AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > June > 18 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLocal fans don’t measure up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
It’s a free country. You’re allowed to root for the team of your choice. But every so often there comes an Atlanta sporting event that makes you wonder if this is still Atlanta and if there’s such a thing as an Atlanta sports fan.
Monday night was another installment in a weird and distressing series, a night when the titular host was made to feel like a tourist. To report that there were more Red Sox fans than Braves backers at Turner Field would be a slight exaggeration. To report that the 20,000 Boston zealots shouted down the home folks — at least until the old nemesis Curt Schilling got shelled — would fall under the heading of distressing old news.
“Sounded like more Red Sox fans,” said Jeff Francoeur, who was asked if such a thing bothered him. “It doesn’t when you’re winning.”
Such a thing, as we know, has happened here often. It happened in 2003, when legions of Cubs fans celebrated a Division Series clinching. It happened in 1994, when Pacers people flew in by the planeload knowing there’d be playoff tickets available at the old Omni. It happens whenever the Cowboys or Steelers play at the Dome. Question is, will it ever stop happening?
This has been a big-league city for more than 40 years. That’s time enough for the local franchises to have imprinted themselves on the marketplace, except that ours remains the trendiest of towns. Our imprints are issued in washable crayon.
Mike Fratello said he knew his Hawks had arrived in the late ’80s only because there weren’t as many “green people” in the Omni when the snooty Celtics came calling.
The Braves were hot in the early ’90s, when the Tomahawk Chop became a weapon of intimidation. But here it was a Monday night in June 2007, and the sections directly behind home plate included patrons with jerseys bearing the names Ortiz and Ramirez and Schilling and Varitek and Youklis and Papelbon, none of whom play for the Braves.
“It was like this in Oakland,” said Gordon Edes of The Boston Globe, once an AJC colleague. “It was crazy in Arizona, where [the Sox] had never played a regular-season game before. And with ticket prices the way they are in Fenway, it’s almost cheaper to fly to Baltimore for a game there.”
But why is it always this way here? The Atlanta Braves have won just as many World Series since 1918 as the beloved Sox, but hardy New Englanders are passionate about their team in a way we Atlantans seldom get about any of ours. Maybe we’re too transient a city for such roots to grow. But if that’s true, then how do you explain our mania for college football?
“It’s kind of a bummer,” said Mike Mills, the bassist/keyboardist/singer for R.E.M., speaking of the proliferation of Sox fans around him. (Mills has standing in the matter, being a longtime supporter of Atlanta teams and a Braves season-ticket holder.)
“It’s crazy,” said Grady Baxley, who’s from that famous Bosox bastion of Jacksonville, Fla. “We couldn’t believe how many [fellow Sox believers] are here.”
Baxley’s traveling party included three other Sox-lovers. Two were wearing David Ortiz’s name and number. Matthew Gilligan, who grew up in South Boston, sported a “Cowboy Up” T-shirt from the 2003 Sox postseason and a red “B” on his biceps.
It’s a free country. You’re allowed to bear the tattoo of your choice. But every so often there comes a scene that makes you wish Atlanta sports fans would take it upon themselves to Cowboy Up.
This baseball team has been really good for a really long time. Just because this ballpark doesn’t have a Green Monster doesn’t mean it shouldn’t brim with the same hometown fervor as the famous Fenway. But it rarely does, and whose fault is that?
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By Ok Let's Go
June 18, 2007 11:32 PM | Link to this
Everyone contributed 2night on offense & deffense - except for AJ on the O - Frenchy didn’t get a hit until late & had some missed opportunities swinging the bat all willy nilly like AJ. AJ is a Brave. He’s done a lot for the Braves no matter what critics say. I’m still pulling for him. He does need some time off though. It is disappointing to hear that more opposing fans show up then home fans. Like LaRoche said - Atl fans are spoiled. Atl is not a sports city. It’s a more of a jump on the band wagon town. There are a few true die hard fans. Line up for tues: KJ 2B WH LF ER SS CJ 3B BC C MD CF (sorry AJ - need to work on mech or just take a day off) YE RF (sorry Frenchy - need to be more patient) JS 1B (sorry Thorman - playing well though) TH P
By Montrece
June 18, 2007 11:33 PM | Link to this
Yea Guys I was there for Game 5 of the 2003 Division Series and this past june 8 both these games against Cubs. And its pretty embarassing to be outshined by out of towners. We do need to step it up
By Sane Jane
June 18, 2007 11:34 PM | Link to this
Bradley may get bashed by the local yahoos, but he’s 100% right.
I went to Emory and, as a native Georgian (woo, Augusta!), ALWAYS felt like an outsider.
By J-Dawg
June 18, 2007 11:36 PM | Link to this
Who cares as long as the Braves are winning? True Braves fans don’t circle the Boston Red Sox series as a must-see event—we love seeing the Mets or Phillies in town. Red Sox fans do this everywhere, so why castigate Braves fans as nonchalant toward their team? … How about writing about the way Chuck James and the Braves took apart Curt Schilling?
By Josh Massey
June 18, 2007 11:37 PM | Link to this
As one of the few people actually born in Atlanta, it distresses me to see so many damn Boston fans here - but they’re not just here today, they live here 365. And as they rarely get the chance to see their team play live, every sniveling, obnoxious, mouth-breathing one of them crawled out of their rotten Chowder-smelling basement and filled the stadium. The real Braves fans spread themselves over 81 home games. The Red Sox playing in Atlanta is a rare event for most Boston fans - much like a shower, I guess - so you’d expect them to show up in dumb masses.
By J-Dawg
June 18, 2007 11:37 PM | Link to this
Who cares as long as the Braves are winning? True Braves fans don’t circle the Boston Red Sox series as a must-see event—we love seeing the Mets or Phillies in town. Red Sox fans do this everywhere, so why castigate Braves fans as nonchalant toward their team? … How about writing about the way Chuck James and the Braves took apart Curt Schilling?
By Elizabeth
June 18, 2007 11:43 PM | Link to this
Very well put. I do agree with Bradley.
It used to bother me a lot to see how many Cubs and Red Sox fans fill Turner Field, but I have come not to care anymore. Cubs and Red Sox fans can be very arrogant, and they travel to every other big league city.. so I don’t take too personal when they come here.
I have been a Braves fan for a long time.. I wish it was still like it was back in the 90’s, but it’s not. Same with the Falcons, I mean would anyone in this city really be behind this team if it wasn’t for Vick? And with the Hawks.. they have just become a huge joke. And I wouldn’t even attempt to call hockey a big sport here. But what can you do?
Professional sports have been changing a lot the past few years, in my opinion for the worst. But I will continue to love my teams, because really.. their are more important things then how many red sox fans go to Turner Field.
We will always have nascar and college.. no one can deny that this city is passionate about those.
By Fishtales
June 18, 2007 11:44 PM | Link to this
Maybe if I could get parked and in the Stadium before the 5th inning I’d be more of a fan. For roughly $100 per couple for tix, parking, food and beer…the traffic in and out is the capper. Phillips and the GA Dome are MUCH easier to get in and out of. More stuff to do around there as well.
By Big Steve
June 18, 2007 11:50 PM | Link to this
When ever St. Louis, Chicago, NY or Boston come to town, it becomes their ballpark. It has to be disheartening for the Braves players. I was born and raise d in Atlanta and nothing…..NOTHING embarrasses me more than seeing opposing fans drown us out.
By singletary
June 18, 2007 11:52 PM | Link to this
I agree. Football is even worse. My husband and his friends are more FANatic about the Browns, than I am and I REGULARLY wear my Falcons gear and talk with football fans about my team though we live 800 miles away from the home games. What gives, Georgia? When I was in South Georgia last Holidays, I couldn’t see Falcons games because the only ones they showed were JAX. My cousins only care about college. It’s unreal how few folks really care deeply about GA prof sports.
By KJ
June 18, 2007 11:59 PM | Link to this
Boston sports fans are annoying retards who think nothing of spending several paychecks just for the privilege of watching a bunch of dudes who don’t give a sh*t about them chase a ball around a field. I couldn’t be happier to be a “casual” fan.
By Natick Dan
June 19, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this
Go Sox!! Next two are ours. ATL - be glad we fill your stadium and teach the few Braves fans that show up what it is like to be passionate about your team. Ninth innning, we’re down by six runs, but the Fenway Faithful are still cheering for their team. Go Sox! And, yes we do live among you. Sox Nation - South.
By Dan in NC
June 19, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this
Being that I am a diehard Braves fan who lives 4 1/2 hours from Atlanta, I’m lucky to make one trip per season. Unforunately I along with the others in the fanbase get stuck with the label of not being loyal to the team which really sucks and trst me the Yankee and Red Sox fans are the ones that let you know about it first. But I’ve always come to the conclusion that professional sports in the South has and will always be a regional based sport. The only other multi-team pro sports towns in the south are in New Orleans and Charlotte…both of those cities rely on a wide area fopr their team’s fanbase.
By kbpeach
June 19, 2007 12:06 AM | Link to this
I’ve grown up in Atlanta and am an avid braves fan - my dad used to take us to the old Fulton County Stadium - those were the days - at tonights game we had great seats in left field but were surrounded by so many Sox fans we felt intimidated - but when the rain started we climbed all the way to the top of the 400 section and that’s were the Braves fans were - so many college and high school kids were really having a great time and rootin for the home team. So I will consider buying cheap seats for the next game because it seems it’s a lot more fun up there!
By josh
June 19, 2007 12:07 AM | Link to this
I think it has alot to do with the surroundings, Atlanta is a gaint getto. Most braves fan like me don’t want the hassle of comeing here.I mean you could get shot car jacked mugged ect. And you will very seldom see a sellout because of this. The last time I came the middleast guy tryed to over charge me for parking,after the game I stoped at a local store and some crazy looking guy kept asking for a ride. Atlanta is a messed up place unlike many other cities that have a higher number of white people and a lower rate of crime. It should not be this way but everwhere you go in Atlanta all see nastyness. And it even smells bad. I think I’ll stay home and watch it on the tv, Thanks
By Dean
June 19, 2007 12:07 AM | Link to this
Bradley, I was at the game and you’re way off base. Did you write this column on Sunday? Every time the ‘Let’s go Red Sox” chant started up Braves fans booed it down. For once I was proud to be a Braves fan since we stepped up early and often. Talk about all the lousy Red Sox fans who left early next time.
By ROLL TIDE!
June 19, 2007 12:08 AM | Link to this
Bradley,
You self-righteous hypocrite! You can $uck my Gamecock!
You get to attend all the sporting events you can stand FOR FREE with your press pass and your judgemental attitude. Who are you to bash people who pay their hard-earned, OVERtaxed money on tickets to view the same spectacles you get to view for free?
If you want “passionate” and “true” sports fans, with all their vulgarity, profanity, rudeness and COMPLETE lack of consideration for their fellow fans, please take your carpetmunching rear end up to Boston and stay there.
See how much ‘love’ the fans in Philly have for pencil-necked bootlickers like you, Marky-Poo.
May Mike Vick give you herpes, Bradley.
Why don’t you and Terence Moore go fondle each other?
By Some guy
June 19, 2007 12:10 AM | Link to this
I think its just the media love affair with the BoSox and Cubs. Both Boston and Chicago are treated VERY well by the media, both are “lovable losers” so with their exposure by the media they get quite the fan base nationwide, so their fans come out when their teams travel. Besides the ‘03 World Series for the Red Sox, why would anyone that dosen’t live in Chicago or Boston like them? Their on the field accomplishments don’t amount to much.
And another thing, some markets just don’t really support sports too well. Unfortunately Atlanta is one of them.
By Big Steve
June 19, 2007 12:12 AM | Link to this
Another thing: What happened to the Chop? Better yet, what happened to the Chant? Don’t get me wrong, even I have relaxed on the “cued up” chop over the years….but nothing was more intimidating in the 90’s than the 8th or 9th inning harmonic chant with everyone unison. I strongly recommend going back and watching some of those ‘91-‘92 games. CBS would come back from a commercial break and Fulton County would still be doing the Indian Chant. It was deafening and you could see the other team in their dugout looking around the stadium in amazement. That’s what I miss. All we get now is a few beats over the loud speakers which always pans out once the pitcher makes his delivery. If someone would just let me have control, I could get that place fired up again.
By Chuckles
June 19, 2007 12:14 AM | Link to this
Why is it that people reduce sports to all or nothing choices: either you support the Braves or you’re bad fans?
I tire of the media’s insistance that folks who live here are somehow lacking the mojo that ‘the established sports towns’ like Boston, Philly or New York have. They are ‘true fans’. Well, let me tell you about those ‘true fans’:
I grew up in Connecticut. Yep, other than the Whalers (RIP) we HAD no native team. We were squarely between Boston & New York. You were either a Red Sox, Yankees or (ick) METS fan. That’s it. That is, of course, unless you played Wiffle Ball.
In 1966 I learned the game from my next door neighbor Jack, whos family came to connecticut from New Jersey. He was a Mets fan. We played every day, using the box scores from the previous day as a guide to our lineups (including batting left or right handed) as well as the pitchers (and yes, we switched pitched!). Jack would not allow too many ‘World Series’ matches between the Mets & my Bosox. So I have to ‘pick a National League team’.
Yes, I picked the Braves. Rico Carty, Joe Torre, Mike Lum, and Mr. Henry Aaron (not Hank! Gawd).
Now, was I the source of acromony as a kid for not being a ‘true fan’? Heck no. You see, it;s a double standard. If you are from NY, Boston, Philly or any of the old cities, you can root for anyone you like, as ling as you didn’t show up at the stadium cheering for them. You would be spat on, yelled obscenities at, have beer spilled on you or beaten.
I saw my 1st major league game in 1967 at Fenway vs. the Tigers. Jim Lonborg was pitching. Yaz was in left. I still remember the smell of cigars, of peanuts, popcorn, food: walking thru the brick gate, under the 1st base stands, seeing the racks of Guildens’ mustard (all the Little Yastremski’s eat Guildens), and then, walking up the ramp to see - The Monster. The green of the infield. The old Hammond Organ playing ‘My Way’. Sherm Feller grunting out the lineups. Vendors yelling “Souvenierbats!”.
That was the experience that made me ‘a true fan’.
My 1st experience seeing the Braves live? 1990. Parked behind the stadium in the 2nd row of Blue Parking for 3 bucks. Walked up & paid for a dugout level seat 20 minutes before game time with no line. Walked thru the cement gate, up the ramp, past the garbage pails to the walkway in The Old Stadium. There we so many empty seats. Tom Glavine was pitching vs. the Cubs. He got shelled. There were mostly Cobs fans there. I stayed all 9 innings.
I have been a ‘true fan’ of the Braves as long as I have been a Red Sox fan. But I appreciate being here, living here, and being able to go to a game like today’s matchup & wear either of my caps. Folks here won’t toss batteries at you if you cheer for the Sox. Heck, they’ll probably strike up a conversation between innings about Shillings almost no-no the other day, or how cool it was when The Curse was lifted in 2004.
If we’re not selling out every night, or we have fans from other teams coming here to see their team, I say good. The Braves make $$$ from anyone who buys tickets, eats the food or buys the hats, whoever the team may be. It’s about the GAME. And the fact that we can disagree about who the best team is, but we can walk out of the game having had a good time & having passed on the tradition of the sport to our kids - who were at the Olympic Staduim before it became Turner field - or remember their 1st time walking on the field when the Braves have a day for local kids teams to walk around the outfield. They get their memories, too.
But I’ve lived in both places - it’s better here.
And if you don’t like the way Atlanta fans support their teams, I believe Lewis Grizzard said it best:
“Delta is ready when you are.”
By Julius
June 19, 2007 12:15 AM | Link to this
Don’t feel bad. I live in Oakland, and we get same more Red Soxs and Yankees fans to our park.
By Bob
June 19, 2007 12:17 AM | Link to this
Face it this is college football country. Baseball is a passion in New England and New York. I was at Braves Mets game two years ago and it was very loud. But compared to UGA-Tennesse or UGA-Auburn it was like an empty church. I wish it weren’t so, but our fans are way too laid back.
By Penna. Jim
June 19, 2007 12:17 AM | Link to this
Braves fans are (and have been for quite a while) completely jaded.
We lived in Newnan back in 90-91 when the Braves started turning it all around. The crowds then, at Fulton County were GREAT. Very loud, very into it.
What a difference the years make. I happened to be working in Atlanta in 2001 during the playoffs and had no problem getting a ticket to game 4 of the NLCS vs Arizona. The fans were horrible, the Braves lost BIG and the fans left early (understandable but I believe in staying until the last out).
Well, both of our sons are now old enough to appreciate going to a game so we took a baseball trip this past week, ending in Atlanta tonight vs the Red Sox. Getting out after the game was a NIGHTMARE. Traffic contol was nearly worthless AND people are so ignorant that they won’t even consider letting alternating cars get out. Worse yet are the NAZIs in usher uniforms. Southern hospitality my butt. I can understand the need to limit autograph seekers to one section before the game but it’s a good thing they don’t equip the ushers with stun guns. On the steps, there was a guy in front of me on crutches. To let him get by more easily I dares to cross to the other side of the railing in the middle of the stares. Before my 2nd foot hit the ground there was an usher running up the steps to tell me to get back on the other side. He didn’t appreciate when I sarcastically asked if it was alright to let the guy on crutches (something akin to Southern hospitality I would think), go by first. It’s a good thing dirty looks don’t kill or I’d have been dead.
I love Atlanta and miss living in the area but just about every time I’ve been back to Turner Field, it’s reinforced how far it needs to go to be a fan-friendly venue.
By brent a.
June 19, 2007 12:19 AM | Link to this
I have never understood all the folks that complain about getting to the game on time, ticket prices, parking prices, etc.
Even without Marta rolling to the station, we have it so freaking easy in Atlanta.
$6 tickets (even $1 if you can time it right), $5 parking just about 2 blocks north of the stadium, allowing you to BEAT TRAFFIC away from the stadium.
Cry cry cry! Snivel! Snivel!
Braves games are easy to attend, and super affordable.
And, as many have mentioned, that is why so many Sox fans show up here for 3 games, because Fenway is so expensive and you can’t afford to park anywhere near the park, so it is subway, or bust. Plus, they live in Atlanta as it is, because is Atlanta is affordable to live in compared to Boston.
By Coach
June 19, 2007 12:21 AM | Link to this
Atlanta , Goergia is the armpit of the sports world. This city does not deserve the Braves or the Falcons , Hawks etc. etc. etc. Shouted down in your own stadium , sick , sick , sick.
By James
June 19, 2007 12:24 AM | Link to this
I’m not from Boston, but the truth is that Atlanta has become a transplant town and many of us from other cities enjoy seeing our teams come to play. Especially since interleague started, more people have a chance to do that. We went to a Boston-Braves game last summer and the fan rivalry was a lot more fun than the apathetic, sit in the seat, talk on the cell phone, and don’t-really-understand-anything-about-this-game crowd that usually shows up. Infield fly? What’s that? Oh, gosh, let me call my mom. I think I’m on TV.
Oh, and Josh? Do people really take you seriously when you talk and write? There are at least 19 errors in your brief post. If you really want to get your point across, pretend you’re not a casualty of the low graduation rates in this state.
By Michael
June 19, 2007 12:35 AM | Link to this
At least we don’t have to worry about Tom Brady showing up. He is a Yankee fan!! Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!
By Andrew
June 19, 2007 12:37 AM | Link to this
Very true and very irritating, bradley. I’m a college student who tries to go to a game every week or so and I agree, the fans can be weak. However, anytime My friends and I get loud and start cheering (and I don’t mean the damn wave) we get odd stares from soccer moms and dads who think it’s obnoxious that we actually cheer for our home team. No bad language, just yells and applause. To parents with young kids, keep them at “tooner field” or whatever the hell it is. Stay away or stay and cheer, just stop being a bunch of wusses and be a freakin’ fan.
By David
June 19, 2007 12:38 AM | Link to this
We were sitting in Aisle 412 row 2. Every time a Red Sox fan started to the “Let’s go Red Sox” chant the entire section shut it down. Mark, you didn’t hear us??
By count_schemula
June 19, 2007 12:40 AM | Link to this
Um, nobody is from Atlanta? So, it makes sense that there are few true Atlanta sports fans.
I’m from Miami. So, I’m a Braves fans and a Dolphins fan.
By Nok-A-Homa
June 19, 2007 12:43 AM | Link to this
I am a huge Braves fan, but I only make it to 5-10 games a season. I don’t know why the passion for professional sports is dead in Atlanta other than to say that we’re a college sports state and area on the whole (being in the Southeast).
Braves’ games are a social event for most of us. We drink, we chop, we hope to win, and then we go home. Maybe we’re spoiled by 14 straight division titles until last season.
What’s really scary, more than the lack of home team support in Atlanta sometimes, is that I AGREE WITH MARK BRADLEY ALMOST EVERY TIME I READ HIS COLUMN NOW.
SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG. EITHER MARK HAS MELLOWED AND DECIDED TO BE LOVED, OR I’VE LOST MY MIND.
…MARK DOESN’T GIVE A CRAP; SO THEREFORE, I’VE LOST MY MIND…
By King Spurrier
June 19, 2007 12:47 AM | Link to this
Dear yankees,
Please take your loud-talking, condescending rudeness back to from which you came. You are all worthless pieces of $#!T.
p.s. The ushers at TURNER FIELD, most but NOT all, are ignorant, racist pieces of garbage who hate smiling, polite white people and were raised with NO manners.
p.p.s. Coach is a complete dumb@$$. Open a book WITHOUT pictures, and get a life, Loser.
Thanks.
By Malted Falcon
June 19, 2007 1:02 AM | Link to this
The Braves have won More World Series since 1918 than the Sox. For the record, Cubs fans are the biggest jerks, just like their team they talk the most and never back it up. It costs too much for the average Atlantan to be a diehard sports fan. They priced us out and wonder why attendance goes down.
By Coyote
June 19, 2007 1:05 AM | Link to this
It’s not just Atlanta. It’s like this in most any transient southern city. 70% of the people in this town grew up somewhere else and many of them still favor their childhood team over their current home team. I don’t. I grew up in Philly but cheer for the Braves because I’ve been in Atlanta for about 15 years now and this town is more my home than Philly ever will be again, particularly since I plan to stay.
But, as the kids who grew up watching the dominant Braves teams of the 1990s reach adulthood, maybe there will be a stronger core fan base. I certainly hope so.
By the way, although this is indeed a college football town, it’s not solidly behind any one team. UGA is the most popular, being the flaship program in the state, but there are fans of dozens of different teams in great numbers here so it’s really no different. Ga Tech fans for example were out-numbered by Auburn and Clemson fans the last time each of those teams visited Atlanta. Just like the pros, we have college grads from all these different schools that have moved here, and most of them still favor their alma mater over the local teams.
By georgiaboy
June 19, 2007 1:16 AM | Link to this
A georgia boy and Falcon,Braves, Hawks, Thrashers fan for life. BoSox and Cub fans have such a hard time getting tickets they fly all over the country to watch their teams play. Same for Cowboy and Steeler fans, Chiefs fans when Joe Montana played in the 90’s.
By Lex Luthor
June 19, 2007 1:27 AM | Link to this
Braves: 1 for 14 in playoffs. I’m tired of cheering for abysmal post season performances. Its like getting stood up over and over by the same person. After a while the other party has to prove they are worth it.
