For everyone in Atlanta/the real South, i say finally! We felt like it was a forgone conclusion but to have an actual date is exciting. http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/pro-...fSzm/?icmp=ajc_internallink_textlink_homepage All Aboard!
I just hope they don't become NE 2.0. Given the amount of effort put into trying to get in and his son being a Soccer fan I remain somewhat optimistic.
At least this stadium is being designed and built with MLS specifically in mind. It also helps that it is in the middle of downtown Atlanta and on the MARTA rail line, not out in the middle of nowhere like NE.
"sources close to the situation"? wish we had more to go on than that. if true, congrats, atlanta. wonder what happens with silverbacks
By Doug Roberson The Atlanta Journal-Constitution A Major League Soccer expansion franchise is coming to Atlanta. An announcement is scheduled for April 16 in Atlanta, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday. The Atlanta team would become the 22ndfranchise in MLS and would open play in 2017, which is also when the new $1 billion downtown stadium is scheduled to open. Falcons owner Arthur Blank has been pursuing a franchise for several years. Both sides have acknowledged that they have been in deep discussions but neither seemed to have a timetable. A Major League Soccer official issued this statement on Sunday: “We are continuing discussions with Arthur Blank to bring a Major League Soccer expansion team to Atlanta; however, we have not finalized an agreement at this time.” {SNIP - copy and paste is a no no. Link provided above}
This is beyond awesome. A few questions/comments.. Regarding the post above that the team would play in a new stadium designed with MLS in mind.... I don't see that in the article. Did I just miss it? There are comments about the new downtown stadium being complete in 2017 (same time as the inaugural season, which scares me), but that stadium is the new Falcons stadium. It would in no way be designed for MLS, and the thought of a new team playing in a cavernous, mostly empty facility is daunting. They need a location built for soccer, probably what... 9 to 12 K seats at most.. not a partitioned off section of a giant football stadium. Next.. details like team logo and name... Can the city of Atlanta possible resist our tendency to "WhatIzzIt" or put put together a complicated abomination like the Thrashers logo? Can we keep it simple, yet marketable? In the early 1800s, Atlanta was once named "Terminus." How about calling the franchise FC Terminus? Sounds cool, and marketable, to me. Arthur Blank is the owner, right? MLS teams have corporate sponsors on the jersey. Are we looking at "Home Depot" splashed across the front? Heck who cares... Sounds as good as X Box! Last, if the team will not be playing at the new billion dollar Falcons stadium, please oh please put it in the north side of the city. A location on 400N would be so much better.. Such a great day!!
I would love for Birmingham to get a team in the NASL. But I think the Silverbacks should drop down to USL pro and become the reserve team of the Atlanta franchise... Gwinnett Silverbacks But as far as MLS getting a team: BOOM SHACKA LACKA!!!!!!
Build the seats close to the field like Seattle's CenturtyLink Field. Please don't have the first row of seats ten feet from the ground. CenturyLink Field http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/seahawks_stadium
This is what it is going to be for MLS. The MLS configuration would seat about 25k and have a "roof" to create the intimate feel of a SSS. The two parts I am not crazy about are the suites ground level on both touch lines and the artificial surface. We can only pray the advancements in artificial surfaces will continue to make it a better option for soccer.
While I agree playing in a SSS would be preferable, every indication has been that Blank wants the team to play in the new Falcon's stadium. The 25K lower bowl configuration may lead to a bunch of empty seats if Atlanta doesn't embrace the team...but building a stadium that seats 9-12K at most? That's not enough for MLS. Average attendance is now past 18K. The only teams that play or played at venues that small only did so as temporary venues until they could get stadiums built.
Just because Atlanta may leap frog Miami to #22 doesn't mean it isn't happening. Anyone paying attention to this new Falcons stadium and Blank's interest knows it predates Becks in Miami and would be done before Miami is ready (2018 is the new date).
I know all of that. At the same time, things have been pretty quiet on the hard news front from Atlanta recently. For all the sound and fury from down south, Atlanta made their presence known quite firmly. Now to await the prawn sandwich brigade...
No more "Gwinnett" crap! US counties are geopolitical entitites, not communities, and the leaders of Gwinnett in the 80's and 90's spearheaded the suffocation of any metro cohesiveness of this region. A thousand times "No" to anything more trumpeting the Gwinnett brand. I get what you're saying but in the insular market that is pro sports that's how things operate. MLS has been far more positive for US soccer than anything USL or NASL could achieve, so while I hope the 'Backs find a safe landing spot this is overall still great news. I have my Terminus Legion membership and am already budgeting for season tix!
Glory hunter. Support the Silverbacks before, during and after MLS. If they move then your off the hook.
Finally, I remember when Garber came to Atlanta in 2003 and said that MLS would like to get a team started here, and then there was 2008 when Blank was trying to get it started the first time but backed out due to the economy. Atlanta fans can finally celebrate! For those who are interested, 680 The Fan has an hour long interview with Arthur Blank tomorrow at 11 AM.
So depending on who is conducting that interview, there will be between 15 and 45 seconds of soccer talk. Yay!