How Atlanta Failed the Braves

[@Maapify]

Be sure to get that huge discount from NordVPN here: NordVPN.com/Maapify

[@guhr1dy]

That NordVPN ad integration was SEAMLESS. I still skipped it though.

[@JudeAustin09]

same

[@danielbick2646]

Such a dumb integration lol

[@arshpreetkaur2006]

Gotta respect the hustle. These videos are high quality, and requires time and effort to produce.

[@dashawns2cents]

Same

[@Pilar-ek8nx]

LOL! you took words out of my mouth, I said to myself in the middle of him talking bout the wifi "watch this be an pitch for VPN" sure enough. Good call out! it got me at first lol!

[@thebigcnel]

As a lifelong braves fan, I'll always miss Turner field as its the stadium I grew up with. With that said, Truist is an incredible stadium and the battery is amazing. it's the stadium the players and fans deserve.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

As a Braves fan since they first came here in 1966 I miss Fulton County Stadium where I got to see Hank Aaron, Dale Murphy, Phil Kniekro, Jerry Royster, Bob Horner, Jeff Burroughs, Dusty Baker, Darrell Evans & many others but those '90s Braves were off the charts

[@evanpharr2516]

I think everyone agrees truist is by far the better ballpark, man I wish I could just see 1 more game at the Ted.

[@mikecanul]

I was just at TRUIST on June 1 - holy hell that ballpark is amazing

[@KevinMiller-xn5vu]

​@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman14 straight division titles from 1991-2005 (excluding the player's strike in 1994), and only one World Series title ain't nothing to brag about.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

@@mikecanul yea its great, I have been to a few & its one of the best

[@dwragsdale4172]

Atlanta was never going to put money into Turner Field. Remember the City of Atlanta did not pay for Turner Field; it was inherited by Atlanta from ACOG (Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games). ACOG paid for all of the construction and baseball conversion. Once the Olympic were over and all of the bills were paid ACOG dissolved, and all venues were turned over to the local governments. Thus, Atlanta had no need to issue $200 million in bonds to renovate Turner Field. They actually sold it to Ge State Univ. for $28 million which was all profit.

[@03mani]

Great move by both parties

[@NationalCostoAlliance]

Wow 28 million seems really cheap😮😮😮

[@dwragsdale4172]

@@NationalCostoAlliance Well since the City of Atlanta did not pay for the construction, the revenue from Turner Field was all profit. There were no bonds to pay off, field maintenance, and security was paid for by the Braves, it was all profit. Atlanta was not going into bond debt for a paid off building. They were better selling it for a small amount, similarly to a short sale in housing. Ga State and Carter Development has done a great job in developing the area, which is called Summerhill. The developments over there fit with the character of the Summerhill community much better than the Battery would, and this is no knock on the Battery.

[@jamesedwards7946]

Georgia state has been much better partner than the braves, the braves didn't invest any money in the area, Georgia state has, and you in Cobb county carry their tax burden 😂

[@lisao9486]

Braves fan here. Turner Field was replaced because nobody wanted to be down in that area of Atlanta at night. Not safe.

[@ThunderStruck94660]

Yeah, that area is a hell-scape. Funny to hear this guy talk about how the Braves moving was a great thing for the area.

[@educationalempowerment8610]

@@lisao9486 yeah Lisa that’s kind of the problem… we subsidize sports to be distracted by a system that is disenfranchising our neighbors and we pretend that the hellscape is never our problem or our legacy. We simply add to the deterioration of a community by depriving it of one of it’s institutions. You can move the team to the suburbs and say it’s the fault of people that have systemically been ignored but one day the monster that brought you your suburban sports team will COME 4 YOU!!! Think it won’t… next time you’re on i75/85 passing “Old Turner Field” be reminded that the Monster often spares no team… not even a former Olympic venue😂😎

[@cockytalk9193]

Yall scared of the hood yall put black people in

[@onlinesavant]

But people (white.) had been doing it for decades.

[@KinkESizemore]

That’s why in later years the World Series wasn’t sold out and fans left early. Too risky, even if your team is playing for the championship. They always gave the fans shit for not showing up but it’s understood somewhat.

[@snugzgiddens3238]

An “Unwalkable neighborhood “ is a nice way to put it lol

[@trapmuzik6708]

Summerhill is a very nice neighborhood u judging 20 yrs ago it's very nice desirable neighborhood now

[@casanova11ize]

Black

[@michaelumucslie4410]

That explains it ​@@casanova11ize

[@de132]

It's genuinely unwalkable. Stroads, blocked off areas, and busted up sidewalks are everywhere in the area. I know people are going to make it a race thing or a crime thing, but that was just a shitty area to visit.

[@HeyDrJen84]

@@casanova11izesmh

[@JM-cl1fy]

No one walked 30 minutes from the nearest MARTA station to Turner Field. MARTA offered a bus shuttle that dropped people off right at the stadium. It was quite convenient and easy to use.

[@bronxpinstripes]

...if you didn't mind having your face planted in the sweaty underarm of the guy standing an inch and-a-half away from you on the 100-degree bus It was absolutely ridiculous that the city of Atlanta wasn't willing to reroute the train line to serve the stadium. It wouldn't have cost that much...land in that area was dirt cheap at the time.

[@Bones_plays]

80% ticket holders live in north Georgia.. that was the no brainer to move north lol

[@chrisg4305]

That's where the population centers are. I'd be surprised if south georgia was less than 20% of the state pop.

[@xaviergardner1881]

@@chrisg4305 atlanta is in north Georgia....

[@WilliamAkins-rw2hv]

The northern suburbs. The heat map makes it clear. He should've gone into more detail about it.

[@Bones_plays]

@@xaviergardner1881 okay then. Live north of 285 lol. Either way. Atlanta residents couldn’t keep up

[@xaviergardner1881]

@@Bones_plays The traffic to and from Atlanta is terrible

[@jbaskinger]

I’m from the city and I can tell you that building Turner field was a mistake on location. Summerhill never wanted it and protested it even when the Olympics where announced because they knew they would be the first affected.

