Is Atlanta a bad sports town?

[MikeJacket1967]

So the Falcons and the Hawks had good attendance before the Braves run? The Atlanta Chiefs were a successful soccer team? The Atlanta Flames were successful?

The success of Atlanta sports franchises was even worse before the Braves run. The Falcons were considered a joke. The Smith ownership was basically a joke of the NFL. The Chiefs had almost no attendance or fan support. The Flames made the playoffs six out of eight years, but could not get people to attend. There are absolutely no success stories in Atlanta professional sports from the 60s thru the 80s. The stigma about Atlanta sports wasn't caused by the lack of support for a dominant baseball team in the 90s. That lack of support confirmed a stigma about Atlanta's support for professional sports.

The tickets for the Flames and Thrashers were too expensive and that put a big dent in attendance

 

[slugboy]

So what are the facts?

Do the Hawks have good attendance? No. In 2014, the attendance was 77%. It went up in 2015 to 93%. It leveled out in 2016 to 89%. It dropped to 85% in 2017. That is despite having ticket prices in the very bottom of the NBA.

Does Atlanta have enough support to sustain a hockey team? Well, the Thrashers left Atlanta for a more supporting Winnipeg.

Do the Falcons have great support? They do have a high percentage of attendance, but they rank almost exactly middle of the NFL teams in percent attendance. They have great support in the town when they make it deep in the playoffs, but not much attention other than that.

I would say for that support for basketball, and hockey Atlanta is in the very bottom. In football Atlanta is in the middle.

Winnipeg has not given the Thrashers better fan support than they got in Atlanta. They get about 15k fans per game now, even though they lead their division. Atlanta fans attended well for years at about that level for crummy teams, but after watching the Spirit group rent players for a year and trade them away near playoff time, fans had a game boycott in the last year to get ownership off their butts. Ownership got off their butts and sold to Winnipeg, since they had no intention of fielding a good hockey team.

Hawks attendance is brutally low, even a few years ago when Milsap, Horford, and Korver were playing awesome basketball. That’s a shame. They deserved better support then.

I think the Hawks ownership is trying to fix up the franchise. They may not get many fans until they win, though

The Braves have drawn better than you’d expect for having Liberty Media as their owners. They’ve done great the last few seasons, even before making the playoffs.




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[MikeJacket1967]

Winnipeg has not given the Thrashers better fan support than they got in Atlanta. They get about 15k fans per game now, even though they lead their division. Atlanta fans attended well for years at about that level for crummy teams, but after watching the Spirit group rent players for a year and trade them away near playoff time, fans had a game boycott in the last year to get ownership off their butts. Ownership got off their butts and sold to Winnipeg, since they had no intention of fielding a good hockey team.

Hawks attendance is brutally low, even a few years ago when Milsap, Horford, and Korver were playing awesome basketball. That’s a shame. They deserved better support then.

I think the Hawks ownership is trying to fix up the franchise. They may not get many fans until they win, though

The Braves have drawn better than you’d expect for having Liberty Media as their owners. They’ve done great the last few seasons, even before making the playoffs.




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When you keep the Thrashers losing head coach for a decade that shows that you don't care if you win at all

 

[RonJohn]

Hawks attendance is brutally low, even a few years ago when Milsap, Horford, and Korver were playing awesome basketball. That’s a shame. They deserved better support then.

I think the Hawks ownership is trying to fix up the franchise. They may not get many fans until they win, though

The Braves have drawn better than you’d expect for having Liberty Media as their owners. They’ve done great the last few seasons, even before making the playoffs.




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My post was in response to a post that said that Atlanta sports support was not thought of as bad until the Braves couldn't fill the stadium for playoff games. I was pointing out that at least from the late 60s until the 90s, the ownership and fan support of professional athletics in Atlanta was pathetic at best. The Falcons had a few(very few) good seasons(78, 80, 82). They had many losing seasons. The Falcon's ownership was considered at the bottom if not the worst in the NFL. The Hawks didn't have consistent support in that time frame. The Chiefs and the Flames left Atlanta to try to find a more supporting area. I remember national sports columnists in the early 80s making fun of Atlanta sports. It started long before the Braves of the 90s.

