Comments on: Falcons’ desire for open-air stadium creates issues in Atlanta

By: southsiderandy

southsiderandy — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:43:23 +0000

I’ve sat silently while folks suggest a better part of town for the Falcons home. For all of you that offer that – where would you suggest? If an area is “nice” they don’t want a stadium there? Would you want it in your back yard?

Any stadium must be central to the entire metro area as the team’s support come’s from all sides. It is beneficial that it near a Marta station to provide logistics for both patrons and the employees who are paid menial wages. Wisely, the proposal for the new stadium is only a few blocks from the old stadium.

As far as the beggars; they’ll be found anywhere a large crowd is. Always have, always will. I suggest you give a polite “no” and keep it moving.

By: olin55

olin55 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 07:32:16 +0000

To be a World Class city, Atlanta needs to keep the Falcons. To do that, the new stadium should be open air and in a better part of town.

By: cootschaos

cootschaos — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:12:04 +0000

Yes Matty, their isn’t a bigger fair weather fan than a Saints fan.. Never saw one until 2006, at least not one without a bag over it’s face.

Brees will retire in a few years, and the owner will go back to trying to move them out of the city.

By: mattyice211

mattyice211 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:41:58 +0000

Why are the falcons conceived as a fair weather fan-base. We’ve been around for 45 years, and most of it has been HORRIBLE. My Grandpa is a die-hard falcons fan along with my dad since the Falcons came into the league. I’ve been a die-hard my whole life. What fair weather fan would like a team with a bad history that can’t win? All the fair weather fans are in order: Cowboys, Steelers, and Packers. Notice the teams with winning histories. The reason all the die-hard falcons fans aren’t going to games and other fans are is because all the falcons fans moved away from the city and everyone moves here from other cities for work and buisness. And another thing I hate are the Saints fans that decided to start being die-hards when they won the Super Bowl……And one last thing on my rant. There was a comment about Pittsburgh being a top rated city to live. I’ve traveled to Pitt before, and it might be worse than ATL. Its like they tryed cramming a big city in between 2 mountains and 3 rivers. Traffic is the worst i’ve ever seen ANYWHERE. Theres no way in HELL that its a top rated city. All the money left that city 20 years ago with the steel industry.

FALCONS FOR LIFE

By: cootschaos

cootschaos — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:31:17 +0000

Aww Nola, did I hurt your feelings?

I’m a tool because I spoke on a topic I happen to know a lot about? As a season ticket holder of the Falcons for 12 years, I know a lot more about the going ons at the stadium than “po’ dunk Saints fan”. The neighborhood the GA Dome is in has always been bad, but without a doubt the “excuse me sir, I’m a Katrina survivor, can you spare some change?” bums triple the current Atlanta bums. And to no surprise, vehicle break ins have went through the roof beginning in the 2005 season. That’s not an opinion, that’s facts.

I think a tool is more fitting of a person who trolls news on teams they don’t like and gets butt hurt when someone says something they don’t like.

Bottom Line: Move the team to the north part of the city where the money is, and get rid of the riff raff that the GA Dome brings in.

By: sprizzle2182

sprizzle2182 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:46:41 +0000

i dont understand why they dont just redo the Dome to have a retractable roof….it would cost less, and please everyone…not to mention, where on earth are they going to build a new stadium in ATL….its so packed down there now, thats why it sux to drive down to the games…they want to add another sports venue down there!! and do what with the dome?? they just redid it a few years ago and its a great venue, waste of time, money and added hassle in ATL to build a new one!!! just change the roof!!!

By: rollteal

rollteal — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:32:28 +0000

So is every team with a Stadium issue now looking to LA ? Really come on. The Dome I was just there for the Jags game last year it looked like it was refurbished since the last time I was there, looked good but I will agree that the ATL is better served by outdoor football. But it’s the pros and cons for everything else. Because I honestly it’s not old and no reason to replace it now & I’m not sure a retractable roof would just fit one top but it’s not a bad idea & I found parking for 15 dollars that was near CNN !!

By: seenoland54

seenoland54 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:25:34 +0000

The only team in the NFL that should have the option of a retractable roof is Seattle because it rains 6 days a week.

