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Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta―and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports
2023 Bell Award for the Best Book on Georgia History
A Sports Collectors Digest Best Baseball Book of 2022
A Public Books Public Pick of 2022
In July 1975 the editors of the Atlanta Constitution ran a two-part series entitled “Loserville, U.S.A.” The provocatively titled series detailed the futility of Atlanta’s four professional sports teams in the decade following the 1966 arrival of its first two major league franchises, Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves and the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons. Two years later, the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association became the city’s third major professional sports franchise. In 1972 the National Hockey League granted the Flames expansion franchise to the city, making Atlanta the first southern city with teams in all four of the big leagues.
The excitement surrounding the arrival of four professional franchises in Atlanta in a six-year period soon gave way to widespread frustration and, eventually, widespread apathy toward its home teams. All four of Atlanta’s franchises struggled in the standings and struggled to draw fans to their games. Atlantans’ indifference to their new teams took place amid the social and political fracturing that had resulted from a new Black majority in Atlanta and a predominately white suburban exodus. Sports could never quite bridge the divergence between the two.
Loserville examines the pursuit, arrival, and response to professional sports in Atlanta during its first decade as a major league city (1966–75). It scrutinizes the origins of what remains the primary model for acquiring professional sports offers of municipal financing for new stadiums. Other Sunbelt cities like San Diego, Phoenix, and Tampa that aspired to big league stature adopted Atlanta’s approach. Like the teams in Atlanta, the franchises in these cities have had mixed results—both in terms of on-field success and financial stability.
A Sports Collectors Digest Best Baseball Book of 2022
A Public Books Public Pick of 2022
In July 1975 the editors of the Atlanta Constitution ran a two-part series entitled “Loserville, U.S.A.” The provocatively titled series detailed the futility of Atlanta’s four professional sports teams in the decade following the 1966 arrival of its first two major league franchises, Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves and the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons. Two years later, the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association became the city’s third major professional sports franchise. In 1972 the National Hockey League granted the Flames expansion franchise to the city, making Atlanta the first southern city with teams in all four of the big leagues.
The excitement surrounding the arrival of four professional franchises in Atlanta in a six-year period soon gave way to widespread frustration and, eventually, widespread apathy toward its home teams. All four of Atlanta’s franchises struggled in the standings and struggled to draw fans to their games. Atlantans’ indifference to their new teams took place amid the social and political fracturing that had resulted from a new Black majority in Atlanta and a predominately white suburban exodus. Sports could never quite bridge the divergence between the two.
Loserville examines the pursuit, arrival, and response to professional sports in Atlanta during its first decade as a major league city (1966–75). It scrutinizes the origins of what remains the primary model for acquiring professional sports offers of municipal financing for new stadiums. Other Sunbelt cities like San Diego, Phoenix, and Tampa that aspired to big league stature adopted Atlanta’s approach. Like the teams in Atlanta, the franchises in these cities have had mixed results—both in terms of on-field success and financial stability.
504 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 11, 2021
For a time during the 1960's and 1970's, the sports world had a nickname for the city of Atlanta – "Loserville." It was derived mainly from the lack of on-field success for three of the city's four major sports teams – baseball's Braves, football's Falcons and basketball's Hawks. The only team during that time was the newest franchise, the Atlanta Flames hockey team. They also were the only team of the four who drew consistently large crowds but even they, by the end of the 1970's, also had troubles in the standings and in the stands. How these franchises coped with these times and how it shaped the city is illustrated in this very good book by Clayton Trutor.
There is a lot of information and ideas to digest in this volume. There are the business aspects behind the operations of each of the teams as Atlanta had no major league teams before 1966 when the Milwaukee Braves, after a contentious sale and lame duck season in Milwaukee, moved to the southern city. Soon afterward, the NFL awarded the city an expansion franchise, hoping the fans who flocked to college football games would do the same for a professional team. Basketball also took a wayward team, the St. Louis Hawks, and moved them to Atlanta. The Flames came later when the NHL awarded two expansion teams to Atlanta and Long Island in 1972.
Trutor addresses both the economic and the social impacts that the new teams brought to the city. There were new facilities that needed to be built – Atlanta Stadium for the Braves and Falcons in an area that had a poor reputation for crime and safety, not completely unfounded. There was also a question of removing families, mostly Black from homes to make way for the ballpark. Later the Omni, an arena that was built in a business district hoping the fans of the Flames and the Hawks would revitialize the area, also had issues. These were mainly due to flaws in the building structure, rendering it obsolete soon after opening. There were other issues such as transportation and racial matters as well with mostly well-to-do white patrons attending the games. This makes for an excellent look at what professional sports can and can't bring to a city, something noteworthy as more team owners look for publicly financed facilities.
