Atlanta’s “Iconic” Stadiums

Iconic is one of those overused words these days. What does it even mean? 

Definition: widely recognized, legendary, or serving as a definitive symbol of a particular style or concept. Something is iconic if it is instantly recognizable and has lasting cultural, historical, or popular significance. 

Some yahoo claimed Atlanta’s two most iconic stadiums were the Georgia Dome and Mercedes Benz Stadium. Are they? 

The Georgia Dome opened in 1992 and was torn down 25 years later, in 2017. People complain about the short lifespans of stadiums in Atlanta, and the Georgia Dome is a prime example. Not enough luxury suites for the mediocre Falcons. Hosted two Super Bowls. The only US stadium to host the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and a Final Four. Does that make it iconic? 

Mercedes Benz Stadium opened in 2017 and has yet to host a Super Bowl, though it is hosting World Cup matches this year. Unique architecture, the world’s largest jumbotron, and the corkscrew opening roof does fall under the iconic definition, though the Benz is still the new kid on the stadium block. 

But there are several competitors vying to wear the most iconic stadium crown. Ponce de Leon Park hosted the Atlanta Crackers and the Black Crackers. Numerous legends played there. Babe Ruth and Eddie Mathews slugged homers into the distant Spiller Magnolia in centerfield. Jackie Robinson played there. Jack Dempsey faught there. Both Tech and Georgia played football there. Now that’s iconic. 

Grant Field is the oldest on campus stadium in Division 1 - 113 years old. The Jackets were among the elite college football teams in the country for decades. The view of downtown Atlanta from Grant Field, especially at night, is described by many as…iconic. Their words, not mine. 

Atlanta Stadium was built in 1966 and hosted the Braves, Falcons, the NAS champion Atlanta Chiefs, numerous Peach Bowls, several World Series games, the MLB All Star Game, and the Olympics. Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record there. Bob Horner hit four home runs in one game there. It’s where Sid Slid. Heck, the Beatles played there. Can you say iconic? 

Turner Field opened in 1996 as the Olympic Stadium, the greatest sporting event in Atlanta history. The biggest event in Atlanta history. The opening and closing ceremonies. Track & field. Then the Braves took over the stadium. Randy Johnson threw a perfect game there. A World Series and MLB All Star Game were played there. Again, iconic. 

And don’t forget The Omni. Hawks. Flames. Olympic volleyball. The Final Four. In its heyday, Tech basketball hosted their biggest games there, against the likes of Michael Jordan and Ralph Sampson. All sorts of NBA legends: Kareem, Magic, Bird, Dr J, Pistol Pete. Plus another legend sold out The Omni time and again, so much that they put up a plaque in the building. Some icon named Elvis. 

And don’t sleep on Truist Park. Opened the same year as Mercedes Benz, and has already hosted the World Series and the MLB all star game. What makes Truist Park iconic? It has reinvented what a ballpark can be. The adjacent Battery is a place unlike any other, where fans can hang out before and after games. Funnels hundreds of millions back into the Braves coffers. Dignitaries from other teams come to tour the area, with hopes of copying the Truist Park blueprint in their town. The very definition of the word iconic. 

And that’s not all. Alexander Memorial Coliseum has a rich, iconic history. The Thrillerdome. So many legends have played there. Not just the Jackets and their opponents. Alexander was the Hawks first home in Atlanta. Lou Hudson. Walt Bellamy. Pistol Pete. Olympic boxing was held there. 

And when you’re taking about Atlanta’s iconic stadiums, how can you leave out Hermance Stadium. Say what? Built in 1920, the legendary Gothic style ballpark hosts the Oglethorpe University Stormy Petrels baseball team. Hall of Famer Luke Appling played there. 

Friday: took Winnie out to the beach early again. Took the chairs and umbershoot, and stuck around for a while. Went back to the unit for a call Ceil had to get on. Met one of our neighbors, who’d lived here 36 years. Goodness. 

By the time we made it back to the beach it had come up a cloud, so we packed it in for the day. Ran some errands and took it easy. Zipped the eleven miles down to Georgetown for a quick visit. 

Had a 5 pm reservation at the popular Chive Blossom Cafe. It had disappointed C last year, but she loved the salmon this time. I couldn’t convince our server to let me order the burger off the lunch menu, so I had to settle for the salad with grilled chicken. 

After supper while C was in Ulta, I tried out a milkshake from 7 Brew. I had never known exactly what the place served. Pretty much a drive thru only. Coffee, smoothies, and other fancy expensive drinks of the day. I got a cookies & cream shake. I swear it had a nice coffee taste, but C didn’t think so. At eight bucks, I won’t be back.

The Emperor’s New Clothes: Part Duh!

