Atlanta sports history is chockfull of players, venues, and teams — oh, the Thrashers — who met untimely demises. Following tradition, this week is turning out to be a big one for sports-related implosions, so to speak.
First (and more literally) it seems that state officials are leaning toward some form of explosive demolition of the Georgia Dome. The AJC reports the stadium will be torn down before the city hosts the College Football Championship in January 2018.
It's likely that salvage operations will begin next March, with an implosion of the facility happening by the fall. Five demolition teams with appetites for destruction are in the running to do the dirty work, with a winner expected to be picked in the next month.
CIAO, CHAIRMAN
A few miles away, across county lines, another type of implosion is being brought by the Braves' departure to Cobb County — though this one is political in nature.
Tim Lee, the Cobb County Commission Chairman often credited/disparaged as being the back-room orchestrator of the Braves' secret move, has been handily defeated in the Republican runoff that would have paved his way to reelection. WSB-TV reports that while Lee had money on his side, popular sentiment (and resentment) far outweighed his cashflow. But Lee is probably blaming the dastardly Atlanta media.
No doubt, the outcome was heavily influenced by the ongoing Braves saga. The county has been repeatedly slammed for lack of planning, transparency, and community input.
Opponent Mike Boyce earned a decisive victory, with 18 percentage points separating the two by the time all the votes were (unofficially) tallied late last night. With no Democrat on the ballot in the fall, Boyce will ultimately replace Lee on Jan.1, assuming a write-in campaign for Mickey Mouse doesn’t spring up.
- Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee concedes runoff election [WSB-TV]
- Georgia Dome demolition planned next year [AJC]
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