For those of you who do care about soccer in Atlanta I want to encourage you to join me tonight during the Atlanta Online Soccer Summit. At 8PM we'll be discussing the return of the Silverbacks but I also think there is a connection for those interested in bringing MLS to Atlanta. Here is the link to the site for discussion. http://tinyurl.com/atlsummit I hope you can make it.
How can an Atlanta team replicate the success of a Seattle team? what did they do so right? it's simply incredible the support that they have. And i believe they have built such a good product from the start that they have ensured that their team will be well supported for a very long time.
I think Seattle is the wrong model to look at for Atlanta. Their success (in terms of fans) came about mostly as a product of getting an MLS team, which had been long anticipated by locals. Their USL attendance figures were not amazing. I think a better model would be a Portland, or Montreal, where they built a dedicated group of fans. For Atlanta to start something similar it's as simple as going to the games. The more people go to Silverbacks and create noise and a great atmosphere the more that snowballs into a unique experience for fans and you draw more. The Seattle model only happens when a rich owner buys a stadium and team. Portland model can be created by ordinary fans like us. Just my 2 centimes.
Speaking of more people going to Silverbacks games. Delta sent me an offer for 50% off tickets to Silverbacks games including the one tonight. The coupon code at checkout is SKYMILES. I got 2 friends to come with my fiancee and I to the game tonight because of it.
Is there any reason the discussion on SSS hasn't turned to tha tbeautiful stadium inKennesaw? I'm sure the school and WPS would love to have a slice of that funds-pie. As for pounding comcrete, why not go further and take a page from the Green Bay Packers and just form a team ownership panel from paying fans? Barcelona does something similar. Following the silver backs won't work, it isn't authentic and so won't last long enough to have impact.
Why not in Kennesaw? Because its to far out of the way for people that live south of I-20. I went to the US U-20's game back in Nov. and the MLS games in the preseason and it took me two hours with out traffic to get back to the house, double the time to get down town. So if the team does not want to cut off a large fans it will not but the stadium in Kennesaw.
OK, so KSU is too far away. I admit that I felt it was too far a drive from Augusta (my home). I've been thinking that the big empty lot on Northside near the Ikea would be a great locale. High dollar real estate though. What do you all think?
I was thinking the same thing, and I pass that parcel everyday. There were recent plans to build a new Amtrak station there, but the funding may have fallen through. High-speed rail funding would build new $39 million Amtrak station near Atlantic Station (The lot immediately west of the purple shaded lot in the linked picture is for sale too, so that would be plenty of space. Students that walk to the Publix and Target from campus or live in Berkeley Park could, and currently do, walk right through this area.) Given how close it is to Atlantic Station parking and living, 4+ colleges, I-75, Midtown, 10 Side, Home Park, Westside, West Midtown, Castleberry Hill, and the Georgia Dome, it would be a great location. I can't think of many other available lots that size in such a central area. Cheers on a great idea!
As they say, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" It would be a good location, I'm not going to hold my breath though. If the city has it pegged for high speed rail, a soccer team is not going to have the clout to change their minds.