By Sherman
June 19, 2007 1:49 AM | Link to this
Being born here in Atlanta and a fan of all the sports teams, it really hurts seeing Georgia Dome Boooo the Hawks for beating the Chicago Bulls when Jordan came back. It hurt really bad when the Steelers came to town last season. And watch the Dome turn into a Heinz Field II. It’s just horrible. It hurts seeing so many Red Sox fans at the game tonight. I was in a restaurant this evening and my g/f actually thought the game was in Boston, just from looking at the people. Atlanta is a transplant town, but that’s no excuse cause, there are just as many fans for the hometown sports teams as it is for other teams. I don’t know what it is about this city. Don’t like Flashy players, don’t like players that talk a lot. Just want quiet, soft-spoken players. David Justice got under everybody skin, we need somebody else to do that again, maybe that’ll work.
By Brian Sheffield
June 19, 2007 2:01 AM | Link to this
Well the local newspaper does a good job of always trying to undermine anything the local teams do so why are you preaching to us?
By Brian Sheffield
June 19, 2007 2:06 AM | Link to this
What we really don’t like in Atlanta is the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. You guys do not support the local teams at all. You have a real bad newspaper. I will not subscribe to it and if it was not free on the internet I would not read it. Thanks for nothing Mark.
By Mark Bradley
June 19, 2007 2:06 AM | Link to this
A little clubhouse byplay: I asked Jeff Francoeur if Monday’s game sounded like Parkview-Brookwood football, and he said it was more like a college football game. And Tim Hudson said, “More like an ACC football game. At an SEC game, you couldn’t hear yourself think.” Hudson, as you probably know, went to Auburn. And to answer the critics above: From where I was — and I walked through the concourse during the game in addition to sitting in the press box — I wouldn’t say the Braves fans drowned out the Red Sox backers until the Braves took that five-run lead. I realize perceptions can differ, but that was mine.
By Ole Man Bourbon
June 19, 2007 2:22 AM | Link to this
Maybe if the local sports media weren’t boring tools there’d be more support for the local teams.
By Salty Dawg
June 19, 2007 2:30 AM | Link to this
Screw you Brad. Why go and cheer millionaires who don’t give two craps about fans when I can watch the game on TV?
By Randy
June 19, 2007 2:39 AM | Link to this
Josh - Ummm, when was the last time you went to the stadium. Not really that bad a part of town anymore. I like the racism though, top-notch.
Over the course of the season, I really think the traffic gets to the fans. Brent a. I completely agree that you can get cheap tickets and avoid traffic (personally I take Marta). But most people don’t understand their options. I grew up in Atlanta and hated the traffic. Just now in the past few years have I figured out how to actually make it for first pitch and not spend a fortune. I go to more games now (15-25 a season) and I live in Athens. The Braves have done a terrible job of educating their fans on how to get to games. They say take Marta, but don’t explain how easy it is.
That said, traffic should not keep fans away from playoff games. Game 5 against the Cubs was painful. But then again, all 3 of those game 5s were painful.
By LA Brave
June 19, 2007 3:42 AM | Link to this
Many excuses listed above, and many are true - the transient status of the city (the annoying “south sox nation” / cubs fans who’ve lived in atlanta for years now), the lethargy of spoiled fans — and some excuses are ridiculous: that the stadium is in the “getto” (nice spelling) and is dangerous. I sincerely doubt this is an actual perception other than a few bigots (who needs ‘em) - beautiful grant park is blocks from the stadium… anyway, the reality is these games should be selling out solely by braves fans. i am surprised after the lull of (say) 94 that attendance hasn’t rebounded as new generations of ticket holders have emerged and the braves continue winning (and now with home grown power to boot.) Come on Braves fans. You’re out there. Get to the stadium, fill it up and you can make a huge difference.
By Worth saying...
June 19, 2007 3:46 AM | Link to this
Recall UGA’s loss in the ‘01 Music City Bowl. There might have been about 2K BC fans and 62K UGA fans in Nashville. Were the Dawgs to ever play in Chestnut Hill, they’d likely fill up over half the place.
Cycles. Just saying.
By Fred
June 19, 2007 4:02 AM | Link to this
This has to be the least thought out (and over worked topic) column I have read. The reason for the demise of “Braves” fans is simple and two fold. First off, most people from Metro Atlanta are NOT from Metro Atlanta. They are from up noth somewhere.
Secondly, the Braves organization hosed their true and loyal fans when they went from Fulton to Turner field. They decided that the loyal season ticket holders were less important than their new fickle corporate season tickets. I knew a family (from South Georgia) that had been season ticket holders from the day the Braves moved from Milwaukee. They had seats front row right behind the catcher. They were told that since there was no longer a Fulton County Stadium that their seats were no longer theirs. Braves ownership slapped the REAL fans in the face and expected us to eat crap and love it. We didn’t.
By Dejay
June 19, 2007 4:17 AM | Link to this
Ah man, do we have to go over this AGAIN?! Every year when (insert popular team here) arrives with their fans who moved here, we have to read about the city not ‘supporting’ the hometeam.
Let me explain this one more time so everyone gets it. Atlanta is one of the largest transient cities in the country; over 5 million folks in the metro area with over 70% of us being from somewhere else. Over a million people have moved here since the 1996 Summer Olympics; a million Yankee, Red Sox, Bronco, Steeler, Cub, Cowboy, Ranger, Knick, Red Wing, Laker, and Patriot fans who wouldn’t dare give up their hometown allegiences because they’d never be able to show their faces back home again. You’ll have a hard time convincing them to come to the building because most of them could give a flip about ANY of the local teams; just take a look at the attendance numbers after the Red Sox leave as proof.
As for the longtime residents, its an even tougher sell because we simply know better. Let’s take a look at the resume, shall we…
The Braves have had the most successful run, with 14 division titles, 5 league pennants, and a world title in 1995. However, they’ve also had the most frustrating run as well, losing more often than not. Couple that with no sense of urgency from an arrogant front office to win another title like the Yankees did along with a notoriously cheap and apathetic owner in AOL-Time Warner (with Liberty Media likely keeping the status quo) and you have empty seats in the ballpark. Why pay to see the movie again when you already know the ending?
The Falcons have an owner willing to put his $$$ where his mouth is. They also have a bloated payroll (an aging Joe Horn was their big free agent signing; ‘nuff said), a college coach running the show, and a lightning rod for a quarterback, who not only trigger the best and worst opinions from everyone but can be indicted any day now to boot. They also have the dubious distinction of never having consecutive winning seasons in their 41-year history. Longtime residents just simply wait on the other shoe to drop after a winning season because it always does; whether its Jamal Anderson ripping his knee apart in 1999, Jeff George and June Jones duking it out in 1996, Michael Vick getting his leg snapped in 2003, or Todd Peterson getting a chip shot for a FG blocked in overtime in 2006. You can never get a semblence of success and a tradition going when the team is in constant rebuild/retool mode; they’ve been on a perpetual rebuilding plan.
The Hawks are the worst of them all. 39 seasons and have never advanced out of the second round of any playoff format. Sure Dominique Wilkins had his moments but they were trumped by the moves made by one of the worst front offices in all of pro sports. There’s a reason why he never got a shot at the brass ring; he never got the help needed. Take a look at the Lakers, Pistons, Bulls, and Celtics, then take a look at the scrubs Nique had riding shotgun with him. But it doesn’t stop there. This team hasn’t drafted an All-Star player since 1984 (the longest drought in North American pro sports according to Wikipedia) and haven’t made the playoffs in 8 years (also the longest in the NBA). You want to pay $$$ to see them and the Wizards get it on in March?
So there you have it. The transients outnumber the longtime residents here, unlike any other major city. The transients won’t show up unless their team is involved while the longtime locals are gunshy because of being burned soooo many times. I’m not saying its right but it is what it is.
By TURNER FIELD TOO HARD TO GET TO
June 19, 2007 4:22 AM | Link to this
I don’t go to the games because it’s too much of a hassle to get in and out of Turner Field. Also, other than Cubs home games, 99% of MLB games are too late, with too long between innings. First pitch at two o’clock, game over by half four. Also, cut out all the “entertainment” besides the organ; no more rock’n’roll, hip-hop, “country” music, etc.
More people would go to the games, and be serious fans, if it were about BASEBALL and not a night out.
By Get Real
June 19, 2007 4:25 AM | Link to this
It’s just the way it is, only a few of us native Atlantans left. I doubt if any of the AJC writers are born and raised here. You love Kentucky, Moore is anything Indiana except he loves the Packers too. The guy sleeps in Notre Dame PJ’s. Bisher thinks he is watching the Atlanta Crackers and Schultz, who knows, seems like he just started watching sports maybe a few years back. The local sports talkers are all imports though Beau Bock is the Dean of Atlanta Sports. So there is really no voice for the true native Atl fans. The spin from all of you is anti- Atlanta sports. Now you are in the process of cutting down MV7, the first real nationally recognized star this side of Nique and Neon. But it just takes a few Championships to change the climate, until then you yankees will always try to rain on us true Atl fans parade.
By fred b.
June 19, 2007 4:55 AM | Link to this
Dejay and Get Real said it best this is a transient city bottom line. I don’t like it but that’s the way it is. What are they supposed to do turn those fans away that’s sporting another team’s jersey. I think you will always have that problem as long as people continue to move here in droves. Win more championships and you don’t have this problem nearly as much!!!
By Dejay
June 19, 2007 5:18 AM | Link to this
It amazes me that we have to continue talking about this subject year after year. This has become a ‘show me’ type of town that doesn’t take well to losing. How come we aren’t allowed to put a premium on our entertainment dollar?
What amazes me more is that the AJC and the rest of the national media kill the Braves for not winning titles like the Yankees did, the Falcons for Michael Vick, and the Hawks for…well maybe that’s justified, then turn around and blame the locals for having the common sense not to spend hard-earned $$$ on their product. In every other sports town, their fans are given the benefit of doubt for not showing up when their teams go south but never here (the Spurs didn’t sell out Game 1 of the Western Finals; did anyone put out a column killing their fans, in a one-sport town no less? I rest my case). We get constantly railed for spending our $$$ somewhere else when (insert NL team here) beats the Braves in Turner Field in October (again), when Michael Vick has to run for his life because his lineman blew another block (again), only to throw it to receivers with frying pans for hands (again), or when the Hawks are trailing by 26 by halftime.
By Marc
June 19, 2007 5:23 AM | Link to this
I love the Braves, but hate Atlanta. It really is a pain in the a$$ to go to a game, the traffic, the crazies, the smog… I live in Florida and get to see them during spring training at the Wide World of Sports, sometimes in Miami when they play the fish, and sometimes when I visit family in GA I’ll stop in ATL and watch them play.
But if I lived in GA full time, I still wouldn’t go more than a couple times a year, Atlanta has gone to crap.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:28 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:28 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:30 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:30 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:32 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:34 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Simon Phoenix
June 19, 2007 5:35 AM | Link to this
Dang, Dejay hit the nail on the head. Too many folks from other places. Not enough winning by the local teams, which turned off the residents who lived through the mess. Read what Dejay said. That says it all.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:36 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:40 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 5:43 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, I’ve followed Atlanta’s professional sports teams for years. In fact, even since the days of the Atlanta Crackers. Although you may be correct in your review of the Atlanta fans, I want to introduce the possibility that the local media may have trained them to be this way. In the early days of the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames, the local media rode the “negative pony” in just about every article, slamming the players, leadership, and just about everything to do with these organizations. If you want to turn this around, push for more positive and upbeat sports coverage for our teams.
By Brian
June 19, 2007 5:46 AM | Link to this
Not to sound like a Debbie Downer, but one thing y’all must realize when it comes to home games against teams like the Cubs, Sox, and Yankees (and even the Mets!) MANY of those people rooting for the visiting team LIVE here. They’re the northern transplants half of y’all have been complaining about for years. So, many of those Sox fans rooting for Pedro, etc. likely live somewhere in Buckhead or Virginia Highlands and work somewhere downtown as accountants and lawyers (for example).
There is no need to be so upset about it. We’re a growing city, full of transplants. As they say, it’s rare to find a native Atlantan nowadays. I should know….
By Brian
June 19, 2007 5:49 AM | Link to this
By the way, just go to any sports bar in this city. You’re bound to find it’s team-specific. I know of plenty of Big Ten bars here, not to mention a certain Pittsburgh Steeler bar right in the middle of Buckhead…
By Ann
June 19, 2007 6:17 AM | Link to this
My nephew (a Red Sox Fan)lives in Virginia and he and his friends were able to fly and get great seats to see their team in Atlanta. Alot of people in New England do this - they travel to Baltimore and Tampa to see their beloved Red Sox!!!! I say go Braves!!!!!
By Braves Fan 79
June 19, 2007 6:33 AM | Link to this
Im proud to say im a hardcore Braves fan! unfortunatly im also a poor college student who has better things to do with his $ than spend it on going to games. But just cause i dont get to go to as many games as id like dosent mean i dont get depressed for a week when the Braves loose in the playoffs, and i work for myself so i set my schedule around every Braves game so i can watch it. I probably have watched 98% of all games since the sorry 1990 season. I love my team thou regardless. Go Braves!! And of course the hawks draw low #’s here in atlanta, they suck and i know alot of the older fans from the 80’s like myself were turned off when they traded Nique. Because of that lack of loyalty shown i feel no loyalty to the hawks and am a Houston rockets fan cause i love Mutombo and Mcgrady. But im diehard about my Braves and Falcons! O by the way…im from the south but i think college football is a meaningles sport until they get a playoff system in place. In what other sport is it that you know you dont have a chance for a championship before the season even starts?? I dunno why so many fans support such a bs political sport….where u “vote” on who goes to the championship.
By Ron Roberts
June 19, 2007 6:39 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley’s right on so many levels, but a big part of this problem comes from the decision made back in ‘96 to “add” seats to Turner Field back when the Braves were still drawing 3+ million fans a year. That was a mistake.
I don’t know how many season ticket holders the Braves have (let me go with a guess-timate of 20,000), but if the stadium were built more to the capacities of comparable stadiums of Turner Field’s era (40,000-45,000) this wouldn’t be as much of a problem.
Sure, I know what you’re saying; having less seats means less local fans, too. But it’s simple supply vs. demand, too. The less tickets that are available, the more demand there’ll be for ‘em, too. I think this would only aid season ticket sales, too, frankly.
I’ve been sayin for quite awhile now that Turner Field needs to be downsized. A perfect blueprint has been put into effect at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Raze about 12-15 of the top rows in the upper deck, lower the angular pitch of that sheer nosebleed of a hike up there, and re-built the overhang. Then (and this is a massive overhaul idea, here) get rid of the 755 Club over the left field bleachers so we can see the downtown skyline, and while we’er at it, instead of keeping all that kids’ activity stuff there, move it (hold that thought, I’ll explain where later) and bring those awesome Braves’ legends statues in where they can be seen by all inside the stadium. The biggest project would be in right field, where we essentially cut the upper deck, mezzanine and lower seating section off, and re-built it, only more at a 90’ angle to the first base line seats. That section essentially faces left field, and should be facing more towards the infield. That would resolve that. In the lower seating section, move the opposing bullpen over there. In fact, I like the two-tiered bullpen, with one overlooking the other, essentially.
Yeah, we lose some seats (the places seats 50,098, and by my count, there are only four stadiums larger in capacity), but we add some character and again up the ante on supply/demand. I think this sells some more season ticket or partial season ticket packages locally.
The other investment the team and local governments need to make is mass transit access. It’s much easier to get to the Georgia Dome (yeah, no tailgating there, but aside from weekend games, who tailgates at Braves games, anyhow?) via Amtrak train. They really need to figure out a way to get that north-south airport line to Turner Field. Folks who live in-city but don’t see the point in paying massive parking rates, etc., would be more likely to attend. Folks who are coming in from out-of-town who think they might be getting over on the parking fees might park at satellite Amtrak stations and train in.
This stadium lacks character and a neighborhood of development around it by design. They wanted seas of parking lots surrounding it instead of development, which I truly believe would come. The organization is constantly looking for other ways to generate revenue, and yet they lose out on development opportunities around the stadium.
The LoDo district of downtown Denver thrives off their fans coming down Blake Street by the thousands each game. There are shops, cafes, restaurants, bars lining the street. Why wouldn’t that be possible outside the stadium surrounding it, too? The same applies to Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, too. Heck, they’re having this built around the new Busch Stadium! If the team built parking decks with street-front shops and bars, restaurants facing the stadium, they’d have the best of both worlds, too.
Then there are the usual arguments:
Atlanta’s a transient city with many folks from other parts of the country re-settling here; we can’t expect them to drop their allegiances, because I certainly wouldn’t if I took a job in Denver or Kansas City.
It was a weeknight game. Atlanta moms and pops have to work the next day, whether the kids are off or not.
Atlanta’s a very populated metro, but not a big city by population. (See: my Amtrak points above)
Either way, the stadium size needs to be addressed if you want to eliminate the thousands of out-of-towners coming in to eliminate the home-field advantage. That’s just how it is.
But I’d be willing to bet you the Braves’ brass sees dollar signs and not Tomahawks vs. Red Sox in seats.
By JohnGTfan
June 19, 2007 6:41 AM | Link to this
I love my Braves and all…but hey…put a better product back on the field like in the early 90s, then more people will come out.
By Dumbing Down
June 19, 2007 6:49 AM | Link to this
Why should we care? Does the owners Liberty Communications (AKA “The tax dodgers from Colorado”) really care? ATL… the town that praises mediocrity and full of sheeple.
By The Murf
June 19, 2007 6:54 AM | Link to this
Who won? That’s all I care about.
By Ron Roberts
June 19, 2007 7:11 AM | Link to this
georgiaboy makes a good point, too. Cubs and Sox fans have a harder time getting tickets to their own games as opposed to cheapr AirTran flights and waiting in a short line at the Turner Field ticket booths. It happens, and it doesn’t just happen in Atlanta. The Cubs swarm Miller Park, Great American Ballpark, I even see ‘em in St. Louis in good numbers. Red Sox fans always travel well, too.
By Nikki
June 19, 2007 7:12 AM | Link to this
Earth to Bradley: Bosox fans show up in every stadium around the league. In football, packers, steelers, and cowboys fans show up in all of the visiting stadiums. Don’t slam Atlanta.
By Larry
June 19, 2007 7:15 AM | Link to this
A logo and a team name don’t make an object of civic pride. The true transients these days are athletes themselves. When the athletes stay with teams like they once did, maybe the fans will be up to Bradley’s expectations. Until then, the very corporate and jet set player/businessmen will just have to console themselves with their millions of dollars.
By Dbow
June 19, 2007 7:18 AM | Link to this
All these Sox fans didn’t jump on Delta to get to the game last night, they live here already! Our population has zoomed and they are tired of the cold weather and when they come here they stay. The got a chance to see their team locally and they took advantage of it. Can’t blame them for that!!
By Glenn
June 19, 2007 7:31 AM | Link to this
Are we just discovering this? As they say in Missouri “show me”, let’s get a few more “rings” before we blame the fans for “our” losing ways year after year.
By The Truth
June 19, 2007 7:35 AM | Link to this
After being at a Boston game and speaking with a Bostonian at the game in Atlanta, now I know what Mark Bradley doesn’t.
Boston fans in Boston have a hard time seeing their Sox if they don’t have season tickets. It’s the toughest ticket in town.
Same with Wrigley and the Cubs.
For many Boston fans, going to see their Red Sox in other cities is easier than getting a ticket at Fenway.
By some guy
June 19, 2007 7:35 AM | Link to this
I was there last night and I was severely disappointed in our fans. It’s pathetic. We can’t even fill up our own stadium. Great game, though.
By R
June 19, 2007 7:38 AM | Link to this
The truth is much worse. All these people aren’t die hard Sox and Cubs fans. They are people who live here and have lived here most of their lives. They probably have never been to Boston or Chicago. They are like every nine year old who picked either the Steelers or the Cowboys as ‘their’ team. I’ve almost gotten over it because as you said its been this way my whole life.
The other part is history though. Atlanta loves to rid itself of history so going to the park (or Philips) feels like going to the mall. Its nice but not very interesting or historical. Notice the Cubs, Sox, and Yanks all have old parks that people relate to.
By Foy Evans
June 19, 2007 7:39 AM | Link to this
**this text will be bolded” I am a sports fan. Years ago I was a sports writer. Something I cannot fathom is the belief that people are expected to have an obligation to “support” a team with their money. The sports franchises have a product to sell and they charge handsomely for the product. No one, in my opinion, should be criticized for not buying it on a regular basis and filling a stadium. It is unfair to be critical of a community for not “supporting” a team just because they wish to spend their money elsewhere.
By snellville
June 19, 2007 7:43 AM | Link to this
Maybe Mark you should think out loud. Remember a week or so ago you wrote this team off. Why would anyone want to come out if Mr. Know it All had already proclaimed no need to come out.
Maybe you are trying to hard to hold Terrance Moore’s Hand.
By STephen
June 19, 2007 7:46 AM | Link to this
All these guys have to do is get online from wherever they are and purchase tixs….its a lot easier to get online and buy and a lot cheaper for these guys..remember their stadium is a LOT smaller, and they charge outrageous prices for the game, and they do this EVERYWHERE…Bradley, why dont you and Terrence Moore just shutup
By Gram
June 19, 2007 7:46 AM | Link to this
The problem isn’t that Atlanta has “bad” sports fans. It’s just that among natives and transplants, especially college grads, are more college fans. Do people in Boston get as worked up about BC as Bulldog fans do here about UGA? No, they don’t. There are several reasons why pro sports aren’t as big here. One isthe fact that half the people in the metro area aren’t from the state. Another is the fact that professional sports didn’t come to Atlanta unitl the ‘60’s, long after loyalty to the college teams had been established. There isn’t the history here as some places.The poor performance of the teams is also a factor. There is a sense of negativity that isn’t easily shaken, even with the Braves recent success. Transiency also comes into play. If you know you’re only going to be in the city for two years and you grew up in Boston, why would you ever change allegience?
By MarkP
June 19, 2007 7:50 AM | Link to this
The good news is that it’s still easy enough to go see the Braves. I think part of the problem fueling the visiting fans (besides the fact that so many Atlanta residents such as myself moved here “only” within the last twenty years) is that certain ballparks have become almost inaccessible to local fans, becoming instead season-long venues for corporate reps entertaining clients, ticket resellers, and perhaps some legacy season-ticket holders. This makes the idea of traveling to another city to take advantage of available tickets more appealing, just make a vacation out of it. I’m of split loyalties myself — a long suffering Red Sox fan by birth — and as a 60th birthday gift to my Dad just shelled out $224 for two remote bleacher seats for an Angels game at Fenway. (Yankees tickets at Fenway are another story altogether, I couldn’t stomach the thought of a rainout or even the slim chance of a meaningless September game for what those would have cost me.)So it will be interesting to see if the current fan base at Fenway resembles at all the fans I remember from childhood, and I’ll be glad that for now it’s still easy and affordable enough to attend a Braves game almost any time.
