Driving to Turner Field, which is lovingly known as the TED, was probably one of the most frustrating times in Atlanta traffic, but the anticipation of knowing that you were going to a Braves game made it worth it. Out-of-towners and those rare-but-still-there Georgia residents who hate on the Braves don’t quite understand why anyone would want to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic with thousands of other loyal fans to go watch 2016’s worst baseball team in the nation play on a precious weekend day in the hot, humid Georgia weather.
But for tried-and-true Atlanta Braves fans, there is nothing better than navigating the interstates, highways and the many Peachtree Streets of Metro-Atlanta just to access a little bit of baseball heaven. For many, going to a Braves game is not about the sport itself or watching and hoping that the Braves win, it’s about the comradery of friends and the energetic buzz that surrounds the team and the stadium on game day. It’s about sitting in the Blue Lot with some friends and family to tailgate and catch up before the game. Being a Braves fan is not about winning, it’s about loyalty to a team and a culture.
Braves fans are unique in that we are not easily discouraged by a loss, but we are enamored with the experience and heartwarming friendliness that the TED and the team encourage. On its 20th birthday, we will leave the TED behind for a new, upgraded stadium. We will remember and reminisce upon the incredible memories gained at the stadium that is not just an event facility, but a home to those loyal fans who spent hours and days between the 755 Club and the Upper Box, where we would often view the sunset of the Atlanta skyline during the seventh-inning stretch.
Leaving the TED behind is likely to be the most monumental event that has happened to the Braves since they won the World Series in 1995. This change is a bittersweet one, as we will be leaving behind some of the best memories of our lifetimes with the TED, but we are excited about the opportunity and sure that we will make new ones at SunTrust Park starting in 2017. The closing of the TED is the end of an era for Atlanta Braves fans. Here’s to hoping that the new park will treat us just as well and with the same warm hospitality that the TED had to offer these past 20 years.
