Well there's the giant halo videoboard. That's pretty unique. and the more I hear them talk about this downsizing technology and the more I look at new stadia around the world the more I think they're going to use a metal mesh to cover the upper deck which would possibly be covered in LED lighting. It would fit into the structure nicely with all the metal work on the roof and could possibly extend the already awesome halo video board
The hate that we are already getting is pretty impressive. For the most part it surrounds our stadium situation, but I couldn't be happier with where we are with that. The new stadium will be perfect for soccer. Why in the world would we build something else when we can share? IMO we will have one of, if not the best venue in MLS.
Let people hate on the turf, 72 degrees in the summer for games. That is more important than grass to me. The notion that grass automatically makes better soccer is ludicrous. 95 degree days with 80% humidity would be horrible to play in.
I was similar, although not from south Georgia. I played for a few years as a kid but then didn't for reasons I don't know. I was like 5, so what do I remember? During high school, a friend talked me into videotaping games for the varsity boys, and they were quite good. This was also right when the 1994 World Cup was being held in the U.S. It was something way different from what I had seen before. I then learned about MLS and followed it as much as I could, gravitating toward D.C. United and, to a lesser extent, the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The only MLS I have still ever been to was DC vs. LA Galaxy for Beckham's first game. My dad and I flew up to DC. We couldn't be sure that he would actually play because of an injury, but I had wanted to see DC play and so we did. He came on about 70 minutes, and it was pretty cool. But even cooler was the 50,000 fans being rowdy and noisy before he was even a part of it. RFK is a dump, but the DC fans rock. I have followed the Silverbacks and covered plenty of their games. These guys are definitely pros, but the difference in talent between NASL and MLS is just so obvious on a daily basis. You will see guys in the NASL that can -- and eventually do -- play in MLS. The difference is you won't see Clint Dempsey or David Beckham in the NASL. Beckham had a freakin' NFL arm for a foot and could put a ball at a forward's feet from 40 yards out. I'm just glad the "Deep South" -- Orlando and Miami are kind of their own places -- will get a team to experience that quality. The team will be on television, national media will cover and critique everything. It was a key point I think Don Garber made about Seattle's season ticket crossover. Even around here with college football ruling, each team maybe fits 90,000 or 100,000 people in a stadium. Georgia has 10 million people. Just Fulton County has almost 1 million people. Gwinnett has more than 850,000. Cobb and DeKalb each have more than 700,000. That's a huge pool to pull from when you want 29,000 fans to go to a game. I think we'll surprise a lot of naysayers. When Arthur Blank took over the Falcons, he shined that team up. All of the empty stadium days before him don't count anymore. The Braves have been kind of a meh team for a decade in a stadium that's not very convenient for traveling on a daily basis, so wow, attendance is also meh, but still not Marlins horrible. Blank teared up at the darn press conference today talking about his family playing, so this isn't just some pet project -- as if Blank would throw $70 million at anything as some kind of side job. I'm interested to meet some of the TL people Saturday. I thought some of the previous soccer fans I had met at Silverbacks games were rabid. Dude, TL is crazy and growing. I explained TL to someone as kind of like the Georgia football student section for pro soccer. When laypeople discover this, some of them will really enjoy such a unique atmosphere.
On behalf on TL I would like to thank all of, whether you were a member before today, joined to day, just came to the party, or watched online. This day would not have happened with our the support of all of you. Can't wait to see y'all at future events and help keep MLS in Atlanta growing.
Also worth pointing out that you may have more overlap between college football and soccer fans than you do between NFL and soccer fans. I haven't determined this by any scientific method, but I sure know a lot of college sports fans who are really into soccer. Agree regarding Blank. People around the country are assuming he's just trying to swindle Atlanta out of money to build a stadium by adding a second team to it, and that he's going to be Kraft 2.0. I don't live in (or near) Atlanta and don't follow the Falcons, but everything I've seen indicates that the dude genuinely wants a soccer team. Feeling defensive of the team already, and it doesn't even exist or plan to play in a city anywhere near me.
I personally have great respect for Arthur Blank, being a former employee of The Home Depot. I don't see him doing something just because, like Robert Kraft. I suspect he'll get the people needed to do it right. Turf and prawn sandwich brigade notwithstanding, the stadium plan isn't a bad one.
I'm in college at UGA and one of my lab partners was wearing a Liverpool jersey last week. Kids that age grew up knowing pro soccer in the U.S. I didn't. They may prefer to watch the EPL on TV, but it's gonna be quite cheaper for them to go to Atlanta compared to England to watch a live game. Blank definitely seems genuine. The guy literally choked up when talking about his family on Wednesday. I have never talked to him personally, but I've been "around" him a couple of times now. He doesn't have that vibe of a cold, distant guy. It's intimidating being near him knowing he's worth more than my life -- and he's also Batman, apparently. But I can't think of a thing he's done to indicate he's in this purely for money. We're kind of used to getting hated on around here. It's a very unique region with upsides and downsides. We're more spread out than the other big cities. But we aren't kids when it comes to sports. Name another city that has sold out its college bowl game and conference championship game for about two decades straight. If you mess with us, Samuel L. Jackson will come git you!