By JD
June 19, 2007 7:50 AM | Link to this
I agree with Mark. It’s almost unbelievable that we’ve experienced as much success as we have and still suffer from spoiled complacency. Sadly, it proves that some are only excited when things are going right in their opinion. It seems that we’ve lost the true-blue fan spirit. Those of us remaining true will hope that with every passing game there is renewed hope for the excitement of 1991 to surface again.
By Koz
June 19, 2007 7:55 AM | Link to this
I’m a big sports fan but I say who cares? It’s just baseball. It won’t matter next week who cheered louder.
By Danny
June 19, 2007 7:55 AM | Link to this
This just shows how many folks have left the Boston area and live down here. They have one series to see their team and they come. Big deal.
By Rog
June 19, 2007 7:56 AM | Link to this
Here’s my take: I am a 24-year USAF veteran and have been a season ticket holder for several college and pro sports team, i.e. Boise State, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, LA Dodgers, et al. Atlanta has become such a melting pot of folks from everywhere, there will be times when some teams will field as many fans (or more). I like what Mr. Blank did with the dome crowd, which is now a true home crowd (except for that one game with the Steelers). Its a fact that the northern cities fans are true, very true fans and will continue to be; certain teams will draw crowds,i.e. Cowboys, Lakers, BOSTON, Islanders, etc. I do have hope that Atlanta sports will drop their “jump on/off the bandwagon” attitudes. EVERY sports team at every level needs at least one superstar (HAWKS: hint, hint)…
By Brooklyn Bob
June 19, 2007 7:57 AM | Link to this
Look, I’m from NY, but folks need to leave the Atlanta fans alone. Atlanta may not be the biggest sports town when it comes to baseball or basketball. But let’s see how many tickets an opposing team can scrape up to see a college football game in Athens. Folks, this is a college football town. The same attitude New Englanders have towards their beloved Sox is the same Georgians exhibit towards the Bulldogs or even any other SEC or ACC football team here. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it will always be: College football RULES the South. And all those northerners who just HAVE to take a shot at this city because of that should step off!!!!!!
By t
June 19, 2007 7:57 AM | Link to this
this article couldn’t be taken more seriously. last night, i was surrounded half and half by red sox fans and braves fans, only to barely see the braves fans – sporting jerseys, caps, and other paraFANalia – sitting down, barely clapping, and definitely not yelling. .. idly sitting by while the braves are hearing jeers and shouts by bosox fans. boy, i bet that made them feel great on the field. atlanta braves fans sure disappointed me last night. thank goodness the braves didn’t.
By Chris
June 19, 2007 8:01 AM | Link to this
This isn’t so hard to understand. Atlanta is a melting pot. How many people do you know were BORN here in Metro Atlanta? Atlanta never has and never will be a true sports town because too many people are from other parts of the country. If you go to Philadelphia, 9 out of 10 people you’ll meet are from there. That’s because their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents are from there. The same is true in Chicago and New York City. Although in New York City, even the ones that have moved there adopt the city as their own. Most people here don’t do that. You’ve heard of New Yorkers…who calls themselves Atlantians??? We don’t have the same pride here because most of us moved here from somewhere else. You don’t just give up being a Steelers fan or a Dallas fan because you live in Atlanta now. At one time, I was told the Penn State Club of Georgia had more members than any other Penn State Alumni club outside the state of Pennsylvania. You won’t find many of them wearing red and black on a college football Saturday around here. And not to go too deep into the individual sports teams here, but how many championships have the Hawks or the Falcons won? How many times have the Braves won a World Series? There’s no history here. We talk about a “Braves Dynasty” but exactly what is the dynasty?…we make it to the big show and CHOKE! That’s Atlanta’s sports legacy.
By RT
June 19, 2007 8:05 AM | Link to this
Ask the braves fans at these games how many games they go to a year, its more than this weekend series. Ask the boston fans and a large portion of the boston fans at these games only see a series a year and its on the road. Boston has alot of bandwagon fans that are good enough or loyal enough fans to buy a ticket to a home game. If your a real fan of your team you go to a home game no matter how hard the ticket is to get. So are they real fans or bandwagon fans looking for cheap tickets.
By stynes
June 19, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this
I’m a long time Braves fan. I grew up in Braves country. I’ve rooted for them since the mid 80s. I’ve got the caps, I’ve got the t-shirts, and I’ve been to 2, maybe 3 games this year. Why? Several reasons:
Cost. I know the Braves tickets are relatively cheap compared to sporting events in other cities but it’s not relatively cheap compared to other events in Atlanta. For me to take my wife and 3 kids and to have any sort of a decent seat I’m easily going to spend $185 for a game. I’m figuring $25/ticket, $10/food, and another $10 for parking.
Location. There are two points here, one being that Atlanta is a very geographically spread out city and the other being that Turner Field is in a terrible location. There’s nothing for my family to go and do and see and walk to the park or anything of the sort. There’s also a question of comfort and safety and the fact that while we’re well within metro Atlanta we’re still easily 25 miles from the stadium. Lack of parking doesn’t help the location issue, either.
Ticket availability. If I’m going to go through the time and the hassle to go to a game with my family, I’d like to get decent seats. I don’t want to sit 20 rows up in the upper deck out in right field. I’m not asking for front row behind home plate but there are never lower level seats available. They’re always purchased either by corporations and go unused or they’re purchased by folks with the express purpose of scalping them.
I know others have different views but these are mine. If I could get decent seats at a decent price for my family and the stadium was in a much more family friendly location, I’d be much more inclined to attend more games.
By Ozzfest
June 19, 2007 8:10 AM | Link to this
The Braves treat their fans like crap. Security will run you out of any seat that you are not assigned to ~ even if your actual seat is on the same section and row where youa re planted. They charge way too much for a Coke, beer, and the worst hot dogs you have ever eaten. I used to go to 25-30 games a year, but i am tired of feeling like I have been blatently screwed, so I rarely ever go…and I live in town and consider myself a sports fan. This is Stan Kasten’s legacy.
By Chris
June 19, 2007 8:18 AM | Link to this
Yawn. Old news. I’m a transplanted Sox fan. I like both teams, tonight weather permitting I am going to see the game.
Atlanta is not a “bad” sports town. It’s a diverse sports town with an strong emphasis on college teams.
Having spent many years in Boston AND Atlanta…from a sporting event point of view (not to mention just about any other measurement) Atlanta is much more enjoyable town. Reasonable tickets, great weather, and nice new facilities. And - when the home team loses the whole city doesn’t go into depression.
What’s so bad about that?
By Braves Fan 79
June 19, 2007 8:22 AM | Link to this
Chris: go suck a big one. If you wanna talk trash go talk about the other 30 something teams in baseball that didnt make it to the postseason 15 years in a row! Man i hate fairweather fans….go root for the cubs and see if they make u any happier! And the same to falcons “fans” who are just fans because of vick. Your not true fans…and vicks time seems to be coming up….about time to jump off the ship huh?
By aka
June 19, 2007 8:22 AM | Link to this
If the braves had a true slugger maybe he would draw a fan. Lets face it, Andruw and Chipper are not fan drawers. Actually they never have been. The braves need some excitement that will draw the crowd. They also need transportation and easy access. I really think if Marta was not so dumb that the fans would show up more.
By opieandy
June 19, 2007 8:22 AM | Link to this
But it rarely does, and whose fault is that?
Well, whose fault is it? I haven’t been to a game all season. I don’t enjoy going to the games much due to traffic, ticket prices, and the time commitment. I would rather spend time with the family.
Maybe I’m representative of the terrible, terrible “fans” we have in Atlanta. Surely the residents of a city are to blame if the local sports franchise isn’t packing them in, right? We’re just bad people.
Riiiiiggggghhhhttttt.
By Mrs. Carlton Fisk
June 19, 2007 8:23 AM | Link to this
The Red Sox are the BIGGEST inter-league draw to Atlanta. And the RED SOX NATION comes out in numbers to support them! Red Sox fans are a special blend - and you either get it or you don’t. We love them no matter what….I only wish my grandfather had been alive to see them win the World Series…..but I take the love he showed me for baseball and I am passing it down to my own granddaughter.
I am so proud….her first words were
“Yankees Suck”
By Fred
June 19, 2007 8:25 AM | Link to this
Being a Boston transplant myself, i’m just glad i get to watch the sox on TV when they play here. I dont care THAT much about baseball to ride ALL the way down from cherokee to Atlanta, when i have to make that drive for work everyday. Especially since i know how gross the city is. I will be amazed if the braves win any of these last two in the series. Schilling has been washed up and i doubt they’ll re sign him next year. He’s not the same pitcher anymore. The pro sports in this town are horrendous….except for the thrashrs. I’ll watch the braves on tv if i’m bored, but i never miss a thrashers game. You couldnt pay me to watch the falcons or hawks. Atlanta is a transient city, so no matter what venue you go to, you are gonna see a TON of the opposing teams fans. Someone eluded to this previously, but i will go so far as to say it’s easier for a red sox fan to buy a plane ticket and fly down here to watch the sox then try to get tickets at Fenway. The sox sell out every home game, and you have to buy tickets months in advance.
By Danny
June 19, 2007 8:25 AM | Link to this
Atlanta fans have always been this way. I grew up in Atlanta, but moved away in 1992, right after the Braves “became good” (again). However, I remember - toward the end of the 1990 season - going to a game and sitting in the lower level - and being the only person (along with my girfriend) in my section (of course, the Braves were in last place at the time). Fast forward very slightly to mid-1991, and with the Braves 39-40 and playing the Cubs (I believe that I have this right - it’s been a while), I sat in the club level and observed about 30,000-40,000 other “fans” that had mysteriously appeared because the Braves were “only” about 9 games out nearing the All-Star break. I welcomed the new “fans” at that time, but knew that it would last only as long as the Braves didn’t disappoint, or until “they” moved on to the next trend.
I do agree with the above posters, however, that because Atlanta is a transient town (I remember at work being one of only two people in my department that were actually from Atlanta), fans will never “stick” with the home teams. They all have their own home teams, and I can’t blame them for sticking with them (I now live in North Carolina, and although I’ve adopted a few of the local teams, I’m still an Atlanta sports fan, so I’m working in reverse here).
By Ward
June 19, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this
I think we have made the Turner Field experience too much like football. You have all these non-baseball motifs of flashing tomahawks and stuff on the LED strip that circles the ballpark periphery. Too much video. (If I wanted to watch TV, I would have stayed at home.) If we continue, I expect cheerleaders any minute. Too much very loud prerecorded noise instead of real live people noise. Baseball is suppose to be a laid back affair. That’s the great thing about the sport, when the season arrives, this hectic life slows down just a little bit. But not at Turner Field. I know that they do not do all this wild stuff at Wrigley, cause I have visited it. The folks at Wrigley, Fenway, and the Bronx take their game seriously. They do not need all the schlock.
By dben
June 19, 2007 8:28 AM | Link to this
It would be different if all the sox fans had actually left their homes in Boston to come see the game, but the fact is they live in Atlanta. Just like the Chicago fans, New York fans etc…Is there a such thing as a native Atlantan anymore?!! Go sit at you favorite bar in Atlanta and ask the person next to you where they are from. The majority will indicate they moved to Atlanta from a Northern city. What can we do about that Mark..Other than bust us actual natives in the chops and call us bad fans. What gives…
By Ron Roberts
June 19, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this
* 1. Turner Field was built too big. I did a long post explaining how I’d down-size Turner Field a la U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Scroll up. *
* 2. You have to drive 20 minutes in your car to cross the street in Atlanta. Get the North-South MARTA line re-routed TO Turner Field. *
* 3. Follow the Cardinals and develop a ‘Ballpark Village’ around the stadium instead of a see of parking lots to give fans something to do BEFORE the game and OUTside the stadium. *
* 4. EXPECT Red Sox and Cub fans to travel well. It happens everywhere, and those fans can’t get tickets to their home games as easily. Oh, and a lot of ‘em live around here, anyhow. *
By USAFCCF
June 19, 2007 8:35 AM | Link to this
The problem is there are no Braves Fans in Atlanta. All the true Braves Fans are from outside of ATL, if we don’t show up then you have no fans. Native Atlantans have moved out here with us leaving the city with the carpetbaggers and transients. I come up from Panama City twice year for games, so what kind of fan does that make me…….
By Curt Allen
June 19, 2007 8:36 AM | Link to this
I have news for you… those “sniveling chowder heads” filled seats that would be empty otherwise. Even winning all those division titles has not drawn a large enough loyal fan base. We want a stadium filled with Braves fans then we need to fill the stadium. The reverse does not happen in Chicago, New York and Boston because they sell out. We cry for better players and a higher payrool to attract better free agents… To get that we need a stadium consistently full of people. You should thank every out of town fan for coming, there dollars count too. Thanks for the support Sox fans and I hope we have a fan base as fervent as your’s some day.
By Lew
June 19, 2007 8:36 AM | Link to this
I bet there are more Braves’ fans in the US than any other team!!!!
TBS beamed our games into homes nationwicde for many years. combine that with a good team and you have lifetime fans across the USA— many more than the Red Sox, Yankees, or anyother team.
GO BRAVES!!!!
By DT
June 19, 2007 8:37 AM | Link to this
The Braves corporate management sold their souls.
Atlanta doesn’t have a ball club. It has a combo corporate perk and tourist attraction.
In 1995/1996 they priced all the father/son/neighborhood legacy season ticket fans out of the stadium in favor of corporate clients and the tourists with cash in their wallets…the ones who are going to buy the stupid souveniers.
The Braves can suck it. They got what they asked for.
By Curt Allen
June 19, 2007 8:38 AM | Link to this
I have news for you… those “sniveling chowder heads” filled seats that would be empty otherwise. Even winning all those division titles has not drawn a large enough loyal fan base. We want a stadium filled with Braves fans then we need to fill the stadium. The reverse does not happen in Chicago, New York and Boston because they sell out. We cry for better players and a higher payrool to attract better free agents… To get that we need a stadium consistently full of people. You should thank every out of town fan for coming, there dollars count too. Thanks for the support Sox fans and I hope we have a fan base as fervent as your’s some day.
By josh
June 19, 2007 8:39 AM | Link to this
lets just take the revenue we make on this series and get another starting pitcher. thay we would be able to compete in october!!! go braves
By J
June 19, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this
All I have to say is at least the Braves made the playoffs all those years. To have a chance like that every year, knowing you’re the best team in your division is awesome. I can’t believe that ANYBODY would bring up the fact that they are only 1 in 14 in the playoffs. Who gives a crap? The Hawks haven’t even been to the playoffs in awhile (BIG Hawks fan too), and people are complaining about that. So, you’re saying if the Hawks made the playoffs 14 years in a row and only won championship, it would disappoint you? Seriously, that is a joke. You should be proud of the Braves and what they have accomplished. I think it’s a shame that Braves didn’t sell out some of thei past playoff series. It’s YOU the fan that helps the team get over the hump. How is a team going to win any series IF they don’t have a large crowd behind them. I played sports, and having somebody there rooting me on ALWAYS gave me extra adrenaline at the end of games. I’m ashamed of this city sometimers … for the loyal fans who attend, I applaud you and thank you!
By Techie
June 19, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this
“Maybe we’re too transient a city for such roots to grow. But if that’s true, then how do you explain our mania for college football?”
Mark, you ignorant slut. Did you not proofread your column? The fact that we’re a transient city is the reason we’re a college football town! Our devotions to college football teams have nothing to do with Atlanta. I can’t believe I wasted time reading another AJC columnist’s drivel…
By Aaron
June 19, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this
Here are some instant improving points… get rid of Tooner field and all the soccer moms it brings with it. Lets get back to baseball and away from all the corporate enviroment at Turner field.
By Dumbing Down
June 19, 2007 8:43 AM | Link to this
ATL will NEVER become a real sports town until it gets off of their Bible- belt, backwards southern thinking. Last in SAT scores, LAST in graduation rates and yes, LAST in TRANSPORTATION! Makes me want to go to Kroger on Sunday and buy a six-pack, and watch the game at home, instead of going to Turner Field.
By Mike
June 19, 2007 8:45 AM | Link to this
I grew up in Boston as a Red Sox fan and just moved to Atlanta from DC. I was at the game last night. Several points.
First, many people have moved to Atlanta from Boston and points elsewhere in the Northeast. The weather in Boston is awful, the housing market is rediculously overpriced and the job market up there is awful unless you have five advanced degrees. Many people are attracted to Atlanta by the better weather, cheaper housing, and plentiful job ops, including myself.
Second, ticket prices at Fenway have gotten outrageously overpriced, all in the name of keeping up with the Yankees and every game is sold out. When I grew up, tickets cost $18 for upper grandstand, section 16, and that was in the mid-90’s. Those same seats now go for $45. Highway robbery. Much easier as many others have said to come down here for games where tix are available and cheaper. I saw a convertible w/CT plates the other night in Buckhead with 3 guys w/Sox hats on.
This is a once a year opportunity to see the team I grew up with. Passion about the Sox runs deep w/Sox fans. People suffer through miserable winters and lousy traffic so they can see their beloved Sox at Fenway every summer. No surprise to me they fill Turner Field. People define themselves by the Sox. Personally I don’t have as much passion for them as I used to since they won the Series. They’re not the underdog anymore because of their payroll. They’re not the lovable loser Cubs anymore. But I still can understand the passion for them.
By Kevin
June 19, 2007 8:46 AM | Link to this
Dear Mark,
It’s Youkilis not ‘Youklis”. Not only do the sports fans in this town suck, but so do the sportswriters and their editors.
By AJ
June 19, 2007 8:47 AM | Link to this
I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned one of the most aggravating aspects of attending a game at Turner Field: the unrelenting noise assault. It’s as if the powers-that-be at the ballpark are afraid that if people attending the game have even a few seconds to talk amongst themselves or to enjoy quietly the atmosphere of the ballpark, they’ll suddenly realize there is no atmosphere, and they’ll decide they have better things to do. The “action-adventure/suspense” music that is pumped in for the team intros, the stadium announcer who seems like a refugee from WWF telecasts, that guy Jeff popping up on the JumboTron the second an inning is over to host yet another giveaway/trivia question/pinball game or tool race or hidden-ball contest/COMMERCIAL PLUG FOR YET ANOTHER SPONSOR, the ridiculous overhyping of every player on the Braves roster (I mean, come on, have you seen Bob Wickman’s intro, where they try to make him look all scary and intimidating? Bob Wickman?!!)—not to mention the inane T-shirt girls and the overused sound effects on foul balls and other aspects of the presentation of the game that I was surely offended by but that my brain is currently protecting me from remembering. But I do want to mention that, although Aramark has managed to put together as unimaginative and limited a food menu as I’ve seen at any ballpark (even minor league ones), the people that work at the food stands and throughout Turner Field are extremely nice. I had a real nice conversation with some Turner Field employees on the train home last night, and they were quite gracious considering my wife and I were wearing Red Sox T-shirts. (That’s right, I’m a Red Sox fan, and believe me, Fenway Park doesn’t assault your senses the way Turner Field does. Neither does Wrigley Field, for that matter, and I sure don’t remember Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium being like that when I attended Braves games while growing up in Atlanta in the 1970s and 1980s.)
By gonnagetfired
June 19, 2007 8:50 AM | Link to this
I think they made Turner Field too big…if they had left off 30,000 seats we’d sell out every game! GO BRAVOS!!!
By Crass Realist
June 19, 2007 8:51 AM | Link to this
I have a feeling that it has to do with the fact that Southerners were raised with manners. One can always tell the difference in the native Atlanta fan and the transplanted Northeastern fan. Southerners do not feel the need to yell, go crazy and act like boorish thugs.
It is a matter of class. We have it, they do not.
By Matt the Brave
June 19, 2007 8:53 AM | Link to this
Couldn’t possibly be that a lot of fans of the Red Sox might be in Atlanta and Braves fans whenever they aren’t playing the Sox? Maybe…….
By Jeff
June 19, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this
I quit going to Braves games last season. It’s not the team that did it, it’s the GRIND of going to the game. It’s no longer fun, it’s more like work. All the stupid Chinese fire drills to get on MARTA buses and spending 20 minutes or more waiting for northbound trains at the transfer point at 11 at night trying to keep your kids awake. I may catch the occasional day game now and then if I get a deal on tickets. I guess as a local fan I’ll care about the Braves when the system in place cares about me, right now it doesn’t.
By Greg
June 19, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this
This happens in every Southern or Western city. So many people have left the Northeast and Chicago for warmer climes and a better life that they outnumber the locals. It’s just the way things are. Here in Charlotte, we recently had more Steelers fans at a Panthers game than Panthers fans. That’s because half of Pittsburgh has moved to North Carolina. It’s called economic prosperity. It happens when the Yankees play the Angels and when the Dodgers play the Cubs. I know. I lived in LA for 20 years before coming to my senses and moving back to NC. The best way to shut up all of these out of town fans is to win.
By Mom Sox Fan
June 19, 2007 9:05 AM | Link to this
I don’t understand all the hate around here. My husband and I are Sox fans who don’t have ESPN. Do you understand how rarely we get to see Sox games? So yes, when they come to town, Sox fans turn out. And it’s a rivalry — a manufactured rivalry, but still a rivalry. Of course people are going to boo. And let me tell you, I saw some pretty obnoxious AND drunk Braves fans last night. Yet, a Red Sox fan stopped and gave a Red Sox Nation bracelet to my four year old who was attending his first major league game. I’ll take Jason Varitek over Chipper Jones anyday!
By MOVE THE BALL PARK TO DOWNTOWN
June 19, 2007 9:12 AM | Link to this
Raze the area around and on top of the 5 Points MARTA Station and put the ball park there. Abandon Turner Field, it is a sunk cost, a white elephant.
As for security around the new ball park, the State of Georgia should have disbanded the City of Atlanta LONG AGO and taken over themselves. It’s never too late. The state should take control of the area around the Capital Building, “Underground” Atlanta, Georgia State, the rest of downtown, the Georgia World Congress Center area, and Peachtree Center. Let it truly be policed: no loitering, no crack smoking, no prostitution, no “thumping” stereo systems, no “street people” (the homeless have shelters to live in, it’s not cruel to insist people sleep with a roof over their heads), and most of all, no Nigerian street vendors. If the Blacks feel unwelcome, then so be it - if they don’t feel welcomed to civilization, I’d rather not have them around.
As for inside the new ball park: The park will seat at most 30,000 people. Ties, jackets, and hats will be required for gentlemen, dresses for the ladies - only children will be allowed in wearing short pants. A priest will lead us in prayer before the game. All games will start at 2 o’clock, and the typical 9 inning game will last about 2 and half hours (shorten the breaks between innings). The only entertainment will be the organ, a manual score board, and refreshment vendors. No video screen, no rock’n’roll, no hip-hop, no cartoons, no silliness at all. The National Anthem will be played on the organ before the game, with the crowd singing, and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” will be played on the organ during the 7th inning stretch.
Otherwise, baseball will continue to die, just as culture has in America.
By David
June 19, 2007 9:14 AM | Link to this
Not as quite simple as Mark makes it. For one, there are Boston transplants all over Atlanta that buy up the tickets way in advance. We are not going to buy up tickets way in advance for the Braves because it may not be the biggest game of the year for us. For the thousands of Boston transplants, this is there biggest game of the year. It is extremely hard to get a ticket in Boston. There stadium is much smaller than ours. It is easier for them to get a ticket in Atlanta than Boston.