You’re in Southern USA, Atlanta… Titans, Panthers, Bucs all play outdoors. You, New Orleans, and those teams in Texas need to grow a pair.
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A lot of Atlanta fans were there in the old open air stadium, it was blistering hot the first part of the season (no air movement) and raining and cold the second half. By the way, Seattle has more inches of rain per year than Atlanta but Atlanta has more days of rain and for what Blank bilks us for we’d rather sit in 70 degrees and no rain and you can hold your own pair while sitting in the cold and rain Mr Macho, being miserable doesn’t make you a “man”, just an idiot. Besides, it’s miserable enough watching matty Ice choke every playoff, we’ve come to know that the last day of the regular season is, well, the last day of the season and keep our money in our pocket when Arthur tries squeezing playoff ticket money out of us before the regular season is even close to ending.

By: seenoland54

seenoland54 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:15:02 +0000

I’m not surprised in the least that Blank wants a new stadium. I’ve had season tickets for thirty two years and saw them double from the time Blank took over to today. He gets a new stadium and starts with “seat licenses” and jacks up cost from there. Blank is a master of bilking home town patrons with the birds as well as his old orange box outfit. Too bad he can’t treat his home town the way other Atlanta based companies do such as Coca-Cola.

By: superjroch

superjroch — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:24:46 +0000

Arthur Blank, if you pay for the stadium yourself, you can build it however you’d like. You’ve built 20,000 Home Depots, I’m sure you can afford one stadium.

By: paallday

paallday — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:13:34 +0000

The Falcons see an open-air stadium as the only way they stand a chance against Brees for the next five years.

By: nolasaints

nolasaints — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:04:37 +0000

I love how every one says “play like real men , play outdoors” then they say “they should not be allowed to hit a defenseless receiver” .. “thats roughing the passer” .. i say the game is better played (some times) in doors you can really get a feel for how athletic players are .. real grass at times have issues “slippery , full of pot holes, no traction” at least we dome teams have one less thing to worry about .. should ATL get a new stadium? did New Orleans get a new stadium? no we upgraded the one we have … how ever we are on our second we did start out as an out door team “Tulane Stadium” but most away fans will hate you no matter what the home teams do .. all good

By: jackers252

jackers252 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:46:19 +0000

Might as well burn it down, it’s like the Saints run that place anyway. You hear the Who Dat chants come in nice and clear on TV.

Superdome East!

By: tombrookshire

tombrookshire — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:46:00 +0000

Sure, tear it down and put up another billion dollar palace. Only thing is, the Falcons aren’t the Cowboys. Amazes me that after 20 years these teams just want to tear down a stadium meant to last for more than two decades. Why not just convert a bunch of seats into super boxes like they did in NOLA rather than demolish the whole building just to add boxes for some rich guys who don’t care about the Falcons anyway?

By: sj39

sj39 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:08:06 +0000

This is why I keep telling you people, NO ONE IS MOVING TO LA! The NFL does not want a team in LA. Having it as something to extort money out of the tax payers in cities that have teams is just way too valuable.

By: northstars1991

northstars1991 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:03:28 +0000

When they built the Metrodome for the Vikings it was only a matter of years before there were ongoing threats that the Vikings could escape their lease. Thankfully, leaders made the NFL GUARANTEE that IF the Vikings left that the NFL would be forced to have a new NFL team in there the following year! OBVIOUSLY that SUCCESSFUL model hasn’t been followed over the years due to the fact that most politicians in this country are absolute idiots.

By: giantssb42champs

giantssb42champs — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:57:39 +0000

What a joke, how many times do we have to watch the same movie when it comes to stadiums. I bet moneybags Arthur will looking for a “Blank” check from the taxpayers to fund his field of schemes.

By: EJ

EJ — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:48:28 +0000

With an open roof comes more money for expenses like the grass replacement every week, damage from the elements and your chances of hosting a Superbowl go way down. The weather in Atlanta is also very choppy, one minute its clear and sunny skies and the next its raining so hard you can’t see 5ft in front of yourself. Not that playing in the rain isn’t a norm in the NFL, because it is, just not this type of rain.

As for keeping the Georgia Dome for special events and possibly building another stadium close by…. Where? There is no where to go. First off, they are already in the middle of the ghetto, so that isn’t very attractive for fans and their safety, second, If they did happen to find room for the stadium, where are you putting the parking, under the stadium?

Too many problems, just upgrade the Georgia Dome with a retractable roof, problem solved…….. I think.

By: jrspike

jrspike — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:43:23 +0000

Arthur will never move to LA, he is a big man in ATL,
Ego would never let him move to just another owner.

By: voodoo4409

voodoo4409 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:30:42 +0000

Atlanta fans are embarrassing and pathetic….seriously, no be cares about the Falclowns…they’ve not achieved anything in their history…I love the fact that we own them, year in, year out and will again this year….stay classy…

All the best,
President of the WHO DAT Chapter of North Fulton

P.s. Lofton sends his regards and is glad to be with a WINNER….

By: SeenThisB4

SeenThisB4 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:18:48 +0000

The Georgia dome is structurally, a piece of cheap garbage, equivalent to an oversized FEMA trailer. So, I can see why the falcan’ts want to replace it, but the reality is, they shouldn’t get a new stadium paid for by the tax base until they get a fan base.

By: 1historian

1historian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:49:25 +0000

REAL men play football outside.

Always have, always will

By: 1historian

1historian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:48:56 +0000

REAL

By: randomcommenter

randomcommenter — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:17:54 +0000

Pittsburgh is rated one of the best cities to live. It rates highly in all categories.

People in Pitt also still enjoy freedom unlike the California drones who give theirs away. They outlawed bags at grocery stores. Soon they’ll outlaw the food packaging as well. You’ll have to bring your own biodegradable slop bucket and they will just ladle raw food into it for your Prius ride home

By: mikemyditka

mikemyditka — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:48:00 +0000

Im surprised that this wasnt mentioned, but the way the Saints play on grass vs. a dome, dont you think that is a mitigating factor in the Falcons wanting an open air stadium?

By: christopher525

christopher525 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:23:54 +0000

Simple, tell the people involved with the NCAA to shut it and play in the open air facility. The kids are supposed to be getting ready to play on the pro level, which has more open air stadiums than domes if I am not mistaken, they’ll rape college students of just as much, maybe even more, money in open air as they do a dome.

By: jimbo75025

jimbo75025 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:19:23 +0000

deadeye says:Apr 12, 2012 9:51 PM

Blank knows that the current locale is inferior. Since the Panthers opening their purely football, open air stadium, I’ve wished the Falcons could do something similar. At least he’s trying.

The Dome is a great facility for hosting a variety of events related to the World Congress Center. Additionally Atlanta gets the SEC title game, the occasional Final Four, and has even had a Super Bowl. But the Falcons need a better stadium in a better part of town, or people like me will just watch from the comfort of home.
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Yeah and how long do you think the SEC would stay at the Dome if a new stadium was built?

I agree that the stadium is in a bad part of town-but so are Philips and Turner Field.

The stadium is outdated a bit but is not that old. Only 12 years ago there was a Super Bowl at the dome. If it was 30 or 40 years old then I may understand but this current trend of new stadiums every 20 years is asinine to say the least. Renovation should be ther key word here.

By: d3murf

d3murf — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:39:19 +0000

Man take the pulse of the city. It is what it is – we have fair weather fans for the most part. If we aren’t winning those seats will be empty…It’s a fashion show anytime there’s a Hawks or Falcons game. You get some of the most beautiful women in existence to come out. We are a dome city.

Check this scenario: If we are 4-8 – on a rainy day; guess how many people will fill the 70,000 seat open air stadium….Try 25k max!! Ask the Braves!!! We are a hollywood style city – keep the Dome and worry about establishing an identity for the team. We are taking this want-to-be Green Bay thing too far. We copied their “Explosive Play offense” mantra, and how did that work out? Now we want a fake lambeau field?? lol

By: sterlingrodgers

sterlingrodgers — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:32:20 +0000

The aftershocks of the Falcons’ home loss to the Packers in the playoffs in Jan. 2011 still reverberate. A run-first team with a noodle-armed QB that have to face the likes of Brees, Newton, and occasionally Rodgers? I don’t blame them for wanting grass. But by the time the hypothetical stadium is completed, Turner will be retired, and Matty will have retired prematurely because of painful ovarian cysts. And maybe they’ll then want their dome back.

By: barbeaux

barbeaux — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:29:58 +0000

If they do build an open air stadium then I would be inclined to bet that the sec championship wouldmove to Jerry’s world.