This past weekend the Atlanta Falcons went to Houston, Texas and represented their hometown in Georgia while competing against the New England Patriots but sadly lost the battle. Even though this was heartbreaking and disappointing for the city, there are still many positive things for Atlanta to look forward to and enjoy, including a successful TV show, a new stadium for their baseball teams, and their first Major League Soccer team. The year of 2017 is expected to be the Year of Atlanta.  

The TV show “Atlanta” first aired on FX last year featuring Donald Glover, who plays Earnest ‘Ern’ Marks, a young manager living in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s trying to get his cousin’s rap career off the ground. It is an accurate representation of the music scene in Atlanta and the rise of musicians coming out of Georgia. The show has an immense number of viewers and even broke the record for the number of viewers watching a primetime scripted series. Its first two episodes both had 1.8 million viewers. “Atlanta” has also been nominated for and won a multitude of awards. In 2017 alone, it has already been nominated for 11 awards and won 4.

Additionally, the Atlanta Braves, who are Georgia’s Major League Baseball team, will be playing at their brand new stadium SunTrust Park. They played at the Fulton County Stadium which opened in 1966 when they first moved to Atlanta but was then demolished in 1997. They then moved to the newly built Turner Field and were there for 9 years. This year will be their first year at SunTrust Park, which has a higher percentage of seats closer to the field than any other MLB ballpark and features a 90-foot roof atop the structure, as well as air conditioned concourses to keep fans cool during the summer. This will hopefully be a fresh start for the team, fueling a successful season.

By the same token, Atlanta United FC is the city’s Major League Soccer team, who will be starting their first ever season this year as a member of the Eastern Conference. They are going to be playing at Bobby Dodd Stadium, home to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. However, this is only a temporary arrangement. After construction on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium finishes, they will move there. Atlanta was the largest metropolitan area without an MLS franchise until now. Also, the Southeast has been without any MLS team since the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny clubs were dissolved in 2001. This will bring in a good profit and will hopefully fulfill the soccer fans of Atlanta.

There is a lot for Atlanta, Georgia to look forward to this year with a rising TV show, their very first soccer team, and a new stadium for the Braves.