[@kaydee2126]

But it's in much better condition now. At the time I can understand why they would fight, but it's unrecognizable now. From then to now.

[@stephenholbrook4391]

I’m sorry, what was the purpose of this video? The Braves moved into a new stadium that NOW has them in the Top 5 in attendance. That’s good business..enough said.

[@jbaskinger]

@@stephenholbrook4391 Am I disagreeing with you somehow?

[@stephenholbrook4391]

@@jbaskinger I meant to post a public comment, not post a reply to you. Sorry. Go Braves!

[@jbaskinger]

@@stephenholbrook4391 All good haha. Go Braves!

[@jamesweldon8118]

I wish you would have taken a moment more to explain that heat map rather than just show it for one second 9:04

[@MatthewAmes247]

The numbers listed are zip codes for the areas. I assume the red dots are where tickets are generally bought in a certain time frame. I think its meant to show that most tickets are bought by people north and outside of the city.

[@Colone01]

Heat map also gets the new stadium location wrong. Missed it by that much

[@WilliamAkins-rw2hv]

Yes it's on the other side of I-75

[@WilliamAkins-rw2hv]

The heat map really explains it in a single image. Some narrative about it would've been good.

[@LarryWeinreb]

Kasim Reed was a dumpster fire of a mayor. The Braves wanted to build up the Summerhill area like as was done at the Battery - team told the city of their plans AND that there was a back up site. Reed and his cronies thought the Braves were bluffing, and we see how well that went for downtown! Reed also sat by silently as the Thrashers struggled then moved away. One of the worst mayors we ever had.

[@riccorich]

The thrasher wasn't Reeds Fault, plus the Braves was silent on the stadium and move

[@jcspotter7322]

​@@riccorichbraves absolutely weren't silent about it, no venues around turner field has been a thing for decades. Notice that as soon as the braves move out, they finally decided to build up the area surrounding the ballpark?

[@JuneBaby01]

@@jcspotter7322 yeah, and Atlanta hasn't missed a beat..., The Braves thought they should be entitled to all the profits and control all the development in that area, and the city rightly said no, thank you! We don't need y'all... They, The Braves, were always bad tenants, even with their being gifted Turner Field for no money...My thought is the people in those surrounding neighborhoods say good riddance to the ATLANTA braves, 'cause they did nothing but take from the neighborhood, and never gave it anything but grief... And Ga. State has been much better for that area and has attracted a hell of a lot of money there... so Thank you ATLANTA braves for moving on, so other things good for the city could take place in the Summerhill/Mechanicsville/Grant Park area, that area has really taken off since the braves skedaddled, it's been majorly redeveloped, and is a much more affluent area now, since they aren't trying to hog it all for Liberty Media and it's board!!! So when will they be changing the name to the Cobb County, or the Perimeter Hwy/I-75 Braves? Can't happen soon enough for me cause they no longer have standing in the city!

[@ZakaliciousATL]

Kasim Reed and most of Atlanta's former mayors belong in jail.

[@brejackal]

@@jcspotter7322you can walk from the dome to Turner field at least take a bus. What about the lie it was for OTP fans cause Gwinnett fans are still just as screwed and cat take MARTA!

[@oh.....5075]

I grew up in rural Ohio in the 1980s and 90s, and I remember the Atlanta Braves always being on TBS TNT they were my first favorite team. My love for the Indians or now Guardians runs deep, but Atlanta Braves will always have a place in my heart!

[@Bodyknowledge77]

I grew up in the "forgotten borough" of NYC Staten Island as a Met fan and watched The Braves as well in the 80's and 90's. Also The Cubs on WGN. Did you get/watch The Cubs as well?

[@davanmani556]

Brad Komminsk

[@AKUNJIG]

Grew up in the DC Metro watching the Braves on "The Superstation". Loved it. Got enjoy meeting people from all over the country during the World Series who grew up doing the same thing I did. 😊

[@ratesforless]

Great points made in the video and the comments section. Truth be told, the Braves wanted out of that area long before the first shovel was dug down the street. There were rumors of them looking at the northern suburbs in the early-'90s, especially after their former co-tenants, the Falcons, moved to the newly-built Georgia Dome. But that was put to bed once they found out that they were going to be gifted a free stadium because of the Olympics. But as time went on and the same issues that they had in years' past began to crop up again, well, they ended up doing what they've always set their minds to. That is, getting someone else to build them a stadium without having to invest much $$$ into it, while having full creative control of what surrounds it. Now, as the video also displayed, the City of Atlanta (especially their Recreation Authority) didn't do their mayors or those teams any favors. They didn't invest a dime into the surrounding areas of AFCS or Turner Field and made life difficult for the Braves and even the Falcons to do the same back when they shared the old facility. That lack of investment drove a wedge of distrust between the team(s) that played there and the surrounding neighborhoods. They were still protesting about Georgia State moving there until the school moved Heaven and Earth to finally get things going in the right direction. IMHO, the Recreation Authority could've easily gotten the folks who owned land in that area to play ball, especially considering how easy it was for Georgia State to do so years later. All things considering though, it was a win-win. The Braves finally got a ballpark and surrounding area under their control that has become the prototype of pro teams looking to do the same, even locally. Just look at what the Hawks (see Ressler, Anthony) are doing with Centennial Yards, as well as the GWCC looking to redevelop the Home Depot backyard (former site of the Georgia Dome) as an entertainment venue beyond just greenspace for Falcons/United games in order to keep up with the Joneses. And as for the former Turner Field, the surrounding areas have never looked better. Now having grown up near that area, I know for a fact that there are still spots that I would not recommend you venturing into, especially further south. And yes, there is still work to be done to the stadium itself (East stands of Center Parc, I'm talking to you) that I know Georgia State and their fans have discussed ad nauseum. But they've built a new basketball arena there, along with a baseball stadium using the old footprint of AFCS now going up as we speak. There are shops and housing in areas that were once dilapidated and crime-infested. Georgia State and their partners have done a tremendous job in transforming what was once a largely ignored part of town. Much work still to be done but at the same time way better than what it once was...

