John Hart Versus Forbes Magazine

((HT: WJBF-TV Augusta))

Brother J-Hart is a news anchor and full fledged FOSG based in Augusta.

He is an unabashed Atlanta Braves and Falcons fan and decided to take issue, umbrance, and flying disagreement with the new Forbes Magazine piece that proclaimed Atlanta a very bad title...

Post by John Hart.

The HQ will admit that the city is one of the biggest fair-weather cities when it comes to pro franchises that we have ever seen. And those who have their issues with the pro teams will not spend discretionary income on a bad product...

J-Hart has a huge point with the college omission and just drove a truck through the hole in the survey.

Surprising No One: Braves New Suitors Approve Deal

((HT: 11Alive))

The Braves are moving to the suburbs and this was the next phase in the shoe-horning of the process...

Not really surprising anyone, though...

The Cobb County (GA) Commission approved the deal that has too many holes and too many elements in flux...

But, what the heck...
After it was done, the standard statement was released by the Fulton County Commission Chairman along with Atlanta City Council members, Atlanta Central Progress, and the Atlanta Fulton County Recreational Authority- all aggrieved by the move and disappointed by the proceedings: Ever since our county received the disappointing news that the Atlanta Braves plan to move out of Fulton County at the conclusion of the 2016 season, Fulton County Commissioners and Atlanta City Council members have expressed a desire to keep the team here in Atlanta. Tonight's vote by commissioners in Cobb County agreeing to move ahead with efforts to bring the team there are certainly a disappointment , but political and economic leaders in Fulton County still believe the Braves could and should have a viable future in Atlanta. We understand the team's concerns about economic development in the area surrounding Turner Field. We believe there are still solutions civic and business leaders could pursue in conjunction with the ball club to keep the team as a thriving part of our community. We hope to have a dialogue with the team to make that case. The Atlanta Braves are a proud symbol of a great city and we still hope to keep them in Atlanta.
The traffic issues are still bad BEFORE construction and a move was considered...

So, what now...???

CONTINUING: Braves To The Burbs... Atlanta Plans To Blow Up Turner Field

((HT: WSB-TV))

So, that's the plan...

Which, really, isn't much of a plan...

After the AJC's Doug Roberson floated the idea that Georgia State University could have signed on to be the new Turner Field tenant, the city of Atlanta has decided (for now) to raze Turner Field after the Braves decide to move to the suburbs come 2017...

And turn them into middle class homes...

Mayor Kasim Reed, at his inquisition this morning, decided to say that he wasn't going to stick the city of Atlanta taxpayer with the price tag for a new Braves barn (but he'll be more than happy to do that with his new Falcons stadium...)

Here's Reed's Q-And-A on the Day After...

Bomb Dropped: Braves Leaving Atlanta After 2016

For the suburbs...

The Braves' lease at Turner Field expires after the 2016 season, so the Braves are leaving for the northwest part of the city limits and will anchor a 60-acre mixed-use development...

As John Schuerholz reminded anyone willing to listen, there are reasons- all financial…

((HT: WSB-TV))



The team is set to meet with Governor Nathan Deal to discuss their plans... and there is no set time to talk to Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed about their plans...

Especially, since he seems to be talking to the Falcons and only the Falcons about their plans these days...

In Schuerholz's statement regarding access to the ballpark will be greatly improved with the new location of the ballpark.  A majority of Braves fans who buy tickets to a game reside in the northern suburbs.

The team now has a website: homeofthebraves.com which explains "Some" of the details...

Map of who buys tickets to Atlanta Braves games

"And, Good Morning to you, too..."

More when we know more…

We know more--

The new stadium, projected to cost $670-plus million with $200 million coming from the Braves, the rest it appears will come from the citizens of Cobb County.

The location of the stadium, a somewhat hilly swath of land bordering an office park and an interstate highway. But the location also offers the team the ability to build a mixed used development next door, which many believe to be the true motivation for all of this.

Braves executive Derek Schiller says the new facility, slated to open at the beginning of the 2017 season, would seat 41 or 42,000 fans.

In a Monday morning press conference, Schiller and team President John Schuerholz also added that in order to do what they termed "Necessary" work to Turner Field, it would cost the team nearly $150 million in infrastructure work, work on a stadium they lease, not own.

And for those who say--"But they won't be in Atlanta anymore", well, actually they are. The location sits in the 30339 area code, which technically harbors an Atlanta mailing address.

WXIA-TV gives us more TV details:

Atlanta Radio Station Becomes Alabama Flagship Station

((ht: ajc.com))

Hmmm....talk about think a bit outside the box. Either that or it's a desperate attempt to draw some sort of college football (SEC) audience.

Atlanta sports talk radio station 92.9 the game has taken the unusual step of being the local affiliate for the University of Alabama's football team.

