Sports capital of the South. Yeah, right.
For the second time, Atlanta has shown the puck doesn't stop here with Tuesday's announcement that the Thrashers are heading to Winnipeg, the second NHL team to abandon Georgia's capital. The Atlanta Flames left the city for Calgary in 1980.
The move is a blow to the ego of a metro area that has thumped its collective chest for years about sports -- host of the 1996 Summer Olympics, two Super Bowls, several NCAA Final Fours and home to the 1995 World Series Atlanta Braves.
But when it comes to hockey, well, we're 0-2.
Kennesaw State University associate professor and sports economist J.C. Bradbury said the decision wasn't a shock, given the circumstances.
"Hockey is a northern sport," he said. "It’s hot down there. I don't think anyone is surprised hockey had trouble, especially because the team has not been great and the ownership situation is not popular with fans."
City hospitality and business leaders tried to keep a stiff upper lip over the loss.
No, they said, it won't sully Atlanta's overall standing as an international city.
Yes, they said, Atlanta is a good sports town, even if fans are may not be as rabid for pro sports here as they are in other cities.
And, no, they said, the city didn't offer any incentives to help keep the team in town.
"The mayor has had many discussions with business leaders and potential investors to see if they could find a solution to keep the Thrashers here in Atlanta," said Reese McCranie, spokesman for Mayor Kasim Reed. "Other than picking up the phone and engaging with business leaders and civic leaders, he had lengthy discussions to see if a deal could be formulated.”
Bob Hope, an Atlanta sports marketing executive, believes that the loss is critical because sports is as important in claiming status of an international city as having a great airport, a strong educational system and leading industry. Hope, who is part of a group trying to enhance local business opportunities with the addition of a major league soccer team, said foreign companies often look for the sport that is popular in their country.
But Jonathan Sangster, senior managing director at CBRE Consulting in Atlanta, which counsels companies on site selection, is not convinced. First, he said he doesn't understand why Atlanta couldn't hold on to the Thrashers. Atlanta is a transient city, he said, with lots of transplants who love hockey.
That being said, however, he doesn't think it will stop companies from moving to Atlanta.
“This is what we call a quality of life issue, but we’re still viewed as a major league professional city," he said. "So when you look at companies making decisions to locate their headquarters here, it’s not going to be on the their check list or criteria list.”
Downtown business operators said the team would be missed. Mike Sullivan, spokesman for the Omni Hotel, the closest lodger to the Thrashers' old home of Philips Arena, said fans often spilled over into the hotel's restaurant and bar after the food court at CNN Center filled up. The hotel also benefited from parking revenue from fans.
Greg Rancone, director of marketing for Legacy Property Group, said fans packed the company's restaurants -- Stats, Der Biergarten and Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria.
"Hockey fans are very loyal and very consistent," he said. "We would see the same faces over and over again. And that was over 40 [home] games. That's pretty formidable."
Atlanta is losing the Thrashers to a Canadian province that is home to 1.2 million people, or just one-fourth the population of metro Atlanta. Winnipeg, the Cree Indian word for “muddy waters,” boasted an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in 2010.
The so-called “City of Opportunity” is currently home to the Blue Bombers of the a Canadian Football League team and minor league baseball and hockey teams.
Winnipeggers are thrilled by the impending return of professional hockey to the province north of North Dakota. The city was former home to the Winnipeg Jets, which competed in the WHA and then NHL from 1972-1996. Faced with small-market financial shortcomings, the franchise relocated to Phoenix, where it subsequently went bankrupt and was bought back up the league.
B.A. Albert, principal at the Atlanta advertising firm Big Table Agency, said the challenge for hockey has been that it's not college football. Despite a brief but successful run by the minor league Atlanta Knights in the 1990s, metro Atlanta is all about football allegiances.
"People here have iced tea in their veins, not ice hockey," said Albert, who has done agency work selling the state as a destination. "We didn’t grow up with it.
"I think we can call ourselves a sports town, but make that a college sports town, not professional. Unfortunately for our pro teams. Take into consideration how easy it is to get a Hawks ticket vs. an Auburn-against-Georgia ticket."