Tech is unveiling new Under Armor merch. You never know exactly how this will translate into the new uniforms. Seems like the shade of gold will be less shiny and more mustard, which I like. Harkens back to the late 60’s / early 70’s uniforms, perhaps one of the best looking and classic uniforms in Tech history. 

There also may be a switch away from black to navy, another change that I like. 

 So many Tech fans have no idea what good merch looks like. They were happy to see Tech gear in the airport alongside UGA items, but the differences are noticeable. The Bulldog shirts are simple and uncluttered: two words max. The GT shirt is much too busy. And this is the way the Tech gear has been for decades.  

I give the new merch a thumbs up. Much more simple, thank goodness. But dang those Tech fans will argue about the shade of gold until the cows come home. Give. It. A. Rest. 

Thursday: took Winnie to the beach early, which she loved. Later we brought her back and ate breakfast: another eggy boy. Then C and I went back to the beach and read until 5 pm. 

 While on the beach I went to reapply sunscreen. C handed me a spray on can that turned out to be different from yesterday’s. Turned my legs white. Tried to wash some of it off in the ocean before we left, but it wouldn’t wash off. Scrubbed it in the shower, but it still didn’t completely come off. Guess I am destined to always have white legs. 

 Supper at Rustic Table. My burger and fries were delicious, though C wasn’t crazy about her mahi mahi. This was our third visit, though I doubt we’ll be back.

Drove around afterwards, scouting for other places to eat. Not much selection. Two super expensive steakhouses. Several pubs. Captain Billy’s Seafood. One BBQ spot that C wouldn’t like, but another that was okay. One Mexican place, and a small taco stand. I’m trying to avoid an Asian restaurant. Might drive up to Murrell’s Inlet - there are several places there. The Spicy Pickle is a walk up beach bar that Matthew wants to try. C has mentioned making the short drive south to Georgetown, but nothing there really looked that good.

Beau’s baby son was born on Wednesday, named Burns. Of the 12 nieces and nephews in the Miller Rollins Murphy clan, this is baby number 5, second baby this year, with three more due before year end.

Peachtree Road UMC organist Scott Atchison is retiring soon. He grew up at SPdL, where we crossed paths on Chapel Choir mission trips. Scott is so much fun, though besides that we are two completely different birds of a feather. Somehow on one choir tour stop, we decided to switch out our regular roommates and bunk together for one night. When our host asked what we wanted for breakfast, Scott exclaimed “Quiche Lorraine!” Pretty sure that was the morning we were the very last two to return to the departing bus - everyone else was already on board waiting for us. We hopped on, taking our seats in shame while everyone else applauded.

 Now that I have those sweet lime green Hawks basketball shorts (which I have yet to wear), I wonder if I can find the same style in blue? 

Or white? They can be had, but the adventure is to find them for a great price. 

Road Trip

Spent Tuesday packing. C had a hair appointment at two, she got home at 4:37. So we left town at 4:55 - rush hour. 400 south to 285 east. At times traffic crawled to a stop. Heavy traffic on 20 east but not nearly as bad. Made it to Augusta without stopping. Chick-fil-A and topped off the gas tank. Then 20 east through Columbia and Camden. Exited at Bishopville and took two lanes all the way to Georgetown. Got to Pawleys Island just after midnight. Seven hours, with just one stop.

Had a dream that me and Lang were weaving through a crowd at Perimeter Mall, headed to a World Cup game inexplicably taking place not in a stadium, but a practice field near the mall.

Wednesday: Slept in. Drove C to get some breakfast groceries. She made us eggy boys on English muffins. Left out to the beach around 12:30. Wasn’t easy, but we found a parking spot on the northern end of the island. Didn’t realize it would be a longer walk through the dunes to the beach. Not fun with my aching back. Set up the umbrella and plopped into my chair. Only then did I realize that I had left my reading glasses in the car. Not worth going back for them. Instead I listened to some of my audiobook. 

Sunny with a nice breeze. I concentrated on getting some sun on my pearly white legs. Usually freezing, the waves were nice and warm. We hadn’t checked, but the tide was creeping in. Had to keep moving back. On the walk back to the car we had a nice chat with a couple our age, from Virginia Beach. Ran some errands before and after supper.

Dinner reservations at Gios Italian, and it didn’t disappoint. My lasagna had a sweet tomato sauce, with plenty of cheese. C enjoyed her chicken dish. Gios was crowded and loud. I switched seats with C in an effort to reduce the noise in her ear, but it didn’t help much. Our waitress found that hilarious. One lady sounded like a stuffed poodle when she laughed. We kept looking around for the source of the noise. 

