New Beginnings for Atlanta Sports

A quick web search for the city of Atlanta reveals that part of its legacy — its selected history — is borne out of its revival after the Civil War. There’s a wikipedia article for a famous statue, “Atlanta from the Ashes,” that explains part of this chosen identity. Referencing the mythical phoenix that can rise from its own ashes, Atlanta sees itself as a city that remade itself after 1865. Since then, this idea has been a key part of the area’s cultural identity.

Now, in 2016, several of Atlanta’s sports franchises are attempting a rebirth of their own. This rebirth comes mostly from rebranding or building new sports homes, but it’s interesting that multiple teams are doing this at the same time.

Take the Braves, for example. While people may be divided on the viability of SunTrust Park (built outside the city’s borders to the northwest), it’s hard to deny that the new stadium (if people can ever get to it) is tailored to provide a fresh and new experience. It coincides with the team’s rebuilding plans, as well. Atlanta is on the tail-end of a long rebuilding process, one that is aimed at fielding a competitive baseball team in the next 2–5 years.

Or the Atlanta Falcons. The $1 billion dollar project that is Mercedes-Benz Stadium almost dwarfs their current home in the Georgia Dome, promising new state-of-the-art facilities for the Falcons next year. Beyond that, the stadium has booked Atlanta a Super Bowl, a College Football National Championship, and a NCAA Final Four in the next few years. (Note: I am not condoning public funding for sports facilities in any way).

The Atlanta Hawks got in on the action, too. The team recently rebranded its logo (including a secondary logo based on a phoenix), and is renovating its home of Philips Arena. Beyond that, the Hawks also recently landed a D-League affiliate (think something close to a minor league for the NBA).

Finally, the city’s soccer team, Atlanta United, opens play this summer. They held their expansion draft today, and are poised to share Mercedes-Benz stadium with the Falcons when it opens next year. It remains to be seen how much of a following the MLS will ever drum up this far south, but the team already has a devoted — if small — following. The Seattle Sounders just won the MLS Cup. The next Major League Soccer season in the United States will have an Atlanta team in it.

Atlanta has always struggled with the reputation of being a “bad sports town,” one that couldn’t compete with some urban centers in the Northeast and Midwest. And that may always be true to an extent. However, it’s undeniable that every major sports franchise in the city is either rebranding itself, preparing for a new home, or starting from the beginning. Wherever Atlanta sports go, the next few years mark the start of some kind of new beginning.