs ago.
Thrashers…..DANG THEY JUST SUCK
G.T they just can’t win
Falcons almost there but a few players away from being an elite team
Old_Skool
March 1st, 2011
12:06 pm
woebegong.
The name is Oden not Odom
Toke
March 1st, 2011
12:23 pm
Man screw this guy i love ATL its where it at .
dade
March 1st, 2011
12:27 pm
ATL is where its at regardless of sports
SID
March 1st, 2011
12:51 pm
It’s the curse of “Michael Vick”!!!!!
Bid Daddy Pearl in the Sky
March 1st, 2011
12:58 pm
Oh yea….were number 2….WHY????????????? There are only 2 Fans that really give a sh!t about Atlanta pro teams
Milburn Drysdale
March 1st, 2011
1:04 pm
Did Terrence Moore write this column?
Taylor
March 1st, 2011
1:35 pm
I’ve lived in Ga. my entire life. I LOVE Atlanta sports.
mike
March 1st, 2011
1:52 pm
I assume Forbes is just considering “professional” sports.
If we consider college and high school it would probably be different.
What reasonably intelligent, sane person gives a hoot about the pros anyway. Professional sports is no longer about sports, its about entertainment. The owners and leagues have twisted all their sports to make them more profitable. The pure sports is a the local level.
Bull Butter
March 1st, 2011
2:04 pm
Atlanta pro sports teams will never be able to compete with the large market teams,its all about money!
Thogwummpy
March 1st, 2011
2:10 pm
Is there anyway we can get credit for the Atlanta Chiefs NASL soccer title back in the 60’s? Eh…I guess not.
BravesFan79
March 1st, 2011
2:52 pm
Dont agree with this at all. The Braves have been Great/ Solid for the past 20 seasons. The Hawks are again a top 5 team in the East. And the Falcons havent been that bad in the last 10 years. And were just the top seed in the NFC. I think were closer to Philly as a sports city, than Cleveland or Seattle.
Dream fan
March 1st, 2011
3:47 pm
Last year the Dream made it to the championship in just its third season, so I’m not miserable at all.
Neil
March 1st, 2011
4:21 pm
What is the fascination with college football in Atlanta, and the apathy towards pro sports? Why do folks who never even went to college care so much about college sports? That’s one “southern-ism” that I just don’t get it and have never seen anywhere else. Before I moved to Atlanta, I never even knew that anyone cared or watched college football, except maybe the students or alumni of that school. Seems kind of silly. Why root for the minor leagues when you have an NFL team in your city?
danny
March 1st, 2011
4:35 pm
Yes, we should have won several World Series, but 14 years of championship baseball is an accomplishment any city in America would relish!
Jay
March 1st, 2011
5:38 pm
Why is soccer NEVER included when a city’s teams are mentioned? Is it because, since the US didn’t invent it or can’t be the best at it, it doesn’t count. Seattle DOES have an excellent soccer team and very rabid fans…the best in the league, so That alone should Atlanta to the top. By the way, for all the Atlanta transplants here, the ATLANTA CHIEFS won the national championship in 1968 (over Cleveland no less), being Atlanta’s FIRST champion. Again, I know, it’s soccer…THAT doesn’t count. Just a note, the article said SPORTS, not MAJOR sports, so soccer should be included as well as the WNBA.
Jay
March 1st, 2011
5:41 pm
Thogwummpy…THANK YOU!! I just saw your post. I guess that makes two of us that remember….
BillingGA
March 1st, 2011
6:35 pm
Being from the Tampa Bay Area, its so hard being surrounded by such losing teams here in Atlanta. This list just confirm’s what I have always believed. And someone said that Atlanta really was a winner because it has pretty girls and great weather. Right. You have been to Florida, right? Where its thong weather pretty much 365. Keep dreaming.
Patrick
March 1st, 2011
9:27 pm
The problem with Atlanta sports is that nobody pays any attention to it except when a team is in the playoffs. THEN, oh my, it’s suddenly hot to trot and the crowds show up and there may even be a sellout or two. But during the actual games, the fans only cheer when the hometeam scores a point or a run or a basket. They are silent when the visiting team scores. Deafeningly silent.
And should the Atlanta team look headed to a loss, the fans pack up and leave early. Part of that can be blamed on the awful traffic -but fans in other cities face that too and still support the team. Fan is really the wrong word. There is NO support here for the teams; only for numbers in a win column. The players know it and it affects their mental attitude and so they start losing and there it goes.
You are either a winner or you are nothing. That may be true in many ways but a team plays part of skill and part on mental attitude of thinking they CAN do it. They need support from the fans to get that going.
It’s worse during something like the World Series. Our teams can’t take the intense media pressure and super boistrous crowds -because they never encounter it during the regular season- and they quake and fold and collapse and get steamrolled. And by the end of the series, the stands aren’t even moderately full any more. The “fans” don’t even bother to show up for the end.
Other problems include the local sports announcers, some of whom have been phoning in the same performances for decades. Look, I know some of you like to hear the same voices on the radio but you ought to listen to sportscasters in other towns, where the have decades of winning streaks and a real ’superfan’ base. Those people know how to work up a crowd and that helps keep the fans around even when there’s a loss every night for a week. You need that base, that glue. And we have only gluetraps here.
woebegong
March 2nd, 2011
5:16 am
I wonder how Atlanta could be rated so high, and the Twin cities not even in the top ten. What is it, 4 super bowls and the brides maid all four times? And I do not believe the Timberwolves or Twins have torn up their respective leagues in the years past. We might get a little freezing precip. or rain for the most part in the winter, but when was the last time our dome roof fell in due to snow? Land of 10,000 lakes and every one of them frozen over 9 months out of the year. I will take the 2nd place any day on this list, compared to that.
Brendan
March 2nd, 2011
12:19 pm
I think Atlanta is ranked too highly on the misery index. Our teams have been in the playoffs in the past decade. All of them.
SAINTS LSU
March 2nd, 2011
9:45 pm
THIS IS NEW ORLEANS (DREW BREES)
Chip Phillips
March 2nd, 2011
11:22 pm
MOVE AWAY & STFU BRADLEY!