Cut to today: Atlanta lost the Thrashers. The Hawks have among the lowest attendance in the NBA despite having among the lowest ticket prices in the NBA. The Braves are doing well, but they are in a brand new stadium. The Falcons are doing well, but they are in a brand new stadium. Atlanta United is doing extremely well, but they are a brand new team that has had success in the first two years.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

So the Falcons and the Hawks had good attendance before the Braves run? The Atlanta Chiefs were a successful soccer team? The Atlanta Flames were successful?

The success of Atlanta sports franchises was even worse before the Braves run. The Falcons were considered a joke. The Smith ownership was basically a joke of the NFL. The Chiefs had almost no attendance or fan support. The Flames made the playoffs six out of eight years, but could not get people to attend. There are absolutely no success stories in Atlanta professional sports from the 60s thru the 80s. The stigma about Atlanta sports wasn't caused by the lack of support for a dominant baseball team in the 90s. That lack of support confirmed a stigma about Atlanta's support for professional sports.

The story of the Chiefs would have made a good short novel. A legendary coach, a physical endurance regimen instituted on the campus of Emory University, international players who had to try to learn each other's language so they could communicate on the pitch, an attacking style of play that revolutionized the sport and a miracle run to the championship. But no fans, the league folded and that was that. Similar disappointments occurred in other sports but that one stood out because the excuse makers had said that if Atlanta ever had a winning team you would see what a good sports town it was. That bluff was called early in Atlanta sports history.

 

[Milwaukee]

So the Falcons and the Hawks had good attendance before the Braves run? The Atlanta Chiefs were a successful soccer team? The Atlanta Flames were successful?

The success of Atlanta sports franchises was even worse before the Braves run. The Falcons were considered a joke. The Smith ownership was basically a joke of the NFL. The Chiefs had almost no attendance or fan support. The Flames made the playoffs six out of eight years, but could not get people to attend. There are absolutely no success stories in Atlanta professional sports from the 60s thru the 80s. The stigma about Atlanta sports wasn't caused by the lack of support for a dominant baseball team in the 90s. That lack of support confirmed a stigma about Atlanta's support for professional sports.

I don't think you're following. The stigma that ATL is a bad sports town is 100% because of the Braves run when we couldn't fill the stadium. Everything else you're saying about other sports is correct, but that's not why we're known as a bad sports town. The Braves run is when this all came about as being a bad sports town. Clear?

 

[lauraee]

The perception created by the national media is that Atlanta is a bad sports town. What makes Atlanta a bad sports town? Is it because the 95 Braves are the only champions? Is it because the hockey team left?

And the biggest choke of all time by the F alcons.

 

[A Love Supreme]

And the biggest choke of all time by the F alcons.

Do you think perception will change with the success of Atlanta United?

 

[lauraee]

Do you think perception will change with the success of Atlanta United?

Happy to see their success. As far as perception, I don't think it will because I don't think soccer is popular enough nationwide to overcome Atlanta's reputation. I think it would take a championship by the Braves, Falcons, or Hawks and success & attendance from all 3 of them.

I think Atl is fickle & won't sell out baseball, football or basketball without winning some championships. Middle of the pack attendance rates don't show Atl in a good light. Lack of championships in the other sports doesn't help. Think we are definitely a bandwagon town. Hope United keeps their winning ways going. It's nice to see a winning team.

 

[Milwaukee]

Soccer shouldn't be played indoors or on fake grass. MLS is a farmer's league where some Euros will come to retire. There, I've said my piece.

 

[MikeJacket1967]

Soccer shouldn't be played indoors or on fake grass. MLS is a farmer's league where some Euros will come to retire. There, I've said my piece.

I guess you didn't get an Atlanta United championship tee shirt

 

[A Love Supreme]

Soccer shouldn't be played indoors or on fake grass. MLS is a farmer's league where some Euros will come to retire. There, I've said my piece.

Hopefully other teams will follow Atlanta Uniteds lead in getting young, up-incoming talent from South America instead of washed up European players.

 

[Madison Grant]

Is rain wet?

 

[CuseJacket]

Do you think perception will change with the success of Atlanta United?

No. In fact, I don't think the United championship registers anywhere outside of Atlanta or Portland. Name the last 5 MLS champs... no one knows... because no one cares.