By scooter11
June 19, 2007 9:15 AM | Link to this
“Local Sports Editorialists Don’t Measure Up”. And it doesn’t matter the subject - or the editorialist.
By Basesball fan,
June 19, 2007 9:18 AM | Link to this
Matt the Brave,
I would normally echo your comments about the hospitable nature of Braves fans. As atransplanted Bostonian I have been attending Braves /Redsox games whenever the Sox come to town for 7 years. I also attend a few other Braves games each season with my son. The experience has always been great. i have found that if you are respectfull to the home fans and engage them, the love of baseball becomes a common bond. Last nigh however was a different story. I will write it off to being too near the chop house and being surrounded by drunks. My wife and I are 40 ish and were subjected to some of the rudest treatment I ahve experienced since we moved to the south. My wife was refered to as a b^%&H for the soul reason of wearing a Red Sox cap. For me to nearly get into a physical altercation with a group of 20 something “classy southerners” was was very dissapointing. On what was a great win for the home team, I may have made my last trip to Turner feild.
Again, I do not judge Atlanta on the behavior of these few “little men” but Atlanta should be proud of its team, and its reputation for southern values and hospitalty. These are the reasons I chose to live and raise my son here.
By lin
June 19, 2007 9:18 AM | Link to this
gee guys and gals its baseball how soon people forget where atlanta first came from good old boston im from there always been red sox fan so enjoyed watching it on tv how i vote well in boston i go for boston in atlanta i go for atlanta only fair way but they my two teams in ntl and american league problem is red sox fans stand by their team win or loose atlanta sorry say does not attendance proves that
By Marc
June 19, 2007 9:18 AM | Link to this
Being new to Atlanta and originally from St. Louis, the support for the Braves does seem weak in comparison. But the situation with Cardinal support might be different than that of the Cubs or Red Sox because of the traditional strength of the KMOX radio feed. I would hope that St. Louis fans are better behaved than most however.
By Ron Roberts
June 19, 2007 9:19 AM | Link to this
Aaron.. if we stopped having the soccer moms and their kids going to the games, we’d be dead last in attendance. I got no issues with Tooner Field or the moms and kids coming. Baseball should be a family experience.
I do think, though, that Turner Field was built about 10 to 15 thousand seats to big (see my post early in the 5am hour today about how I’d change the stadium a-la U.S. Cellular Field) and that all that left field stuff should be moved elsewhere, with more emphasis on Braves’ history put there in its place, with nothing to obstruct the downtown skyline view except those great statues out in the plaza (moved in behind the left field bleacher seats).
By Sheri
June 19, 2007 9:22 AM | Link to this
There were more Red Sox fans because it’s “cool” to be a Sox fan. Looky - Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are fans, I gotta be one too! Stephen King has written about them. Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore were in a fluff movie about them. It’s sooo cool to be a Sox fan.
That being said, my family are Baltimore Oriole fans (sad to say right now). Whenever the Braves play the Orioles, my in-laws come down from Maryland and we all go to at least one of the games at Turner Field. My husband and I rarely see the Orioles on TV and my in-laws can’t get into Camden Yards unless they are on a bus trip.
It’s not that the Braves don’t have fans. I know one who has to have the game on in any restaurant that has a TV. But we live in North Gwinnett. Ever try and get from up here to Turner Field on a weekend day night? So we stay at home and watch it on TV to protect our sanity of the drive downtown. And MARTA’s not an option. We’d still have to drive almost an hour to get to the closest MARTA station.
By Who Cares?
June 19, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
To hell with Boston and its fans. These are the same idiots who keep sending the murderous, fat assed, drunken socialist back to the U.S. Senate every 6 years. GO BRAVES!!!
By ChampDawg
June 19, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
Bradley— For crying out loud. Atlanta is full of transplanted yankees. Do you NOT expect them to come root for the Red Sox, Cubs, etc? Give me a break. Atlanta fans are there EVERY game and the yankee transplants only come to root for their team when in town. The Braves have plenty of support. BTW, it sounded like a good crowd of Braves fans at Minnesota and Cleveland last week. Why don’t you smart AJC folks cover that. There is one thing I am tired of, however, And that’s Andruw Jones. His 205 BA is wearing thin on me and many, many other fans. I think the team can survive without his defense if we can get a decent bat in return.
By LIVHERELUVHEREHATEATLSPORTS
June 19, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
Atlanta sports truly suck. C’mon, the Braves have won 14 Division titles until last year, but CAN”T WIN THE BIG ONE. (I’m a transplant, Go Orioles!!)The Falcons can’t man up… (Go Saint’s!!) And the Hawks. OMG, the Hawks. Get Mike Conley, fire Billy “I still wear an afro” Knight. Get some true basketball talent in here. The other problem is all the other teams discussed in the article are of teams that have name players. Vick, felon, Chipper, old, Andruw Jones, Underacheiver, Smoltz, class…but old, and who plays for the Hawks? (Anybody got a program?). Atlanta is known for its weak drafts, non-agressive ownership, poor support comes from poor performers on the fields/courts. Spend the money, get Kobe and KG. Spend the money, get some players here in football, not the broke down Abrahams of the league. Get aggresive and the fans will follow.
By Jamie
June 19, 2007 9:25 AM | Link to this
I know the fans are probably tired of waiting for another World championship, but they’re never going to get another one if we don’t step up and start supporting these guys. How would you like it if you were out there trying to win a game and nobody showed up to cheer YOU on? Let’s get out there and show those guys we love em and we want them to win!! GO BRAVES!!
By GE
June 19, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this
Who cares if there are more Bosox fans than Brave fans. Its only a baseball game. I have lived in Atlanta for over 30 years by way of Tennessee. My favorite teams until the 1990’s were the Dodgers and the Indians because they had the first African American players (Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby repectively) in their lineups . We all have our various reasons for supporting or disliking baseball teams. Like the Bosox fans, I have always hated(in fun) the Yankees. Baseball trully is our national past time as it continually creates rivalries and a lot of fun.
By Bryan
June 19, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this
The Red Sox are the trendy team to be a fan of. Many people who have never set foot in Boston jumped on the bandwagon after the 2004 season. I have a friend who has lived in GA all his life, and suddenly decided to root for the Sox.
Screw the Red Sox, Go BRAVES!!!
By h_charles
June 19, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this
First, Mom SOx FAn — If you are as big a Sox fan as you say, then you obviously know what would happen if a group of Braves fans started Tomahawk chopping in Fenway. They would get LYNCHED. Brawls would break out in the stands. Beer would poured on their heads. I’ve been to Fenway and Yankee stadium, and I’ve seen what happens to vocal fans of the opposition — it is much worse than the anything that happens at Turner Field, I asusre you.
As to Braves fans, it is sad to see the stadium like that. I was at the Cubs 03 playoff series. It was disgusting. In order for that to change, we need a stadium in the heart of the city, not in a desolate wasteland. IF you want to build a fanbase of baseball fans, you need it woven into the fabric of the community, as they have done in Jacobs Field in Cleveland (a team whose support was below the Braves in the 1980s). Going to the game must become part of the social scene for young adults so they can walk out of their office door at 5, head down to a nearby pub for a beer, then walk over to the stadium. Once it becomes part of a cities life, the fans will come. People who aren’t zealous fans will gravitate toward the game, and it will be a snowball effect. That is the only way to do it, as they’ve done in Cleveland, Denver, and now San Diego. The park must be “cool” and in a GOOD part of town. Unfortunately, Atlanta went the cheap route and sacrificed prime location for the Olympics. If they had built Turner field in Midtown (which could have been done at the time), the Braves wouldn’t be where they are with attendance.
By Turnin2
June 19, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this
I’ll tell you the real crime here- it’s season ticket holders who sell their seats to opposing fans so the enemy is down front and center. If season ticket holders were to USE their tickets and not just sell them for profit to opposing team fans, then at least the other guys would be UP UP and AWAY from the Braves fans. In turn, true fans like myself are, as I was last night, surrounded by annoying, obnoxious Red Sox (insert Philly, Mets, Cubs here)fans.
I’ve never seen the guy owns the seats next to me - he has two seats, 3rd row from the tarp and sells every one of them on stubhub or ebay. For years I’ve had someone different sitting to my right -never knowing which team they’ll be rooting for.
THAT IS THE REAL TRAVISTY - and why the TED turns into Wrigley, Shea, or Fenway South for these big series.
By TDone
June 19, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this
I live in the Washington DC area, though I grew up in Atlanta. I am rarely able to see the Braves at home, but get tickets to all the games they play here in DC. This cuts both ways. So it’s not such a big deal.
By heath
June 19, 2007 9:31 AM | Link to this
In my travels around the state of Georgia, I have determined that Georgia is basically comprised of 2 states. There is the Metro Atlanta area which is now majority transient and the rest of the state that is made up primarily of native Georgians, some of which moved out of the Metro area to get away from the influx of new people. All of the Atlanta teams need to get used to the fact that the people who will be attending their games will be people there to see the visiting team and not them. It is just a fact of life now in Atlanta. The truly local fans are no longer located in the Metro area.
By Quint
June 19, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this
Part of the problem is that we do have good fans. Someone earlier said that Atlanta fans were trained early on to be negative. Maybe, but I think that the big four Braves announcers that used to be-Skip, Pete, Don, and Joe- were so positive about opposing teams who came to play that the TBS viewers took on their attitudes. Maybe they were too professional.. Yeah, they were ‘Homers’ but they taught us how to cheer an opposing pitcher who had a good performance. And when Glavine or Maddux comes back to town they still get a good round of applause. (Hey, they left for the money, don’t forget.) How is Roger Clemens treated in Boston? I’ll bet he doesn’t get that kind of appreciation.
So, yes, we do not have the passionate fans that other teams have. Part of the reason is the numbers of fans from other teams who live here… But still, it was disappointing to here all the cheering for a Coco Crisp homerun.
You guys need to check out the Hawks. They have a couple of young guys that are great or will be soon. let’s hope they don’t screw up this draft.
By Turnin2
June 19, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this
btw Bradley… I DO have a Braves tattoo that I am very proud of -and I DO go to 98% of all home games, at least 2 weeks of ST, and 3-4 road trips each year — so don’t act like there are no real Braves fans who live in Atlanta. There definitely are a few of us here - we are just hidden amongst those who want season tickets for the greedy reason of making a profit or tax write-off.
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 9:34 AM | Link to this
Hey Mark you are an idiot.
The reason why Braves fans watched at home last night is because we are so sick of the obnoxious Boston fans who think their franchise is the best that ever existed. The true Redsox fans sound like Hey NOMAHHHHH! Kevin MILLAHHHHH, C’mon Big PAAAAPI hit a HOMAHHHHHHHH.
I seriously hope I don’t have to slit my wrist after listening to that crap at tonight’s game.
Hey Boston fans, get off the bandwagon you jumped on and go home. I know half of you aren’t even from the north east but act like you followed them your entire life even though you are from the south east.
It won’t be long until the Sox collapses like it has for so many years down the stretch.
By WHYTHEHATE
June 19, 2007 9:35 AM | Link to this
HEY MOVE THE PARK DOWNTOWN…
Baseball is only for white people? This is why this town will never grow as a sports town. We have RACE issues out the wazoo. What Move the Park Downtown wrote is probably the feeling of a lot of white elitists. (Wondering if it were the same folks that used the Smothers Brothers clips during the last Super Bowl here). Give me a break. Let the State take over?? Guess that will work for the Braves since there are only 1 or 2 black players on the team anyway. Lawd, help that ignorant idiot.
By sam
June 19, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this
I think it is not the braves fans thats the problem. The problem is how mangement gets rid of the most exciting players in favor of boring players. The braves had exciting players in the 90s now we have players on the field like scott thorman, matt diaz and others. Like sunday scott thorman misplay at first base messed up the braves chances of winning that game. These young brave players do not know how to win like the older braves. The management need to spend money to keep/or get A list players like maddux and glavine instead of signing C list players. I am not from atlanta but I have been a braves fan since the 80s when they were horrible. I am tired of the attention brought to the braves by not winning enough postseason series. Would you rather win 2 world series then have 10 years of losing or 15 years of having a chance to win. Thats why when the braves are on fox or espn I go to the game because the broadcasters are always talking about the braves short comings.Last year was tough not seeing october baseball. The red sox,and cubs get attention because of their long dought of losing. I think the cubs,redsox,royals,pirates or any other team that has not been winning alot would be happy to have 15 years of great baseball. Turner field seating capacity should be lowered by 5000 seats. Also the braves have a big national following as well when we play on the road I see braves fans in opposing teams stadiums.
By joejoe
June 19, 2007 9:37 AM | Link to this
The reason this is a college football town, is that the ENTIRE SOUTH is all about college sports!
Seriously, until maybe 40 years ago there weren’t professional sports down here. They’d already been established for over 50 years at that point in most major cities up north, where the only people who care about college sports are those who went to college, and only then for the school they went to.
By Andy Lanier
June 19, 2007 9:37 AM | Link to this
as Lewis would have said,”the only thing wrong with Atlanta is that there are just to many Yankee’s here now.”
By Bushwacker
June 19, 2007 9:38 AM | Link to this
Maybe we are ADULTS in ATLANTA and we realize Sports just isn’t that important and the idiots in Boston and Chicago have nothing else to live for , poor saps!!
By John
June 19, 2007 9:38 AM | Link to this
They caught Pappi doing the Tomahawk chop in the dugout before his only at bat last night on ESPN…
By Eric
June 19, 2007 9:38 AM | Link to this
These are the native Atlantans that are cheering up the other teams. Most of the transplants I know try to support our teams. It goes back to when we were kids coming up in Atlanta the Hawks were the only team worth watching, the Braves, Flames, and Falcons were all the worst in there league. So everyone started following other teams outside of the state.
By John
June 19, 2007 9:39 AM | Link to this
They caught Pappi doing the Tomahawk chop in the dugout before his only at bat last night on ESPN…
By Bushwacker
June 19, 2007 9:39 AM | Link to this
Maybe we are ADULTS in ATLANTA and we realize Sports just isn’t that important and the idiots in Boston and Chicago have nothing else to live for , poor saps!!
By Jim
June 19, 2007 9:40 AM | Link to this
It’s a simple answer for me. I like watching sports but my life don’t revolve around them. I catch most Braves and Falcons games on TV (who gives a sh__ about basketball?) , but I rarely attend games (it takes a lot to get me to go inside I-285 in the first place)…..I’ve got other better things to do. Apparently dumb-a* yankees…..NY, Boston, Chicago, etc. don’t.
By Dave
June 19, 2007 9:40 AM | Link to this
The Braves are better on the road anyway. Why not make them feel like they’re there.
By Rober
June 19, 2007 9:41 AM | Link to this
The problem isn’t the lack of support for the Braves, it’s a transportation issue for most people in metro Atlanta. If Marta extended into Gwinnett, there would be thousands more at every game because it would be easier to get to games. No one on the northside wants to sit in traffic for a hour, get home to pick up their kids, and drive back to downtown to watch a game. Without a good transportation system (Marta), most Atlanta sports will not have the attendances that should be there. On another note, it is less than a mile to walk from the Woodruff Park area to the stadium. If you don’t want to pay high prices to park near the stadium, pay $3-5 and WALK or ride the shuttle from Underground to the stadium.
By Datominator
June 19, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this
Love the Braves, but their core fan base is OTP. Most people who live ITP are from somewhere else - Chicago, Boston, NY (honestly, who else is going to pay those kind of real estate prices and think they’re getting a deal?). Why am I going to drive 60 miles roundtrip on a worknight to pay for overpriced tickets to see an opponent that means nothing to me? For the Mets or Phils on a weekend, okay now you’ve got something I can do once or twice a summer, but the Sox? Come’on…
By kenny the big guy
June 19, 2007 9:43 AM | Link to this
Let me explain this out-of-town fanaticism. It is actually a compliment to Atlanta. How’s that? It is because many, many people have left Boston, New York, Chicago, Detroit, etc and relocated to Atlanta. When the team they grew up with plays in Atlanta, they enthusiastically grab ahold of the one good thing they remember from their heritage. Why doesn’t this same thing happen when the Braves play in the “Rust Belt”? BECAUSE NO ONE IN THIER RIGHT MIND HAS EVER MIGRATED FROM ATLANTA TO DETROIT!
By Jack
June 19, 2007 9:43 AM | Link to this
Atlanta fans may not measure up. but mark bradley sure dosent measure up as a sportswriter.
By 1mansopinion
June 19, 2007 9:44 AM | Link to this
As for the Braves, I think you start at the season ticketholder and some % of them would be originally from another area. I’m a Braves fan but if my team comes to town, sorry guys. Then you add the number of transplants, who haven’t seen their team all year and you have last night. (could be this week) Then theres the competing chants and sorry, Atlanta has never been very vocal at any sports event (possible exception, Thrasher sellouts)and I’ve been here 20 years.
As for the Falcons, theres the classic competition from college ball, which for the gung ho fans, after a day in the fun and some sun in Athens, its hard to make a 1pm game downtown and be excited for it. And that dome might as well be a church as quiet as it is, 6 drunk steeler fans can out-loudmouth that bunch. People go to be entertained like their going to a play not to get expressive and “give” so that they can “receive”, but thats my “everytime you call it a business, I call it a game” speil. Lets face it, its hasn’t been that demanding to be a Braves fan over the previous 14 year stretch and the fan hasn’t needed to “give” alot(other than $$). You don’t get that many division wins and playoff berths that easy. Start antying up for the next stretch, Atlanta.
By Ryan Tucker
June 19, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this
The reason the Ted is jammed with opposing fans is because the Atlanta growth in the past 30 years is due to people moving from those cities to the south. I love Atlanta, but I will never stop being a Cubs fan. Sox fans are nothing compared to the Cubs fans in Wrigley Field South - also know as Turner Field!!!
By Chris
June 19, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this
A poster above made a great point that should be mentioned again. There seemed to be a large Braves fan base at the games in both Minneapolis and Cleveland last week. I wonder if they have their own “the home team fan base sucks” columns out too now.
And also - I am a Sox fan. For these 3 games. For the other 159, I root for the Sox and the Braves. I watch the Braves on TV and go to games and root for them. It’s not all or nothing.
It’s like saying since I picked up a Boston Globe once this year I NEVER read the ajc. Which I think we all agree would be a ridiculous line of thinking….
By War Eagle
June 19, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this
CAN WE STOP THIS BS! year afteryear we hear fromt he sports hacks like Moore an Bradley-why don’t the fans pack the stadium every night? Well-let’s go over the reasons: 1. NOT all of us get free tickets Mr. Sports writer. Ticket prices have quadrupled the last 10 years or so. 2. After buying 4 tickets and food, you need a second mortgage to pay for it all and souvenirs. $3 for one hotdog is NOT a bargain! 3. Even though the kids are out of school, the majority of us actually WORK during the day while Sports writers are SLEEPING! 4. Becaue of high gas prices, the majority of us prefer to pay our BILS than pay ball player’s salaries-baseball is a treat expense and not a necessity. 5. Since the majority of the YANKEES & Red Sox fans are millionaires, they can AFFORD to spend their money on baseball tickets. 6. Atlanta is a College Football city-PERIOD. 7. The majority of Atlantans came from other cities and rooted for other teams-you cannot expect them to change alliances. Be glad they show up as the stadium would resemble the 1980’s otherwise. 8.Marta is not always accessible and lack of cops at the sttions scare people off. 9. Parking at the stadium is not adequate. 10. Parking fees are high and getting out usually takes an hour. Game times need to be at 7pm. Does THAT answer your question?
By Doug B
June 19, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this
Let’s see. Cleveland no titles save for the recent Cavalier effort. Boston, one World Series title in 80+ years. Winning doesn’t seem to be related to fans being fanatics. Minnesota fans raised the roof of their building in their quest for a World Series. However, I haven’t seen them winning division championships year after year.
I enjoy the Braves for their talent, not for the fans. While I like hearing fans get excited, it is not necessary for a championship. I don’t feel I need to criticize the fans.
It was rather fun last night to watch the Braves shut down the Red Sox loyal who appeared to out number the Atlanta fans. Hopefully, they will do it at least once more during this series.
Fan noise can be as much of a distraction to victory as it can be a help. It thus probably cancels itself out in the long run.
Give me a base hit with the bases loaded instead of fan noise and I am a satisfied fan. Give me fan noise and leave the runners stranded and I am disappointed.
Are Atlanta’s fans spoiled? Not necessarily. They may be more reserved than Cleveland or Boston fans. I just notice that the Braves tend to be in the thick of things. It might actually be because the fans don’t distract them by trying to be noisy.
By jh
June 19, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this
Hey…. your boss says all you people need to quit all this bloggin’ and GET BACK TO WORK!
By Edward R. Murrow
June 19, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this
BREAKING NEWS: The AJC and its race-baiting, left-leaning, UNathletic, NON-cerebral, New-York-and-Boston-loving, so-called sports “writers” don’t measure up, either.
We’ll have further updates as the overpaid clown posing as journalists at AJC.com continue to make complete a*******es of themselves.
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this
GO PAHHHHK YA CAHHHH IN HAHHHHHVAD YAHHHHHHHHHD
By Nat
June 19, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this
As a Bostonian and transport to Atlanta and lifelong Sox fan, I want to reiterate that for most Sox fans still residing in our beloved Arctic City, Atlanta is the best place to see our boys play—good ticket prices, lovely city, and a traditionally easy chance to watch actual “good” baseball. And I’m not being sarcastic. There is the added joy that I have yet to have an Atlanta fan pour beer on my 65 years-old father for wearing his Sox jersey. Good baseball, economics and grace…that is why I love any Sox/Braves series.
By Rory
June 19, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this
The heyday of the early 90’s Braves had a lot to do with Fulton County Stadium. Turner Field, much like the city of Atlanta, has enamoured itself in providing multiple outlets for entertainment. The diehard Yankees and Red Sox maintain such strong conviction for their teams because the only thing to do at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park is watch a baseball game. The modern stadium has focused too much on entertaining a broad audience and not enough on the real reason you’re there: the Game.
By Michael
June 19, 2007 9:57 AM | Link to this
It’s a combination of factors, including the location of the stadium (wrong side of town for most of the Braves fans) and the transient nature of nearly half of metro Atlanta’s residents. Most of these Sox fans didn’t come from far away for this game. They live here, having relocated from the frigid, economically stagnant northeast to a town that has nice weather and lots of jobs and growth opportunity. Unfortunately, they didn’t leave the Sox behind when they moved. And given that it’s a novelty for the Sox to play here, they all don’t mind making that drive through the connector to the wrong side of town to see their team for 3 games. Whereas us Braves fans aren’t so keen on fighting through that mess on a nightly basis, because the Braves will still be here next weekend, and next month, when it’s more convenient for us. Otherwise, we’ll just stick with TBS.
Let the Sox fans have their fun. Bottom line is still this: Braves 9, Sox 4.
By joejoe
June 19, 2007 9:58 AM | Link to this
Stop complaining about the location of the park! its close enough to downtown already! I swear you can probably spit on the gold dome from there. The whole neighborhood over there is improving. If someone thought it would be cost effective to build restaurants or bars over there they would have already, but the nicer homes being built in the area at least are going to make it a lot safer.
Not to mention, have you tried parking near Wrigley? Chicago is a walking town, Atlanta is a car town. One stadium has no parking, one has a half-dozen large lots.
