INSIDE PITCH: Despite loss of Thrashers, Atlanta remains a diverse sports town

Before the first cardboard box was filled at the Thrashers facilities in preparation for their impending relocation to Winnipeg, the national sports media had already begun killing Atlanta as a “sports town.” No surprise. We’ve lost two hockey franchises in 30 years, and media types are trained to judge first and broadcast immediately thereafter. Accuracy and thoughtfulness have become woefully obsolete in the electronic era.

The “voices” on our screens, radio and, sometimes even in print, are wrong. Atlanta is a great sports town. To support this very unscientific proclamation, I’m not using measureable metrics like stadium size, world championships, etc. Since those rankings always add wiggle room for “editorial control,” anyway. I’ll just use some common sense and a keep an eye on the big picture.

First, let’s address the Thrashers’ exodus. Did anyone really want them to leave town? Absolutely not. But, their departure should not be an embarrassment. Thrashers fans were once passionate, loyal and plentiful. After a few years of poor draft picks and acquisitions, the fans simply became impatient. After a few more years, most fans got angry. Why would any fan with a discretionary dollar and a day-off support that product? Sports fans in Atlanta made a good choice to look in other places for their fix.

The foundation of our status as a premier sports town starts at the prep and youth level. High school sports here are among the nation’s best. Per capita, you can’t find better college football prospects in any state. There’s more than enough talent for Tech and Georgia. The most famous and celebrated travel baseball program in the country is local, East Cobb Baseball, and the Jackets and Dogs hoops programs would’ve been better if the likes of Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Louis Williams –all NBA players from around Atlanta– ever put on college uniform.

Coke, Home Depot, Delta and UPS are all Atlanta based. This makes the area an attractive destination for graduates of all the SEC and ACC schools, not to mention other schools nationwide. One reason our pro sports teams sometimes get overshadowed is because the fervor of the college rivalries. Anyone compiling a national list of great sports towns can’t understand the fiery debates over the best college sports in the southeast that are held non-stop at water coolers, swimming pools, church picnics and watering holes if they haven’t lived here. Because of our location, fans and alumni can leave Atlanta Saturday morning and arrive on a campus at lunchtime to begin their “pre-game” rituals at Tech, UGA, Auburn, Clemson, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, etc. We also host great preseason and postseason football match-ups in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff and the Chick-fil-a Bowl thanks to the Cathy family.

Professional sports teams obviously make up a piece of the subjective pie when talking about sports meccas as well. Thrashers aside, we’re in great shape (minus a couple of championships). Arthur Blank’s bankroll and leadership (not necessarily in that order) have helped the Falcons become consistent winners. Somehow, the Hawks have been postseason relevant for several years and should be for the near future. The Braves are simply a model of how to run a franchise on a moderate budget. We’ve also got the AAA G-Braves in Lawrenceville.

Our pro sports aren’t limited to team sports. Great golf is played annually at Augusta and East Lake with the Masters and the Tour Championship, respectively. In August, the Atlanta Athletic Club will host another major: the PGA Championship. The overflowing tennis community gets their pro sports fix when the ATP Tour comes to town annually. The less refined are not forgotten. Between Hampton south of town, and Talladega an hour and a half west, NASCAR fans have three chances a year to “watch ‘em turn left.”

All of the above doesn’t include my favorite part about Atlanta as sports town: There are ample opportunities for sports addicts that often display more enthusiasm than expertise. Golf courses are everywhere and tee-times are precious. The Peachtree Road Race is the biggest 10K in the world. Adult recreational sports in Atlanta are often less organized, but even more visible than in other places. For example, drive around the metro area on a Sunday. Those guys laughing and playing soccer on the converted tennis courts, they help make Atlanta a great sports town.

Here are a couple of reasons other big cities can’t be great sports towns:

Boston – It’s now been overplayed, but have you seen the guy with the factory-faded Red Sox cap? If you’ve heard this guy coming in your direction, you probably went the other way to avoid seeing him.

New York – They invented the trend of franchises looking for greener pastures. See the Brooklyn Dodgers and San Francisco Giants as examples. And, the best playground high school hoops talent ever, Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played his college ball as far from “the city” as he could get.

Chicago – Go watch About Last Night starring Demi Moore (pre-implants). Watch the softball scenes. The guys play softball with ball the size of a volleyball and James Belushi hits a home run. If Belushi hits a home run in your city, it ain’t a good sports town.

Los Angeles – Unless you count USC, they don’t even have a pro football team. Pittsburgh is a cute story; downtrodden economy, fat guys drinking Iron City beer and all the pro teams uniforms have matching colors. But, who epitomizes the sports teams in that town? Georgia native Hines Ward.

I love Atlanta as a sports town, with or without an underachieving hockey franchise. I’m fine going out and playing a game of softball or hoops, a round of golf, taking a long run, or coaching my kids. Afterwards, I’ll find a cold beverage in a sports bar or in front of a friend’s big screen, watch the Braves and talk about my favorite sports town – Atlanta.