The Atlanta Falcons Want A New NFL Stadium

[DJ V Lawrence]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp...&id=2532580

The Georgia Dome is 14 years old, hosted 2 Super Bowls, the Olympics, the NCAA Final Four numerous times, yet their owner say they still need a new stadium to compete with the rest of the league?!

Go San Antonio Falcons!!

[Trae]

Wow. They need to lighten up. Look at Green Bay or Kansas City. And only one Super Bowl I believe, and that was in 2000.

[TJones]

Wow. They need to lighten up. Look at Green Bay or Kansas City. And only one Super Bowl I believe, and that was in 2000.

It's a little cold to play the SuperBowl in either city, that's why they don't have it there.

[Trae]

Oh, I know it is a little cold to hold a Super Bowl in either city, i was just saying I thought Atlanta only hosted one in 2000. Also, Kansas City is coming up with a design to have a retractable roof on Arrowhead Stadium.

[TJones]

Oh, I know it is a little cold to hold a Super Bowl in either city, i was just saying I thought Atlanta only hosted one in 2000. Also, Kansas City is coming up with a design to have a retractable roof on Arrowhead Stadium.

A retro fit would be awesome for that stadium.

[Subdude]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp...&id=2532580

The Georgia Dome is 14 years old, hosted 2 Super Bowls, the Olympics, the NCAA Final Four numerous times, yet their owner say they still need a new stadium to compete with the rest of the league?!

Go San Antonio Falcons!!

No way, Jose, will the Falcons move. They'll get a new stadium. It is the oldest game in the book.

[tigereye]

Some info.

1. Atlanta has hosted two Super Bowls, 28 in 1993 and 34 in 2000.

2. Blank will NOT get a new stadium. I believe he is using this as an attempt to get local officials to fund a total full scale renovation of the building and a renegotation of the lease to make it more profitable for the Falcons. In fact, he is already hard at work on getting one step of his renovation completed. It calls for the slicing out one corner of the Dome and forming an mall-like atrium filled with retail options, similar to Ford Feild's main enterence in Detroit. This was Atlanta's supposed attraction to help land the 2009 Super Bowl when it was running up against Houston. Both cities stunningly lost to Tampa. Despite this, Ive heard this renovation will proceed. Look for an announcement in August on the project's status.

Arthure Blanks first phase renovations of the Georgia Dome

How it compares to Ford Field in Detroit.....an exact copycat, nice job ATL!

3. Kansas City's retractable roof addition is NOT happenin....a referendum on this was soundly defeated, but a seperate referendum to renovate both Arrowhead and Kaufman Stadium next door, sans rolling roof, was approved. For now, Arrowhead will reamin an open air stadium. Interestingly enough, when both Arrowhead and Kaufman were built for the Chiefs and Royals, original plans called for a rolling roof that would roll back and forth to cover either stadium during inclimate weather. Funding issues killed that concept....this latest plan that was defeated was a resurrection of those plans in the early 70's

What could have been in KC....no more...for now

4. A Cleveland architect however, is pushing for new Cleveland Browns Stadium to be fitted with a new retractable roof in an effort to land Super Bowl 50. The Browns and the city are now rethinking this approach. However, most fans in Cleveland hate the idea, as it makes their lakefront stadium look like the ugly Alamodome in SA and robs fans of the downtown and lakefront views they presently have.

[nmainguy]

2. Blank will NOT get a new stadium. I believe he is using this as an attempt to get local officials to fund a total full scale renovation of the building and a renegotation of the lease to make it more profitable for the Falcons.

Couldn't he at least sucker the city out of a few more skyboxes?

Like sub said, it's the oldest trick in the book-behind prostitution.

One day cities will wake up and stop supplementing a multi-billion dollar industry.

[RedScare]

Maybe if they read this study, they'll think long and hard before coughing up the cash.

Pro Sports Cause Decrease In Tax Revenue

[The Great Hizzy!]

There is next to NO reason to replace the Georgia Dome. Whatever "additions" Blank is seeking can be added. As it stands, the GD is still one of the better facilities in all of football.

He's playing Bud Adams games but has even less to work with in the bargaining department. How ridiculous.

[houstonsemipro]

What I'm trying to figure out is why make a big deal about Atlanta trying to get a new stadium? If they find away to build a new stadium, so be it, big deal. Look at the 49ers have plans building a new stadium, the Chargers want a new stadium, or their leaving San Deigo. Now, the Chiefs wants one, even the Saints had plans to build a new one. I think one time Buffalo was pitching in trying to build a stadium, plus Minnesota is in the mix. Look at the Colts building a new stadium.

So, whats the big deal about Atlanta? The title of this thread should have been, "NFL Teams want new stadiums," or something like that.

