Saturday, February 02, 2008

MLS Expansion - NFL owner wants to bring MLS to Atlanta

Arthur Blank, owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, wants his sports operation to expand outside of American football and Major League Soccer is high on his list. Blank said 'he is "actively looking at" bringing a Major League Soccer expansion team to Atlanta. He described it as "in the exploratory stage" and said the team would need a soccer-specific stadium. "We're out looking at stadium sites right now ... in a variety of places," he said.'

Blank brings a lot of what league officials want to the table. He is rich (worth about $1.3 billion), has strong sports connections to the local community (owns the Falcons and came close to owning baseball's Atlanta Braves) and has a good business history (he was co-founder of Home Depot). In addition, the Deep South is the one region of the country where MLS is completely absent. Since Atlanta is the largest market in the region and ninth-largest metro area in the nation, it has the size needed to make the team a success.

Obviously this is still in the early stages, but if Blank can find a solid stadium site and come up with a way to deal with the hot summer weather (perhaps ask Dallas about this), he might be in the running sooner rather then later.

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7 Comments:

Blogger David Harris said...

Mike, just came across your stuff. I really like it and have added you to my blogroll. Keep up the good work.

David

10:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE COME TO ATLANTA!! I live in Birmingham, AL and the nearest team is in Columbus, Ohio!

10:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bring the team to Birmingham!! Call them the Alabama Blues and they could play in Huntsville, Mobile, Birmingham and Montgomery!!! MLS in the South PLEASE!!!!!!!!

3:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I also want a team in, or near, Birmingham Al. Heck, we have the places for it and it is growning. People here love their sports and would spend the money. We almost had a team in 1978. It was an indoor soccer team called the birmingham bandits. But I also heard that USL was looking at coming here. myspace.com/j_kniw100

That is my page. Want more info just ask me. And yes if I had that founds, I'd buy a teams and I know it would work...Mwhahaha!

12:29 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I would love to see an MLS team here in Atlanta, the Silverbacks get a pretty good crowd for their home games so the audience is there. A lot of hispanic and european ex-pats, I think its a no-brainer, whoever starts a team in Atlanta will be successful, and if they need my help, I am only too willing!!

9:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Atlanta MUST have a team. The surrounding states would support the club with guaranteed success. I have been waiting for way to long. I mean serious, way too long. I have even started to think up names and stuff. I dont want to copy other clubs around the world like most MLS clubs have. I was thinking:
Atlanta Black Nights FC
Atlanta Red Raiders FC
Atlanta Destroyers FC
Atlanta SWAT FC
Atlanta Spartans FC
Atlanta Sport FC
Atlanta Stealth FC

I dont know, like I said i've been waiting. What would you name them?
I mean really I just like Atlanta FC (ATL FC)

7:40 PM  
Anonymous Birmingham mls said...

I am very much excited to witness such breathtaking games.

11:40 PM  

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