The very first Atlanta United FC Round Table

There’s been a lot written about Atlanta United FC regarding the name, the branding, and whether it will be supported by both fans of soccer and other sports. Will this be a team that unites the city or a niche club enjoyed by a small member of the population?

To get a better impression of how Atlanta United will be received on the local sports scene, we asked a few writers for their expert opinions.

• Jason Kirk – SBNation College Football editor
• Michael Bird – SBNation.com
• Benjamin Tankersley – Managing Editor of From the Rumble Seat (Georgia Tech)
• Jason Walker – Managing Editor of Peachtree Hoops (Atlanta Hawks)
• David Choate – Managing Editor of The Falcoholic (Atlanta Falcons)
• Demetrius Bell – Managing Editor of Talking Chop (Atlanta Braves)

In part one of this round table discussion, we talked general reactions and whether they plan on supporting Atlanta’s newest soccer team.

What was your reaction to Atlanta getting a soccer team?

Jason Kirk: Neither Birmingham nor New Orleans has one, so pretty happy. It’s good for a sports fan such as myself and great for the city, an extremely diverse one. Also soccer is a fun and future-proof sport, meaning we’ll still have a kind of football once the NFL evaporates in a courtroom in 20 years. Hooray!

Michael Bird: I was pleased because this city is certainly large and diverse enough to support one. One need only go to one of the numerous soccer bars in the city to see that there is passion for the sport. My excitement was tempered by the stadium plan, which goes against everything that MLS has been doing over the course of its history. While most teams have figured out that a smaller, soccer-specific stadium generates the best atmosphere, Atlanta United are going to be playing in a huge NFL stadium with no plans to do anything else. Maybe the use of curtains and such will be enough to make the place feel smaller, but I’m skeptical.

Benjamin Tankersley: My first thought was that it’s about time. The city of Atlanta has tried a few different sports without a much luck (with the exception of a few seasons), but more often than not, these teams haven’t been good. But they’ve been there (even if we don’t have hockey anymore). With soccer becoming increasingly more popular, it was only a matter of time before Atlanta started an MLS team. Sure, we’ve got the Silverbacks, but they don’t quite bring the excitement of having a major league team in your city. It’s the same way with baseball. Sure, it’s nice to have a minor league team close to you, but if you have the option to go watch the Gwinnett Braves or the Atlanta Braves (price having no influence), most people are going to take the Atlanta Braves. So, like most of the rest of the state, I was excited to hear that Atlanta was getting an MLS team.

Jason Walker: I am all for Atlanta having pro sports teams for the major sports which, worldwide, soccer definitely qualifies. So getting a pro soccer/futbol team is exciting to see and I’ll be a big fan from the jump.

David Choate: It’s great. Soccer’s a global sport, America’s starting to really embrace it, and Atlanta is such a varied city that you have to figure the appeal will be there.

Demetrius Bell: As a soccer fan who routinely wake up early on weekends to catch the Premier League, a neutral fan of MLS for a few years now, and a Football Manager aficionado, it’s safe to say that I’m ridiculously excited about our city getting a top-tier soccer team.

Do you think you’re going to support the team?

Jason Kirk: I’m a super amateur soccer fan, despite efforts to change that, but certainly. Looking forward to going a couple times a year and not understanding any of the roster management stuff.

Michael Bird: Yes. I haven’t gotten into MLS primarily because I don’t have a rooting interest. I have been a Barca fan since 1997 (thank a great four-day stretch while backpacking in Europe, as well as the original, not-yet-fat Ronaldo), so I haven’t an emotional need for a soccer rooting interest in the US. And with the advent of the Internet and Broadband cable, it’s as easy to follow a team in Europe as it is to follow a team in this country. That said, having an Atlanta team changes things because now I have a team to support. One open question for me is whether AUFC will have a proper rival. There isn’t going to be a proximate MLS team, so the normal options – Charlotte, Nashville, New Orleans, and the State of Florida – are off the table. So much of sports fandom is about being against something, so I want to know whom I am going to hate. Birmingham City (Central Time Zone edition) would be great.

Benjamin Tankersley: Absolutely! I started following soccer a little in high school in my German class when we had to do research on different Bundesliga teams, and then we also had the World Cup last year and now the Gold Cup this year. Now that I’m starting to watch more soccer and learn more about the sport, I’m starting to enjoy it so much more. And now that I’m about to have a hometown team to root for in the MLS, you can bet that I’m going to support them.

Jason Walker: Absolutely — I always want Atlanta to shine in the brightest possible light, whether that’s the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Dream, whoever.

David Choate: I’m not an Atlanta native or a big soccer guy, so not so much, myself. Glad to see it for the city, though.

Demetrius Bell: Again, I’ve been waiting for this for a pretty long time, now. I’m already counting the minutes until First Kick 2017.

Stay tuned for Part II of our roundtable which deals with branding and how popular the team will be in Atlanta.