[@takeithrasher9488]

Yes, thank you for having a clear mind and telling a simple truth. This is business, and what one won’t do another will. I remember GSU Pres. Becker’s speech about plans for the downtown area back in 2009. That’s when I realized GSU has a lot of money and they are willing to wait out all of those people whose buildings surrounding the campus. GSU is buying up every piece of property slowly but surely.

[@takeithrasher9488]

@@DuckTheHeel but you did read it, dummy

[@bobby4f]

I’m from Atlanta. White ppl got tired of going to the hood to watch games

[@paullentz1972]

You might want to add to your post....."and either getting robbed or their vehicle vandalized/jacked/towed!"

[@RJ_873]

@@paullentz1972which is a result of slavery, classism, racism etc. But I’m sure you’re not ready for that convo

[@paullentz1972]

@@RJ_873 Dude I'm actually a pretty liberal guy who is very aware of how messed up slavery, classism and racism is. In no way am I justifying those things. What I was posting about...was 'why' White people was tired of going to games at Turner Field (the post I was replying to said 'White people got tired of going to the hood to watch games'. I was explaining 'why'...not justifying slavery, classism and racism. When a person has their car broken into or is robbed or has their car towed (I dont care whether he is White or Black).....THE LAST THING that person is saying to themselves is (if he is White)..."if the person was White who robbed/broke into my car, I wouldnt be upset at it...however because dude was Black....I am mad and wont come back to Turner Field anymore". People who get robbed/stolen from....are MAD at being violated PERIOD...NOT because the person who did it was of a different race. Come on dude, try to be real!

[@IvanRivapalacio-qd2kv]

Always with the race card

[@bobby4f]

@@RJ_873ppl are still responsible for their actions lol. I’m black pls don’t start with that garbage

[@kevinbrown1179]

It goes to show that leadership matters. The Atlanta mayors could have built up Summerhill, addressed MARTA, and parking. Instead, they were lazy, incompetent, and corrupt.

[@JuneBaby01]

That area is fine..in fact looks better than a giant Cobb county parking lot which is all Truist park basically has around it...plus they(braves) take all the revenues for that area...city of Atlanta got smart and said "skedaddle, and don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you...begone beggars"!!!...You should google the area where the Braves used to play...Ga. State has really transformed that area...it's better than it ever was when the braves were there and just taking taking taking!!!

[@brejackal]

You do know Cobb county fired the CEO and one commissioner is under indictment for acts that took the Braves out of Atlanta. But go off bigot!

[@jcallaway1617]

@@JuneBaby01 A giant Cobb County parking lot? Have you been to the Battery? Its great! There are so many things to do in the area for everyone in my family. We love it. Its far better than parking a half mile away from Turner Field and waiting 30 minutes to get back on the interstate after every game.

[@matthewpirkel2922]

@@JuneBaby01 HAHAHA...someone has no clue as to what they speak and GA St didn't transform the Summerhill area, gentrification did.

[@richardhead3211]

@@JuneBaby01 it was a crime filled black getto when i went in 2000

[@johnharris6655]

Cobb county is a hot bed of youth baseball. A lot of pro players have come from Cobb county, it is literally baseball crazy.

[@firebird6522]

And, the Big Boss Man was from Cobb County too!

[@philbailey7791]

Dansby Swanson is a good example, he was raised and went to high school in Cobb county. Great player.

[@HIMOTHY20631]

Is that where East Cobb is

[@selcatron]

it also had enough traffic before the braves moved lol

[@Caleb0677]

@@HIMOTHY20631 Yes.

[@Terminus-y9v]

Kasim Reed wasn't a good mayor. The only negative I have about Truist Park is its lack of access to public transportation options. Imagine a rail line connected to the battery. Also, I want to make a nitpick regarding the limited reach of MARTA. MARTA isn't funded by GDOT, making expansion difficult. Also, losing the Falcons to the suburbs (which they were threatening) was why they were treated as a priority. Football>baseball

[@riccorich]

That's not reeds fault

[@connorjordan3551]

And now hockey will end up in Forsyth County. This time, it will have a chance to succeed. Atlanta is a terrible sports city. Most people who live here are not from here, so they remain fans of teams from their previous location. The Braves are the exception.

[@willp.8120]

​@@connorjordan3551 Atlanta is a great sports city. #1 in attendance in MLS (out of 29 teams) #5 in attendance in MLB (out of 30 teams) #16 in attrndance in NFL (out of 32 teams; top half) Hawks had near 100 percent capacity last season.

[@kjorlaug1]

That's a Cobb county, not Atlanta issue. MARTA would love to go into Cobb county

[@Slowdrem]

@@connorjordan3551 hockey in Forsyth county will not succeed.

[@TheRednecksolder]

Rays fan here, the notion of fans not wanting to sit in traffic for hrs and the stadium needing to be moved really hit home. Good thing theyre building the new stadium in the exact same spot to fix those problems 🙃

[@ramsesstafford4640]

I'm born and raised in Atlanta. The Summerhill neighborhood is a hop jump and skip away from Mechanicville and for those who don't know that's one of the oldest and dangerous neighborhoods in Atlanta so bottom line Turner Field was in the hood but I liked it that way. I went to Braves games at Fulton County and Turner Field haven't been to a Braves game since although I am very happy that they want a chip in 2021. My mom told me way before I was born she went to Fulton County Stadium to see James Brown and the women ripped all of his clothes off (this of course was in the late 60s). I love my city no matter how often people come here from other places and try to put it down.

[@pjgaringer2901]

"Collaborating with municipalities" is a funny way of saying that owners want all the profit with none of the costs

[@DoingitWrongDG]

Living in Tennessee it made Braves games an option again and it's such a treat now

[@shivtim]

Why was it not an option at Turner Field?

[@DoingitWrongDG]

@@shivtim 2.5 hour trip there, 3 to 4 hour game, 2.5 hour trip home. Vs. 1.5 hour drive there now.

[@shivtim]

@@DoingitWrongDG it does not take an hour extra. It's literally 12 miles. Stop lying.