[Trae]

Because their stadiums are OLDER, and the probably need a renovation or a new stadium. Atlanta just got a renovation, and is just 14 years old.

[tigereye]

There is next to NO reason to replace the Georgia Dome. Whatever "additions" Blank is seeking can be added. As it stands, the GD is still one of the better facilities in all of football.

He's playing Bud Adams games but has even less to work with in the bargaining department. How ridiculous.

Actually Blank does have a valid reason.

Few forget that while the Georgia Dome did open in 1992, it was designed in 1989, way before "suite-mania" even began to grip professional sports in the mid 90's. Thus he doesn

[nmainguy]

Maybe if they read this study, they'll think long and hard before coughing up the cash.

Pro Sports Cause Decrease In Tax Revenue

And yet blackmail seems to trump facts and figures once again.

Go figure.

[DJ V Lawrence]

What I'm trying to figure out is why make a big deal about Atlanta trying to get a new stadium? If they find away to build a new stadium, so be it, big deal. Look at the 49ers have plans building a new stadium, the Chargers want a new stadium, or their leaving San Deigo. Now, the Chiefs wants one, even the Saints had plans to build a new one. I think one time Buffalo was pitching in trying to build a stadium, plus Minnesota is in the mix. Look at the Colts building a new stadium.

So, whats the big deal about Atlanta? The title of this thread should have been, "NFL Teams want new stadiums," or something like that.

Trae had it right. I'm singling out the Falcons because Georgia Dome's only 14 years old, and the NFL still considers Georgia Dome a stadium capable of hosting Super Bowls, and NCAA still considers it a stadium that can host Final Fours.

San Fransisco's stadium is one of the worst and oldest NFL stadiums around. They deserve a new stadium more than Atlanta. San Diego doesn't make sense to me. In the 2003 Super Bowl you could hear the ABC announcers questioning why the NFL would want San Diego to get a new stadium when they're still hosting Super Bowls in their current one. There's nothing wrong with that stadium.

Cleveland makes no sense, because their stadium's still extremely modern. I think it's less than 15 years old. One of the best stadiums in the league. If they wanted a retractable roof, they should have done it when the Ravens moved. Back to the Falcons. Atlanta will not get a new stadium. It's either gonna be renovations to Georgia Dome or bust. The dome cost too much, has too much potential, and a new stadium now would be an absolute waste of Atlanta money. Why spend $300 million on a new stadium when $100 million could give a upgraded Georgia Dome?

Here's the reason why I brought up the topic. The Texans' Reliant Stadium opened in 2002. It's the newest stadium in the NFL until this season when Arizona's new stadium opens up in Glendale. Say McNair sells the Texans within the next 10 years; can you see the new owner asking for a new stadium in Houston with a straight face before 2016?

[Gary]

If I'm not mistaken, Mcnaire signed a 30 year lease which negates any ideas he might have in 10 or 12 years of pulling this kind of crap.

[DJ V Lawrence]

If I'm not mistaken, Mcnaire signed a 30 year lease which negates any ideas he might have in 10 or 12 years of pulling this kind of crap.

...that's if McNair's still owner. How do we know the next owner wouldn't try to buy out the lease as part of the threat to move the team? Didn't Bud Adams do that?

[Subdude]

If I'm not mistaken, Mcnaire signed a 30 year lease which negates any ideas he might have in 10 or 12 years of pulling this kind of crap.

Lease or no lease, if they want to hit the county up for more money, they'll do it. You can bet that somewhere in that lease, buried in the fine print, there is a clause that they will interpret as giving them the right to leave for some reason.

I have to admit a sort of grudging admiration for the sports leagues that, in very few years, have made public financing of stadia the norm. Not many businesses are that adept at holding up local governments for so little in return.

[HeightsGuy]

San Fransisco's stadium is one of the worst and oldest NFL stadiums around. They deserve a new stadium more than Atlanta.

Poor SF doesn't even have a football stadium. Candlestick was built for baseball only and retro-fitted later to allow for football, and now even the Giants have abandoned the place.

[Trae]

Poor SF doesn't even have a football stadium. Candlestick was built for baseball only and retro-fitted later to allow for football, and now even the Giants have abandoned the place.

So that's why they have that big section of seats that nobody sits in.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Poor SF doesn't even have a football stadium. Candlestick was built for baseball only and retro-fitted later to allow for football, and now even the Giants have abandoned the place.

OYE OYE OYE!!!

If Atlanta saw Candlestick Park, then took another look at Georgia Dome, do you think they would vote for a new stadium in Atlanta? HELL NAH!

Quick Question (I hope someone here's from ATL). Was the current Falcons owner also owner when Georgia Dome first opened?

[tigereye]

Poor SF doesn't even have a football stadium. Candlestick was built for baseball only and retro-fitted later to allow for football, and now even the Giants have abandoned the place.