Besides what would moving the park closer to downtown or midtown accomplish? People would just complain about the lack of parking.
By Jim Feely
June 19, 2007 10:01 AM | Link to this
Most white people on the North side are from other than Atlanta. That’s fact. I have been here for 28 year and I am a die hard fan, but it took a while. Use to be Cub fan. Before Michael Vick, you could count the black fans in th stands on two hands. They are rooting for Vck, not the falcons. It’s called idolatry, not loyalty.
By Steve in DC
June 19, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this
While it may be unfair to compare ANY fan base to Boston’s, who exit the womb with a Sox pennant in hand, I’d have to agree with Bradley on this one (though it sounded like from Carroll’s story that the Braves fans stood up for themselves this year). As a native and a son of a Grady HS grad, I can say that if Bradley’s words hurt, it’s mostly because it’s true. Corporate transfer city or whatever the reason may be, Atlanta’s committment to our teams is generally weak…
It pains me to say it, but sorry people, he’s right.
By Mike
June 19, 2007 10:03 AM | Link to this
on May 5th we sat in the outfield and there were more Mets’ fans cheering for the Dodgers than Atl or LA fans!
By Mike H
June 19, 2007 10:03 AM | Link to this
I can think of two reasons here: 1) The Braves are playing better when their out-of-town so maybe the Atlanta Fans are trying to make them feel comfortable! 2) Economics - I’ve been a Falcon season ticket holder since 1985. Just to give you an example, in 1997 I had eight season tickets and paid $2,403 ($30 per ticket). Now, ten years later I pay $2,765 for FOUR season tickets at ($70 per ticket). Unfortunately, my income hasn’t increased 43% in ten years but I still enjoy going to Falcon games. So I have a choice, give up my tickets (and I watched a LOT of lousy football to get those fifty-yard line tickets, these are corporate) or sell a few on e-bay to help with my funds. So you can bet the Thanksgiving Day game with Peyton and the Monday Night Giants game with most definitely be on e-bay…but hey, Falcon Fans can buy them too!!
By Mike H
June 19, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
Sorry, should have said they are NOT corporate tickets!
By edward
June 19, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
Better watch yourself DOB!! Justice was run out of town for telling truths like that!! But yes, sadly it is the case with the fans. I unfortunately live in Pittsburgh but when I get a chance, I do fly down for a game. I saw 2 of the three games here.(bautista ran into Chipper the bast*rd) I am a die hard Atlanta fan. I love all teams from Atlanta and Georgia, well except for Ga.Tech!! GO DAWGS!!! In Pittsburgh they have not had a winning season in 15yrs, yet all you see are Pirates jerseys at the park. We win all those titles and go to the playoffs consistently and yet our fans dont show up. Its sad and pitiful.
By spyder714
June 19, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
When is my hometown of Atlanta going to wake up and realize David Justice was right?
By Darryl
June 19, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this
If you are one those fans rooting for the visiting team, show some respect. We would never behave as such in your ballpark. You’re taking advantage of our southern hospitality. One day we might not be so nice. I attended a recent home game against the Cubs on a Friday night and it was disgusting to say the least. The way those “miserable” Cub fans behaved. I finally just shut up because I didn’t want to behave rudely in front of my 6 year old son. The Cub fans statred chants and everything. They know if it had been done in a northern city at a pro game, they would have gotten their butts kicked. Jerks, you lost so long you lost your class. You would dare anything like that a SEC football game. ATL fans show some balls and show up and root loud!!!!
By Bane
June 19, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this
Boston Sports Fans —-> Rude, Loud, Foul-Mouthed, Nasal-Sounding & Obnoxious Goofballs Who Like to Yell Profanity in Front of Other People’s Children
New York Sports Fans —-> Rude, Condescending, Loud, Foul-Mouthed, Ignorant Meatheads Who Like to Yell Profanity in Front of Other People’s Children
Chicago Sports Fans —-> Obnoxious, Whining and Self-Perceived ‘Victims’ Who Like to Yell Profanity in Front of Other People’s Children
Atlanta Sports Fans —-> Bible Belt natives raised with manners, class and the realization that other things in life are MORE IMPORTANT THAN sports ( Drunken Rednecks & Drunken Gangsta Thugs Excluded )
Mark Bradley —-> Not Worth a Comment
Mrs. Carlton Fisk —-> Ignorant, Foul-Mouthed Wh@re
By Big Al
June 19, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this
The cities you mention have fans that are born and raised generation after generation. Atlanta has nothing but transplants from these other cities. Atlanta is also a nice place to visit for a weekend and usually a cheap airfare from the Northeast.
By theboogins
June 19, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this
It’s just typical yankee behavior. Go into somebodies house and be loud and obnoxious. What surprises you about that? I haven’t met many that weren’t.
JB
By class
June 19, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this
I agree with the comment about Braves fans having class and be able to tell the difference between a Southern Braves fan and a Northeasterner, but then how do you explain UGA fans?
Atlanta is a college sports town, period.
I am born and raised in Atlanta, and love the local pro teams. I go to one or two Falcons games a year and about 20 Braves games. But when the Falcons and Braves lose, it doesn’t affect me physically like when my college team loses.
It just comes down to passion. Northeasterners are passionate about their pro teams, Southerners are passionate about college teams.
By 1991inGainesville
June 19, 2007 10:13 AM | Link to this
Sports loyalty is really about romance. I love the U. of Alabama because my father took me to games when I was a kid. I cannot go to an Alabama game without remembering great times; every game is a little bit of Christmas.
As Birmingham natives, we didn’t care much about Atlanta sports teams, though we occasionally came to Atlanta/Fulton County Stadium… to watch somebody else.
I went to college in New England and developed a passionate love for baseball, i.e., the Red Sox. I cried when that ball went through Bill Buckner’s legs in 1986, and I was in Tuscaloosa!
In 1991 I was living in Gainesville when the Braves went from worst to first. It was romance as my wife and I, then courting, listened to Braves games on WSB night after night. I was at the Stadium with my brother (who is a lifelong Dodger fan) when the Braves won a barnburner against the Dodgers on a September Saturday in 1991. I have rarely had that much fun at a sporting event.
My wife and I still have fond memories of the fall of 1991 courtesy of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves were also kind enough to win the World Series the day my sister got married in 1995. Thanks again!
Since 1991 I have enjoyed the Braves, though the string of division titles without championships makes them hard to follow daily. Watching box scores for three months in order to witness elimination in the divisional playoffs is tough. The Braves broke my heart in 1996 against the Yanks. I’ll admit it.
I’ll also say that I cannot passionately love a team built around Chipper Jones. When he was a kid he acted too much like a grownup, and now he is just another ballplayer with a big paycheck, big stats, and little soul. I don’t think the Braves will ever win a championship with Chipper as the heart of the team.
The Red Sox, in contrast, carry with them the romance of Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Yaz, 1903, 1918, 1946, 1967, 1975, and 2004. The Curse of the Bambino and the magical story of how a bunch of fearless players overcame the curse in 2004 is a story that few teams wear on their caps. Ortiz, Ramirez, and Schilling are walking monuments of a broken curse, redeemers of broken hearts, and makers of dreams.
When the Braves build romance instead of a corporation, they will have soul, fun, heroic stories, winning, championships, and passionate fans. Having tasted baseball at Fenway, however, the corporate variety found in Atlanta since 1996 is not as much fun.
By Pamela
June 19, 2007 10:13 AM | Link to this
The Braves could care less whose fans are at Turner Field as long as they are spending money. The bottom line for this team is “making money”, winning is a bonus. I had season tickets until I realized that management was no longer interested in putting together a winning team but rather the cheapest team. The Atlanta Braves are nothing more than a training ground for future players for OTHER teams.
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this
GO PAHHHHHHK YA CAHHHHHHHH IN HAHHHHHHHHVAD YAHHHHHHHHHHHHD
By Solomon Ramsey
June 19, 2007 10:21 AM | Link to this
I have been in Atlanta for fourteen years now and I cheer for the Braves against every team except ONE. I grew up in Southern Connecticut 1 hour from Yankee Stadium and as a young boy went to many Yankee games cheering on the late 70’s Yankees.They will always will be my favorite team, no matter where I live. I think that is the case in Atlanta you have a lot of people who grew up in other places and will always cheer for their childhood team—it’s emotional. Just like Georgians are about the Bulldogs
By Liz
June 19, 2007 10:24 AM | Link to this
If it makes a difference, I’m a former Atlantan (and proud UGA alum) who lives in Minneapolis. I attended two of the three Braves-Twins games last week and there were ALOT of Braves fans there. Unfortunately, the Braves didn’t give us anything to cheer about in that series, so it’s hard to say what the noise level could have been in the Dome if they had!
By Fred
June 19, 2007 10:26 AM | Link to this
Cant we all just get along? someone always has to bring race into the discussion…. This city truly does have race issues, and its sad. I’m a white guy. I have two white friends in the entire metro area. I dont give a damn what race or religion someone is, if you’re cool people, you’re cool people. I find the comments about the bible belt southern mentality really dont apply at ALL to the metro atlanta area. I’ve found, in my 3 1/2 years of living here, that metro atlanta is WAAAAAAAAAAY more liberal than Boston. Cost of living and weather is why i came here. Thats all. I’ve adopted this city as my new home, and If i didnt tell you i grew up withing 3 miles of downtown boston, you’d never guess. we don t all have accents. the sports teams in boston are a way of life. this is not the case here. even when the teams up there suck, and many of them have gone thru some long bad stretches, they still have a big crowd at the games. If i had to guess, i would say even the celtics have better attendance than the hawks, and BOTH teams are terrible!
By DAWGMA
June 19, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this
It’s as simple as this…IF you put Turner Field, say in Cobb County or in N. Fulton or Cherokee County, every game would sell out. Most of the population lives in the burbs on the north side of town. None of us wants to drive 45 minutes to an hour, sit in traffic, just to go to a game. It’s that easy. I’m 29 and a huge Braves fan as are all my friends of the same age. We have talked about this many times and we all agree that we don’t go as often as we should because of the distance/traffic. Saturday and Sunday games always have good crowds because there is less traffic. I say when the lease expires in the current stadium, move em to the top end of the perimeter.
Hey Mike H, can I get early dibs on those Falcons tickets?
By Brad
June 19, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley is 100% right on this one, but hopefully he’s stirred something up in you. Come on , folks! We have the Sox in our house for two more nights! I’m sure that Mark would love to be proven wrong.
By Dianna
June 19, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this
I’m sick and d—- tired of sports writers and announcers b——ing about no fan support. I for one would LOVE to be at the games. But I have a choice - feed my family for a week or take them to a ball game for one night. I choose to feed my family. Ticket prices and concession stand prices are absolutely insane. When three hot dogs, three cokes and a program costs $40.00 there is something seriously wrong! Lower your stupid prices and we’ll be there you bunch of whiny, over-paid, over-rated cry babies.
By Amber
June 19, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this
Like I said - maybe if our own announcers rooted for the Braves more, the fans would feel better about the team. Instead we get to hear about how wonderful the other team is, no matter how bad they are. I’d love to hear how good they could make Kansas City sound.
By Lauren
June 19, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
As a native Atlantan who grew up going to Braves games when they were more embarassing than Andruw Jones’ current batting average, I still regularly go to games to support my home team despite the facts enumerated in your column. Does it surprise me to see fewer Braves fans than those of the opposing team? Not really, but it doesn’t make me any less of a fan if I am outnumbered. I do the chop, I boo as hard as I can when the other team is announced, I talk smack (sometimes politely) to non-Braves supporters and I think about how lucky I am that I live in Atlanta and am a part of Braves history. So, do us all Braves fans a favor and stop making these generalized pseudo-pleas to ‘cowboy up.’ You should feel embarrassed for actually using that term without a winky face or something to make us think you’re not being serious….oh, and only 74 more days until college football season starts.
By THE N**** DON'T SHOP AT NORTH POINT MALL
June 19, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
So why should the White folks go watch baseball in Atlanta?
By BIGDAWGFAN
June 19, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this
ALL I CAR ABUOT IS THE DAWGS AND NASCAR SO HOW CARE BOUT BRAVE WIN THEY SUCK SO BAD BRADELY U NEED 2 TLAK MORE BOUT LITTEL E AN NASCAR AND LESS BOUT DEM SORY BRAVES
By Rich (In name only)
June 19, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this
I’m originally from Alabama and I now make my home in Atlanta. I’ve been a huge Braves fan for many years now. But before that, I was a Red Sox fan. In fact, I became a Sox fan when the Braves were still playing in Milwaukee. Needless to say, the Braves are # 1, but if you think for one second that I don’t wait an entire year for the Sox to be in town so I can see BOTH my teams play, you’re delusional.
The Sox are the best team in baseball so far this year and if the Braves continue to play the way they have lately (not counting last night, of course) they will have only a slim chance to make the postseason. If that happens, I’ll be pulling for the Sox so that the vile Yankees won’t see October. Go Braves… Go Sox!!!
By Bob
June 19, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this
Mark,
As has been said before, our tradition and roots go back to College Football. Until 40 years ago we had no professional teams at all. In fact as a kid, we always got Redskin and Cardinal games. Add to the fact that we are a city of transplants, I think you are going to have a lot of people who are Braves, Thrashers and Falcons fans second and their original home town team first. Atlanta is hardly the only laid back town in the majors though. Dodger fans are notorious for showing up late and leaving early. Cardinal fans are probably the best in baseball, but they are not nearly the obnoxious types.
It is loud and passionate at Fenway and the Stadium and even Shea. But it pales in comparison to a Saturday night in Athens or Knoxville or Gainesville, or Auburn or Baton Rouge. Compare the passion at ANY Falcon game with the SEC Championship game and for that matter even the Chick Filet Bowl. College Football is a southerners Civil War outlet. At the Clemson-BC game this year the damn stadium was almost more Orange than Maroon and Gold.
By techaholic
June 19, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this
Boston fans have loved this team for more years than the Braves have been in Atlanta! The fact that there are more BoSox fans that Braves fans is not surprising.
Atlanta fans are fickle … they don’t support their teams UNLESS they are winning - that’s not the case with the Sox. NE loves baseball even when they are losing.
I’m a Boston fan and I resent some idiot here saying negatives about Red Sox Fans … THEY ARE PASSIONATE and dedicated to their team … unlike Atlanta fans who are ALL BANDWAGON!
By Skeet Johnson
June 19, 2007 10:37 AM | Link to this
Move the ballpark to downtown, you are one weird dude. This isn’t 1900; there is going to be music during games, no one has to dress in their sunday best to go out to a relaxing game. And without a doubt, there will never be a priest involved with baseball. religion should never be involved with sports; it’s just not that important. Seriously, what’s with the racist stuff? There will always be drugs and other illegal activities, but You are just ranting and stating your racist stereotypes. For Turner Field, it is not a “sunk cost.” it may not be in the best location, but it is our stadium and it will be the braves’ stadium for many years to come. Last, America’s Culture is not Dying. You, sir, just need to meet some new people and learn that the racism and prejudice will end.
By DAWGMA
June 19, 2007 10:38 AM | Link to this
Move the team to the north side of town and every game would sell out and we wouldn’t have to worry about Bo Sox and Cubbie fans. It’s as simple as that.
By Terrell in the ATL
June 19, 2007 10:40 AM | Link to this
The Neanderthals don’t shop at North Point Mall?
The Nationals Fans?
The NASCAR Fans?
The Nomar Garciaparra Fans?
By Chester
June 19, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
Well done Chuckkles. Very well written. Bradley your Delta Sky miles should come in handy when your ready to leave.
By Dana
June 19, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
Dumb article.. It is because so many damn Yankees have moved to the South and who can blame them…Have you seen the price of housing in Taxachuetts..and what you get for that price. Who would not want to live in Atlanta. So if once a year they get to go to the TED to see the old home town team… big deal…Ask them if they would move back!! If they say yes lets help them pack. Inter-league play has been over done…
By Lee
June 19, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this
HEY DUMMIES!!!
i park for free 3 blocks from the stadium, buy $5 tickets, bring my own food inside the gate, and i leave via grant park or the west end to little or no traffic.
complain all you want about how hard it is to go to these games, blah blah blah. i do quite well. i went to 3 games last home stand and spent $15 total.
maybe major league baseball should contract the braves. then you folks couldnt make any more excuses about games and attendance.
By Skeet Johnson
June 19, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
That’s an excellent idea DAWGMA. I live in the North side, and if the stadium was up here, I know that every game would be sold out. The majority of people that I know would love to go to a game, yet they don’t have transportation or the ride down to Turner field is just too time consuming,
By techaholic
June 19, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
Braves fans using the location of the stadium as to why they won’t attend a game is funny has hell!
Fenway Park is small and not a lot of parking but fans come from ALL OVER NE to see this team play … IT’S THE LOVE OF THE GAME AND THIS FRANCHISE.
Atlanta fans don’t have that passion … period. This is not about the stadium’s location it’s about the fans who are all bandwagon. When the braves were winning Pennants … all I heard from ATL fans was it ‘was the place to be’ … not that they were diehards like Red Sox and Cub Fans.
You guys are dilusional and have no idea what is is to live and die for a sport and a particular team.
By Braves Fan 79
June 19, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
to: MOVE THE BALL PARK TO DOWNTOWN: dude if your that concerned about Nigerian street vendors then u really havent seen the rough side of atlanta like i have while doing cable tv in apt complexes throught downtown atlanta. at least they have a smiling face and are working hard to make $. I applaud any man that is making a honest living…no matter how looked down upon more fortunate pple like yourself view them. Have a gun pointed to your head by thugs looking for a quick buck like i have about 2 or 3 times while workin the city since 99….and lets c if u b*** about someone making a honest living.
By clint
June 19, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
Oh please get over yourself. There are so many transplants in this city that there will never be a home team. The population of the city of Atlanta was only 400K or so before all the suburbs exploded with transplants. Besides… it is up to the team to create the spirit NOT the fans. You want fans to love this game? You want fans to love this team? Then step up to the plate and create events and a presence that includes the fans and wraps them up in a frenzy. The Braves marketing and front office could care less about the fans.
By John C
June 19, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
Look where the a-holes put Turner Field. Right in the middle of crime central booleytown. One heck of a lot of Braves fans don’t make the drive from the northside.
By Mike
June 19, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
Way to stir it up David Justice…..I mean Mark Bradley.
By Sharon325
June 19, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this
Please shut up Mark Bradley! I refuse to sit up here and take criticism as from anybody at the AJC!
Need I remind you of couple of years ago, when the Falcons were fighting for a playoff spot and had a pivitol game against the Saints how YOUR newspaper was selling signs supporting the OPPOSING teams fans? It’s your newspaper that has torn down every superstar that ever played for this city. Shut up. If fan support is down in this city, accept your role in it as well!
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
GO PAHHHHK YA CAHHHHHHHHHHH IN HAHHHHHHHHHVAD YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHD
By Skeet Johnson = the typical Protestant
June 19, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this
Thank you for proving my point.
American “Culture” was stillborn, and you and your Protestant ilk are the living-dead proof of that.
By 22oz
June 19, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
Most of these so-called “Red Sox nation” are a bunch of trendies who jumped on the bandwagon a few years back when ESPN and FOX began shoving this rivarly garbage down our throat. Its the hot thing to root for the Sox. It aggravates me to no end to see my friends that grew up alongside me in rural GA wearing B caps b/c they’re a hot item.
By BossLady
June 19, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
I agree with J Dawg, our fans are up when the Mets, Phillies, Dodgers come to town. The Red Sox and Yankees do this all over America. It has been like that for the Braves too, when they are on the road there are so many Braves shirts. The Superstation made Braves famous all over the world, in places where there is no home team they took up with us. When it happens to us then we cry out. But we have filled stadiums all over the country. Go Braves!!!!!
By Chris in VA
June 19, 2007 10:54 AM | Link to this
Born and raised in Richmond. Having grown up going to Richmond Braves games, seeing countless stars go on to succeed in ATL, naturally have been a big Braves fan all my life. I cannot begin to explain how discouraging and perplexing it is to watch A-Braves games and not only see such an overwhelming turnout of fans for the away team but just to see the stands so friggin’ empty all the time.
Although they stink (albeit remaining the Bravos rear-view mirror) the Nats fanbase (already!) seems to be comparable in spirit and attendance. What gives? Granted, The Diamond, home of the R-Braves, isn’t sold out every night — but it’s the flippin’ triple-A squad! Right in your own backyard you have one of the sweetest major league ball clubs to ever play the game and yet it seems, most Atlanta residents just don’t really give a hoot. Mind-numbing, to say the least. It seems flat-out complacency is to blame.
Now let’s go knock those greaseball Mets outta first place while we have the chance … for crying out loud!
By NASCARfan
June 19, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this
All of the people who are die hard Braves fans live outside of Metro Atlanta, and therefore, are not within easy driving distance of the Stadium, and may only see one or two games a year. Native Georgians and Braves fans in Metro Atlanta are outnumbered about 60-40 by Mets, Cubs, Yankees, and Sawx fans. It’s true. It’ll always be true. It’s the nature of this city. It’s also the nature of Midwest and Northeastern sports fans. They are fanatic about their PRO teams the way that Southeastern people are fanatic about their COLLEGE teams. How Sawx fans who filled Turner Field really care about Boston College? Not many. How many Yankees and Mets fans who regularly fill Turner Field care about Syracuse or Rutgers? Not many. How many Chicago fans care about The Illini? Not many. Now, how many people who root for the Braves care more about the Dawgs than they do about the Braves? About 80%. 5% more root for the Bugs before the Braves, 5% care more about Auburn, and another 4% care more for other college teams than the Braves (Eagles, Gayturds, Lamecocks, etc.) leaving only about 6% of people who actually care more for the Braves than the college teams.
It’s a huge difference, Bradley. You should know this. In the north, people love their PRO sports. In the south, we love our COLLEGE sports. It’s the way it is, and nothing is going to change it. So stop whining about it. The only southern cities which are decent sports cities (none of them are great, they’re only decent) are the ones with large or growing northern carpetbagger populations (Atlanta, Miami, and Charlotte being the only ones). All of the other southern cities are terrible, bleak pro sports towns. We’re talking Nashville, Jacksonville, etc. Let’s be happy with what we have. A decent pro sports town, and a great college sports town. It’s better than being Jacksonville.
By Casey Smallwood
June 19, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this
Atlanta is a young city with so many transplants that you do not find the 3rd generation fans like myself. I am one of the few people whose entire family was born and raised in the Atlanta area. I will never forget when I was a child and my grandpa used to lie bed and listen to the Braves on his AM radio or my dad sitting in front of the TV watching the Braves on TBS in the 80’s. Then myself who since 1991 when I was in 6th grade fallowing all of my favorite Braves like Gant, Deon, Maddox, Avery, Andruw, and McCann. I am a true 3rd generation fan and the Braves are ingrained in by blood. NY, Boston, Philly, St. Louis and Chicago are cities where you have thousands of fans who are 3rd or even 4th generation fans. Atlanta does have good fans, but we are still 15 to 20 years away from building that love and tradition that you find in the old cities up north. I am proud to be from Atlanta and to be a Braves fan…….I know that I am not the only one out there and one day when I take my son to his 1st Braves game he will carry on the tradition!!!!