[@DoingitWrongDG]

@@shivtim as if traffic just doesn't exist

[@DoingitWrongDG]

That's what the stupid video is about

[@Beatza925Ent]

Using Public transit as an excuse, then moving to a place with no public transit is wild (Marta had a Braves shuttle to Turner). Parking is just as limited at Truist, bc we're forced to park at neighboring businesses, and Traffic is just as bad considering Truist is placed dead smack at the 285-75 interchange (Turner was at the 20-75 interchange).

[@Lodawg154]

I remember going to Turner Field like it was yesterday. I do miss it but I also think Truist Park is a major improvement not just in location, but just in general

[@willswift4787]

Smoothest ad intro I’ve ever seen goddayum

[@maxscameraguy]

Wish you called Ted Turner the "and at one point manager of the Braves"

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

I'm sure even Ted wishes people would forget that disaster.

[@claygilchrist632]

The Atlanta mayor gave much more attention to the Falcons than he did the Braves. The Braves then went to Cobb where the Braves were welcomed with open arms.

[@brejackal]

No they weren’t! They fired the Cobb CEO over it😂

[@TheGreat_Kramer1]

@@brejackal The move was a dumpster fire.

[@MegaJustGeorge]

Clay, my sir, according to Mike Malloy, MARTA wanted to extend their rail service to the Cobb County location, but the majority of the county's residents - who were white - were steadfastly against this, because it would bring in minorities to their county.

[@buzztp5119]

People were lied to about how much tax money would be used to build the new stadium. The Braves and Cobb county ripped the tax payers off big time.

[@shivtim]

And with open wallets - hundreds of millions in taxpayer money from Cobb citizens that could have been spent on schools, roads, and public safety

[@papagiorgio3314]

As someone who went to the old Fulton county stadium, turner field and the new truist (formerly SunTrust) park- it's no comparison. The battery is amazing and draws massive amounts of people even on non-game nights. The city of Atlanta could have done that decades ago, but couldn't be bothered.

[@shivtim]

Because we don't want some bland corporate mall. You can keep the Battery, we'll keep our amazing locally owned restaurants and awesome neighborhoods.

[@troyarrington5492]

@@shivtimanytime I see a yard house, the area automatically turns me off

[@jameshorton3692]

@@shivtimthat’s a really stupid argument. I went to a braves game at turner field years ago and it was the shittiest game day experience ever. There was nothing around the stadium. Just a massive parking lot and I think we had to eat something stupid like Taco Bell. That was bland. The battery is not.

[@kennethhughley1611]

Teams can't keep asking for new stadiums every ten years and expect cities to pay for them. So, I say well wishes to the Braves and haven't seen a game or gone to one since the move. Fourteen division titles and one world series win. 😢

[@aegisofhonor]

crazy how a state college could bring better development to an area than a major league baseball team.

[@ddcs0s]

Ones privately owned and the other has an almost unlimited budget funded by taxes ... It's really not that crazy when you think about it

[@mattb3901]

Georgia State where you have to step over crack heads overdosing on the streets to get to class or deal with gangs hanging out in the "secure" parking garages... but hey they got Turner field.

[@gt5133e]

that's because liberty media stopped all development around the stadium because they didn't control it or get a piece of the money.

[@sri-kaushalramana437]

a big reason why there's no development is because a lot of the old parking lots got torn down for new development since there isn't as much demand for gsu football as there was for the braves.

[@ek.74.914]

No the reason there's was no development was the braves and liberty media did everything they could to stop any development because they would not get a piece of the money.

[@mattb3901]

Cobb County officials lied and said this would bring revenue in, then decided to either close a bunch of local parks in the county or raise the milage rate. After a huge outpour of anger over closing parks, they went with raising the milage rates by a lot. Where's this extra revenue going?

[@mattst88]

The Braves played in Turner Field from 1997-2016, inclusive. That's 20 years -- "not less than two decades."

[@TwoAcresandaMule]

I miss games on TBS

[@guidedbystewart]

It was 99% about money, and the Braves being able to develop their own commercial district. Traffic is just as bad, if not worse. And public transportation is 100% with Turner Field.

[@Trackstar8589]

The lies about the commute or heavy traffic you have public transportation to Turner field, there’s no public transportation to Truist everything the brave said about this move was a lie. They just wanted to move the team into a white area.

[@dariusandrews4490]

Yep

[@weezyg5084]

💯💯💯

[@ddw76y]

Yesterday, I went to the Battery for the first time in two years and I was blown away at how it has changed. Compare going to a game at the Battery and going to downtown Atlanta for a game. I was always watching my back when I went to a game at Turner Field.

[@Espuds]

Atlanta/Fulton County Stadium was deliberately left out of the MARTA rail system because the city of Atlanta owned the stadium and didn’t want to miss out on the parking revenue. The rail line was drawn to go right down Peachtree Street until the Garnett station. Then it takes a wide swing to the west. Using MARTA to get to a Braves game meant having to wait on shuttle buses at both ends. Turner Field was a wonderful place to watch a baseball game, but so is Truist Park.

[@mattmayer3636]

You have to pay $60 now for parking at Truist… compared to $20 at turner

[@Bobo-he1pt]

@@mattmayer3636found a parking deck for $20 last time next to the Cobb galleria. Have to walk across that bridge but it was a shorter walk then when I went with a couple buddies who bought parking from the Braves

[@Bobo-he1pt]

@@mattmayer3636there’s like 3 parking decks next to the Cobb galleria. It’s $20 to park and one guy let me in for free once. Have to walk across that bridge but in 10-15 mins you’ll be in the battery

[@66fredo99]

I liked The Ted just a little bit better.

[@michaelcurtis1667]

“Waiting on a bus?” I use to take the train to the game all the time and never waited over a min or two after walking out. Now leaving the stadium could take a min for them but as a whole MARTA always did a good job getting people from it. Wish the poster would have mentioned the shuttle as I don’t know anyone who tried to walk from the stadium to a station.

[@aaronelya]

I love when people from nowhere near Atlanta make informational videos about things in Atlanta. (eyeroll). :D

[@66fredo99]

Yea but ATL is full of folks who grew up elsewhere who bring their ways of doing things to town. It has always been a transplant city. And the video was indeed informative.