Mind you Georgia Tech is based in Atlanta and the Georgia Bulldogs are a mere 70 miles away and are the assumed kings of Atlanta areas sports.

But The Game has no college teams. Both Tech and UGA are spoken for in the Atlanta market and they aren't leaving their homes. So that left 92.9 with few, if any options. They are a fledgling Sports talk station in the market (a market with 2 other sports stations--none of the 3 are very good), and want to in some way, draw a fall audience.

To their credit the station did acquire the rights to Atlanta Hawks games, not a huge get, but a franchise never the less.

More on this from the AJC.com Radio blog RIGHT HERE

No, this really doesn't mean a whole lot to anyone outside Atlanta, but then again, that is where we are based.

But it speaks volume's to the reach of College Football in general and SEC football in particular. Yes, there's a significant Alabama fan base in Metro Atlanta, but no more so than the University of Florida's.

And more importantly, it gives the Crimson Tide a bigger voice in a city brimming with high school football talent. Talent that coach Nick Saban has said publicly he covets and talent that if they know where to look, will get full-on exposure to his teams games.

For you 'Bama fans out there, enjoy a fan made "Hype Video":

Falcons New Stadium Site Down To One Idea

((HT: WSB-TV/AJC, Tucker))

Tim Tucker has been on top of this whole "the Atlanta Falcons need a new stadium thing..." and it has reached another stage...

The idea of the Atlanta Falcons new stadium (known here at HQ as the "Blank Tank" until further notice) is down to one site- until further notice...

The team had two sights under the looking glass- one south of the current Georgia Dome site that is developments and churches currently and one north of the Georgia Dome site that is RV parking lots and razed low-income apartments that now look like overgrown grass and concrete.

Now it appears that the southern site is out of play because not enough due diligence has been done and the property needed to start clearing land for construction that hasn't been acquired.

Oops...

Now, the northern site is in the cross hairs and it's time to see whether or not the city and the Falcons will make a point to get everything picked up and sorted out- or if they'll kick the tires on this site as well...

Until the political climate changes or political pressure mixes with pressure from the Falcons to do your damage or get off the toilet...

Here's the latest...
Two historical Atlanta churches were also supposedly raising an A-plus stink over what their perceived values was for reimbursement for their move at the center of the south site. The August 1st deadline is too close for anything to happen.

Now, the parking lots and razed housing projects will be getting their soil samples and similar tire kicking until further notice...

Atlanta and others plot strategy to get in on College Playoff orgy

The non-NCAA Football Championship Trophy

((ht: ajc.com))

So...the players are lining up to pay tribute to the rich kids of college football.

On the heels of Tuesday's announcement that all 11 conference president representatives and Notre Dame have agreed to move College Football to a 4-team playoff, comes word of cities wanting a piece of the action.

The plan is for 6-Bowl games to rotate as hosts for the 2-semifinal games and a "New" game to be played at a yet to be determined site and city.

Oh...did we mention that "New" game will go to the highest bidder?

On the heels of that announcement that at least one potential site is interested in hosting either that "New" game or one of the semi-finals.

That city is Atlanta. Which to those who follow college football, should not come as a surprise.

The new game and system will be in place for the 2014 season. And several cities are expected to go for a piece of the pie.

Jacksonville has already said they are in. And the expectation is that Jerry Jones is preparing to offer up Jerry World for the game too.

We have no firsthand knowledge, but will wager a guess that Phoenix, Los Angeles and others will throw their names in the hat too.

You can read about Atlanta's plan RIGHT HERE

We think the game is all but a lock for Dallas and Jerry World. This would be the "Marquee" event that the Dallas Cowboys owner has been drooling for. And Jerry usually gets what Jerry wants.

Atlanta will be taken seriously...and should. They may make it to a semi-final if for no other reason than the Chick-fil a Bowl's ability to produce yearly sell-outs and make money.

Not to go on too much of a rant here, but we (me) aren't as big a fan of this "New" system as most Sports Writers seem to be. Yeah, sure, it is a step up over the crappy-ass cartel known as the BCS, but in reality, there is little different.

Everyone seems to forget they already held their version of a "Championship" game for the past umpteen years. But it was a bizarre combination of polls that chose those two teams. And it was often wrong.

Now we are just adding two more teams to the mix. Which doesn't really change much. It just adds two more opportunities for teams to complain.

Yeah, sure, we get that there isn't a perfect system to find the best team. But this folks, ain't it. You could convince me of an 8-team playoff. But 4....uh...no.

Your Boise States and pretty much any team that isn't in the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 or SEC still has no chance of getting into this mix.

And we still think...until convinced otherwise that this was done ONLY...because the commissioners of those conferences realized just how much money could be made by created a totally new game.

Because this is what it is all about: