The first sit-down yesterday between the Braves and incoming Cobb County (Ga.) Commission Chair Mike Boyce "was successful," despite the fact that Boyce's campaign targeted his predecessor's "ethically questionable" moves in bringing in the Braves, according to front-page piece by the MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL. Among those present at the Braves' office near SunTrust Park were Braves Chair & CEO Terry McGuirk, Vice Chair John Schuerholz and Exec VP/Business Operations Mike Plant. Despite potential awkardness, Boyce said he came away "with a much better idea" of what the Braves will try to accomplish in their new ballpark. Plant said the meeting went "really well." Plant: "It was really good, good communication (and) good cooperation all around." Traffic congestion on highways near the ballpark has been "one of the biggest concerns hovering over the project," and the Braves "haven't released their entire parking plan yet." But Boyce said, "I didn't form any opinions about the parking and the traffic. It’s way too early for that. ... They showed me what they’ve accomplished so far, and they said they’re still working on other options." Boyce said that the meeting was a "learning experience for both parties." Boyce: "They got to know me for the first time, and I got to see them face to face and listen to their briefs." Plant said that the next phase of the parking plan "will be released later this year with the final piece unveiled sometime in the first quarter" (MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL, 8/16).
A TALE OF TWO CANDIDATES: In Atlanta, Lutz & Trubey note Mayor Kasim Reed, who backed the Falcons' Mercedes-Benz Stadium project, "coasted to re-election," while former Cobb County Commission Chair Tim Lee, who supported the Braves' SunTrust Park move, was "buried" by Boyce in a runoff last month. Lutz & Trubey ask, "Why were the political outcomes for Reed and Lee so different?" Elected officials, sports economists and political observers said that an "absence of transparency and a Cobb electorate who wanted a say in the deal played the biggest roles in Lee’s fall" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/13).