[@riccorich]

The braves owners Liberty Media? Not Turner chose to leave the city, turner didn't like the move

[@mattc825]

In Chicago we can use the same red line train to go from Wrigley to (that other team’s ballpark on the south side) :)

[@dantheman9167]

I went to the last playoff game in fulton county stadium and the olympics watching cuba play a game and the first braves game in turner field

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

Couple of things that aren't accurate here. First the vast majority of fans that didn't drive to the game took the shuttle bus provide by MARTA to the nearest train station at Five Points. MARTA's always had it's problems but they ran an extremely efficient shuttle between Five Points and the stadium. They also did an excellent job of making sure they had adequate train service to the northern suburbs on game nights. Almost NOBODY walked to or from the stadium. Second attendance declined at the turn of the century until the team left the stadium because the team's performance steadily declined over the years between 2000 and 2013. And that attendance graph tracks with the trajectory of the team during that timeframe. When the team was contending for World Series Titles the attendance was fine. But as the bigger names left the team and new stars failed to come in and produce the same number of wins the fans stopped coming. I went to a bunch of games at both Fulton County and Turner Field but the last one I attended was in 2005 and the quality of the team played a large part in that. MB wasn't built just because of a desire to attract a new sport to the city it was also part of the Phillips Arena, Georgia World Congress Center complex both of which are adjacent to Centennial Park and the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca Cola Museum. MB and Phillips are also directly serviced by the local MARTA Rail network meaning no free shuttle buses were needed. It was honestly a poor choice to build Fulton County and Turner Field where they were built but that wasn't exactly in the control of the city government that was around in 2013. They invested in MB because it was part of a district that had already received an enormous amount of money and that has generated an enormous amount of revenue for the city. Truthfully the team should have had a stadium built in the area by Phillips and the Georgia Dome back in 1996 but it was felt that there wasn't enough room to do so. Ultimately a lot of the move to Cobb was driven by race relations in the city which have always been problematic at best. In fact the very reason WHY there isn't a MARTA train running out to the new stadium is because Cobb County flatly refused to participate in the MARTA system and fought being connected to it by train. One absolutely can not discuss the relocation of the team without delving into to the troubled history of race within the Atlanta Metro area. Much of the antagonism between the city and the franchise was a result of problems with race relations in the Atlanta Metro area. I'm not sure I agree that it "all worked out for the best" or that it was a "win-win" since it made Braves games more inaccessible for EVERYBODY but especially for economically disadvantaged people of all races. Traffic into the area for Truiest is every bit as terrible as it is on the downtown connector and parking remains an enormous problem for the area around the new park. Certainly the team is making money hand over fist there and the developers who built around the stadium clearly did as well. But it certainly didn't help the franchise connect with the fans throughout the metro region. I think the entire situation demonstrates the breakdown in communication between the franchise, the city and the fans and indicates that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to make Atlanta live up to it's motto "the city too busy to hate".

[@dbars201]

Well said!

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

@@dbars201 thanks. I spent two decades in Atlanta and still have friends that call the area home. I moved there in 92 just as the Braves were starting their dominate run and went to several games a year during most of the Bobby Cox era. I watched games in Fulton County and Turner, I drove to the stadium and parked, I took the free shuttle bus from Five points and I even walked to the stadium on occasion (especially for day games). I've also been to Phillips Arena and the old Omni that it replaced for both basketball games and concerts. I've spent time at Centennial Park and the Aquarium as well. In addition to all of that I spent about a year working in the Cumberland area around 2003-4 and I've been through that area many times on my way to and from Marietta from points south and east. Even 20 years ago with no stadium that interchange for 285 and 75 was an absolute sh!t show during rush hour and it's 10 times worse now without the addition of stadium traffic. I also spent a lot of time on the MARTA trains to downtown since a couple of the first jobs I ever had were down there and I lived in the northern part of the city. I never ever parked at Hartsfield when I flew either. If I couldn't get somebody to give me a ride to and from the airport I always parked at Brookhaven MARTA station and took the train to the airport. The point is I spent a lot of time traveling in Atlanta and attending events there and I think a lot of the people commenting or that make videos like this just don't. Either that or they are speaking from a place of bias that is a result of considerations that have nothing to do with sporting events or travel in the city.

[@josephgabello3214]

As a Mets fan that had been to turner field it was hard to get to as a tourist.

[@SmackYaMama]

It was literally in the middle of the city where 3 highways come together. There was also a shuttle from the nearest train station.

[@shivtim]

Do you think the new stadium is easy to get to as a tourist? It's even harder.

[@kapo2012fb]

It was easy for me .. They had a cheap hotel down the block from Turner

[@ugadawgs-ho8wd]

​@@shivtim Whaaaaat??? Not even remotely true

[@patrickglory5420]

If you think Turner was hard to get, Truist is much further from the airport, the busiest part of interstate congestion, and there is less parking from Turner. Also, transit still sucks!

[@joeg5414]

I live in Atlanta in 1991 when they got good. It was crazy. I remember being mad at my mom because she wouldn't let me get a tomahawk shaved in my hair. It was some special Supercuts was doing😂 Got to watch them play at Fulton County Stadium and Turner.

[@enigmathegrayman2953]

I visit the MLB parks around the country and I’ve been to Truist Park the first year the park was renamed from SunTrust Park. I stayed in downtown Atlanta and the bus ride to the ballpark from downtown wasn’t too bad.

[@brucebramlett6060]

Last two turner field games I attended my car was broken into. Stopped going until them moved north.

[@saldiven2009]

One funny part is that since the Braves organization moved out of the area, there has been massive amounts of development in the area.

[@shivtim]

Braves leaving was the best thing for the Summerhill neighborhood. Atlanta didn't fail the Braves, the Braves failed Atlanta.