The reading is easier than expected, staying away from a scholarly type of organization and language. The only quibble is that the ending feels rushed when other southern cites are illustrated to show that it wasn't only Atlanta that had issues with new professional teams. It was ironic to read a book titled "Loserville" immediately after the Braves won the World Series and Tampa was a city cited at the end, despite the fact that two of its teams, the football Buccaneers and hockey Lightning, both are the reigning champions of their respective leagues. Still, if one enjoys reading about the business side of sports mixed in with social issues, this is an excellent choice.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is a lot of information and ideas to digest in this volume. There are the business aspects behind the operations of each of the teams as Atlanta had no major league teams before 1966 when the Milwaukee Braves, after a contentious sale and lame duck season in Milwaukee, moved to the southern city. Soon afterward, the NFL awarded the city an expansion franchise, hoping the fans who flocked to college football games would do the same for a professional team. Basketball also took a wayward team, the St. Louis Hawks, and moved them to Atlanta. The Flames came later when the NHL awarded two expansion teams to Atlanta and Long Island in 1972.
Trutor addresses both the economic and the social impacts that the new teams brought to the city. There were new facilities that needed to be built – Atlanta Stadium for the Braves and Falcons in an area that had a poor reputation for crime and safety, not completely unfounded. There was also a question of removing families, mostly Black from homes to make way for the ballpark. Later the Omni, an arena that was built in a business district hoping the fans of the Flames and the Hawks would revitialize the area, also had issues. These were mainly due to flaws in the building structure, rendering it obsolete soon after opening. There were other issues such as transportation and racial matters as well with mostly well-to-do white patrons attending the games. This makes for an excellent look at what professional sports can and can't bring to a city, something noteworthy as more team owners look for publicly financed facilities.
The reading is easier than expected, staying away from a scholarly type of organization and language. The only quibble is that the ending feels rushed when other southern cites are illustrated to show that it wasn't only Atlanta that had issues with new professional teams. It was ironic to read a book titled "Loserville" immediately after the Braves won the World Series and Tampa was a city cited at the end, despite the fact that two of its teams, the football Buccaneers and hockey Lightning, both are the reigning champions of their respective leagues. Still, if one enjoys reading about the business side of sports mixed in with social issues, this is an excellent choice.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2021
Intriguing Look At Atlanta And Professional Sports History. As I sit to write this review, the Atlanta Braves are less than 90 minutes from First Pitch on Game 5 of the 2021 World Series - and with a 3-1 lead over the Houston Astros, Atlanta stands a chance at winning the series in front of the home town crowd before the sun rises again, its first in 26 years. And yes, I've made it a point to read this book - which I've had on my ARC Calendar for seemingly a couple of months now - this particular weekend, for exactly this reason.
Here, Trutor does a phenomenal job of showing the full history of the first decade of professional sports in Atlanta, with all five of its major league teams at some point in the late 60s to early 70s - my parents' own childhood, on the exurbs of the very town in question. Indeed, Trutor speaks of the *development* of things that were well-established by my own childhood in the same region in the 80s and 90s, such as the Omni, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, the Georgia Dome, and even Underground Atlanta (which apparently had been redone by the time of my childhood, as it wasn't nearly so infamous then). He then does a great job of showing how while Atlanta was the first Southern City to acquire these franchises, there were (and are) several other Southern Cities that have largely followed Atlanta's model over the decades since... with similar results, for the most part.
There are arguably two weaknesses to the version of this text I read: On a style side, the final chapter, covering in broad strokes what happened in the other Southern Cities that tried to follow Atlanta and how they turned out over the years, is a bit of an abrupt ending. Apt, but abrupt.
The other is that Trutor tends to argue that race played quite a bit of a role in the development of Atlanta Sports and what I came to know as the Geography of Atlanta. I wasn't alive during the periods Trutor mostly covers, so I can't speak to those periods as the Native Georgian I am. But I *can* speak to one move Trutor covers, if briefly - the Braves' move from Turner Field to SunTrust (now Truist) Park over the last decade, where fans are finding their seats as I type this to hopefully watch their hometown baseball club win the 2021 World Series. I was actually there for that one, and as one of those fans on the northern Perimeter I can attest to a lot of the fears about safety and finding a good (yet not overly expensive) parking spot at Turner Field. (Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where I saw my first Braves games as a child and even a monster truck rally or two, was demolished right around the time my age began having two digits in it, so I can't speak to issues there.) I can also attest that the new Battery design is much more conducive to getting me to spend money in the area immediately around the park, which is something the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium / Olympic Stadium / Turner Field site has never offered. But these are observations from a native who has been to the relevant areas throughout his life - vs a Vermont-based academic.
