Metro Atlanta reacts to the Braves move

Atlanta reactions

News that the Atlanta Braves would be moving to Cobb County was met with everything from stunned disbelief to giddy surprise. Some of the reaction to the news:

“I think it’s a good thing. It will be a lot closer for us. There will be a lot more things to do (in Cobb) at a sporting complex.”

— Braves fan Mike Bearden of Byron, Ga. Byron is 90 miles south of Atlanta in Peach County.

“At some point, someone has to be responsible at City Hall and say we can’t allow dilapidated homes, crime and prostitution on the streets there anymore. And this is an opportunity for the City Council and the mayor to make a better choice about the neighborhood.”

— Tone Lane, a resident of the Pittsburg neighborhood near Turner Field, calling on Atlanta leadership to fix the neighborhoods near the stadium

“You take the Atlanta Braves out of the city of Atlanta, what you’re basically saying is the center of our region just moved. I can’t imagine that Kasim Reed and the City Council allowed this to happen over a couple hundred million dollars.”

— Bill Byrne, former Cobb County Commission chairman, explaining why he thinks the Braves' move is a show of suburban strength

“We think our fans will enjoy how much easier it will be to get to leave our baseball facility.”

— Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz

“You’re taking money otherwise spent in the city of Atlanta and now spending it in Cobb County. So you’ll get a transfer of wealth away from the inner city.”

— J.C. Bradbury, professor and chairman of the department of exercise science and sports management at Kennesaw State University

‘There’s nothing really out here, so I think it’s good. I’ve never been to a Braves game before, but I guess I’ll be going in 2017.”

— Cobb resident Kenneth Drake, reacting to news the Braves will be moving to Cobb.

‘We’ll believe it when we see it. I think it’s exciting, but I’m worried about the traffic it’ll bring.”

— Cobb resident Fran Fripp

“Building a new stadium outside the city you’re representing seems like a big step backwards. WHY???