[@saldiven2009]

@@shivtim What exactly was the Braves organization supposed to be doing down there? They didn't own anything. They even leased the stadium. The development going on in Summerhill today is the development the city promised the Braves for 20 years before the team decided to relocate. And, honestly, as much development as is going on in Summerhill, The Battery area was put together far faster, and I doubt Summerhill will ever get to where The Battery is. And, just as an FYI, I work for a lending institution that has been involved in financing the Summerhill developments, so I have actually been seeing the various development plans, time frames, etc. since the first rounds of the development started. There's nothing happening in the current development that couldn't have started happening around year 2000 if the city had wanted to promote the development. But, it was never a priority until the Braves organization said they were leaving. The only people to blame are ones in the Atlanta city hall.

[@saldiven2009]

@@shivtim But I don't agree that the Braves failed Atlanta like you said. Atlanta spent 20+ years failing to deliver on promises.

[@shivtim]

@@saldiven2009 Show me the promises? There were never any promises. The Braves are a horrible, greedy, racist organization. Good riddance to them. Summerhill and Atlanta are so much better now that they're gone. The Falcons, Atlanta United, and the Hawks are a million times better partners with the city.

[@yurp7643]

Gsu pushed that imo expect that school to continue to grow

[@dumpsterfirelife]

The traffic getting to and from Turner Field was absolutely demoralizing, especially for weeknight games if you had to work the next morning. I got to the point that I couldn't possibly have cared less if I ever saw another live game again. Unless you worked in the area around the stadium and were coming straight from work to the game, you would be lucky if you didn't miss a couple innings. The parking lots were horribly designed, and when leaving, there was a good chance you would spend more time in the gridlock trying to leave the lot than you would spend on the actual expressway. Even if they did put a Battery type development around Turner, it would have failed, or only seen decent business around the weekends.

[@nyckhenderson]

I hate going to truist park. Traffic is a nightmare. Parking is limited. No public transportation

[@cheeseborgors]

It's INSANE that the only public transportation to Truist Park is a commuter bus that runs *maybe* every 30 minutes

[@PatrickHenryLibertyorDeath]

Did you ever go to Fulton? Riding a bus to the game.

[@nyckhenderson]

@@PatrickHenryLibertyorDeath yes

[@mattmayer3636]

@@PatrickHenryLibertyorDeathtransportation was much easier at turner than at Truist and the parking was cheaper

[@Bobo-he1pt]

There’s like 3 parking decks next to the Cobb galleria. It’s like $20 one guy let me in for free once. Have to walk across the bridge but in less than 10-15 mins you’re in the battery

[@39tulane]

There was one other item the city had going on at the time and that was the streetcar project. Also, when one considers the heat map of where fans were living and originating their travels to Turner Field, driving to a MARTA rail station was part of the journey. That is because most of the fans are outside the MARTA service area. There is another conflict. The residents of summer hill wanted a say in how redevelopment took place and that may have…again may have played a factor too in Atlanta City Hall not seeking to add the stadium to its plate. Those who enjoy Truist Park will not go and vote for no rail transit to the park because it would not meet their daily commute. The job opportunities are too spread out to make transit separate from MARTA or extended from MARTA a feasible option especially without state funding to support multi billion dollar rail expansion.

[@kevinmccurry4624]

They allowed the people who owned the areas around Turner Field to put up apartments and Townhomes and didn’t act on the surrounding property. And the number one reason that they moved it is because of the complexion of the people who live there

[@BlackPeopleKillWhitePeopleTenT]

Their complexion and their predatory behavior.

[@hankhillsnrrwurethra]

I lived in ATL in the 90s. White Northsiders did not like going downtown, period. It frightened them. I was a Drivers Ed teacher a couple years. I'd take Northside kids downtown to get them practice. Typical conversation (this is verbatim): Kid: Wow, I've never been down here before. Me: Yeah? Where you from? Kid: Roswell.

[@changkwangoh]

Out of context wifi brought up in the middle of Turner Field discussion as if wifi was a thing when it was built. Bye pop.

[@battle4truth701]

Sjmmer Hill has thrived way more since tge braves left. Crazy enough. The stafium still gets some love. Heorgia state uses it and it still looks good driving by it. Even street signs still say Turner Field. As far as I know it Center Park Stadium now, bit still called Turner Field.

[@whitead25]

The braves made a business decision. But the downtown area had to be improved. Specifically the project housing many of which I grew up in.

[@trenthorne]

Truist is ok. The Battery is a collection of corporate chain bars and restaurants charging $15 for a draft beer. Been to a couple of concerts at Truist (which were horrible - sound is terrible and inconsistent) but never to a Braves game because it is so expensive. And if the parking at Turner Field was bad, Truist is worse - you can park, but it's about $40 minimum if you are within 2 miles of the stadium. By contrast, the Falcons stadium is easy to get to, there is a train station integrated and the concessions are reasonable. I get the Falcons suck compared to the Braves, but still.

[@MrLifeAfterCollege39]

I’m a born and raised native of Cobb Co. and I can tell you that this was a divorce that was needed for both sides. The east Cobb area is a hot bed for youth baseball and would make it so much easier for those kids and parents to go to games. Atlanta actually ended up using that space for GSU and revitalizing the neighborhood. Now the issue of gentrification of the areas is a whole other can of worms, but economically the move was something that benefited both the city of ATL and the Braves. P.S. ATL has remapped things to make that small section part of Atlanta, so technically the Braves are still in ATL 🙄.

[@Jbreezy1988]

That NordVPN ad got me. I was like WiFi didn’t exist back then. WatTF 😂😂😂. Yah got me. Well played…Driski voice

[@catastropheswithcam]

i live in a nearby city to cobb county called acworth and i regulary go to braves game my dad has raced the freeze,ive done the races on the field for teenagers its great bro!

[@parkerdavis7859]

Everyone benefitted from the Braves skipping to the next county over. My only hope for the future is that Truist Field, along with the Atlanta Metro area as a whole, seriously considers the creation of a revitalized subway system.

[@zackamania6534]

A true baseball fan doesn’t need an AMUSEMENT PARK to entice them to go to games. Thats for yuppies and little kids…

[@joemixon834]

The Battery has been a goldmine for the Braves

[@GizmoBeach]

Hell, let’s talk about how MLB (and the NFL) failed Atlanta’s teams for so long by making them fly cross-country for Division games for decades.