By James Schroeder
June 19, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this
Thank you, and you are right. The atlanta fan is rediculously miserable. But, as we all know, the heart and major fanbase of the Atlanta Braves does not live in atlanta, the heart lies in the surrounding area, Alabama, South Carolina, Rome Georgia, south Georgia, basically everywhere outside of atlanta. It does irk me when i hear the red sox fairweather “faithful” cheering on “their team” and whining when they lose, come on they are the second best 200 million dollar team and yet they feel like they are the devil rays. I hate boston fans. I think the problem that exists is that real braves fans feel shunned by how expensive everything is, and with gas prices the way they are, most people dont want to drive long distances to see a game. Also, one more point, the strike happened 13 years ago, but there is still a sting in my heart left from it.
By Homer
June 19, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this
Mark - Maybe you should read Carroll Rogers article (“A Powerful Return Home”)…sounds like he was there and you weren’t:
“In as electric an atmosphere as you can have on a humid Atlanta summer evening, Brian McCann delivered a three-run home run straight to the people, in and out of the arms of a fan in the center field bleachers to lead the Braves to 9-4 victory.”
Slow news day for ya, huh?
By Mom Sox Fan
June 19, 2007 11:01 AM | Link to this
I will say, too, that the prices of concessions are ridiculous!! To feed myself, my 4 year old and my husband cost us over $40. We spent over $70 last night in food, cokes and parking. We didn’t even get a beer!! And would someone please tell me why a bottle of water is $4.50?? For water??
By Red Sox Nation: South
June 19, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this
braves fans as bradley said it is a free country!!! if we want to cheer for our team there is not a thing you can do about it!!!! Red sox fans are not fairweather fans like 95% of braves fans(yes i realize there are some diehards out there but not many)…mabye you could learn something from red sox and cubs fans!! we don’t need a “lets go braves” thing to pop up on the tv or for some man to bang a giant drum to cheer…. we do it on our own!!!!!! I couldn’t count a single time that braves fans started cheering last night when they weren’t prompted to or there was a hit, HR, strikeout, etc.
By pat
June 19, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this
I’ll be there tonight and I will drown out the Red Sux fans. Go back to Boston! If it was so great you’d still live there.
By Red Sox Nation: South
June 19, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this
braves fans as bradley said it is a free country!!! if we want to cheer for our team there is not a thing you can do about it!!!! Red sox fans are not fairweather fans like 95% of braves fans(yes i realize there are some diehards out there but not many)…mabye you could learn something from red sox and cubs fans!! we don’t need a “lets go braves” thing to pop up on the tv or for some man to bang a giant drum to cheer…. we do it on our own!!!!!! I couldn’t count a single time that braves fans started cheering last night when they weren’t prompted to or there wasn’t a hit, HR, strikeout, etc.
By VAM
June 19, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this
OK guys, I was there last night & from where I was sitting, the Atlanta folks started chanting “Lets Go Braves” right along side the Red Sox chant. When the Red Sox started chanting I also heard a LOT, I MEAN A LOT, of booing from the Atlanta fans. Quite impressive. We had a group of young baseball fans in a Lexus suite above us that were the biggest group of Brave fans I ever heard! When we left, I told them that they need to be here at every game with their cute “Lets Go Andrew Jones (or Jeff Francoer or whome ever was up at bat)” to the chant of ‘Lets Go Braves’. It made me proud! C-ya at the game tonite Brave Fans!!
By James Schroeder
June 19, 2007 11:04 AM | Link to this
I dont know how i can say this, but behind the braves, i am cheering most openly for the new york yankees. Not because i like them, no, i hate them, but i want to see boston fall so unbelievably far and crash down so they can never rise. I want to see their fans weeping in the streets, i want to see them go ask for money back for their season tickets (like they did last year), i want to see ultimate suffering in Boston.
By Alan
June 19, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this
I haven’t read every comment, so I don’t know if it’s been touched on, but a big part of the blame lies with season ticket holders who sell their tickets to out-of-towners. Also let’s not kid ourselves; since the Red Sox became trendy, their “fans” started materializing everywhere outside New England.
By Wolf
June 19, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this
What difference does it make if fans yell, scream, and rant? I go to a game to see good baseball, not be engaged in some kind of juvenile contest to see who can be the loudest. And Red Sox fans can be very obnoxious. My family and I went to see the Braves in a three-game series in Montreal before the team moved, and we were told by friendly locals that the Red Sox fans made fools of themselves when the Sox played the Expos there, just really rude.I’d hate to see Atlanta fans act like that, and I doubt that the exhibitions help the team win—it took the Red Sox a long time to finally win a World Series, even with their loud fans!
By g_from_dooluth
June 19, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
First, let me start by saying that I’m totally an Atlanta sports fan (as painful as it seems at times). Let’s not kid ourselves though…these New England fans are just as much band-wagon fans as we are portrayed to be. How many of these so called Patriots fans can name a starting QB before Drew Bledsoe and what was their attendance like back then?
Its easy to be a Sox supporter when you have the tradition and the history. I think tearing down Atlanta Fulton County Stadium was our first mistake. We have Hank, but he didn’t hit his record breaking HR at the Ted. The memories of Murphy, Hubbard, & Horner are also lost as well. And let’s not forget Sid’s slide home…
Also, I don’t see any rabid Celtics fans the way we saw them back in the Bird/Mchale era. Like any other city, if you win, the fans will come! As for the Braves, division titles are great, but when you don’t live up to your potential year after year (World Series), its nothing but a disappointment as far as the fans see it.
By Braves Fan 79
June 19, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
BIGDAWGFAN: get off the computer and go back to banging your sister.
By GregInLawrenceville
June 19, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
The apathetic behavior of Atlanta sports fans can be attributed to the fan base consisting mostly of soccer moms and dads and corporate yuppie types that are entertaining their clients to discuss their portfolio who look at you like your from another planet if you get too excited at the ball park. They are too reserved and polite to get all fired up about their team. We need more rowdies at the ball park, like you find at Yankee stadium or Wrigley field.
On the other hand, maybe Southerners have a little better perspective on things and take things more in stride, so they are less passionate. To us, it’s just a game, to Northerners it’s a life. Southerners aren’t going to go into a state of depression for 6 months because their team lost a game.
That being said…………..pass the wine and cheese
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this
AMEN JAMES SHROEDER! I couldn’t have said it any better.
By Ronald
June 19, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this
There are three logical reasons why this happens. First and foremost, this is college football territory. We’ve had it here since the 19th century, as opposed to pro sports, which has been here since the 60s. Our roots for college football go back as deeply as Boston’s and Chicago’s go back for baseball. In those cities, college football means nothing, compared to what it means to folks down here. Secondly, Chicago and Boston have grand old ballparks in good neighborhoods. Youy can walk to a game there without fear of being mugged. You can stop off along the way into one of many pubs. There is a baseball atmosphere pervading the entire area. Here, our civic leaders chose to put the ballpark in the most rundown, depressed (cheapest) part of town. You don’t walk there. You drive. It’s not as much fun. And thirdly, yes, this is a transitional city. Northeasterners move from their cold, dirty, depressed towns to Atlanta, San Diego and Phoenix. Up there, they had nothing to do except become sports fanatics. They come here and they find plenty of free tickets so they go. There’s nothing wrong with that, and there’s nothing wrong with Atlanta sports fans. I’m an Atlanta native and a huge Braves fan; I go to at least 10 games a year. Cubs and Red Sox fans annoy me, yes. But as you said - it’s a free country.
By K-Dogg
June 19, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this
GOOOOO BRAVES!!!!!!!
That is all…
By Wamjunk
June 19, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this
Maybe people in Atlanta just have better things to do (than travel to out-of-town games). More to do than rich cultured Boston? Yeah right.
By BossLady
June 19, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this
Edward!! This is not DOB column, this is the Bradley guy.
By Bucky Dent
June 19, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this
I suspect if this series was held in early September after another collapse by the Sox that we wouldn’t see many people wearing red. Schilling is clearly done, so unless the Sox go buy another $100 million pitcher, they’re done too.
By SALTYGOTGREEDY
June 19, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this
Why isnt anyone talking about the real issue here…how 90% of the “fans” at this game and every Boston away game are bandwagon as $@*%!!! I would have loved to have taken a poll last night where all the Boston Bandwagons in attendance honestly answered whether they were fans of Boston before 2004. I honestly believe the number would be around 30-40% I do recognize that there are some true fans out there in other cities, but the number is not even near what you see when you go out to the Ted or any other stadium around the country. It just honestly bothers me when im walking into Turner field and every other jersey and hat I see has a sticker or tag still attached that the Boston Bandy forgot to take off when they bought it two hours before the game. Its honestly sad how people hop on the “hot” team at that time and ride them until another fad team comes into play. Go Braves!!! And oh yeah, Boston “fans”, remember to take the tags off your Dice K jersey before the game tonight…
By Skeet Johnson
June 19, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this
I’m a diehard Braves fan, and I have just realized that I don’t really have any feelings for the Yankees anymore. I don’t hate them like I use to. I like some of their players but more importantly, I wish for the Downfall of the Boston Red Sox. My hatred for the mets is only growing, but the feelings for boston are new. I never hated them before, but i truly get angry at the number of people that have hopped on that bandwagon, including espn.
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this
Hey Red Sox Nation South DOUCHE, you are a good cheerleader. Big freakin deal. We have class and manors down here and why would we want to learn to be obnoxious douche bags like Boston or Chicago fans?! Your fans sit next to children and older women and curse at the top of your lungs. “F this and F that” NEXT TO CHILDREN and OLD WOMEN. Buncha douche bags
By Ryko
June 19, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
Atlanta is home to folks from all over the country — over the past 10+ years many people moved to into town, but still kept their alleigance to their “hometown” team. That is one reason why these popular teams (Cubbies, Sox, Steelers) attract so much support in Atlanta. I would bet that most the 20,000 Sox fans at Turner Field last night didn’t fly down from Boston — many were probably Atlanta/Georgia natives.
It may seem that Atlanta is home to many fair-weather fans, but in reality, too many people who live here have Atlanta teams as their secondary teams, and have never bought into their new city’s teams 100%.
I have friends (braves fans) going to the game tonight in Red Sox jerseys — they are Red Sox fans 1st, Braves fans 2nd. I will not be sitting with them.
By alex
June 19, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
While it might be fun to pile on the fans, or supposed lack there of, here in Atlanta…its really pretty trite and unfounded.
The facts are that Atlanta is a transient town…I’m a native, but aside from my siblings, I can count on one hand the number of people I know that are actually from here. People move here and they bring their team allegiances with them. So Atlanta fans are bad fans because they don’t drop their life long support for their hometown team and start supporting the Braves/Falcons/Hawks/Thrashers as soon as they cross the state line? That is just plain dumb. Atlanta is a great sports town…we’ve got a team for every major league (aside from the MLS..which is on its way) the stadiums are great and aside from the Hawks, the teams are always competitive…people are going to games, the teams are well supported…I’m just sick and tired of people like Bradley jumping up and down on the fans here when it really makes no sense
By John Allen
June 19, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
As a Red Sox fan, I’m often embarrassed by other Sox fans and their obnoxious behavior at other ball parks. As a Florida Gator fan, it’s much of the same.
By MHD
June 19, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
This is not a pro sports town because SEC/ACC football is king in this town. People would much rather see pageantry at their alma mater. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Braves and Falcons, but this town will always play second fiddle to NCAA Athletics.
Pro sports, because of the markets, are greater in the North. They have the money to pay these athletes (most of whom are from the South) the money that appeals to them.
NCAA football, baseball, basketball is all dominant within southern programs. Historically, pro teams are dominant in the North. The Braves are the best in a bad market.
By ATLVOL
June 19, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
Turner Field is never packed and its a shame seeing that this is one of the top notch franchises over the past 2 decades. With that being said I want to thank Mark Bradley for pointing out the obvious. Thats a great piece of reporting. True Braves fans don’t care how many other fans are at the ballpark but what we do care about is Schilling having 0 strikeouts, Chuck James bouncing back from a rough outing last week, and Brian McCann getting back into the hitting groove. 9-4, thats what we care about. Big deal that the Red Sox have a ton of fans. Thats good for the game. All we want is another title and I don’t care who is at Turner Field to see it.
By Bane
June 19, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this
Boston Sports Fans —-> Rude, Loud, Foul-Mouthed, Nasal-Sounding & Obnoxious Goofballs Who Like to Yell Profanity in Front of Ladies and Other People’s Children
New York Sports Fans —-> Rude, Condescending, Loud, Foul-Mouthed, Ignorant Meatheads Who Like to Yell Profanity in Front of Ladies and Other People’s Children
Chicago Sports Fans —-> Obnoxious, Whining and Self-Perceived ‘Victims’ Who Like to Yell Profanity in Front of Ladies and Other People’s Children
Atlanta Sports Fans —-> Bible Belt natives raised with manners, class, common sense, respect for other people and the realization that other things in life are MORE IMPORTANT THAN sports
( College Football Fans, Drunken Rednecks & Drunken Gangsta Thugs Excluded )
Mark Bradley —-> Not Worth a Comment
Mrs. Carlton Fisk —-> Ignorant, Foul-Mouthed Wh@re
By John Allen-bandwagon member
June 19, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this
Ahhh Boston Red Sox- recent worldseries Florida Gators- last 2 football nat. champs Are you a Spurs and Anaheim ducks fan too?
By Thrash
June 19, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
What about all the Braves fans that show up in every city they play in? With WTBS, the Braves became America’s team and you’d see the gear on fans everywhere like Houston, Cincinnati, Florida, Montreal…
It happens, who cares?? You can wear what you want to a game and cheer for whoever you want.
By CDS
June 19, 2007 11:43 AM | Link to this
It always happens here. If you go to pretty much any Falcons home game (whether they’re winning or not), you’ll see a good number of fans from franchises that have deep histories or followings (Green Bay, Steelers, Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Patriots, etc) because no team in Atlanta has won enough to have many fans. Braves won 14 straight division titles and 1 World Series. Not enough. Falcons have been to one Super Bowl, not enough. Hawks won a championship when they were still in St. Louis. Since then, nothing. So what exactly do the fans here have to cheer about?
Oh, and the south has always been more about college football than any pro sports.
By Red Sox Nation: South
June 19, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this
yes to prove my point braves fans…. i don’t consider cheering lets go braves to drown out the louder LETS GO RED SOX a sign of unprompted cheering!!! you are just embrassed that the road teams fans are louder. i consider this in the same catagory as having “lets go braves” on the tv or the guy hitting the giant drum.
Also most of this stuff about red sox fans being band wagon fans is such BS! The last time the red sox did not sellout a home game was may 15, 2003!!!!! way before we won it all in 2004!!!! So please do not say that the red sox had lethargic fans and then we won the world series and everyone became crazy fans. Trust me i have been to many red sox games in my life time and the fan support has always been pretty constant!
Atlanta has soo many transplants from Boston and other parts of new england. Also boston has more colleges than anywhere in the country and many of these students become boston pro sports team fans while they are up there for school!!! And don’t tell me to go back to boston … Would i prefer to live in Boston? YES OF COURSE but there is nothing i can do about where my company transfers me!!!!!
By Karen
June 19, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
I am a rabid, lifelong braves fan… living 2 1/2 hours north of ATL makes it a challenge to attend as many games as I would like. I still manage to get there for 10-20 games per year…always go to at least 1 game per post-season series. so, it is very frustrating to us here in TN to see the empty seats that “locals” should be filling each and every game. I envy the passion of those fans from Boston, Chicago, etc. I challenge Braves fans to display their love for the Atlanta Braves.
By Fred
June 19, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
Blaylock, You lack class and MANNERS. There are “douche bags” everywhere, and you prove this point well. way to represent braves fans.
By JEAN YAWKEY
June 19, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
Shameful all this whining back and forth….
This baseball rivalry is as old and as fun as my dear departed husband - No different from those Tech/UGA fooball games.
By choppinmama
June 19, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this
Mark: Atlanta baseball games are more social occasions for a large majority of the game attendees than an occasion to go and vocally support your favorite baseball team. Take a look at the corporate fannies in the seats all over the dugout level. They are swilling beer after beer, talking non-stop, usually on their cells, and only giving perfunctory attention to the game on the field.
A lot of the fans are older, mature types that are loathe to be vocal and actually cheer for our guys on the field. Take a look at the Chophouse, those folks are not paying attention to the game until a fly ball heads their way. Take a look at Scouts Alley or all the folks out on the plaza during the game, they’re not watching the game from their seats, helping to cheer on the team.
If every ticket holder was in their seat, paying close attention to the game, and cheering in the appropriate places, the Ted would be the ideal 10th-man venue - but, they’re not, so it isn’t.
Trust me, I always sit down around our dugout for the games, and often I’m the only one with both eyes on the game, my cell tucked into my bag, and yelling my brains out - by myself. The surrounding “fans” are too busy to follow the game.
And - I usually go by myself and feel perfectly comfortable coming and going through the “getto”.
By Robert
June 19, 2007 11:56 AM | Link to this
Guys, seriously…it’s baseball. Crowd noise really has little to no play in the outcome of a game.
By Hunker
June 19, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this
Truth is this is college football country. In fact last night sort of reminded me of GA-Ga.Tech, GA-Auburn, or GA-FLa-big noisy crowd witb partisans from both sides.
To be perfectly honest it points to what a great place we have to live. No one relocates from Atlanta to Boston, or New York, or Chicago. Those folks move down here.
Yet, the bottom line is a grand Saturday between the hedges beats a muggy night at the Ted any day.
By howdwedothat
June 19, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this
Being a life long Atlanta sports fan it is depressing to see this happen. The fact is though the ATL is a transient city. Many people with deep rooted loyalties to other teams live here and it sometimes makes our stands fill up with the enemy. So be it. Like Frenchy said it don’t matter if you’re winning!
By Mrs. Carlton Fisk
June 19, 2007 12:02 PM | Link to this
Gee Bane - I am so terribly sorry that you think I am a w-word.
Please accept my humble apology if I insulted you in any way shape or form…IT IS A JOKE - the baby does not say that - it is called baseball humor.
But again, if I insulted you, forgive me.
Yet your comments concerning Atlanta fans….
Troubles me - are the drunk people at the games only rednecks or thugs?
Because the last game we went to - the family to my right was suburbia mom and dad with their 2 beuatiful little kids and yet dad was swigging down the beer.
The people in back of us were well dressed 30-something guys - yet they were drinking too and cheering for the Braves.
Would love to see you at the game on Wednesday - but I will be at church with the family.
God Bless you - and the RED SOX!
By Stevethehawk
June 19, 2007 12:11 PM | Link to this
I was born and raised in Atlanta, lived in Connecticut for 4+ years and recently moved back home. I am an avid Altanta sports and UGA grad and fan.
HERE IS THE REASON:
Pro Baseball has been in New England/New York since the late 1800s, same as College Football in the South. These traditons go back a long way. The passion for the Red Sox is similar to the passion for, say, Georgia football. The Patriots have won 3 Super Bowls in the last 8 years or so, but the Red Sox are still number one on their fans lists and always will be. Same as Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, etc. football comes first for many sports fans in the south. In Connecticut you see just as may Yankees and Red Sox flags hanging outside people’s houses as you see college flags down here. You will rarely see a Braves/Falcons flag down here, just as you will rarley see a BC/Syracuse/UMass/Yale flags flying up north.
Also, the Red Sox may have the biggest bandwagon fanbase ever in the history of sports. I saw a lot of brand-new hats and jersyes at the game last night.
By yknot
June 19, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this
Who cares. Really. Braves Have a good team. Good Stadium. Horrible traffic. I’m not going to every game. By the way, This isn’t news. Haven’t you excepted this as fact a log time ago. Why don’t you write an article about how the price of a Box Seat has gone up over the lifetime of a baseball fan from the 70’s on.
By BUZZ
June 19, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this
The reason Red Sox fans are so numberous is because people from Boston move here. People from Atlanta do not move to Boston in droves because why move from a great city. We here in Atlanta love college football. Does anyone believe that Bostonians support Boston College the way GT and Georgia are supported here? No, they do not, all they have are the Red Sox and Patriots. We are good fans too, just more spread out with different teams and dollars to spend on sports.
By Los Bravos
June 19, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this
I’ve been to Braves games in other cities and there are always a ton of Braves fans in the stands. Opposing teams’ fans are surprised by our strong turn out, so I don’t think we are as pathetic as it might seem.
By Ron Roberts
June 19, 2007 12:19 PM | Link to this
Y’all think newspaper columnists complained all these years the Braves have drawn well on the road? I mean, away games in Houston, Florida, Tampa, hell Montreal!! and Washington… Braves fans travel very well themselves. There were QUITE a few Braves fans in Minneapolis and Cleveland last week, too.
I was at a Braves game in Denver a few years back and there were plenty of Braves fans in a very-packed (back then) Coors Field.
Our park’s too big to expect weekday or weeknight sellouts, as it is. If it happens, notice that it happens when the Cubs, Red Sox or Mets are in town. Those 10-to15 thousand exra seats (The Ted should be reduced to 42,000 I say) are, by and large, occupied by out-of-town team fans.
If the Ted were around 42,000 seats, half that would be season ticket holders, 25% would be partial season ticket or packege ticket holders, easily. That leaves 25% for “day of game” tickets, and of those, no less than 50-65% of ‘em would go to home town fans. If you only had 10-12% out-of-town fans in the park, that’d be respectable.
Cut down the Ted!!! Please, see what they did at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago for a blueprint. It’s amazing how they re-invented that stadium in three short years of tinkering.
By Mash
June 19, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this
Mark, thank you for your continually poignant columns. I was born and raised in Atlanta and am a fervant backer of all Atlanta sports, and its really sad to me, how by and large, our city has terrible sports fans. Recently, I’ve been told at Braves and Hawks games to sit down by apathetic fans behind me who don’t want to bother to stand up and cheer their team on…at obvious times when you want to cheer for the team. It’s frankly, unbelievable. I had the pleasure of going to Wrigley last week for a Cubs game. The atmosphere between Wrigley and Turner Field is absolutely uncomparable. The place was packed with fans who not only passionately followed the Cubs, but with people who simply loved baseball. I’d imagine that how it is in Boston, St. Loius or the Bronx. These places are rare. I don’t think Atlanta is alone in its apathy or ability to create knowledgable and passionate sports fans. Probably most cities have terrible fans similar to Atlanta.
By TN Jeff
June 19, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this
I’m a long-time, die-hard Braves fan living in TN. Bradley - you and the non-local media don’t get it. I hate each & every loss the Braves suffer but none more so than the previously annual event in the playoffs (last year may prove to be a reoccuring theme of not making the playoffs). I fully understand why fans DO NOT go to home games in the playoffs & now even during the regular season - who wants to pay good money to watch them lose?
I contend they do not lose because of a lack of fan support but rather they have a lack of fan support because they can’t win at home. Look at their home record over the past few years. ABYSMAL!
It’s that simple!
By NASCARfan
June 19, 2007 12:22 PM | Link to this
Yeah, Bane… way to class up the joint with all of your manners and such. Way to paint everyone with a broad brush.
Dude, you’re a piece of crap. And I painted that with a narrow brush you provided with your absolute ignorance. Nothing more needs to be said about you.
By Jeff
June 19, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this
Yawn…….. what, less than 100 days to kickoff?
There is the Dawgs and everything else!
By Steph
June 19, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this
you keep forgetting that 80% of the people living in Atlanta are not originally FROM Atlanta. It takes a very long time to develop the kind of devotion to a team that extends for generations like you do in other [mostly Northern] cities. Florida and Texas are probably the same way.
By Gunnie the Gwinnettian
June 19, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this
FACT: The Braves management LOVE$ when the Sox come here. It’s a rare opportunity for them to have a large crowd.
By hatetheinnercity
June 19, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this
As long as the venues for the professional teams remain 20-30 miles away from the PRIMARY source of the teams support, this is the way it’ll be. The transplanted d@mn Yankees will inevitably fill the seats a couple of times a year to bring their genetic obnoxiousness to Atlanta and the world. (Old joke: what’s the difference between a Yankee and a d@mn Yankee? The d@amn Yankee just won’t go the heck home.)
Until the owners of the Atlanta professional teams build venues closer to their loyal fanbase on the northside, what you see now is what you’re going to continue to get. But we all know that that’s never going to happen, don’t we? Because as soon as the attempt is made, the cry of “racism” will ring far and wide and the oh-so-politically-correct ownerships will back down every time.
By Dixie
June 19, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this
Atlanta is now a transient city. This started 30+ years ago.
It is not P.C. to be a native southerner……change the street names, tear down the acient landmarks and invite all these yankees down with their rude NY style driving, loud talking and obnoxious behavior. They unfortunately also bring their fan alligeance with them.
Today, pro sports fans are bandwagon fans. Where are all the 49ers fans I saw in the 80’s & 90’s? Where are all the Bull’s fans from the 90’s?
On the other hand, you will NEVER find a Bulldawg liking a Bumble Bee or a War Eagle yelling “roll Tide”. The College Football fan in the south is a strong comparison to the Cub, Yankee or red Sox fan up north.
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this
Fred I attend 20-25 Braves games a season. I know you can’t say that for yourself. I’d say my attendance to games represents Atl just fine and you’ll never catch me cursing around children or women. Enjoy the game from your couch Fred…
By Bethany
June 19, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this
I have been saying this for years! Atlanta has a bunch of fair weather fans and it aggravates me! I drive up to The Ted over an hour away many times a year to cheer the team on, and then watch as the seats are empty and everyone leaves in the 7th inning win or lose. Atlanta is always shown up by the Red Sox fans. They should all take a trip to Boston. You can feel the energy they share for the team just walking around in the city. Braves fans need to get out there and show their love for their team!
By BUZZ
June 19, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this
Mash, do you really want me to believe you are from Atlanta. My wife is from Illinois and I have been to Wrigley and you are right about one thing, “Cub fans do expect to lose”, here in Atlanta, we do not expect to lose. Knowledegable,we are just as knowledgeable about sports as any fans in the country. You say we are “terrible” fans, wow, I suppose you are a “good” fan. You are just negative. Just ask a true Chicago resident about college sports, and all you will get is Cubs, Bears, and Bulls comments, do you really think that makes them more knowledgeable than us? I do not.
By Ronald
June 19, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this
Yeah, Atlanta is a lame sports town - particularly the sports media. That’s why our print and airwaves are filled with hacks like Mark Bradley, Terrence Moore, John Kincaid and Perry Laurentino. They couldn’t make it in their beloved “good” sports home towns, so they got transfered to this lame sports town. They’re all just bitter about that, so they take it out on the local teams and their fans. Sucks for us.
By STRETCH
June 19, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this
THE PROBLEM IS THAT GEORGIANS ARE TOO LAID BACK, THATS JUST THE NATURE. IMAGINE IF THE BRAVES WERE STILL IN MILWAULKIE OR MOVED??? ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS, ATLANTA HAS OVER 2 MILLION POPULATION AND ALL FAN SUPPORT SUCKS FOR ALL TEAMS. AS A DIE-HARED FAN, I HATE WATCHING THE TEAM ON TV..WE WERE ON ESPN LAST NIGHT AND YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THE LAZY BASTARDS CANT BUY TICKETS????? IM STATIONED IN ITALY AND I STAYED UP UNTIL 4 AM WATCHING THE GAME!!!!!!!!
ATLANTA FANS HAVE ALWAYS SUCKED. AND YES IM GOING TO SAY IT. BRAVES FANS ARE SPOILED, LAST YEAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WAKE UP CALL! WE HAVE A TEAM AND ORGANIZATION THAT GAVE US 14 YEARS OF WINNING AND THIS IS HOW THE FANS REPAY THEM.
ITS SAD TO SAY, BUT I WOULDNT BE MAD IF THE TEAM MOVED.
By Terrell in the ATL
June 19, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this
NASCARfan, please go back to banging your sister, you gas-pumping, name-calling redneck piece of trailer trash.
When this B-R-A-V-E-S blog turns to DALE, JUNIOR, then maybe you’ll have something of value to contribute.
Peace.
By theo
June 19, 2007 1:08 PM | Link to this
Sounds like the owners of the local sports teams need to listen to their fan base. It’s a bad business plan to wait for customers then build or make your product. You should build or make your product, then the customers will come. If you want more Atlanta fans at Atlanta games, then give the people a reason to come out. Maybe we are tired of the same ole same ole. How about adding a player that brings excitement to the game?
By Jworth
June 19, 2007 1:13 PM | Link to this
Atlanta is the 3rd fastest growing US city. It has become a city of TRANSPLANTS. Out of the 100+ people I work with only 20% are from Georgia. Chew on that!
By Mark Bradley
June 19, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this
About this being a college football town: I agree that Atlanta is unique among big cities in its zeal for that particular sport. What I don’t understand is how liking college football precludes someone from liking another sport, especially one that’s being played when college football isn’t.
By Jworth
June 19, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this
Atlanta is the 3rd fastest growing US city. It has become a city of TRANSPLANTS. Out of the 100+ people I work with only 20% are from Georgia. Chew on that!
By Sheri
June 19, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this
I don’t really believe all those people flew down from Boston to cheer on their team. I have to guess that a large number of them live here. I feel sorry from them. The Braves have been so great and fun to watch for years now. Why would you stick by a team that you can seldom see and miss out on the joy of being in the winning city? I don’t get it and never will. Was it really as much fun when the Sox won the World Series from afar or being in this city when the Braves won the World Series? I moved from Boston 23 years ago and WAS a big Red Sox fan. They have not been part of my life for years now and the Braves are a big part and I like it that way.
By blaylock
June 19, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this
Since you are chiming in Mark how about addressing the fact that last night’s game was on a Monday night when most people work and live no where near the stadium. Maybe have families?? Maybe understand that there is more to life than baseball?? If you hate it here so bad why don’t you take that racist Terrence Moore with you to another city far from here…
By ed kaylor
June 19, 2007 1:25 PM | Link to this
It’s the same here in North Texas. When the Braves played the Rangers a few years ago I went to two of the three games and there were about 30,000 Brave fans at all three games. Felt like a home game. Some team fans travel better than others.
By NASCARfan
June 19, 2007 1:27 PM | Link to this
Bradley,
It’s all about passion. How much passion can you devote to things in your life? Wife, kids, teams, religion, politics, job, etc.
In the north, passion is bred for their PRO teams. In the south, passion is bred for our COLLEGE teams. Everything else is just a distraction. The Braves? A distraction from Spring Practice, Recruiting, and the lull until Fall Practice. The Falcons? It’s what we do after church and before Sunday Supper. The Dawgs? The Dawgs are sports and religion combined. That’s for us. For New Englanders… the Sawx are sports and religion.
Bradley, they don’t care about Boston College in Massachusettes except as a sometimes interesting distraction. But they do care about the Sawx. We feel the same way down here about the Braves as they do up there about the BC Eagles.
What more is there to understand? Pro sports is not religion here. College is. College is not religion up there. The Jets are. The Giants are. The Yankees are. The Sawx are. Here, the Dawgs, Tigers, Gayturds, and Tide are the religion.
Everything else is just sports, so to speak.
Do you get it now?
And Terrell… go to the place that your name rhymes with.
By Mrs. Dale Murphy
June 19, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this
Dear Mrs. Carlton Fisk,
Way to go with your self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude!
Good Luck with that whole my-religion-makes-me-better-than-you persona you’ve got going for you there. (You’ll need it.)
Do you aspire to pass that same ‘religious elitist’ attitude along to your kids as well so that can be just as annoying and self-righteous when they get to be adults as well?
I can pray for God’s Blessings just fine without your help, thanks.
Believe it or not, God hears prayers from other people besides your family and other Red Sox fans. (Imagine that!)
(Apparently) Not as good as you,
Mrs. Dale Murphy
p.s.
This little Baptist will be at Turner Field on Wednesday with my nephew watching your precious BoSox. I guess that means you’ll pray for me, since you seem to think that makes me a lesser person than you.
By Rick
June 19, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this
When are folks going to realize Atlanta is a transient city? Many of us that grew up outside the perimeter left the city for greener pastures years ago. Yes, we miss the Braves! We are the idiots that yell at Reds, Pirates, Indians(this year), and Cubs games.
Go Braves!
By Dead Fans
June 19, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this
I watch folks bash the Braves on these blogs. But the fact is, Atlanta sports fans should be getting the bashing as well.
Recently driving 3 hours to attend a Braves game, I chuckled when in game situations the flashing graphics would plaster “make some noise.” The crowd would politely respond by whooping, clapping and hollaring for perhaps 8 seconds. The graphics would have to stop before the actual pitch. By the time the pitch was thrown, it was as quite as a church in the Ted lol The fans didn’t even have enough initiative to carry on the hooplah on their own! Talk about lazy a*******es!
Folks in Atlanta are just too laid back to be good baseball fans. Too many bandwagon types who got the tickets because some corporate ticketowner gave them the tickets for the night, or “we went to Wally World yesterday, lets take in a Baseball game today!”
I’l be driving 3 hours back to Atlanta this coming Friday to see the Braves take on the Tigers.
I’m expecting to be sitting next to some guy in a Tigers cap of some clueless Joe who sits talking on his cell phone the entire game. Either way, it will be a peaceful night out without the worry of any rowdy fans close by……. unless I sit among a group of Tiger supporters.
By BossLady
June 19, 2007 1:53 PM | Link to this
BaseballFan, I am truly sorry that your wife was insulted. This should not be happening. I hope that you and your family will return to Turner Field one day.
By Ronald
June 19, 2007 1:53 PM | Link to this
Mr. Bradley, you just painted yourself into a corner with your flawed logic! The gist of your article was basically that we are “bad” fans because we don’t rabidly support the Braves like Sox fans do the Sox. Then a moment ago you said you don’t understand why liking one sport (college football) precludes liking another (baseball). Well, it works both ways. By your own logic, if those rabid Sox fans aren’t equally rabid about college football - which, clearly, they are not - then they, too, are “bad” fans.
By Terrell in the ATL
June 19, 2007 1:58 PM | Link to this
RE: And Terrell… go to the place that your name rhymes with.
Make me, Tough Guy Racist. See what happens.
NASCARfan, you ignorant hick, you are not even smart enough to NOT end your sentences with prepositions….assuming you can navigate your way to, and through, a dictionary to learn what one of “them preposition ‘thangs’ ” is.
“Git ‘R’ Dun,” Redneck.
Recognize.
By Mrs. Carlton Fisk
June 19, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this
Mrs Murphy
I guess you missed the part about BANE calling me a w*******. I was joking about the Yankees-Red Sox thing - he proceeded to classify all cities/teams as nothing but rude, foul mouth, drunk etc.. Where he classified Atlanta fans as Bible-belt and classy. HE SAID Unless they were drunken red-necks or gansta thugs.
My point to him was that -
I was joking when I said I taught my grandchild to say Yankees Suck.
That he was classifying Atlanta fans as better than all these other cities, unless of course they were drunk rednecks or gangsta thugs. Why did he assume the only drunk foul mouth people were rednecks or gangsta thugs?
I said if I insulted him by saying anything against the Yankees I was truly sorry. And I am.
Have a great time tomorrow. And if I insulted you as well, I am sorry. Please forgive me.
By Marty
June 19, 2007 2:06 PM | Link to this
Dave, I’ve been saying this for years. A fellow diehard Braves fan and I went to two of those NLDS games against the Cubs in 2003, and ever since then, I rarely go to any game against the Cubs, Red Sox, or Yankees because it’s depressing and aggravating. For the most part, Atlanta fans suck and should be ashamed of themselves. Other, far inferior teams manage to pack their stadiums…the Braves certainly should be able to count on having a home field advantage as well.
By stevethehawk
June 19, 2007 2:08 PM | Link to this
I’m with Ronald…Mark, care to explain?
By BossLady
June 19, 2007 2:13 PM | Link to this
I agree with Ronald and Blaylock about the AJC columnist, not DOB and Carroll.
By stevethehawk
June 19, 2007 2:18 PM | Link to this
And, Marty, which far inferior teams pack their stadiums? Wrigley and Fenway (Red Sox not an inferior team) seat 10,000+ less than Turner. St Louis has the best fans in baseball. Other than that, who else? Which other MLB “far inferior” teams pack their stadiums? Please explain. And perhaps some numbers to back up your claim?
By SNH
June 19, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this
I get so sick of the excuse that Turner Field is too hard to get to. Is not! Try some alternate routes. They exist. I go to 25 games a year and I am NEVER in a jam getting to the stadium or leaving the stadium. Try some alternate parking lots.
The Braves rank 10th out of 15 in the NL in attendance. I’m sure they have traffic and parking issues of their own in the other 15 cities as well. Stop making excuses and support the home teams.
By Dead Fans
June 19, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this
I’m stumped about something. I’ve seen numerous responses about the Braves not being a preference of the die hard college football crowd in the Southeast.
What I don’t understand is, are the dead head Braves fans who are attending the games just football fans passing the time until football season?
I’m saying that if you are an Atlanta fan and care enough to buy a ticket, then act like you care when you are at the game! Is it too hard to stand and cheer when there are two outs and the opposition has the bases loaded and your pitcher is ahead in the count needing one strike to get out of the mess?
Braves fans don’t seem to want to commit. Instead of proactive cheering, they seem to act like they will wait until something happens THEN decide if it’s cheer-worthy or not.
Someone said in an earlier post “it’s baseball, crowd isn’t really a factor.”
Tell that to the players. I don’t think they will buy that. They notice. Just read any post game interviews about last night’s game.
By John Harper
June 19, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this
Could it simply be the transplants are outnumbering the natives? Or perhaps yankees are just naturally louder and more obnoxious? Not sure we want to enter in to that type of competition. And it makes more sense to cheer louder for college sports than for pro. Amateur athletes are more praiseworthy.
By NASCARfan
June 19, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this
How am I a racist, Mr. Owens? I basically told a guy who painted every single kind of fan besides “gentil” southerners as loudmouth a-holes, and then, he goes and calls someone else a w*******.
So I basically just called him on his ignorant hypocrisy.
Dude, Mr. Owens, you don’t know me or anything about me. You’re obviously an idiot and an a-hole, though.
And you’re a Troll. So keep on trolling the blogs, a-hole, if that makes you happy. I’m done speaking to someone as ignorant as you.
By KillerR
June 19, 2007 2:42 PM | Link to this
The fact that there were more Sox fans than Braves means nothing except that Braves fans (at least season ticket holders) are smart. When you can take, lets say, 2 season tickets and sell them for $200-$300 each to Boston fans; its a win-win. $1200-$1800, or more, for a few games’ tickets is a big chunk of the season tickets cost. Thats why you see the huge jump in visiting teams’ fans attendence. So to say its our fault is crazy.
Also for the average Braves fan, who hardly any of actually live in Atlanta, its really hard to drive out of the city fighting traffic the whole way. Then, get ready for the game and fight traffic all the way back into downtown. I had to take the whole day off to go last night. Also, anyone thats been there knows that Turner Field completly sucks to get into and out of every game unless you park on the proper side of the blue lot that goes straight to the highway. They want all these fans to come, but they shut down every side street that could possibly be used to get back to the highway and go north or south home. Turner Field is located in the worst possible location for stadium and thats not the fans fault either.
I was down directly behind the visitor’s dugout last night and it did suck whenever the Sox fans started with that copycat Yankees chant thing, but the Atlanta fans out shouted them everytime. While we were there though a Sox fan was talking to the usher about how the Sox fans have more “enthusiasm” than Braves fans. As i said to him;”I dont thinks about enthusiasm. i think its that yankees in general just have bigger mouthes, worse manners, and dont know when to just shut up.” I guess its in their dna somewhere that says,”run your mouth every chance you get.” It was almost tiring just listening to them. But i guess id be pretty upset too if my team was going to be caught by a team that was at one point 14 games behind them.
By Greg O.
June 19, 2007 2:43 PM | Link to this
Being from Connecticut, I feel like I’ve got a good perspective on the issue of Boston and New York fans. I’ve been to more games at Fenway Park, Shea and Yankee Stadiums than I can count.
Boston Fans - Bitter, unrelenting fans who will say and do anything to try to prove they’re tougher than you and their team is better than yours’. It’s great that they reliably show up to support the team, but I’ve heard one too many “Yankees Suck” chants at Sox/Marlins (or similar) match-ups.
Mets Fans - They show up when the team’s winning (i.e. “Mets rule, you drool”), but that’s unfortunate because they typically don’t shower after climbing out of their holes. These degenerate fans boo Chipper Jones just for doing well against them and mocked Julio Franco in his Braves years before praising Omar Minaya for signing him to a two-year deal. They’re hypocrites.
Yankee Fans - Far more creative and far less abrasive than Mets and Red Sox fans. They don’t have to make excuses for their team’s lack of success like Mets and Red Sox fans, which points their noses a little higher in the air, but makes it easier to enjoy a game without distraction from idiots who will say just about anything (Red Sox and Mets fans). I will say that one of the funnier/scarier things I’ve seen at a ballpark involved a guy falling about 10 rows down the upper deck before luckily being stopped by an innocent and unsuspecting fan’s back at Yankee Stadium in the late innings of a Yankee blowout of the Mets last season.
By virginia
June 19, 2007 2:52 PM | Link to this
I agreed with Bradley for all the games against the Red Sox except last night.It was finally different!I lived in Boston most of my life,my family has had season tickets since the sixties and the Red Sox are my SECOND FAVORITE team now,the Braves are #1!!!I never could have afforded the home I have now in overpriced Boston.If you aren’t happy enough with Atlanta to cheer for the home teams,then MOVE BACK TO BOSTON and enjoy the 9 months of crappy weather.
By Headlines
June 19, 2007 2:57 PM | Link to this
Direct From The Pages Of The Constitution : Crappy team deserves crappy fans ….. When are you going to quit hooking your wagon to this dead horse. Good Luck, Losers …..
By I Just Like Baseball & Racing
June 19, 2007 2:58 PM | Link to this
NASCARfan - Dude, if you are going to insult minorities who appear to be a HECK of a great deal more articulate than you, please don’t call them “dumb” or “ingorant” while writing in poorly worded & incomplete sentences. You aren’t doing yourself or other Southern NASCAR/Braves/Sports fans like ME any favors by acting like that. I already have a bad enough reputation as it is.
Can we all just get back to baseball, or something similar, PLEASE ??????
By Leo Mazzone's Barber
June 19, 2007 3:00 PM | Link to this
I don’t know who is the biggest whiner on the AJC sports staff: Racist Terence Moore or Bradley. WHO CARES? It’s not like the powers that be in Atlanta sports have proven themselves to be stalwarts in the community. Look what Mr. Sexual Harrassment Blank has given to be loyal to in the dome: Michael Vick????? And have the Hawks given us anything to hang onto over any 10 year period? And ahhh, the Braves. Now on a shoestring budget and hanging onto a manager a the “Joneses” who are all way past their prime and have NOT left an indelible mark on the Atlanta community. From a longtime, longsuffering Braves fan who cheered for Buzz Capra and Preston Hanna when there was nothing else to cheer for, I say this: Bring Skip and Pete back to the telecasts and “GO BRAVOS!”
By SNH
June 19, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this
This a different subject but has anyone noticed that “Frenchy” currently ranks 40th in the NL with his 8 HR? That’s 4 fewer than Chipper and our 3B missed 19 games. It’s one fewer than Scott Thorman and he has about 90 fewer at bats. It’s even one fewer than Edgar Renteria and the same number has documented struggler Adam LaRoche. I keeping wondering why we hear so much from the media and the fans about the struggles of youngsters James, Davies, Thorman, Jones, but “the natural” always seems to get a free pass. There’s more than one big bat (Andruw Jones) in this lineup that is having a disappointing season.
By Roja
June 19, 2007 3:11 PM | Link to this
EMBARRASSING!!! Makes me ashamed to be a Braves fan at times. Reading the Braves Vent, there are more naysayers than fans!. Look at the Cubs — they haven’t even BEEN TO a World Series in 62 years and their fans in Atlanta turn out and yell for the Cubbies and put the hometown Braves fans to shame.
I don’t care what you say, Atlanta is just NOT a Major League town — and I’ve been here 22 years and been a Braves fan for over 50 years!!!
By Dixie
June 19, 2007 3:12 PM | Link to this
“Mark Bradley wrote What I don’t understand is how liking college football precludes someone from liking another sport, especially one that’s being played when college football isn’t.”
Can’t afford all the merchandise & there is no room on the bumper for anything but Dawgs logos……..
By Don Imus
June 19, 2007 3:15 PM | Link to this
Duh, like we dont know there are hords of Yankees in Atlanta. Why do you think i hate this city so much. LOL. Anyway, pro sports suck. College anything is 50 times better than the spoiled thug criminals who play in the pros. How are you supposed to give a crap about them????
By Brian
June 19, 2007 3:20 PM | Link to this
Thank our wonderful city leaders for the attendance problems. Fact is, the Ted is STILL in a crime-infested area with no real access to public transit & requires those who can generally afford tickets (Northern suburbanites) to drive directly through the teeth of the worst traffic in America to attend a game. The only attraction in the area is the game….There are no bars to speak of. Go see a Sox game in Boston. Kenmore Square is hopping before/after every home game. Same for Wrigleyville, the area around Jacobs Field, in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore…Walk across the bridge in Pittsburgh to the Strip before and after games. Walk to bars along the embarcadero after Giants’ games…Check out the Gas Lamp district after a game at Petco…Stumble down into LoDo after a Rox game.
The fact is, the parks where attendance is down are largely those where there is NOTHING TO DO but go to the game. Furthermore, some (like ATL and Oakland) are in HORRIBLE parts of town.
In 10 more years, the Braves will be asking for a new ballpark because of this…And will ask the taxpayers to shovel out a bunch of dinero to do so.
It could have been something special, but Maynard Jackson’s greed killed any chance at Atlanta’s ballpark becoming one of the America’s Pastime’s great places.
By Dixie
June 19, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this
Here is something to chew on…..How Atlanta’s government treats history is a microcosm of how the sports teams treat us
Up north, historical buildings are preserved. Paul rever’s house didn’t get torn down to build a generic mall. Here in the south, all our history is plowed under. Street names are changed and the local government caters to the transplant, not the home grown.
