And by “city,” I think you all know what we mean:
I just got back from Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s press conference on the Braves’ move to a transportation-challenged site in Cobb County, and will have a lot more to say on that later. But I can’t let this pass without notice:
Joe Dendy, chairman of the Cobb County Republican Party, says that he has two conditions for supporting the Braves’ proposed move(h/t Jim Galloway):
1.) That Cobb County citizens won’t have to pay higher taxes as a result, and
2.)“It is absolutely necessary the (transportation) solution is all about moving cars in and around Cobb and surrounding counties from our north and east where most Braves fans travel from, and not moving people into Cobb by rail from Atlanta.”
I don’t know how, exactly, this knob plans to check the residency of every single attendee of a baseball game, to make sure that only people from the north and west are there. Maybe they could be forced to have their papers checked at the gates, and if they’re from Atlanta, or look like they’re from Atlanta IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, they could just be shipped back home. Where they belong.
It’s this kind of thing that makes me laugh every time someone talks about how Republicans understand business, because: Attracting people from other areas to spend money in your town’s restaurants and stores is kind of how you make money at owning those things. Along comes this asshole, saying no, your money isn’t green, and you’re an alien who wouldn’t, for example, buy a beer after a game, so we don’t need you.
A.
Maybe the Braves can hire Trent Lott as GM. He can tell us we could have avoided “all those problems” if we’d only listened to Strom Thurmond back in 1948, instead of allowing Branch Rickey to…you know.
And he can insist he’s not being a racist for saying so.
In fairness, although I think leaving Turner is a dumbass idea, this ignorant comment was made by a Cobb County pol, not by anyone affiliated with the Braves.
And opposition to MARTA lines and extensions has dogged Atlanta transit since Day 1. No white enclave wanted a MARTA line anywhere near it because they didn’t want any scary blah people coming near their homes. (I guess they figured the maids could take the bus.)
I think the solution here is for Braves fans to pony up and buy the team,
keep it in Turner and run it like the fans run the Green Bay Packers.
Yeah. That would be socialism, but how is that a problem?
It’s probably gonna have to take something like that to pry the Cowboys out
of Jerry’s cold numb fingers (and get us a decent support system for Tony
Romo and Jason Whitten. WTF were they thinking, no ground game???)
What’s the Braves’ fan-base size? Would it cost more than a $7 contribution
per fan to buy out the dirtbags who are pulling this stunt?
I wouldn’t be surprised if community ownership isn’t allowed under MLB rules. Green Bay was/is granted an exception by the NFL.
Don’t know if that’s ever been challenged in court, but am guessing it would be difficult, particularly given the makeup of most federal benches.
Oh, and my bad on Braves v. Cobb County pol, Lex. Maybe I should have said Lott could be official lobbyist for the county.
That said, the Braves demanding a new stadium when Turner Field’s not even two decades old is…sadly typical. I read the Falcons are doing the same re: the Georgia Dome.
Hard to believe I’m citing Jesse Ventura, but once I saw/heard him flat out refuse to join the “we need a new stadium” chorus re: The HHH Metrodome.
Are you sure this wasn’t copied from the Onion?????
First, imagine all the people coming to Cobb County and spending money which goes into the Cobb County Economy.
2) The one big problem with a stadium is the horror of all the traffic. Anything which makes it easy for the fans to get to the game is a good thing.
3) If Cobb County hasn’t noticed, in Atlanta many blacks have become part of the economic elite. I would hope that any plans to move the Braves runs into the reality that this racist statement is a slap in the face to many economically elite folks.
4) along with what Lex was saying, when MARTA was officially voted in (and I heard it for decades) MARTA was said to stand for “Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta”.
@BlackSheepOne:
The situation with the Packers will never, ever occur again in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, etc. The owners have vowed to block any moves by cities, counties, or states from buying a franchise. Period. End of story.
@MichaelF – Falcons and GeorgiaDome – You’ve gotta be kidding. I thought when Atlanta got the Olympics and built all the new sports venues (at the expense of tearing down many, many traditionally poor neighborhoods, BTW) – that this was gonna keep everyone satisfied for many, many, decades.
Now it was good enough for the Olympics but not good enough for the Falcons??????
America is supposed to be the country where the only color that matters is green, but Negroes, back when there were Negroes, quickly learned that there were other colors that mattered more.