[@djtrankilo231]

Still amazed on how the Braves won so many NL West titles because of that

[@ktbeatty]

@@djtrankilo231 That’s because they didn’t. In 25 years they won 4 or 5. Most of their elite run came after they’d been relocated to the NL East. 18 division titles in NL East.

[@VL1975]

So basically the Turner Field area become black gentrified after the Braves left. GA State have a nice brand new stadium and can fill it with the locals. The Braves moved out to the white suburbs and got more fans that way. Seems to have worked out. Atlanta being a mainly black city didn't want the Braves. Clearly the Rays and A's need new stadiums but neither Tampa or Oakland will pay for them. I say if you took Mt. Davis off the Coliseum, it would be a great stadium again.

[@lukeguastaferro7962]

6:00, you mean upper middle class suburban white people? (Targeting Demographic) yes the decline of Non-Hispanic Black people in baseball is ever noticeable, but moving doesn’t help at all! especially since the Braves have Hank Aaron, Are you sure you’re not confused with what happened to the Thrashers of hockey? If the Braves stayed at Turner they would still get the All Star game in 2021 even with the controversial Governor, especially Hank Aaron, the name sake of the street, just passed

[@kjorlaug1]

Yes, rhe Falcons getting all that funding was a precipitating factor, but please don't be ignorant to the role of race and socio-economics in this.

[@Cohdiboi]

As a metro Atlanta resident and lifelong Braves fan, I am so thankful they moved. New stadium is so much more accessible and the overall experience is night and day.

[@connorjordan3551]

Turner was a great stadium, but right smack in the middle of crack houses and hundreds of vagrants. I used to park near the capital and walk 20 minutes to get there. It was very sketchy. The city never did anything for the Braves. Then, once they left, the city put up guns of money. The state did, too. Now, they are going to build a stadium for Georgia State baseball in the exact spot of Fulton County Stadium. The new stadium was originally called SunTrust. Which was a bank that merged into what became Truist.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

yup, last game I went to there in '97 I took 5 friends in my conversion van to see the Phillies, Braves lost 1-0 in 11 innings & my van was stolen! Been to Truist a few times, love that place much better even tho its an hour away from me {Covington}

[@brejackal]

Vagrants? You mean black Atlantians?

[@deepzone31]

"Public servants" can leverage state run educational institutions for crony kickbacks. Construction contracts and service provider contracts all have palms being greased behind the scenes to fatten pockets. They probably would have had a harder time doing that to a MLB team.

[@PatrickHenryLibertyorDeath]

Funny how the old Turner field is now a nice place thanks to Georgia State University and the demand for housing in the city.

[@deanburrows8355]

White privilege and a Don the Con fan girl

[@ratedhavok9808]

There was pretty much nothing to do around Turner field back in the day, truist has a great atmosphere built around it. The battery is basically the Braves saying “fine I’ll do it myself”

[@gt5133e]

what, LOL they had cobb county pay for it... and they get a piece of every penny of everything in the battery. LIberty media also stopped any and all development around turner because they would not control it or get a piece of it.

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

2 baseball stadiums and 2 football stadiums in 25 years. Madness.

[@barneyyoungjr5988]

Kasim turned around and gave the Hawks more money than the Braves were asking for.

[@richardlap2540]

Hmmmmm, let's see, NBA is predominantly BLACK! MLB is WHITE, DUH!!!

[@michaelcurtis1667]

There was also money the city council had approved for the Hawks and Falcons back in the 90s. The Braves weren’t part of that deal (for whatever reason). Reed actually said that a number of times plus there was an offer on the table for them to relocate to where the Dome was once it was gone and the Brave’s wanted to own everything around them and not share.

[@carymarshallfelton9188]

Summerhill and Atlanta United benefited the most from the Braves leaving.

[@steveworonko5307]

Yes, they may have only been at Turner Field for ~20yrs, but the way this makes it sound is that they weren't across the street for 30yrs. So they were almost at the same location for 50yrs. The area was a redlined area and developers didn't help that. The traffic situation isn't any better at Truist, because now traffic in that part of Cobb is worse than before. Public transportation isn't any better there. Since the Braves moved, now there's a shopping center, bars and restaurants. Another thing not mentioned is Atlanta is a fair weather fan city. When you go to sporting events here, some games, the away team has as many fans as the Atlanta teams. There's way too many issues to simplify which is how Atlanta likes it.

[@ghowardgilbert2281]

I attended an Opening Day game at Turner Field and was surprised by the lack of attendance. As a lifelong Tigers fan, who has attended many Opening Days at both Tiger Stadium and Comerica, I was shocked by the stark contrast of festivities (or rather the lack of) associated with the event. Even around Comerica, there is a large safe “walkable” area (we have walked from Comerica to Nemo’s near old Tiger Stadium after an opening day).

[@SleepyGrapes]

As someone who is from Atlanta the biggest difference between the Braves and the falcons and the reason the falcons got the new stadium in the city and the Braves didn’t is because aurthur blanc actually marketed the team to the black people of the city, while the Braves have never cared about catering to the black fans and that quote that this guy said about the Braves “moving closer to their fanbase” they were pretty much saying the quiet part out loud. I love going to the battery and Braves games but anyone who’s lived in this city knows that the fact that Turner field was in a mostly black neighborhood was the reason there wasn’t a lot of development, and the suburban white people who buy most of the Braves tickets didn’t want to be in that area

[@ChromePalace]

Black people don't care about baseball

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

This, black people don't care about baseball for the most part and the sport in general hasn't done a good job of marketing to them. Maybe marketing is the wrong word, MLB has done a poor job of getting black people interested and watching the sport. Also this goes back to Atlanta being an EXTREMELY segregated city/region.

[@jacobstrouble6631]

This is bs. The Braves left Turner Field because they wanted all the revenue and the city told them hell no. So they coerced the residences in Cobb County - who didn't get to vote on it because the politicians already said yes - to agree that the Braves would own all the revenue sales and Cobb County would only get the retail surrounding the stadium which is the exact same excuse they're using to move from Turner Field when it was never important to them. Then Cobb County residents started shitting on everybody saying the Braves wanted to be closer to their "fan base". You all know what that means. So even when the Braves won the WS, nobody really gave a shit about it in Atlanta.