Even with these differences though, Trutor's work here is truly well written and solidly documented - roughly 20% of this copy was bibliography, and the prose here is enlightening and engaging without ever going too deep into "academic speak". Fans of Atlanta and Georgia sports or history are absolutely going to need to read this book, and indeed fans of major US sporting in general should fine quite a bit here to be illuminating. Even people who decry "sports ball" will find an utterly fascinating read about a little-documented series of events that has come to shape, in parts, the entirety of American professional sporting. Very much recommended.
Here, Trutor does a phenomenal job of showing the full history of the first decade of professional sports in Atlanta, with all five of its major league teams at some point in the late 60s to early 70s - my parents' own childhood, on the exurbs of the very town in question. Indeed, Trutor speaks of the *development* of things that were well-established by my own childhood in the same region in the 80s and 90s, such as the Omni, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, the Georgia Dome, and even Underground Atlanta (which apparently had been redone by the time of my childhood, as it wasn't nearly so infamous then). He then does a great job of showing how while Atlanta was the first Southern City to acquire these franchises, there were (and are) several other Southern Cities that have largely followed Atlanta's model over the decades since... with similar results, for the most part.
There are arguably two weaknesses to the version of this text I read: On a style side, the final chapter, covering in broad strokes what happened in the other Southern Cities that tried to follow Atlanta and how they turned out over the years, is a bit of an abrupt ending. Apt, but abrupt.
The other is that Trutor tends to argue that race played quite a bit of a role in the development of Atlanta Sports and what I came to know as the Geography of Atlanta. I wasn't alive during the periods Trutor mostly covers, so I can't speak to those periods as the Native Georgian I am. But I *can* speak to one move Trutor covers, if briefly - the Braves' move from Turner Field to SunTrust (now Truist) Park over the last decade, where fans are finding their seats as I type this to hopefully watch their hometown baseball club win the 2021 World Series. I was actually there for that one, and as one of those fans on the northern Perimeter I can attest to a lot of the fears about safety and finding a good (yet not overly expensive) parking spot at Turner Field. (Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where I saw my first Braves games as a child and even a monster truck rally or two, was demolished right around the time my age began having two digits in it, so I can't speak to issues there.) I can also attest that the new Battery design is much more conducive to getting me to spend money in the area immediately around the park, which is something the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium / Olympic Stadium / Turner Field site has never offered. But these are observations from a native who has been to the relevant areas throughout his life - vs a Vermont-based academic.
Even with these differences though, Trutor's work here is truly well written and solidly documented - roughly 20% of this copy was bibliography, and the prose here is enlightening and engaging without ever going too deep into "academic speak". Fans of Atlanta and Georgia sports or history are absolutely going to need to read this book, and indeed fans of major US sporting in general should fine quite a bit here to be illuminating. Even people who decry "sports ball" will find an utterly fascinating read about a little-documented series of events that has come to shape, in parts, the entirety of American professional sporting. Very much recommended.
May 19, 2022
LOSERVILLE is an immensely satisfying book on multiple levels. Trutor examines with historical detail, extensive research, and anecdotal evidence the recruitment of professional sports teams to Atlanta. The writing is clear and concise. The history of sports in Atlanta, and more generally, the South, is engagingly presented and analyzed. The author provides a compelling narrative--as well as a case-by-case study--of how professional teams were brought to Atlanta, how they performed, and how the city's population responded. The book looks at the situation by considering the economics, sociology, and local politics of the city. Highly recommended.
February 27, 2022
This book weaves the political and corporate dealings of sports team relocation and expansion with the lackluster early years of Atlanta sports performance. The history of getting the Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Flames to Atlanta serves as a cautionary tale of what truly needs to occur to land such franchises. The lean early decades serves as a reminder that success does not come easily. The recent success of the Braves and Hawks seems improbable when compared to their earliest time in Atlanta.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
January 28, 2023
Clayton Trutor’s impeccably researched book on sports in Atlanta is a must read. He weaves a fascinating story, telling how Atlanta went from having no major league sports as late as 1966 to having all four major sports - baseball, football, basketball, and hockey - only 6 years later. The successes and failures of these franchises, and their effects on the city and vice versa is well told in this book. Highly recommend.
September 2, 2023
This book was very repetitive. I felt like the main themes were repeated Almost every chapter. I did enjoy the sports history, being an Atlanta Braves fan, however I felt the book focused to much on politics, finances and social issues.
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March 28, 2024I have literally no idea how to rate this book. It's both fascinating and boring. I learned a lot and learned the same things over and over in the course of the book. Definitely only for Atlanta sports fans.
June 5, 2022
Excellent analysis about the politics of sport in and around Atlanta over the past 60 years.
May 9, 2021
looking forward to this one!
clayton trutor
clayton trutor
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews