The Braves-to-Cobb debate continues to intrigue readers. Here are some comments on the issue from a recent blog.
Gerald: The Braves wanted to move to Cobb. The only reason why they didn't move in the 1990s was because Atlanta gave them Turner Field for free and because there is no way that Bill Byrne, former chairman of the Cobb County Commission, would have allowed Cobb to be ripped off like this when he was running things. Now that Turner Field is no longer a brand-new facility and Cobb is willing to give them millions and tons of cheap land in a vacant area,then why stick around? Incidentally, even if the city could have kept the Braves, I am glad they didn't. There was no hotel/motel tax to use to finance the Braves deal, and Liberty Media wasn't willing to put up a billion like Arthur Blank did. Keeping the Braves would have cost the city hundreds of millions of its own funds. I am glad Mayor Kasim Reed decided to hold onto that money to use it on infrastructure that will benefit the entire city, rather than just the area around Turner Field. Well, go ahead and spend that money, Cobb, and go Braves. Use that money on a new pitching staff and some reliable hitting. Hope that stadium is just about full every night and the Braves will bring home a World Series trophy or three. I will be rooting for you while still living downtown and benefiting from money that instead will be spent on my city's infrastructure.
Raul: Baseball teams have 80-plus home games in a season, and more than half of those are not played, conveniently, on a weekend. Traffic is a nightmare in and out of Cobb County. Will the streets be widened? Will MARTA add a new line to the stadium, especially for those 80,000-plus tourists who will stay in Midtown, downtown and Buckhead? I'd like to know.
SAWB: I agree the Braves' relocation will have minimal impact on local business, but isn't that sort of the whole issue? There will be minimal impact because there are a minimal number of businesses to be impacted. The Braves have asked for shops, housing, dining, improved parking, traffic improvements, etc., for the last 20 years. Fulton/Atlanta leaders are now excitedly talking about new development for that area, but one wonders why they didn't do this before now. I realize much of this is about money, and the Braves will probably get a bigger slice of revenue in the new location, but it is a shame city and county leaders didn't have the vision to work out some kind of mutually beneficial deal.
