... and exactly how many regions will this work? The Northeast? Where the Yankees, mets, and Red Sox already are? The Midwest where the Cubs and Cardinals are? The West Coast where the Dodgers are?

 

Outside of maybe 5 or 6 markets you see the same sad story. Is Ohio State to blame for the attendance at Reds' games?

 

I'm not aware of the Cincy area ever being thought of as a one-sport area the way Georgia is. If there weren't a deep history of baseball in Cincy, your question might have merit.

 

Bottom line is Atlanta doesn't deserve a team because all they care about is college football in that area. The other areas you mention have shown themselves to be able to hold interest in multiple sports, and support multiple teams.

I'm not aware of the Cincy area ever being thought of as a one-sport area the way Georgia is. If there weren't a deep history of baseball in Cincy, your question might have merit.

 

Bottom line is Atlanta doesn't deserve a team because all they care about is college football in that area. The other areas you mention have shown themselves to be able to hold interest in multiple sports, and support multiple teams.

 

That's my point... those are the ONLY areas that have been able to do that.

You go to any other market in the country besides your major markets of New York, Chicago, Boston, and L.A. and you will find the same issue as Atlanta. To take it a step further... let's look at Boston. Sure right now they are selling out every venue, but look back about ten years ago when the Patriots and Celtics were abismal and the Red Sox was just an average team.

 

Fairweather fans are not restricted to Atlanta... how is the Bengal's attendance lately compared to a few years ago when they were actually competitive? I have been to a number of Braves games and attendance wise they blow the doors off of the Reds.

 

By your logic, we would take away the teams from every market except for either the major markets and/or the single team markets with high attendance (ex:San Antonio)

Also, FWIW, Georgians love the Braves. it's just people down here would rather watch them on tv then battle traffic everynight to go watch them.

 

From my house in Suwanee it is probably less than 20 miles to Turner Field, yet if I go to a Braves game it usually takes me nearly an hour to an hour and a half to get there and park. (That's assuming there are no accidents on the downtown connector or else you may never get there). The return trip at night usually still takes around 40 minutes, which is a long drive when you have to wake up the next morning at 5:45 just to make another long, time consuming commute to work. The majority of your Braves' season ticket holders are living in the suburbs of Gwinnett or Cobb County, which have no public transit into Atlanta as MARTA does not run into these areas. Hence, the reason why they have relocated the AAA Richmond Braves to Gwinnett County.

Give up and lobby to move the team somewhere where the fans actually care about something other than college football.

 

 

The Braves are averaging over 5,000 more fans a game than the Reds. Should Cincinnati be relocated as well?

The problem with Atlanta attendance is not football. A friend wrote a very detailed paper on it in a sports marketing class a few years ago.

 

Very interesting paper that I agree with but I post some of the reason on here and I might get flamed.

I would contemplate getting rid of all my old, high salary players. Whether it be by release or trade. Then I would consider moving the team to Quebec.

Something else that has to be considered is that studies have shown that nearly half of Atlanta Metro's population are non-native. With that large of percentage you are not going to have the same concentration of fans for the local team as in the other major markets.

Something else that has to be considered is that studies have shown that nearly half of Atlanta Metro's population are non-native. With that large of percentage you are not going to have the same concentration of fans for the local team as in the other major markets.

 

That was a big reason in his paper.

 

Several factors go into it including the Marlins/Tampa Bay expansions, and the fact that Atlanta is 62% black and the trend of blacks not being drawn to play/watch baseball.

That was a big reason in his paper.

 

Several factors go into it including the Marlins/Tampa Bay expansions, and the fact that Atlanta is 62% black and the trend of blacks not being drawn to play/watch baseball.

 

Very valid. Turner Field is definately not set anywhere near the suburbs, that is for sure.

 

I was at the Mets game yesterday (nearly 50K fans BTW) with 7 of my customers from Birmingham and when I asked them if they have the chance to come to Braves' games often I was surprised with the answer. I was assuming that with B-ham only being 2 hours away that they would attend maybe one or two games a year, but their answer was "This is our first game at the new ballpark".

 

I thought of this discussion and asked them, "Really? Why is that?" and here are the reasons they gave me:

 

1. Time change, a 2 hour trip suddenly feels like a 3 hour trip

2. Traffic, once again it makes a 2 hour trip a 3 hour trip and then you add in Reason #1

3.Why pay for gas, tickets,parking, expensive ballpark food, when you can watch any Braves' game on television for free.

 

I feel like these are all very valid, and when you consider where the Braves' fanbase is located, this is a major impact. By and large Alabama and Mississippi are both very large areas for Braves fans.

 

Compare this to Cincinnatti Reds games for those in KY, where the majority of fans will be coming from Louisville, NKY, and EKY... with a stadium that literally is just inside of the city minimizing the traffic issue. Compare it also to the Northeast where there is prevailance of commuter trains that do not half to deal with traffic and offer a low stress, low cost option.

The Braves are averaging over 5,000 more fans a game than the Reds. Should Cincinnati be relocated as well?

 

Reds fans don't show up because the team stinks. Braves fans can't even be bothered to fill the stadium for playoff games and pennant races. Big difference.

 

I feel like these are all very valid, and when you consider where the Braves' fanbase is located, this is a major impact. By and large Alabama and Mississippi are both very large areas for Braves fans.

 

I thought Mississippi was traditionally Cardinals territory.

I thought Mississippi was traditionally Cardinals territory.

 

 

Nope

I thought Mississippi was traditionally Cardinals territory.

 

DEFINATELY Braves territory... the Northern reaches of Miss. may have some Cardinal fans, but from Jackson south it is definately biased towards the Braves. So much so that the Braves AA team is located there.

Reds fans don't show up because the team stinks. Braves fans can't even be bothered to fill the stadium for playoff games and pennant races. Big difference.

 

So the Reds' have no fan support at the games, and the team is completely irrelevant every year?

 

Yup, I think we found our choice for relocation.

I thought Mississippi was traditionally Cardinals territory.

Memphis is, and perhaps by extension the northwest corner of the state. But I would imagine that most of it is Braves territory.