The Braves Entertainment Village: Will You Visit? (Atlanta, College Park: airport, moving to)

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by neil0311

So the team plans to move across the city limit and now that the stadium will be in Cobb County, you have no interest in the team? REALLY?

I can't even get my head around that thinking. Honestly...as a baseball fan, do not understand it.

How can you not understand it? I don't care much about baseball, I can't get excited about it. But when the Braves won, Atlanta won. So I rooted for the team SOLELY because it was the city's team. Soon the team won't be in the city.

So why would I care about them? Am I somehow supposed to get excited and support the Cumberland district? No, I just won't waste my time with baseball anymore because I have zero connection to it.

Its pretty simple and quite understandable.

[arjay57]

Let's be honest, though. The Braves are not at their current location because it was considered a prime spot.

To the contrary, that's where the city was able to put it and get the least amount of pushback. The land had already been cleared for they called "urban renewal" in those days. The downtown bigwigs wanted to put in white housing projects as a buffer between downtown and the remaining black communities. Black leaders wanted black projects to compensate for the low income housing that had been torn down. The city finally decided to locate the stadium there, in order to mollify the white business leaders and avoid a confrontation with the black community.

The net effect, of course, was that the stadium was too remote to really become a part of downtown. The separation became even more marked when the city's epicenter shifted to Midtown/Buckhead, and eventually to many areas beyond that.

[westau]

Originally Posted by jsvh

You are so dramatic. I am not going to quit my day-job and go up and protest the team. I am sure I will make it up to a game at some point. And I will still prefer the Braves to win against most of the teams they play. But just as they will gain fans in Cobb, they will lose them elsewhere in the city. I am one of those fans.

The same thing would happen if the Cubs moved from Wriggly Field to Naperville. Many of the current fans that love the experience and history of the current games in an in-town location would not enjoy a Disney-fication / suburban experience of their games. But they will gain fans that prefer the "safety" of chain restaurants and lack of transit access.

Not a valid comparison. The Braves would have to move to Mcdonough or Acworth to be as far of a move as your comparison. Then you would have every right to whine and moan about the move.

History? The Braves have only been in their current location since 1996 and it isn't compared whatsoever to a 100 year old stadium in Wrigley Field.

The funny thing about your chain restaurant comparison, is the only restaurants around Turner Field are chain fast food places...

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by westau

Not a valid comparison. The Braves would have to move to Mcdonough or Acworth to be as far of a move as your comparison. Then you would have every right to whine and moan about the move.

OK. Pick your own Chicago suburb of choice then. How about Des Plaines, IL? That would be the same distance as Braves are moving.

I have the right to complain if the Braves move to McDonough but not Cobb? You seem to be struggling to find excuses not to understand how people are upset about them leaving the city.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

How can you not understand it? I don't care much about baseball, I can't get excited about it. But when the Braves won, Atlanta won. So I rooted for the team SOLELY because it was the city's team. Soon the team won't be in the city.

So why would I care about them? Am I somehow supposed to get excited and support the Cumberland district? No, I just won't waste my time with baseball anymore because I have zero connection to it.

Its pretty simple and quite understandable.

Right, so again...if you never cared about baseball or the team to begin with, then this whole thing should be a non-issue for you. If you're a baseball fan and a Braves fan, then you would be more into the team and where the stadium is located wouldn't be an issue.

This whole thing for many of you is just because the team is going to Cobb County, which you perceive as some mostly white, rich, conservative, Republican bastion, and which you just dislike. Now the perception doesn't necessarily equal the reality, but that's the big deal for many of you...you just can't stand Cobb or the idea of Cobb "taking" the Braves away from the City of Atlanta.

The fact that we're talking just a mile or so outside the city is being blown out of proportion. You'd think the Braves were moving to Memphis. Again...this would be a non-issue to a fan. It's only an issue to people with a political agenda.

Would people be so up in arms if the Braves were moving a mile outside of the city to Clayton County or maybe College Park, or Hapeville? I'm thinking not. Is the difference based on politics or race? I have to think it is.

[tikigod311]

Thanks for putting words in my mouth. I have no issues with Cobb nor any political agenda. I don't fall into the suburban haters camp as I come from the suburbs and still love my hometown. People would most certainly be up in arms if it was moved to Clayton County or any other suburb.

You just don't seem to get the idea that the Braves and Atlanta go together like hot wings and blue cheese. Once the connection is removed, its just a baseball team. Which is fine, if you are baseball fan.

[erick295]

I doubt too many Atlantans would be angry if the stadium moved a few miles away to Decatur or any other non-Atlanta area that's still perceived well in ITP circles. If you ask me, this is the root of the emotional problem: Cobb is the socially awkward kid no one wants to be seen around. You should see the way some ITP folks curl their noses while saying "OTP," as if it's such a toxic word that they've lost some urban fabric cred by just uttering it aloud... in fact I think some of them would rather spend a year in Chernobyl than step into Cobb for an evening and face the resulting scrutiny from their peers. I'm surprised we don't have detox tents around here so the few unfortunate souls who've been forced to leave the safe embrace of 285 can wash all the Cheesecake Factory off before it spreads.

[arjay57]

I totally don't get the prejudice toward Cobb and the Braves.

For Pete's sake, they just moved across the river and are still only a mile outside the city limits.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by erick295

I doubt too many Atlantans would be angry if the stadium moved a few miles away to Decatur or any other non-Atlanta area that's still perceived well in ITP circles. If you ask me, this is the root of the emotional problem: Cobb is the socially awkward kid no one wants to be seen around. You should see the way some ITP folks curl their noses while saying "OTP," as if it's such a toxic word that they've lost some urban fabric cred by just uttering it aloud... in fact I think some of them would rather spend a year in Chernobyl than step into Cobb for an evening and face the resulting scrutiny from their peers. I'm surprised we don't have detox tents around here so the few unfortunate souls who've been forced to leave the safe embrace of 285 can wash all the Cheesecake Factory off before it spreads.

Sure, just like OTP folks talk down about everything ITP. Including many who now say they will go to Braves games because it is no longer in the "hood".

People prefer different things and different lifestyles. It is a good thing that people have choices.

So why is it such a shock to people that this move will cause the Braves to lose urban fans and gain suburban fans?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

You just don't seem to get the idea that the Braves and Atlanta go together like hot wings and blue cheese. Once the connection is removed, its just a baseball team. Which is fine, if you are baseball fan.

Sure, but I don't get why you feel that moving to the intersection of I-285 and I-75 changes that. The "Atlanta" area has always been much more than just the city itself. Anywhere in the metro is "Atlanta" and especially for something regional like a sports franchise.

You're acting like the Braves are moving to Charlotte, instead of 12 miles up the road. This should be a non-issue. I honestly and sincerely do not understand your point.