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Atlanta’s two failed NHL franchises, most recently with the Thrashers, make it difficult to envision a hockey return.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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ATLANTA
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Income profile (annual):
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■ Household median: $60,219
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■ Household, 60th percentile: $73,838
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■ Household, 80th percentile: $117,029
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■ Median, family of four: $83,240
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■ Discretionary, family of four (rank): $19,352 (32nd)
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■ MSA population (rank): 5.71 million (9th)
■ Since 2010: +8 percent
■ Major pro teams: Falcons, Braves, Hawks and United FC (begins play in 2017)
■ Nearest NHL team: Nashville Predators (250 miles)
■ TV teams: Predators, Carolina Hurricanes
■ TV households (rank): 2.39 million (9th)
■ Metro GDP (rank): $339.2 billion (10th)
■ Fortune 1000 HQs (rank): 26 (10th)
■ Employment profile: The MSA has almost 2.5 million jobs, with a 48 percent higher concentration of computer and math jobs than found nationally and a 30 percent over-index in business and financial operations jobs. Management occupations over-index by 27 percent.
■ Places to play: The MLS expansion Atlanta United FC begins play in 2017 in a retractable-roof stadium built for the Falcons. Because the MLS season opens before the stadium, the team will play some games at Georgia Tech. Philips Arena seated 18,545 for hockey when the NHL Thrashers played there from 1999 to 2011.
— Bill King
Appraisal
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“Oh, Atlanta. Hear me calling. I’m coming back to you one fine day. No need to worry.”
That’s what Bad Company sang decades ago. Do you remember the next line?
“There ain’t no hurry.”
At this point, there probably isn’t.
Atlanta has perplexed and frustrated team owners and marketing executives for decades. The Braves, Falcons and Hawks — and especially the two NHL franchises that came and went — all sustained prolonged periods of difficulty in a market that has looked better on paper than it has performed.
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In terms of population, TV market and corporate base, Atlanta shapes up as a five-team market. Its GDP would rank near the top of the four-team markets. Of the six U.S. markets that have three teams, it is the only one that profiles as being clearly sufficient to host a fourth.
And yet, since losing the NHL’s Thrashers in 2011 to Winnipeg — a metro area nearly 10 times smaller that professed 100 times more interest in hockey — Atlanta has been home to only three major teams. MLS will make it four next year. But it’s difficult to envision anyone in hockey singing “I’m on my way back to Georgia” any time soon.
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