Same in sports. How can you have an “Fenway park” when you tear down 30 year old stadiums? The Omni, Fulco Stadium and all their history plowed under. Our greatest stars traded or not resigned instead of being treated like royality (Maravich, the Hammer, Neikro, Dominique, Prime Time…need I go on?)
College football HAS history…..Between the Hedges, Grant field, Death valley, The Swamp…. our dads took us to the games, and we take our children to the SAME stadiums.
Wrigley, Fenway, Yankee stadium…. same principal. What do we have? New, sterile stadiums that will be replaced in 30 years….. do the math.
By Bill Campbell
June 19, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this
Ok, Sox play the Braves, and Sox fans travel. Let’s have the Dawgs play Boston College IN BOSTON and THEN see who travels! This is a college football town folks! We all know it; it’s the transplants that don’t get it.
By DonCoburleone
June 19, 2007 3:32 PM | Link to this
I actually half agree with Bradley on this one… It is disappointing to have all the opposing teams fans be louder than the Braves fans. It only really bothers me however in the playoffs. I mean, so you don’t show up for 1 out of 81 games in the regular season, at least show up for 1 of 2 or 3 (8 or 9 if we get lucky) games in the post season… However, with that said, it is the Red Sox. That happens to every team in the country when they play the BoSox…
By Steve
June 19, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this
No disrespect to the Atlanta fans but some of them do not know what tradition is. I moved here 22 years ago from Pittsburgh and understand what it is to be a die hard fan. I am still a huge Steelers fan and always will be. As for baseball it’s the Braves first and Pirates second. It all started back when I first moved here and the Chuck Tanner and Willie Stargell became a part of the Braves. You have to stick with your team no matter what no just jump on the wagon when they are winning!
By Strike up the band
June 19, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this
I grew up in Connecticut. I grew up watching the Yankees. I went to Yankee Stadium all the time.
I saw Guidry, Catfish, Randolph, Reggie, Munson,et al.
But you know what, I am not a Yankee fan anymore. Why? Because I live in Atlanta!!!
Didn’t anyone see Rocky? Hometeam!!
By larro
June 19, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this
What can we do to be regarded as suitably passionate fans? Should we set fire to vehicles bearing license plates from the home state of a rival team (Boston)? Should we celebrate a pennant by having a riot bad enough to get someone killed (Boston)? Should we throw stuff onto the playing field when we disagree with the umpires (Boston, New York)? How about throw batteries and nickels at opposing outfielders (New York)? Should everyone in the state including the governor participate in the humiliation of a fan who touches a fly ball coming down along the wall(Chicago)? Or should we celebrate - by having him sit in the mayor’s car at a parade - a kid who catches a fly ball just above the glove of an outfielder if it helps us stay alive in the playoffs(New York)? What if we needed a police precinct INSIDE the stadium (Philadelphia)? Would that get us the coveted “passionate” label?
The truth is, what passes for passion in a lot of northern cities is the kind of behavior that would have engaged the slap reflexes of our little southern moms. Perhaps Mr. Bradley remembers the column by one of the Vecsey brothers in the New York Times during one of the Braves-Yankees World Series, in which the writer concludes that Atlanta people are not less passionate, but “just nicer.” Or perhaps he remembers HIS OWN column about the Cubs fans who just would not leave that young man alone after he (along with 50 other fans) reached for a foul ball. Of all the folks reaching, he was the one who actually touched it, preventing the Cubs outfielder from catching it. In that column, Bradley rightly posited a line between passion and obnoxiousness, and he rightly asserted that Chicago fans were way over on the wrong side of that line. I lived a number of years in the northeast. One observation I came away with is that it’s OK to be a Red Sox fan in New York, but NOT OK to be a Yankees fan in Boston. Maybe that’s because New York is so cosmopolitan and Boston is so NOT.
By Ronald
June 19, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this
Brian, Dixie and Bill Campbell are all correct. Fenway and Wrigley have history and tradition. Why wouldn’t Bostonians and Chicagoans be proud? Between the Hedges and Grant Field - same thing. History and tradition. Generation after generation has supported our college teams. Turner Field is generic, corporate and in a lousy area. It’s not much fun. I love the Braves, and I go to games anyway, but it feels hollow compared to being at Fenway and Wrigley (yes, I’ve been to both) and Sanford Stadium and Grant Field (been to both of those, too). So I can see why the enthusiasm is not there at The Ted. Please, Turner Field officials, turn down the volume, stop the phony tom-tom/ war chant, enough with the video-game graphics and silly between-innings “games,” bring back the organ, and let’s focus on baseball! And “fans” - please, stop doing the wave!
By NASCARfan
June 19, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this
Yeah, okay, I’m a racist because I called out someone who who extholled the manners and gentility of southern fans and called all northern fans a-holes (BTW, I’m a Dawg fan, and I can tell you, southern fans are the same… fans are fans are fans), and then showed his lack of manner and gentility in calling someone else a w*******.
Yeah, you ignorant fools, that’s racist. Hahaha!
By Eric from San Jose
June 19, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this
Mark,
Of course missing from your commentary is that the Braves travel exceedingly well.
Having been a lifelong fan who lives in the bay area, I can tell you that when the Braves play at San Fran they have a hearty contingent.
I have seen the Braves play in Chicago, San Diego, LA and Houston and every time they have a large contingent.
I do not accept that this is a commentary on the fans, snow birds have landed all over the country.
Certainly, you would like to see more support from the locals, and much of this is due to being spoiled with so much winning and so few rings.
By bravesfan4life
June 19, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this
WOuld just like to see people pay a little more attention to the game instead of it being like a kegger party! Most people who attend Braves go just to go, not to actually watch the game! I went to the game last night and sat with some folks that drove all the way from Virginia to see the game. I saw a 5 year old girl rooting harder and more passionate than 90% of the fans that attend Braves game! Couple of weeks ago, I was almost tossed from the stadium because I was yelling at Andruw! At times I think people are afraid to show passion because they are scared that the people sitting next to them will look at them funny! Maybe if we showed a little more passion at every game instead of certain games…(SMotlzy pitching or Red SOx in town) we would be better! U got to get behind your team…the players know when ur not! peace
By snh
June 19, 2007 4:22 PM | Link to this
In regards to Brian’s post at 3:21 p.m….several good points about the lack of things in the area being a bigger issue than safety. Great examples. Hey, I thought Mayor Franklin was going to clean up our fair city! Walked under the connector bridge on Abernathy lately? There are chicken bones from 2001 lying on the sidewalk under there with the homeless shantys! It reeks and it’s just across the street from the Ted. Visit Phoenix, as a comparison, and try to find anything near the stadium that compares to that filth. You won’t find it.
By Bill Buckner
June 19, 2007 4:37 PM | Link to this
Mrs. C. Fisk, I’ve got a nice, clean $10 bill for you, so get over here on your knees and EARN IT, you bean-eating W**.
By Mrs. Carlton Fisk
June 19, 2007 4:50 PM | Link to this
Hey Bill - was that necessary?
What does that have to do with this blog about baseball and the Red Sox?
By James
June 19, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this
Agreed, bravesfan4life. More people go to games to be and be seen than for the actual love of baseball, like they do in other cities, Boston being one. Pull 10 people out of a Braves game at random and maybe one can correctly explain a balk, whereas probably nine of them at Fenway could. However, many Atlantans probably planned what they would wear and where they would eat three days in advance of the game, and will spend 60% of the time at the field on their cell phones. It’s not just a matter of not supporting the hometown team; the residents just aren’t into baseball. Maybe it’s a regional thing. I was raised in the Mid-Atlantic but moved here 12 years ago, and baseball here is a social event, whereas in NY, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, and others, it’s serious business. By the same token, I can’t get into college football, even after all the years I’ve been here.
By Nick Saban
June 19, 2007 4:57 PM | Link to this
Please take your own life with an electric ice cream scoop, NASCARfan.
You are worthless.
By virginia
June 19, 2007 4:57 PM | Link to this
There are way too many distractions at Braves games, I was at last night’s game and didn’t know it was sold out until I got home and saw it on the news. Why would half-hearted fans (not everybody) sit in their seats when they can choose between Turner Beach,the Chopshop,batting cages,Cartoonland etc. I’ve sat in the 755 Club and been the only one interested in the game,most people think they’re there to pick up a date.During football season they watch football on TV! At least at Fenway there’s nothing to do but watch the game (what a novel idea). But don’t take it out on the Braves players,time to get off our asses and get to the game and cheer on the Braves!
By Bill Buckner
June 19, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this
What is the matter, Mrs. C. Fisk, you want a nice, crisp $20 bill this time, you greedy, little W* ?
You know you’ve been dreaming about rolling between my legs for over 20 years now, Mrs. C. Fisk.
Heck, every simpleton in the RED SOX NATION has!
By Mrs. Carlton Fisk
June 19, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this
You are, Bill Buckner, without a doubt….
R E T A A A H D E D
Now you go and have a wicked p** evening!
and thanks again for blowing it for the Red Sox.
By James
June 19, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this
Shouldn’t you be in some other chat room, Bill Buckner?
Your vulgarity and lack of relevance to the topic is obviously an attempt to make up for some shortcoming…or shortness…on your part. Take it somewhere else.
By B
June 19, 2007 5:19 PM | Link to this
Here’s your issue… Atlanta is not a city for natives. Too often, people in Atlanta grow up and get out and even more often, people who grew up elsewhere come to Atlanta to work and live because of the opportunities for work. All that does is foster less hometown fans and more visiting team fans.
I’d like to see the media research this idea and write an article on it.
By Charles Mathews
June 19, 2007 5:22 PM | Link to this
If this is what it takes to win — Let the Red Sox fans roll!
By Mickyddawg
June 19, 2007 5:25 PM | Link to this
I have always pulled for the Braves, since I was a kid. I went to a gamew as a little-leaguer in 1966. I have had season tickets before, and have them in left field again this year! I would feel even more passionate about them, however, if I felt that ownership gave more of a damn than I do. The Yankees, the Red Sox and the Mets fans know that their ownership is spending all that they need to, to try to bring a winner to the fans. It’s time for liberty media to step up, or else quit charging major league prices for a minor-league product. Spend some money, just like you are asking me to. I’m supporting my team, I just think the owners should do the same!
By Bill Buckner
June 19, 2007 5:26 PM | Link to this
Just as you said, I certainly BLEW IT for you, Mrs. Fisk. Now, it is your turn to get bend your legs and return the favor for me.
I’ll give you a crisp 50, but you better be absolutely FANTASTIC this time for that type of money.
Would you like a nice, soft RED SOX seat cushion for your knees, you dirty-mouthed little W*e?
By Ronald
June 19, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this
I visited Boston two years ago to catch a Red Sox game. Fenway Park is a stunningly beautiful park, steeped in grand old tradition. Sox fans are lucky. But I’ve also got to say that generally, I found Bostonians to be extremely rude. I slept in a hotel downtown. Outside my window was a busy intersection. The constant honking of car horns was unbelievable! At 2:30 AM, the honking was keeping me awake, so out of boredom I decided to count them. In sixty seconds, I counted seventeen! What’s up with that? You guys are the same way when you visit our ball park. Loud and rude. You don’t deserve Fenway! As Aunt Pittypat said in Gone With The Wind, “Yankees! In Georgia! How did they ever get in?”
By Leonard O
June 19, 2007 5:33 PM | Link to this
It appears that there are more interest in college sports than professional in Atlanta is simply because most college fans are not really metro residence - bubby and them. They don’t want to be included as atlantan’s not to mention 9 out of 10 people you meet here are from somewhere else.
By Leonard
June 19, 2007 5:33 PM | Link to this
It appears that there are more interest in college sports than professional in Atlanta is simply because most college fans are not really metro residence - bubby and them. They don’t want to be included as atlantan’s not to mention 9 out of 10 people you meet here are from somewhere else.
By Ralph
June 19, 2007 5:44 PM | Link to this
The problem with A. Jones has gotten to the point of the ridiculous. He needs to be tested for blankness or the team doctors need to make a real effect to bring him back from outer space or where ever this guy has disappeared to. A Jones has being a steady player, but since the beginning of the season he has being shooting for the moon. Jones couldn’t make it in T-BAT the way he’s playing, the rest of the kids wouldn’t. Bobby should bench him for a while, he’s not help the Braves very much right now and Francoeur is back to his non-productive ways by swing at everything that looks like a baseball, including flies. Saltalamacchia and Diaz need to play more put Diaz in left and Harris in center. Rest McCann more and put Saltalamacchia in. Red Sox I don’t see a thing that’s any better than what the Brave have, as a matter of fact the Brave are a better team in every way.
By Navigator
June 19, 2007 5:58 PM | Link to this
I’m a born Atlanta fan, but I do believe that the people that actually show up regularly at the professional games are mostly transplants. They miss there own up bringing in great sports towns all around the country. Atlanta suffers from local fans that aren’t died in the wool Atlanta fans. This isn’t a knock on Atlanta, but instead helps to explain what’s happening. You have too much diversity among the populace, that also has plenty to occupy their time, other than sports. You just have to live with it, even if you’re a transplanted writer (Mark).
By Braves Fan In Jersey
June 19, 2007 6:05 PM | Link to this
Because Atlanta fans are indifferent. Plain and simple. It doesn’t really matter how big the game is or who they play, they just don’t seem to care. And that is not to say you have to be obnoxious (as many NY and Boston fans are), but I will give them credit for following their teams and having passion. It has never been a problem of team performance in Atlanta, and I think 40 years should be enough history in a city to garner some support (Hell, the Muts have not been around much longer and they do pretty darn well at support).
I live in Jersey, so it sucks to have to order the MLB package just to see my Braves play on TV. not to mention the annual trip I take just to see the Braves at Turner Field. But I do it because I care about the team. Even if I can’t afford it, I still watch on TV and see them when they come to Philly or NY.
Maybe Atlanta just isn’t a sports town, or maybe it is just not a baseball town (hard to argue that when much of the braves talent comes from the Atlanta area). Compared to what I pay to see the Braves come to town up here, tickets at Turner Field are next to nothing. Plus, you can get season tickets financed. Amazing. And don’t even talk about the traffic in Atlanta, because it is nothing compared to dealing with NYC traffic going to a sporting event.
By virginia
June 19, 2007 6:12 PM | Link to this
You’re right Sheri,Ben Affleck is a big Red Sox fan,but he lives in Georgia! Why have so many Red Sox fans moved to Georgia? Just arriving at the airports will give you a clue.Whenever I go home to Boston i’m ashamed of how rude and nasty everyone is at Logan.My family would rather pay for me to take a cab home than go in there to pick me up because they can’t stand it either. Whenever I arrive at Hartsfield everyone is smiling and friendly. I just wish that people who move here would start supporting the Braves more,and appreciate the 15 years that we had post-season games to go to. Other cities would kill for that chance!
By Ryan
June 19, 2007 6:40 PM | Link to this
it’s like this… Boston has a richer baseball tradition than does Atlanta. Their hate of the Yankees is more announced nationally than ours is of the Mets. Atlanta as a transient city is an excellent way of putting it. I do believe that our fan base isn’t as solid due to this fact. There is no news of Braves fans leaving season tickets in their wills like at Fenway. Here are some other key differences: 1. Turner Field is not as a historical ballpark a Fenway. Not as much mystique. 2. Too much non-baseball entertainment at Turner Field. Be it the between innings games (Napa Cap Shuffle, etc.) Tooner Field, etc. Fenway doesn’t have as much of that. So, I think they pay more attention to the game and the team. 3. I do not consider Boston as spread out as I do Atlanta. With traffic what it is, maybe that keeps some away from the gates. 4. It’s easier to get Braves tickets so why not travel to see your team. Hey the seats are bigger and more comfortable too. 5. Perhaps, and I know I am going to catch heat for this, but perhaps, Braves fans became passe with 14 Division Championships. A tight race in Sept. will tell.
I have gone to the Sox/Braves match up for the last seven years. My love is the Braves, my devotion to the Sox comes from their Ga.Tech connections. It is easy to fall in love with the Sox b/c their fans are just more into it, perceivably, than Atlantans.
As long as we beat the Mets, cheer for who you want.
By Scott
June 19, 2007 7:00 PM | Link to this
What a newsflash Atlanta fans suck!!!! WOW!!! If it wasn’t for the regional support that the Braves get they would have moved or folded years ago. The Falcons get support because they have Michael Vick at QB. Once he’s gone the Falcons won’t sell out anymore.
By Me
June 19, 2007 7:04 PM | Link to this
The Atlanta Braves or any other sports team, including the collegiate level, are businesses. Nobody owes them a damn thing.
By Scott
June 19, 2007 7:25 PM | Link to this
College football sucks
By F Fuerst
June 19, 2007 7:47 PM | Link to this
You are always first and foremost a fan of the team you grew up with. For most current Atlantans, that is not the Braves. My Dad grew up with the Cardinals and I grew up with him taking me to Cardinal games. I’m always a Cardinal fan at heart.
By Najeh Davenpoop
June 19, 2007 8:03 PM | Link to this
The only sports-related things that have enough dedicated fans to sell out in Georgia are UGA football and Michael Vick, and even Vick’s popularity is beginning to fade. Bradley’s article is old news, but he’s exactly right. It’s sad that a perennial playoff contender like the Braves can’t keep opposing teams’ fans out of the stadium by selling out their high-profile games. Atlanta fans suck.
By Jonathan
June 19, 2007 8:22 PM | Link to this
I went to the Braves-Cubs last Sunday with 3 other people, and when Lilly got thrown out we started cheering loudly, and we were vocal for the next couple of innings (we NEVER used obscenities). The family in front of us complained to the usher and the usher told us to be quiet so the people around us could watch the game…what a load of crap. We were NOT being obnoxiously loud, we were just cheering for our team and against the Cubs fans in the area.
I’ll continue to be loud at games, and I hope that usher loses her job (the usher located at the bottom of section 407); I also hope that family in front of us never comes to a game again…they don’t deserve it.
By GApeach
June 19, 2007 8:36 PM | Link to this
I agree that you are always a fan of the team where you grew up. I am a Braves fan and always will be since I’m one of the few born and raised here (and proud of it!!). However, I think that if you are going to live in this city, you need to make an effort to be an Atlantan. So if the Braves are not playing your hometown team, then go support the Braves! Those of you with nothing good to say about Atlanta, go back to where you came from. Nobody made you live here!
By Mickyddawg
June 19, 2007 8:49 PM | Link to this
So no one is with me on the fact that we don’t want to spend the money to be competative?
By Andrew Harris
June 19, 2007 9:25 PM | Link to this
MAIN PROBLEM: YOU BUILT TURNER FIELD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GHETTO!!!! THE WHITE PEOPLE WHO BUY THE TICKETS TO THE GAME LIVE OVER AN HOUR AWAY (without traffic). TURNER WOULD BE SOLD OUT QUITE OFTEN IF IT WERE IN NORTH FULTON. Who wants to go down there and watch a game more than a couple times a year. I go more than anyone I know and I don’t even live within 2 hours anymore!
By Dejay
June 19, 2007 9:54 PM | Link to this
A lot of factors play into this. We have already established Atlanta as being a transient city, perhaps one of the largest ones in the country. Another thing to consider is that Fenway and Wrigley has the capacity of a split-level house compared to Turner Field, especially considering how many more people live there as opposed to here; that creates a higher demand for tickets there, which explains why they can charge the moon and still expect sellout crowds every night. Another factor is that none of the local teams (Braves included) have won nearly enough to garner a tradition of going to the games. There is the college football factor; up north, they’re bred on the Yankees, Sox, and the Eagles while we’re reared on UGA, Tech, Tennessee, and Florida football. There’s a reason why Neyland hold over 106K and why Bama and UGA keeps on expanding their stadiums; they know those stands will be packed every week. I’ll bet hard $$$ that more folks from down here care more about what the 5th string fullback from (insert SEC team here) had on his tuna sandwich than who the Braves are playing tonight or who the Hawks are going to draft next week. That’s a fact.
The most underlying factor that doesn’t get nearly the play it should is the transportation/development issue around Turner Field. The fact that when the MARTA rail lines were being established in 1979, the folks running the Braves, Falcons, and the city made a deal to prioritize parking revenue at the old AFCS over putting a rail station, mixed housing, and shops/restaurants/bars there. Nothing has changed since the Falcons moved and Turner Field was built, which explains why there STILL isn’t much there except, you guessed it, acres of PARKING SPACES (and a KFC). You want to compare the area around Turner Field to Fenway, Wrigley, or Camden Yards? You can’t expect to build a tradition of going to Turner Field when the atmosphere is as antiseptic as an abandoned movie theater. Sure, the crowds are bigger when the Sox, Yankees, or Mets come in or when an NLCS/World Series game is there but that’s basically it; folks have to REALLY want to come to the ballpark here as opposed to other places, especially up north because the traffic there and back is simply atrocious. The fact is that the Braves and the city would much rather have the fans inconvenienced and paying $$$ to park in the Lexus Lot rather than having more people get out of their cars and get to the game. The same thing goes for the surrounding counties; instead of having available public transit like in NYC and Boston, they’d rather have folks congested in traffic because of fear that ‘those people’ would show up, break in their homes, and carry their stuff on the rail back to the ‘ghetto’.
There is no other explanation for it, period.
By Todd
June 19, 2007 10:40 PM | Link to this
James can you show me your shortcoming Baby?
I’ll be glad to show you mine.
Will you autography my Louisville Slugger James?
By AL
June 19, 2007 11:41 PM | Link to this
More than half of the people that live anywhere near downtown are not from Atlanta. Everyone that grew up around there have long since moved to places far away from downtown. Cub, Red Sox and other fans of northern cities live in closer prximity to the downtown area. That is a fact. The Atlanta Braves are very, very popular in Alabama, Tennessee and North Florida. Most of those people are ex-Atlantans. Atlanta has changed so much in the last 15 or 20 years natives are sick of it. They have more or less surrendered to the “gold rush” mentallity and moved to Dallas and Commerce, Clayton, Elijay etc. etc. I bet there were thousands of Braves Fans watching the game on T.V. Atlanta has no identity like Boston or Chicago. That’s why people have left. The people that run Atlanta have bulldozed any remnant of the past. That gave the city it’s charm and frankly it’s culture. For the sake of Freek-nik etc.
By atlpaddy
June 20, 2007 12:05 AM | Link to this
Local fans don’t measure up, eh Bradley? The same can be said for that joke of a newspaper you work for, too.
By I KNOW A LOT OF NATIVE ATLANTANS
June 20, 2007 3:55 AM | Link to this
I know a lot of (older) people that were born and raised within the city limits of Atlanta. They don’t live in the city anymore. The schools were integrated and the highways were built, so all the White families left Atlanta (except for those wealthy enough to live on estates and send their kids to private schools - read “Buckhead” here). So, the vast vast vast majority of native Atlantans that are baseball fans live in the northern suburbs and exurbs. The ball park is in the middle of the City of Atlanta. It takes almost 2 hours, door-to-door, to get to and from the ball park. That means you’ve have to leave by 5 pm and you don’t get home until after midnight.
Of course people don’t go to the ball games. The Braves ownership, and MLB in general, are more concerned with drawing corporate clients, so they like to have big, fancy ball parks easily accessible to the financial/corporate centers of cities.
Build the ball park somewhere near Perimeter Mall, at the junction of 285 and 400, and it would be full of families and Braves fans EVERY SINGLE GAME.