I was thinking about creating another thread re: the significance of the United championship, but maybe my point is best served here. This championship is not a curse-breaker. Can you imagine another city, say Chicago, coming off a long championship drought and then claiming their MLS team broke the streak? We would laugh at them.

The United championship left the ESPN front page within 12 hours. That is, assuming it ever made the front page. I'm not sure because I didn't visit ESPN until the next morning.

We have a long way to go. Most of my soccer buddies didn't know about Atlanta United's following, let alone that we were a top team the last 2 years. They all watch the Premier league or one of the other top 2-3 leagues. These are guys who played soccer in college.

As for the MLS... it still has a long way to go to earn attention and respect.

I'm happy for United. That said, in the landscape of sports in the U.S., let alone elsewhere, we are the tree falling in the forest with no one around to hear. I enjoy soccer too, so don't take this as coming from a soccer-hating point of view.

 

[MikeJacket1967]

No. In fact, I don't think the United championship registers anywhere outside of Atlanta or Portland. Name the last 5 MLS champs... no one knows... because no one cares.

I was thinking about creating another thread re: the significance of the United championship, but maybe my point is best served here. This championship is not a curse-breaker. Can you imagine another city, say Chicago, coming off a long championship drought and then claiming their MLS team broke the streak? We would laugh at them.

The United championship left the ESPN front page within 12 hours. That is, assuming it ever made the front page. I'm not sure because I didn't visit ESPN until the next morning.

We have a long way to go. Most of my soccer buddies didn't know about Atlanta United's following, let alone that we were a top team the last 2 years. They all watch the Premier league or one of the other top 2-3 leagues. These are guys who played soccer in college.

As for the MLS... it still has a long way to go to earn attention and respect.

I'm happy for United. That said, in the landscape of sports in the U.S., let alone elsewhere, we are the tree falling in the forest with no one around to hear. I enjoy soccer too, so don't take this as coming from a soccer-hating point of view.

Sadly that's very,very true

 

[GT_EE78]

The tickets for the Flames and Thrashers were too expensive and that put a big dent in attendance

agree. My friends only went to the flyers games and that was just for the fights. any sport should fail if they put in an offside penalty to punish a team for doing something good - like running a fast break or throwing a long pass. I never missed them.

 

[OldJacketFan]

The tickets for the Flames and Thrashers were too expensive and that put a big dent in attendance

As to the Flames that not accurate, over the time they were in Atlanta they average over 13.5K in a 15K arena. Their 1st year the most expensive ticket in the Omni was $7.50. When the building economy went to hell in Atlanta Tom Cousins had a major cash flow issue and put his majority stake up for a quick sale. As far as I know he never reached out to anyone locally in an attempt to keep the team in Atlanta but jumped on the first offer that came along.

 

[GT_EE78]

Pretty much this. When the Braves came to Atlanta they were instantly popular their first season. It did not last. Some of us remember attending games in later years in which we had fewer than 8000 fans in the stadium. The first soccer championship in the U.S. was won by the Atlanta Chiefs but no one in Atlanta, it felt like, even knew that happened.

Lots of reasons have been given over the years for the lack of fan enthusiasm and I suspect the answer is complicated. If you have ever visited a great sports town for a sporting event you instantly see the difference. The energy level is just different. It feels like an event. I used to have tickets to the Braves every season but when they started getting good I suddenly found the stadium filled with "beautiful people" for whom the game was just a backdrop for their night out of partying and being seen. They rarely actually watched the field and they were way too cool to yell at the field. They would not even know what a score card was. When the Braves are not winning and not the place to see and be seen, attendance tanks again. And so it goes with every other sports team in this town.

Maybe it's like southern califonia where fans arrive 2nd or 3rd inning , bat the beachball around for awhile, sing in the 7th and go home not knowing who the opposing team was. Was at a padre's game in 81-82 when an attractive young lady walked by in a skimpy bikini top and got a huge standing ovation, game stopped for several minutes as players looked up into the stands. Manager was quoted after the game game saying"we love san diego fans, their enthusiasm even carries over to the game sometimes. .... Nah, i take it back , So Cal is just plain more fun