Falcons Owner Arthur Blank on Wednesday “laid out his case for a new stadium with a retractable roof that could open in five years,” according to John Manasso of FS SOUTH. Speaking at the team’s annual “State of the Falcons” meeting with season-ticket holders at the Buckhead Theatre, Blank said that a new stadium “could help to attract a Major League Soccer franchise, help the city host Super Bowls, as well as become a potential site for World Cup soccer games.” He spoke “for several minutes to update fans,” but asked fans “not to ask questions on the subject during a question-and-answer session.” Blank: “I can give you examples, many examples, a lot of the existing events that if we didn’t get a new stadium in the next five, 10, 15 years, we would not be a player. The governor (Nathan Deal) understands that, we certainly understand that and the authority understands it, as well. So that’s one challenge is to get the stadium done.” Atlanta last hosted a Super Bowl in ‘00, and the city and the Falcons “have bid to host games since then, but never won.” Blank said that the team “explored the option of a two-stadium solution" with the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, "continuing to operate the Georgia Dome alongside a new open-air facility." But "together they decided on a one-stadium solution.” Blank also “shed some light on the preferences of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.” Blank: “Believe me, we were not in love with the retractable roof. Our preference was to play in an open-air stadium.” He added Goodell “felt open-air is the way football should be played, it’s very traditional in the Southeast” (FOXSPORTSSOUTH.com, 5/17).
