Super Bowl 53 is in Atlanta for the first time since 2000, when the Rams coincendetally won their last Super Bowl, back when they were the St. Louis Rams. They defeated the Titans in a classic game, where the Titans fell one yard short of sending the game to overtime. A lot has changed since then.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank joined WFAN's Mike Francesa on Wednesday from Radio Row in Atlanta. He spoke about how highly regarded their stadium and city is.
"In 2017, the NFL ranked our security in our stadium being number one in the NFL. It's gotten better in 2018. Security for the Super Bowl has been incredible. We know the building is going to be secure," Blank said on WFAN. "The biggest challenge is we want everyone to feel that this is a welcome home.We want to make sure everyone feels that way. 10,000 rooms in walking distance. 300 restaurants in walking distance. All of those things make people feel this is a comfortable, easy place to be. The weather this week couldn't be better than it is. We're thrilled to have everyone here.
"We lead the NFL in terms of public transportation and guest attending. We have about 35% of our guests come for NFL games, soccer, or concerts...come by public transportation. They rank that the preferred way to come and go to the stadium. They have a good experience with it.
The best part for fans about Mercedes-Benz Stadium? The concession prices. It's hands-down the cheapest stadium in the NFL in terms of prices for food and beverages, and fans love it.
"We cut our prices by 50% on every single product or drink or whatever it may be. We have been ranked number one in fan experience," Blank said. "It's the food and beverage pricing and the quality of the food and quality of the service. We need to find more and more ways to say thank you to our fans. We're committed to making a difference in the community. We're interested in the fan experience in the building and the community outside the building."
You can listen to the entire interview above.