New stadiums, new teams, and a Super Bowl. Will Atlanta sports fans get their respect?

This week, everyone is looking at the Atlanta Falcons as the underdogs in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Everyone in Atlanta is all in on the Dirty Birds. With that said, there is now a chance to put the spotlight on Atlanta sports in 2017. If the Falcons can win Super Bowl LI, they can open their brand new Mercedes Benz Dome (which also sponsors the Super Dome of the rival New Orleans Saints) with a ring ceremony and raising a banner. The Falcons aren’t the only show in town. There were a few happenings in the city that got the streets buzzing. As a sports fan, if you live in the Atlanta area, this could be the beginning of a memorable time or just the grand opening to more misery. Here is are a few threads that are driving sports conversations in ATL.

New Stadiums, New Teams, and Cobb County Gentrification

 The Atlanta Braves have planned to open its Sun Trust Park in Cobb County after some controversy. The new Falcons’ stadium will be the city’s second new sporting venue to open in 2017. Atlanta’s MLS team, the Atlanta United FC, has their inaugural season starting March 5th. They also have a new practice facility in Marietta, GA, less than 5 miles from the ballpark. Now, there is something I’m personally excited about happening. At the tail end of last year, the Atlanta Hawks announced the ownership of an NBA D-League team in College Park. It feels right.

New Mercedes Benz Stadium. (Courtesy of AJC)

The new Mercedes Benz Stadium is in downtown Atlanta across the street from the old one. However, the Atlanta Braves have not made the same type of move. Instead of staying in the city, they chose to move into probably the farthest north in Atlanta, located in Cobb County. Now the Braves’ move was clouded by some shenanigans that got the Cobb bid in place. Meanwhile, Cobb County also won the offer of the new MLS team, the Atlanta United FC’s new practice facility that is next door to a neighborhood I used to occupy. Soon after, the gentrification of South Cobb County was in effect. Massive construction has taken place all over the county, which has made the bad traffic to a new level of unbearable, and the property value has skyrocketed. Some residences have seen their rent increase over $300. Anyone from the downtown Atlanta area is familiar with this process. If you think that it’s only affecting low-income residents, it’s not. Sean Breslin of the noted Breslanta blog was forcefully removed from his home because they needed the land to run water to the stadium.

Will there be any backfire from the fans? Not necessarily because the Atlanta Braves fan base doesn’t reside where they are moving and, for the most part, doesn’t care about what’s going on. Now I’m not trying to curse the Atlanta Braves, they have done enough losing on their own, but I hope this is worth the move.

Stars Live in Atlanta But Don’t Play in Atlanta

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. The last Atlanta superstar.  (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Many events have taken place in the last few years that got us here on and off the playing surface. You probably can’t name ten great moments in Atlanta sports. The main reason is there has been a lack of real star power in the last 40 years. Of course, there was Dominique Wilkins, Deion Sanders, and Michael Vick, but neither star netted in any absolute sustained excellence that would turn a bright spot into tradition. The only championship comes from the Atlanta Braves, who had some notable guys, but no one transcended the league.

It leads to more significant questions. Why on Earth won’t a black millionaire man under 30 not want to live in Atlanta. More access to nightlife, a 2:1 ratio of women to men, and live entertainment almost every night. So much of it is tailored to the African-American community that it attracts the best and brightest in entertainment. Add that to the fact that many athletes do live in Atlanta in the off-season. So the question remains why won’t any big-time stars in any sport make a move to be the greatest thing in Atlanta?

A few years ago, Carmelo Anthony was a free agent, and the Atlanta Hawks were coming off a 60 win season and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. NBA insiders like Zach Lowe suggested that Anthony should heavily consider signing with the Hawks to help push them over the top and challenge LeBron and the Cavaliers. We all know he opted for the money and attributed Lala as a critical reason for staying in New York. It’s not like Atlanta doesn’t have a big entertainment market for both of them to thrive. Doing some winning in New York can make you “the man,” but doing it in Atlanta can make you a god.

Is it the ownership? The Hawks have cleaned up their mess in the front office, and Arthur Blank is a great owner in most people’s opinions. The city is alive. So what is it? We need some investigation done.

Atlanta is the Biggest College Football Town in SEC Country

SEC Championship

Some people say that Atlanta sports fans are lousy or don’t care. The thing is, they aren’t that annoying. Another thing is it is also the capital of SEC country. Atlanta has four professional teams now, but college football is king. The college football hall of fame is downtown, and the SEC Championship is held in the Georgia Dome annually. Most fans love the pro teams around town, but people take it to religious levels when it comes to college teams. I mean, there’s passion, and then there is college football passion. Those are two different things. Atlanta is home to many transplants. Many of them are from other SEC territories. The Crimson Tide has a big following from neighboring Alabama, alongside Tennessee and Florida grads who come to the city for work, create a utopia of unlimited college football talk. It’s also the reason we get Paul Finebaum on ESPN radio instead of Bomani Jones

The Falcons fan bandwagon has grown over the last month, but they were always there, just reticent about it. It may not be intense, but Atlanta is an event city. We come out for the significant events, and the Super Bowl is no different. The Hawks have gotten this down pack. It seems like there is a concert at a home Hawks game every other week from the likes of T.I., 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, or Lil Uzi Vert. ( One of those is not like the other.) Hawks fans haven’t had much on-court highlight-making at the Highlight Factory, but every night is a lit occasion. Hawks Twitter is where the most passionate fans preside, and luckily they don’t ruin everyone’s good time.
Sure we might not rip jerseys in half like Cleveland Brown fans or scream at radio show hosts for being objectionable, but we care about our sports. Don’t get it twisted though, when it’s Falcons-Saints week, please believe civilized behavior can be an afterthought. Unlike some cities, there’s more to do in Atlanta than just sports. So when you diss Atlanta fans, keep that in mind. A win in the Super Bowl may get the fanbase the respect that it deserves temporarily but what would take for some lasting impact?