Corrine’s two bedroom unit will need to be cleaned out, but C doesn’t want to do anything this week. Her brother Bobby left lots of old books, including an old Baseball Encyclopedia that dates back at least to the mid-1960’s, older and smaller than the 1969 edition that I own. Also an NFL coffee table book from 1973 titled The Gladiators, with tons of cool photos from my favorite era of NFL football.

More On Moe

Stumbled across an article about Moe Drabowsky I hadn't seen before. Similar to Rico, Drabowsky played for the Milwaukee Braves in 1961, wearing number 17. Those Braves jerseys of that era were perhaps the best looking Braves jerseys in history: zipper front, black tomahawk and a front jersey number, shorter than normal sleeves with the smiling Indian logo.

So another jersey that never was: a 1961 road Braves #17 with DRABOWSKY stitched in the large 1963 letters, the 1963 number smaller than previous years to make room for the larger letters. Not sure I would be able to get DHGate to do this, but perhaps they’d get close enough. 

I was reminded that Moe pitched for the Braves when I checked to see if he ever pitched or coached for the Rangers. He did, as a minor league pitching coach in 1973. 

And…both Ted Williams and Don Zimmer managed the Rangers. Perhaps more recognizable personalities than Rico. I’m liking Zim’s #23 more than Teddy’s #8. Am I beating a dead horse yet? 

When I ordered my 1969 Braves pinstripe jersey from DHGate, I probably messed up when I ordered #16 for Sonny Jackson. Several better choices: 65 Satchel Paige 28 Mike Lum 25 Rico Carty 35 Phil Neikro 44 Hank Aaron 

Ossoft takes the pulpit at a church on Father’s Day and makes untrue accusations against his opponent. I wonder what my friends in Christian ministry who constantly claim “Christian nationalists” are worshipping Trump, think about Mr. Ossoft?  

Family Photo

 
Anna, Caleb, and Miller on the beach.

When you drive east on MLK from W&MC's past Morris Brown, Mercedes Benz Stadium dominates the horizon.

As close as I'll get to the World Cup: 9 am on a Monday morning.

"Atlanta" Stadium. I've heard rumors that FIFA isn't allowing photos of the stadium from above, that show the Mercedes Benz logo on the roof. Of all the stadiums hosting the World Cup, Atlanta's stadium was ranked first in both the rankings I've seen. Rumor is that FIFA doesn't allow uncredentaled media like me to use the term "World Cup" more than like two times. World Cup World Cup World Cup.   

I try hard to not be political, but dang it the crap I see on my algorithm these days sure frustrates me. I know there's a bunch of false information out there, but where there's smoke there is certainly some fire. How can people turn a blind eye to such corruption?

Some good news for a change.

Sad how elections in the United States have become so obviously corrupt.

Rico Carty: Texas Ranger

Okay here's a stupid post, to show you how my mind works.

American Airlines runs flyaway contests for the teams it sponsors: Rams, Cowboys, Cubs, Eagles, US Soccer, Panthers, and more. There's a cool Texas Rangers contest: winner gets flown to Arlington to throw out the first pitch - a bucket list item for me. I'd get to see the new stadium, plus Dallas is a fun place to visit.

Got me thinking: if I won I would have to find me some Texas Rangers gear to wear. At least a cap. My favorite Rangers cap is the old blue T cap with the red bill worn by Corporal Klinger in MASH. Maybe I could find one on eBay.

But why not pick up a personalized throwback jersey off DHGate if I had the time? But what player to get? The Rangers are an American League team, and few of their players ever appealed to me. Nolan Ryan. Julio Franco. Jeff Burroughs later played with the Braves, but he didn't really wow me.

No one from the Rangers Hall of Fame, or Rangers who made the AL All Star team. Managers Johnny Oates and Ron Washington caught my eye. Jeff Francoeur had a cup of coffee with the Rangers.

But couldn't I do better than those guys? I found a list on Baseball Reference of players who'd played for the Braves and Rangers. Adrian Devine was a name from the past. Also Pepe Frias. Not sure Rangers fans would remember Francoeur, much less Devine or Pepe.

In 1973 the Braves traded Rico Carty to the Rangers. Now we're talking. The Beeg Boy. The obvious choice. He didn't last the whole season in Texas. He slumped, was traded to the Cubs - where he had a run in with Ron Santo, so Rico was quickly traded to Oakland.

Since Carty bounced around so much, it was hard to tell from Baseball Reference what number he wore in Texas. AI claimed he wore 53. Baseball Reference claimed he never wore 53. Baseball Almanac gave me the answer: Rico had first worn number 5, then switched to 25 - a number he wore with the Braves and other teams. Bingo. 

Then I checked the MLB Hall of Fame Dressed to the Nines database to see what the 1973 Rangers uniforms looked like. Not yet the goofy powder blue polyester TeXaS jerseys they'd switch to in 1975.

