5-6 years and we'll have a new home
 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...tadium_in_2017

It seems to have been on Arthur Blanks mind for as long as I can remember now, but now that the team is moving in the right direction on the field, he wants to give us a new field to do it on.

The Georgia Dome is too big, and rarely do the Falcons sell it out (often free tickets to fill seats and avoid local tv blackouts). That's just the nature of Atlanta sports.

The new open air stadium will hold less and hopefully bring more character to visiting Atlanta with humidity and other weather conditions that Atlanta deals with into play.

It does seem crazy however to spend $700m on a new stadium when the Georgia Dome is around 20 years old, yet I can't help but support what in the end will be a great move for our organisation.

I am in favour of an open air stadium, although many Atlanta based fans who attend games reguarly are against it, due to the heat in the Sept games which is understandable.

Still seems strange though to want a new stadium with a smaller capacity. The dome is less than twenty years old, has just been renovated in the last couple of years and has a good capacity. A new stadium for no other reason than the hope of hosting another SB and satisfying the corporate hospitality fan.

Sadly it's two things that bring the money. We also give a lot of tickets away for free currently to fill the seats. We will see how this pans out. Can we not just chop the roof off the Dome? lol

i agree seems strange to go down in attendance even with the empty seats?

your still avoiding blackouts so no real need to worry unless the upkeep on the Dome (due to age i'd most likely guess) is beginning to damage Blanks wallet in which case I could understand the decision.

I hope we stay in the GA dome. If it aint broke, don't fix it.

The idea does seem abit nuts doesn't it.

It makes you ponder the NFLPA's major problem with the owners wanting to claw back the $1b that they say is for building the infrastructure of the league, and personally, if owners are willing to rubbish a 20 year old stadium just because it can't be filled, then you have to feel some sympathy for the players. Waste on this scale, in this economic climate, is pretty lame.

It's all economics. The people in the free seats presumably still buy merchandise, car parking, food/drink etc. Perhaps the Falcons should look at more reasonable pricing for tickets, or other incentives before trashing $700m and sticking one in the eye of the NFLPA.

I personally see the benefits of both plans, and I know this isn't a flash in the pan idea from Arthur Blank. We'll see what happens.