European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 24 the stars and stripes sunday december 18,1983 in Atlanta the Walls Are tumbling Down by Robert Byrd Atlanta apr when in opened it is a Blue and White Miracle in Concrete and steel Bull in a civic frenzy to bring major league sports to the South. Twenty three years later Atlanta Fulton county stadium finds itself a pariah among ballparks a place that both its tenants baseball s braves and football s Falcons Are desperately trying to flee even before the mortgage is paid of. Grumbling about the stadium has gone on for years. The round configuration in t perfect for baseball and for fool Al everyone agrees in s worse when the rectangular held is fitted in beneath the circular stands the usually desirable 50-Yard-line seats Are farthest away from the action. Dirty concourses and disgusting rest rooms led some in recent years to dub in Atlanta filthy county Staci the Quality of the playing Field has drawn complaints from Atlanta players and opposing teams alike. Narrow concourses leave Tittle room Tor modern Concession areas. Is ill inc downtown stadium is structurally sound repainted and looking pretty Good although the rest rooms can still get unpleasant. But 1988 May be remembered As the beginning of the end for Atlanta Fulton county stadium. Both the Falcons and the braves insist hey will not sign up for another i leh after their leases run out in 1990. I it is now possible hat within the next decade he City of Atlanta once Home to five major league sports franchises will be Down to one its once proud stadium bulldozed and the land sold to pay Oft he debts. I Don t enjoy hearing things like that said Ivan Allenjr. The dynamic mayor of Atlanta from 1961-69 who Slid boasts or How he and his City built a major league Ballpark on ground we did t own with Money we did t have for a team we had t "1 walked around the stadium at the dec. 4 Falcons game and it was in excellent condition Allen said recently it could be used and be in Good shape for a Long but it appears in won t be. To 19s6, a civic panel recommended two new stadiums a domed fool Al Arena adjoining the Georgia world con Gress Center convention facility by 1990, and a new base Ball Park at the present stadium site by 95. In 1987, Falcons owner Rankin m. Smith sr., Long the a Tanta Fulton count stadium opened in 1966. Fed up with a lease that benefits the braves with a Luck of luxury boxes and with the stadium itself said he would not renew it. Since then Smith has at various times discussed playing in the proposed Georgia dome building an open air stadium near the team s suburban Gwinnell county train ing Complex 30 Miles from downtown Atlanta and even moving lie franchise to Jacksonville or and its ,000-scat Gator bowl. The Falcons Are gone concedes Reggie Williams the 1987. I d say so. I can understand that the football people Here need to leave to get into an environment where they can share in other. then earlier this month Atlanta braves president Stan hasten dropped a Bombshell the braves Aren t slaying either. The braves he said Are holding very serious discussions about moving to a proposed state of the Art baseball stadium in gwm Nch county. Hasten in a. Recen interview said detailing the problems with the stadium would take a laundry he mentioned specifically the Lack of Modem amenities and the round configuration. Can you play baseball there sure you can Kas ten said. Can you play football there sure you can. We just want a belter place a place that is competitive with the modern Day stadiums built Only for baseball. I m not saying in s unplayable. But we can do better and if the braves can we certainly should pursue Kaston says the braves would consider other metro Atlanta locations and would probably agree to slay in the current facility until that new downtown baseball stadium which we were promised really in the 1986 plans can be built in Lhemid-90t but the proposed $159 million football dome re Mains tangled in financial and political haggling and the subsequent 160 million baseball stadium is not even under serious consideration yet. We re interested inserting a new facility Kraslen said they the City and Fulton county Don t want to talk about that. So there s not much for us to discuss right that leaves the braves in Kasten s words very close to getting into substantive detail Type conversations with owing Cal officials. I be been very impressed with the enthusiasm and the spirit i see among the people in Gwinnutt he said. The idea of the Bravo and Falcons leaving Atlanta either the City or the metro area has yet to spawn a great Public outcry. The two teams have made the play offs in Only five out of their 46 combined seasons m Atlanta and cynics suggest the City would t miss them. And while most Atlanta officials Are backing the dome plan for the Falcons they Haven l exactly Scur ried to keep the braves in the City limits. Atlanta City Council president Marvin Arlington while accusing the braves of racism in wanting to move id the White suburbs said the City would Welcome other municipalities within our Community to shoulder More of the costs of pro sports. Both teams could be gone from the stadium by 1991 despite the fact that the debts won t be paid off until 2000. The City Williams said might wind up Selling the land just to pay off the stadium debts the question becomes whether the value of the property is equal to the amount of Money owed All of this is a far cry from 1964, when sports in Atlanta meant Georgia tech or minor league baseball s Atlanta crackers it was then that ground was broken for the stadium that would propel the City literally and figuratively into the big leagues. Scoreboard from Page 22 hockey notional hockey league Wales Cohut Ncncy of Dukj Cru Ugo Rev a via Campt tag mum w l b ii 12 9 13 i 17 2 14 7 22 lmid4vltl 9 19 3 13 14 air 1 20 1lconf 7 10 3 13 1 19 9 16 Fth out 3 5 1 11 b 11 3 m to t pm of m 143 30 127 j4 109 37 130 29 Idt 18 91 i 44 lit. 34 101 if 110 11 10524 i Behcet w 131 74 10124 m on 61 143 43. 175 39 ii7 31 17j� rr7 gain 119no Izzy 135 Iii 98 134 1u 120. 139 in m 134 13? tit 114 11 to Iii. J. Nil Jay Lettiw Van Luln Mil 7 04 p m is fret 11 t.3s . Edmonton Ai Hir Toifl. 7.3s & m Wax vow i . T 3s p m. 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