Arena team back in cozier setting
Gwinnett site might add to Force's home-field edge

By CURTIS BUNN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 09/13/07

There will be concerts and other events at Gwinnett Arena. But whatever comes through the building will only be visiting, for it's home to the Georgia Force again.

"Back where they belong," Force fanatic Erik Richards said Wednesday after the official announcement of the 10-year lease for the team to play its Arena Football League games there. "That place looks like it was built for arena football."

Team officials outlined a checklist of factors for the move from the 18,000-plus-seat Philips Arena, where it had played for three years, back to the Gwinnett Arena. The Force played one season in Gwinnett before owner Arthur Blank moved them downtown.

Among the factors, according to general manager Dick Sullivan, was that playing in an 11,200-seat arena made for a more cozy environment, thereby creating more of a home-field advantage.

"It's important to have a jam-packed building," he said. "It puts us on par with all the other teams in the league."

Matt Kunkel, a Force fan who lives in north Cobb County, plans to make the drive to attend games next season.

"Just from an arena-size standpoint, it's where they should be," Kunkel said. "I'm disappointed that it didn't work out downtown. It's a little longer drive for me, about 20 more minutes. But I'll make the drive because I'm a Force fan and I love the game. And Gwinnett Arena will serve the purpose well."

Richard Tucker, president of the Gwinnett County Convention and Visitors Bureau, pointed out that Force tickets at Gwinnett Arena start at $9 and there is free parking, a deal he called "better than going to the movies."

The proximity of the parking lot to the arena permits expansive tailgating, which was minimal at Philips Arena.

The Force start their season-ticket campaign today with newspaper ads and will continue to aggressively reach out to potential fans throughout the year.

"The real fan base is in Gwinnett," Richards said. "The arena is great. Put it like this: If you go to a club that holds 500 people and there are 495 in there, you're going to feel like it's jumping and stay there. Then you take those same 495 people and go to another club that's much bigger, and it doesn't have the same feel.

"That's how it was at Philips. Coming back home, where the Force belongs, gives us that packed house that our team deserves."

Can you believe all the bitching going on over on the OMB?!!! One guy is bailing b/c of a 45 min drive! What a wuss! That's a minimum of what it took us to get to the Phil. You wanna talk about a fair weather fan well there's the perfect picture for one. Welcome to Atlanta.

About 80% of the time I can't even get on the OMB. <_<

Seems when things go ape shit for the Falcons or Vick farts, the board crashes...... :toilet:

Tried to get that webmaster dude over here, but he says he must be dedicated to Mr Blank and help increase traffic on the Official boards........ :blink:

I brought that up as a comparsion.

Fans?

I just don't know.........

:dunno:

Lemme go over there and see what I can 45v6v

:lol:

On the Falcons board he talked about how he just got back from his trip to Jacksonville. If I still lived in Marietta, I probably wouldn't be overly excited about the drive to the GC, but I'm pretty sure I'd get over quickly. I suppose I have a different perspective than these fair weather panzies.

For fucks sake...I drove and hour and a half each way to see 5 Wranglers games.

After 45 minutes last night I still couldn't get on the OMB....... 6g65dd

I'm guessing all the Leftwick talks jammed them up again and those wild ass jockeys that know it all were ranting and raving about him replacing JH.

Regardless, on average, it was a 45 minute ride to the Phil last season, and it will be a little longer next season (because of the construction work), but we'll make the trip.

I'm sure with the new marketing that will come along with the move there won't be any un-sold seats and someone somewhere will take his place. We also won't be able to "roam the stands" as in the past.

What's the latest on the buckets????? Any news?

And btw FF27, good to see you back around over here. Do me a fav. Since you're out in Tx, if anything interesting pops up, post it. Unlike the OMB this is all things arena. If it's news, we wanna know.

That's what I'm talking about driving an hour and half just to support the AFL, FF27 you are the man.

The dude complaining about the 45 min drive, but that is the difference in a Falcon fan and a true Force Fan. I beat he will drive to Flowery Branch when the Falcon build their new home there.

Blank is going to build the next Falcon's stadium at Flowery Branch?! I find that really hard to believe. That would be like putting the Force in Cleveland. :lol:

Hey, we can all dream. I was just saying that if the Falcons had a field in Flowery Branch that the guy complaining about driving 45 miles would still drive more just to see his Falcons. But that same distance is to far to support the Force.

Maybe someone could pick me upon the their way to the Gwin. Heck, I'd even be willing to walk to the front of the neighborhood on Meadow Church to make it easier. Just doing my part with carpooling and to alleviate traffic conjestion. :)

Seriously though, I won't be too hard on the whiners, except when they make idiotic comments like D-Blatt(a/k/a Joe Hamilton's jock sniffer). The irony is that most of the whining is from Force "fans" who never went to a game until they got their Falcon freebies to a game at the Phil. My only gloating comes from the fact that I said it was a bad move at the time........and they have finally agreed and are correcting the situation.

I am looking forward to the first home game and the tailgating..........I'm thinking of walking up to Vinny's to order a pizza ($12), walking across the street to Kroger to pick up some adult beverages ($12), strolling across the street to the parking lot at the Gwin and asking the poster f/k/a 3rd and Vick, "How was the trip from Acworth"(priceless) ;)

Look for the Falcons in their new stadium at I-285 and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard around 2012-13 as part of a mixed use development like Atlantic Station on the site of the GM plant.............adjacent to the Doraville Marta Station and access to I-85, I-285 and Peachtree Industrial. Also, not far from GA 400 and accessible by Gwinnett County Transit. Parking / Tailgating will also be plentiful.

Y'know if they build a stadium there I might, just might actually attend games/events more than twice a year like I do at the Dome. Parking there sucks. Driving there sucks. It stinks. It's dirty. Everything around it is run down. It's a more dangerous neighborhood if you're not there during an event. Same goes for Philips.

Gawd I'm glad we're going back to the Fortress!

You know what...some of these assholes would complain if the Force wanted to play in their backyard. I swear.

Now Emmitt is saying he's otta here because his seats will be in the 6th row instead of the second row. What the fuck is that?

Some of the folks need to STFU!

Dane, are you Seamus76 on the other board? He has your profile.