Actually Candlestick suits football better then baseball due to its rectangular configuration. For baseball, Candlestick was an absolute nightmare......

But still that place needs to be replaced. And it will. This is the newest plan for Candlestick's replacement.....unveiled just a week ago.

Also, Reliant isnt the newest football venue. That title belongs to Philly's Lincoln Financial Field, which opened in 2003. Technically, its shared with the Bears and Packers, whose renovated Solider Field and Lambeau Field opened the same year. While Lambeau is a true renovation, Solider Field is essentially a new stadium inside the old walls of the original Solider Field.

But, the Texans do have an iron clad lease at Reliant. On top of that, Reliant was built at the end of the "building boom" in the NFL, so dont expect any new "must have" innovations in cash generating options for stadiums. Furthermore, you can expect the Texans to want a renovation of Reliant before a new stadium simple due to the amenities that is on site at Reliant: A Hotel and retail destination inside the Astrodome, a convention center next door, practice facility's and team headquarters, tons of parking.....in the NFL, this is a dream package. This is what Jerry Jones wanted for the Cowboys in Dallas.....until Laura Miller effd up that dream. So why would Bob McNair or any owner want to move from this, the envy of the league?

The Texans will be at Reliant for a long time. Not even a second-coming of "suite mania" can change that.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Actually Candlestick suits football better then baseball due to its rectangular configuration. For baseball, Candlestick was an absolute nightmare......

But still that place needs to be replaced. And it will. This is the newest plan for Candlestick's replacement.....unveiled just a week ago.

Also, Reliant isnt the newest football venue. That title belongs to Philly's Lincoln Financial Field, which opened in 2003. Technically, its shared with the Bears and Packers, whose renovated Solider Field and Lambeau Field opened the same year. While Lambeau is a true renovation, Solider Field is essentially a new stadium inside the old walls of the original Solider Field.

But, the Texans do have an iron clad lease at Reliant. On top of that, Reliant was built at the end of the "building boom" in the NFL, so dont expect any new "must have" innovations in cash generating options for stadiums. Furthermore, you can expect the Texans to want a renovation of Reliant before a new stadium simple due to the amenities that is on site at Reliant: A Hotel and retail destination inside the Astrodome, a convention center next door, practice facility's and team headquarters, tons of parking.....in the NFL, this is a dream package. This is what Jerry Jones wanted for the Cowboys in Dallas.....until Laura Miller effd up that dream. So why would Bob McNair or any owner want to move from this, the envy of the league?

The Texans will be at Reliant for a long time. Not even a second-coming of "suite mania" can change that.

Thanx 4 the clear up. I thought Philly's stadium was built in 2002 with Reliant and Ford Field, but I mistaked it for Seattle's stadium.

I'm not expecting the Texans to want to leave Reliant for at least another 20 years, but I was using them as an example as to why the Falcons mentioning the posibility of pursuing a new stadium after 14 years sounds crazy. Reliant Park is a dream for NFL owners, I agree. It will be hard to compete with Houston for hosting a Super Bowl when you have what Reliant will have to offer in 3 years.

Also, I gotta say that for $600 to $800 million, the S.F. renderings look pretty simple. It kinda reminds me of Rice Stadium

[tigereye]

Thanx 4 the clear up. I thought Philly's stadium was built in 2002 with Reliant and Ford Field, but I mistaked it for Seattle's stadium.

I'm not expecting the Texans to want to leave Reliant for at least another 20 years, but I was using them as an example as to why the Falcons mentioning the posibility of pursuing a new stadium after 14 years sounds crazy. Reliant Park is a dream for NFL owners, I agree. It will be hard to compete with Houston for hosting a Super Bowl when you have what Reliant will have to offer in 3 years.

Also, I gotta say that for $600 to $800 million, the S.F. renderings look pretty simple. It kinda reminds me of Rice Stadium

Well, thats just a sneak peek at the concept to be unveiled in September.

The stadium's design draws inspiriation from old Stanford stadium and the Rose Bowl in that its not supposed to be tall so that the landscape around the venue comes into the venue. The Candlestick site does sit on hills. These renderings just show a few details...i.e. the seating bowl. The finished rendering is a much better representation of the overall project.

Also, the stadium will link itself to the bay, but you wont be able to see the bay from inside the venue like at AT&T Park.....instead you'll get a view of downtown San Francisco via an open end zone, which will be an interactive area themed on gold-mining town. How San Francisco Bay will be connected to the stadium is that one main enternece will open directly up to the point where San Francisco Bay is closest to the stadium, enabling 49er fans to boat up to the stadium. Can you imagine tailgating on a yacht? That's what the Niners are envisioning what their fans will do with this connection, thus creating a football-style McCovey Cove atmosphere outside their stadium like what the Giants have at AT&T Park. Docking facilities and a Fisherman's Wharf-style area, complete with retail and housing, will be built just above that, thus making the venue a year round destination....a la what the Dome/Hotel would do for Reliant. This would replace the Mall idea former owner Eddie DeBartolo wanted.

