Sports play an indispensable duty in the culture and economy of Atlanta, GA. With a wide variety of sports teams, there is some thing for everyone. Whether you are a fan of baseball, football, basketball, soccer, golf, or even MMA, Atlanta delivers.
Until the Milwaukee Braves became the Atlanta Braves and the NFL passed over the Falcons, Atlanta could hardly have been considered a sports destination. This 1960’s era surge of pro league teams calling Atlanta home transformed the formerly college-centric emphasis to a more wide love of sports. Now, however, the city is a genuine sports hub in the South, encouraging fans of various loyalties to congregate in (relative) harmony. Between the adored major league teams and the well-loved college teams, sports presents many Atlanta natives something in common.
Cheering for their favorite team isn’t the only reason Atlantans love sports so much. Being the most extensive post-grad destination for SEC and AAC schools coupled along with the fact that the Braves by themselves brought in 267 million us dollars in revenue in 2014 means that Atlanta sports offers a major economic boost. In 2013, the Atlanta Falcons raked in 57 million in income. While significantly less than the Braves, 57 million is nothing to sneeze at.
Let’s not overlook the Atlanta Silverbacks, our resident professional soccer team. While not as extensively commemorated as the Braves and Falcons, soccer fans do not let anyone forget our stake in Major League Soccer.
As one of one of the most vital cities in the southeast, Atlanta not only brags of productive baseball and football pro league teams, but also of many other sport fields. One of the biggest sports amenities in Atlanta is The Atlanta Speedway. NASCAR fans get together every Labor Day to watch the Sprint Cup. The Speedway attracts nearly 200,000 fans per event. If you’re from the South you recognize how very seriously we take NASCAR races.
For those who like wrestling over field and court sports, Atlanta is home to MMA fighters like Clay “Heavy Metal Harvison”, Raphael Assuncao, and world renowned Muay Thai champion Khunpon Dechkampu.
Professional golf fans will not be disappointed with the major golf events locateded in Atlanta every year. The TOUR Championship backed by Coca-Cola draws in many followers from all over the world.
Regardless of which mode of sports you are an extreme fan of (or if you just enjoy participating in the tail gate action) Atlanta has more than enough alternatives to select from.