[@nyckhenderson]

100. Their fanbase is mostly white up middle class. They didn't want them to come to the black community

[@JuneBaby01]

well said...

[@matthewpirkel2922]

@@JuneBaby01 hahaha

[@dandrecollier800]

@@matthewpirkel2922 I'm curious, what's so funny about that?

[@arshpreetkaur2006]

I want to appreciate the hardwork that is put into your videos - research, audio, video editing and so much more. Everything is top quality. Keep it up!

[@KosSports]

I actually helped work on this stadium whne I was Co-oping in college. I remember when they told me why the Braves move. But I didn't realize what all has been developed around Centre Parc now!

[@TheBlackEsquire]

You failed to mention that the Cobb County politician that was instrumental in the stadium deal lost reelection. Truist (Originally Suntrust) Park wasn't popular in the beginning. I believe that the county just started to receive a profit in 2023-2024.

[@Caleb0677]

I grew up in the Tallahassee Florida area and was most of my life a rabid Braves fan. I now live in Cobb County and have since before the Braves moved to Cobb County. Since the new stadium opened, I've been to two games, and I no longer even watch baseball for a variety of reasons. But the fact that as citizens of Cobb County we never had a say one way or the other on the matter was a huge turn off for me.

[@Beatza925Ent]

7:40 What really happened is that Falcons and Braves (Braves AFTER Blank got his money) hit the Mayor up in an election year. No mayor is going to win an election by telling the citizens he's going to raise taxes for new stadiums. The city decided to tax the hotels to fund the Benz stadium, that way it would technically be funded by tourists. That was a smart investment bc the Soccer team and potential world cup would bring million to Atlanta. Braves then came behind and requested money when there was no money to give. Which seemed to be a PA move bc they were already planning to move to Cobb.

[@Cohdiboi]

5:40 “an unwalkable neighborhood” “Demographic didn’t align” Turner Field was in the ghetto. Just say it.

[@alabamaal225]

Getting to and from Turner Field took a lot of determination. Parking was scarce - and, of course, expensive. The bus services before and after the games were the pits. And, as the video pointed out, there wasn't much in terms of services outside the stadium. In short, it was a failure of logistics and it was enough to sour all but the most dedicated fans. I believe if Atlanta had built a spur of the MARTA train system to Turner Field it would have gone a long way to increase attendance. MARTA has two stations to serve Mercedes-Benz Stadium (and the Georgia Dome before it). Trains have been shown to be much superior than a fleet of buses in moving crowds.

[@robertfanuzzi2206]

Superb reporting and even better debate in the comments!

[@Bryan-v4y5i]

The Atlanta Braves address is still in Atlanta. It’s merely in a different, less corrupt county.

[@chiprue]

I think wgn Chicago broadcasted the braves also

[@jamezgene6030]

slipped in the nord VPN so smooth, I had to respect it. You got me...

[@Everym4n]

Unfortunately you missed one of the biggest keys to this move: money. Not only did the braves get a new stadium but they control all of the surrounding district and directly make money from it. They wanted a similar deal from Atlanta and couldn't get it. I agree the city should have worked harder to keep them, but this was a money grab plain and simple by Liberty Media. Also, agree that it is an absolute nightmare to get to and from the park on game days. Parking is expensive and there are zero public transportation options (even worse than turner). Only option for people without cars is a $40+ Uber each way.

[@NOAH13064]

i loved both stadiums even having a big sticker put over my wall of a game of the 2010 nlds at turner field and i even have Freddie freeman's last homerun hit in turner field but i just like truist parks aesthetics and modern look way more and watching them win a world series for the first time in my life a couple years ago was amazing go braves

[@swalker1517]

Traffic, neighborhood, and Mercedes are what ended Turner Field.

[@shivtim]

You forgot racism

[@nijoelgreene851]

The Battery is about 15 mins from me, they did right to move to Cobb County

[@ericcollins8794]

Explain why the hawks and falcons in still in the city but not the braves

[@buzztp5119]

Atlanta didn't fail the Braves. I live here this city supported the team for years when they were a joke. When the new owners took over they wanted to move the team out to the suburbs, and they used crime around the stadium as an excuse. The new stadium has just as many car break-ins and robberies as the old one because there is no parking close to the stadium and you have to leave you vehicle a mile away. If was the mayor of Atlanta I would stop them using the name because they failed the city of Atlanta and left after all the city did for the team and it was not right. I would make them stop calling themselves Atlanta and make them use another name. By the way several people went to jail because of the crooked way they got the money for the new stadium in Smyrna Ga.

[@gt5133e]

yeah I think this guy is working for liberty media

[@wandameadows5736]

Atlanta didn't fail the Braves. Braves are a Public Corporation traded on the Market & Government shouldn't be using Taxpayer money to fund Professional Sports Organizations.

[@langstonjackson8365]

The Braves only recently went public, at the time of the move they were completely private

[@BigsmokeATL]

New ownership did not want to remain in summerhill. They gave up on the community there . The battery feels like a shopping plaza in a undesirable area to the rest of Atlanta

[@danielbenavides1906]

I live 3 miles away from the Battery. Even though I would have liked the Braves to remain in Atlanta, you cannot say the move hasn’t been a success.

[@hornetfan10]

1.there was plenty of parking at turner field. 2. they had shuttle busses from the trains to the busses.

[@KirkandRA]

I loved Turner Field but the parking at times was sketchy. The Truist Stadium and the Battery is awesome

[@glocksafari]

Never thought I’d see my house on a YT video 😅

[@rils3]

To be clear, I watched ALOT of games at Turner field. And they left for sure because the crime around the field and car break ins during games. That was absolutely why they moved.

[@West_Endian205]

They want to use the name 'Atlanta' but don't wanna be associated with the city of Atlanta 🤦🏾‍♂️ Locals should fight for a name change.