Next I checked Rangers jerseys on DHGate. Lots of options: home white, road grey, powder blue script Rangers. Old and new City Connects. Even options in red and royal. And the cool powder blue 1975 jersey. If I wanted, I could personalize it with CARTY 25 for $30.00. That would be the one. In the unlikely event that I won (and had time to wait for the jersey to arrive).

NEWS: DH Gate also had a jersey option with a USA 250 patch. Was this a thing? Will they be wearing this on Independence Day? I checked the Braves jerseys: same thing! Plus these July 4th jerseys have special red white & blue numbers on the back, and red names on back, similar to the original City Connect uniforms. You heard it here first. let's see if they wear them.

Monday: (1) left out at 745 to take the girls to school. Then (2) stopped by W&MC's to drop off their stuff, then (3) McDonalds for the bacon egg & cheese biscuit deal. Next (4) Goodwill for an Atlanta Drive cap to wear at the beach. Then (5) I visited a friend at the hospital. (6) Stopped by Publix for catsup and (7)  RaceTrac for a free Coke.  After 1:30 before I got home. Leftover burgers for a late lunch.

America's National Parks

Figured if I typed out all the national parks, that would help me learn and remember and know where they are. 

The top 10 US national parks:

1. Yellowstone National Park (WY/MT/ID): America’s first national park, celebrated for its geothermal wonders (like Old Faithful), vibrant hot springs, and abundant wildlife
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Yosemite National Park (CA): Iconic for its towering granite peaks (Half Dome, El Capitan), ancient giant sequoias, and spectacular waterfalls. 
Zion National Park (UT): Known for its towering, steep red sandstone cliffs and thrilling hikes through the Virgin River in "The Narrows". 
Glacier National Park (MT): Features pristine alpine lakes, jagged glacial peaks, and access to the spectacular Going-to-the-Sun Road. 
Grand Canyon National Park (AZ): A massive, awe-inspiring gorge renowned for its layered bands of colorful rock and unmatched scenic vistas. 
Rocky Mountain National Park (CO): Offers dramatic alpine landscapes, sweeping vistas of the Continental Divide, and abundant wildlife just outside of Denver. 
Grand Teton National Park (WY): Famous for the striking, jagged Teton Range rising from the sagebrush flats and pristine lakes like Jenny Lake. 
Acadia National Park (ME): The premier park of the Northeast, combining a rugged, rocky coastline, dense pine forests, and granite peaks like Cadillac Mountain. 
Olympic National Park (WA): A diverse wilderness boasting three distinct ecosystems: wild Pacific coastline, temperate rainforests, and glaciated alpine peaks. 
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN/NC): The most visited park in the system, renowned for its misty, green rolling ridges and rich biodiversity. 

There are 63 national parks. There are also national historic sites, national scenic trails, national recreation areas, national military parks, national seashores, national monuments, national historical parks, national battlefield parks, and national historical trails.

National parks by state: 

Alaska: Denali, Gates of the Artic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kubuk Valley, Lake Clark, Wrangell-St.Elias

American Samoa

Arizona, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Saguaro

Arkansas: Hot Springs

California: Death Valley, Channel Islands, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Pinnacles, Redwood, Sequoia, Yellowstone 

Colorado: Black Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain

District of Columbia (no parks): Ford's Theater, FDR Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, MLK Jr Memorial, National Mall, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial. 

Florida: Biscayne, Dry Tortugas, Everglades

Hawaii: Haleakala, Volcanoes

Idaho: Yellowstone

Indiana: Dunes 

Kentucky: Mammoth Cave

Maine: Acadia 

Maryland (no parks): Fort McHenry

Michigan: Isle Royale

Minnesota: Voyageurs

Missouri: Gateway Arch

Montana: Glacier, Yellowstone

New Mexico: Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands

Nevada: Death Valley, Great Basin

North Carolina: Great Smoky Mountains

North Dakota: Theodore Roosevelt 

Ohio: Cuyahoga Valley

Oregon: Crater Lake

South Carolina: Conaree

South Dakota: Badlands, Wind Cave

Tennessee: Great Smoky Mountains

Texas: Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains

Utah: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Zion 

Virgin Islands

Virginia: Shenandoah. Non-parks: Blue Ridge Parkway, Fredericksburg

Washington: Mount Ranier

West Virginia: New River Gorge

Wyoming: Grand Teton, North Cascades, Olympic, Yellowstone

There are no national parks in Georgia, but sites run by the National Park Service include:

Andersonville National Cemetery

The Appalachian Trail

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

Cumberland Island

Fort Frederica

Fort Pulaski

Jimmy Carter National Historical Park

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield

Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park

Ocmulgee Mounds

The Trail of Tears