United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium transforming Atlanta’s sports

The external view of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The new stadium, built at a cost of Sh160 billion, is home to Major League Soccer side Atlanta United and Major League Football’s Atlanta Falcons. PHOTO | ELIAS MAKORI |

What you need to know:

  • Through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the tycoon has committed $37 million (Sh3.7 billion) towards community transformation that seeks to give back to society by “investing in the next generation, catalyzing social change and advancing the arts.”
  • The foundation, which was formed in 1995, has already invested $360 million (Sh36 billion) in early childhood development, education, the arts and community transformation.

Last Sunday, history was made here in Atlanta when the home football (soccer as the Americans call it) franchise, Atlanta United, qualified for continental action, barely two years after the team’s formation.

Coached by former Argentina and Barcelona manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino, United extinguished German star Bastian Schweinsteiger’s Chicago Fire 2-1 to cement their position at the top of the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference with 69 points.

The points tally is the highest in the history of the MLS, and United still have one regular season game to play, away to Toronto FC on November 9, before engaging in the playoffs.

The “Five Stripes” - as the Atlanta side is fondly known, representing its five pillars of unity, determination, community, excellence and innovation – will now play in next year’s Concacaf Champions League.

The continental tournament features 16 teams for Fifa’s Concacaf region, namely four from Mexico and USA, one each from Canada in Northern America and from Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama in Central America with the Caribbean qualifying one club and the final slot decided at a playoff between Central America and Caribbean clubs.

The main arena at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta city, Georgia State, USA. The new stadium, built at a cost of Sh160 billion, is home to Major League Soccer side Atlanta United and Major League Football’s Atlanta Falcons. PHOTO | ELIAS MAKORI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

To make it to this stage after just 14 months of existence and of playing in the top flight is stuff fairy tale stories are made of. United’s remarkable story is magnified by the equally amazing story of their home venue, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in downtown Atlanta.

The stadium, which has a capacity of 42,500 (that can be expanded to 72,243) shattered MLS attendance records on Sunday when its 901,033th fan walked through the turnstiles, an all-time best average of 53,002 fans per match.

Other than hosting Atlanta United, the Roman Pantheon-inspired Mercedes-Benz Stadium, an architectural masterpiece conceived by Bill Johnson of 360 Architecture, and which was completed just last year, has already been selected as the host of next year’s Super Bowl, the world’s richest sporting event which will be held in 103 days’ time on February 3, 2019.

The stadium’s highlights include a retractable roof that takes just eight minutes to open and as many to close, when desired, and the world’s largest video board that covers 63,800 square feet, installed by South Dakota-based company Daktronics.

The writer in the main arena at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The new stadium, built at a cost of Sh160 billion, will host next year’s Super Bowl and matches of the 2026 Fifa World Cup. PHOTO | ELIAS MAKORI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Besides United, the “Falcons”, “Hawks” and “Braves”, respectively Atlanta’s American football, basketball and baseball franchises, have been crucial to the sporting landscape at this Georgia State capital, home of civil rights movement legend Martin Luther King Jnr.

Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons are both owned by billionaire businessman Arthur Blank whose worth topped $4.6 billion (Sh460 billion) this year and who has been instrumental in the construction of the new stadium.

Blank is the co-founder of America’s home development and construction company, Home Depot, which he and Bernie Marcus formed in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store.

Through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the tycoon has committed $37 million (Sh3.7 billion) towards community transformation that seeks to give back to society by “investing in the next generation, catalyzing social change and advancing the arts.”

The foundation, which was formed in 1995, has already invested $360 million (Sh36 billion) in early childhood development, education, the arts and community transformation.

The $1.6 billion (Sh160 billion) Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is just metres away from Coca-Cola and CNN global headquarters, is expected to boost Atlanta’s sporting revenues over the next few years with Mercedes-Benz having signed a 27-year naming rights contract for an undisclosed amount said to be the German automobile manufacturer’s largest ever marketing deal.

An inside view of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta city, Georgia State, USA. The new stadium, built at a cost of Sh160 billion, is home to Major League Soccer side Atlanta United and Major League Football’s Atlanta Falcons. PHOTO | ELIAS MAKORI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Besides hosting next year’s Super Bowl, the stadium will also be one of the venues for the expanded, 48-nation Fifa World Cup that USA will co-host with Canada and Mexico in 2026.

Another key feature at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is its power conservation capacity. With over 4,000 solar panels at its parking lot, the venue consumes 70 per cent less electricity in line with Blank’s philosophy of “green space.”

The 76-year-old Blank purchased the Falcons in 2002 for “just” $545 million (Sh54.5 billion) with the club’s value having now risen four-fold to $2.1 billion (Sh210 billion), definitely a business decision as wise as forming a football franchise and constructing a new stadium in the heart of Atlanta.

Taking a walk around the stadium at the weekend, I was amazed to see how fast the ground staff are able to transform the venue from a soccer to football stadium in just a matter of hours.

The refreshments area of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a poster of Arthur Blank, owner of Major League Soccer side Atlanta United and Major League Football’s Atlanta Falcons. The new stadium, built at a cost of Sh160 billion, will host next year’s Super Bowl and matches of the 2026 Fifa World Cup. PHOTO | ELIAS MAKORI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

After United’s 2-1 win over Chicago Fire on Sunday, the stadium was last night scheduled to host the National Football League match between Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants.

Since the stadium’s completion, Blank and his family have attended almost all Falcons and United games at the imposing stadium, following the action from the exclusive Gullwing Club, a section reserved for the billionaire, his family and VVIP guests at his invitation.

A few metres away to the left of the exclusive club, a giant poster quotes Blank as saying: “My promise has always been to do everything we possibly can do to deliver our fans championship teams, both on the field and in this community.”

Blank has done more than that. He has midwifed a sporting tradition that will help change Atlanta in more ways than the city’s hosting of the 1996 Olympic Games did.

A lesson on the importance of sport in community development that Kenya can most certainly learn from.