ATLANTA -- Arthur Blank donned traditional soccer garb to mark his newest venture -- an MLS team for Atlanta.
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"I love this one," Blank said, looking down at the red, black and gold
scarf draped over his dark suit. "I havent taken it off since it was
given to me. I may not sleep in it tonight, but I may. I havent decided
yet."
Major League Soccer announced its latest team Wednesday, an expansion
team for Atlanta that will begin play in 2017 at the citys new
retractable roof stadium.
The team will be owned by Blank, who also controls the NFLs Atlanta
Falcons. He said it was the culmination of a process that started about a
decade ago, when he first started talks with MLS about bringing a team
to the city.
The off-and-on discussions picked up again after Blank reached a deal
with the city last year to build a new $1 billion downtown stadium next
to the soon-to-be-demolished Georgia Dome. He is putting up most of the
money, with the city kicking in $200 million from a hotel tax.
"I think Atlanta is a natural fit for Major League Soccer," said Blank,
who was serenaded by a burgeoning fan group that calls itself "Terminus
Legion," a reference to the citys former name.
The teams name has not been determined. Blank said he will get input
from the fans before deciding on the new moniker, though he already
knows the colours: red and black -- matching the Falcons -- with a
substantial amount of gold as well.
"What the name will be, we really dont know," he said. "We will spend a
lot of time listening to our fans and trying to understand why some
names are more important than others, why certain designs are more
important than others, why certain logos are more important than
others."
One name that wont be considered: Atlanta Chiefs, the name of two
previous teams that played in the old North American Soccer League.
While the Chiefs won the first NASL championship in 1968, both versions
struggled financially and eventually folded.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said there was no hesitation about putting a
team in Atlanta once Blank worked out a stadium deal.
It is the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and the biggest
without a top-level soccer team. The city has a large Hispanic
population and last month drew more than 68,000 fans to the Georgia Dome
for a friendly between Mexico and Nigeria.
"This is something that will help elevate our league," Garber said. "It
will also elevate our sport in the entire Southeast, which is something
that is very important to us strategically."
The league went all out to tout its newest team. Hundreds of fans turned
out for a street festival before Blank and Garber arrived by helicopter
for the introductory news conference, touching down on the roof of a
downtown hotel overlooked Centennial Olympic Park. Atlanta Mayor Kasim
Reed also attended.
While the new stadium is primarily designed for the Falcons, Blank
stressed that it will be soccer-friendly. The stands along the sideline
will have the capability to retract, accommodating the larger soccer
pitch while maintaining sightlines.
Curtains will descend from the roof automatically to close off the upper
sections, creating the sort of intimate atmosphere that works better
for less-attended MLS games.
The new facility is designed to seat about 71,000 for NFL games, Blank
said, but can be reduced to about 29,000 for soccer using only the lower
bowl.
"There will never be an MLS game in Atlanta where NFL lines are shown on
the field," Blank said, drawing a big cheer.
MLS, which has 19 teams this season, is expanding rapidly with a goal of
having 24 teams by the end of the decade. Orlando and New York City are
scheduled to begin play next season, and the league has awarded a
provisional team in Miami to a group led by David Beckham, contingent on
a soccer-specific stadium being built.
The league has added five teams in the past five years, including the
hugely successful Seattle Sounders. Garber said there is no worry about
growing too fast given the abundance of soccer talent around the world.
"When we expand, we can pick from players around the world," Garber
said. "We could change the roster rules, the international player
limits, and have no dilution in talent."
Blank said he will try to encourage some crossover between Falcons
season-ticket holders and those interested in attending MLS games. But
he acknowledged the teams are likely to have very different fan bases,
making it clear the new soccer team will not merely be a side business
for the Falcons.
His first priority is to hire a team president for the MLS venture. He
will also be exploring possible locations for a state-of-the-art
training facility.
"We dont want any stepchildren in our family," Blank said. "We want to
make sure the people running soccer get up in the morning thinking about
soccer and go to bed thinking about soccer."
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