Yep its an $800 million dollar project...these renderings just dont do it justice. There is so much more to this project then a stadium. I personally love the 49ers plans and when they officially unveil it to the public, you will see just what Im talking about. This might end up being the best NFL facility ever.

[HeightsGuy]

Actually Candlestick suits football better then baseball due to its rectangular configuration. For baseball, Candlestick was an absolute nightmare......

You call this a rectangle? On an Architecture message board?

[Trae]

To bad a Super Bowl won't be in Houston until 2012 at the earliest. Maybe the NFL should have looked into all of what is happening at Reliant more.

[tigereye]

You call this a rectangle? On an Architecture message board?

Well first off, that seating diagram doenst do justice to the actaul situation in real life. For one thing, the east half of the stick doesnt cave in as depicted in the diagram. Look at the two overhead shots (1 in this post, 1 in diagram for new stadium) Youll see the true shape for the stadium, flat on two sides, bowl shaped on the north end, ballpark shaped on the southern end.

If you've been to the Stick, you prolly know what Im talking about. Before the '71 renovation, this was a ballpark. To make the ballpark more friendly to football, architects designed the enclosure of the stadium to mimic the basic shape of a football stadium, which is essentially rectangular. In fact, draw a straight line from foul pole to foul pole and slice the stadium in half, what you'll find is a ballpark for the infield and a football stadium in the outfield. So essentially Candlestick Park is literally half baseball park, half football stadium.

This was so bad of a setup, temporary bleachers had to be setup in left field in 1992 to bring those fans closer to the action since the fo0tball stands ended a good 25ft from the actual left field fence.

Simply, this was a very good place to catch a football game because there were actually good sightlines for football, not to mention the inclimate weather made for perfect "football weather." But as a ballpark after the '71 renovation....this place was the absolute worst ballpark in baseball EVER! Even the Twins Metrodome, the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium and the Expos at Stade de Olympique were better for baseball then Candlestick will ever be.

[DJ V Lawrence]

To bad a Super Bowl won't be in Houston until 2012 at the earliest. Maybe the NFL should have looked into all of what is happening at Reliant more.

Actually, 2011 is the next one e can bid for. It will be a difficult bid, but only good news is that Florida might not be in the running at all. However by that time, we may be competing against Indianapolis, San Fran, L.A., Dallas, New Orleans, Glendale, and perhaps a pesky Atlanta if the renovations come through. No question that regardless of who has a new stadium built, once Astrodome becomes a hotel we'll have the best package to host a Super Bowl. Only deficiency we'll have will be the same problem we had with landing the Olympics: we're not considered an international, glamourous city yet. Many Americans have no clue as to what Houston offers. Even if we host a great Super Bowl (like we did in 2004), the t.v. viewers will only see what the news stations and ESPN show.

[Kam]

it's been stated already, but i'll pile on.

It's been held in 1992, and 2000.

and a poster already hit it on the head.

It's all about the suites.

Candlestick3comMonster is a dump.

Watching the Reggie Bush bowl between the Texans and 49ers, you could see how crappy the field was. That's the only stadium in the NFL that doesn't have some type of drainage system.

Oh, I know it is a little cold to hold a Super Bowl in either city, i was just saying I thought Atlanta only hosted one in 2000. Also, Kansas City is coming up with a design to have a retractable roof on Arrowhead Stadium.

Both times Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl, the weather was terrible. I remember in 2000, there was a bad ice storm.

San Fransisco's stadium is one of the worst and oldest NFL stadiums around. They deserve a new stadium more than Atlanta. San Diego doesn't make sense to me. In the 2003 Super Bowl you could hear the ABC announcers questioning why the NFL would want San Diego to get a new stadium when they're still hosting Super Bowls in their current one. There's nothing wrong with that stadium.

Here's the reason why I brought up the topic. The Texans' Reliant Stadium opened in 2002. It's the newest stadium in the NFL until this season when Arizona's new stadium opens up in Glendale. Say McNair sells the Texans within the next 10 years; can you see the new owner asking for a new stadium in Houston with a straight face before 2016?

The NFL loves San Diego. The Media LOVES San Diego. It's always perfect weather in January/February. the NFL owners can get their golf game on. Fans can get their slutty gear on for Super Bowl parties. It's going to be 75 and sunny.

What's wrong with Qualcomm stadium is that it is an old piece of concrete. They need more suites. Simple as that. Honestly, I think they need a major face lift. That's about it.