Heavy Traffic for Atlanta/San Antonio Game on Thursday?

11 Alive in Atlanta puts this on the traffic advisory in Atlanta for the upcoming week on Thursday:

7:30 to 9:30 p.m. - Philips Arena is where the WNBA's Atlanta Dream will host San Antonio. Expect traffic backups as folks pack the parking decks, but if you're going you can always take MARTA's East-West line to the GWCC Station which comes out right behind the arena.

Interesting sidebar: Philips Arena hosts Joel Osteen the following night. I guess they won't be showing Atlanta Dream highlights to the attendees.

Philips Arena: Where the Dream Play

The Dream play at Philips Arena. If you've never attended a Dream game, but if you've attended one of the many concerts held at Philips, you're in luck. Many of Atlanta's major concert events are held at Philips, so getting to the game is just the same as if you were going to a concert at Philips. Furthermore, if you've ever been to the Georgia Dome, then Philips isn't that far away.

Philips actually has its own website which provides its own instructions as to how to get to the arena and what to expect when you get there. There is also a Wikipedia article.

From what Dream fans have written in the comments section of other posts, you should be able to get to Philips Arena directly by MARTA, which is Atlanta's subway. It's stop W1 on the East-West line - the Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center stop. If your coming up the North-South line, you would get on the westbound line by transferring at the Five Points stop.

Philips is actually a nice place. It's fairly new as far as arenas go. It was built in 1999, so the new still hasn't worn off of it and you don't have to worry about sitting behind a post the way you might at a more ancient structure. There are a bevy of food stands when you get to the main arena - trust me, you don't have to worry about finding something to eat - and there is a Taco Mac connected directly to the arena. (Although, I couldn't tell you where the connection is if you paid me.) There didn't seem to be many souvenirs for sale - but I haven't looked at what was on sale at the souvenir stands since early 2008.

Going into the arena, if you look up - high up - you'll find some sections of the arena closed off by large, black curtains. Philips at full capacity seats 21,000 people, so the black curtains keep the place from looking empty on TV.

During the game, there's a lot going on. Most modern sports teams know that it's a good idea to keep the fans occupied during stoppages in play. The Dream usually has some local group or singer to sing the National Anthem, and the Shooting Stars dancers - the Atlanta Dream dance troupe - and Star the mascot are usually giving out T-shirts and other items. There are audience participation games, like when two kids from the audience are giving the daunting challenge of putting on a Dream uniform and racing to the basket. There's generally a half-time show of some kind, so kids will never be bored.

The audience tends to skew in two directions - African American and older. Not only will you see the occasional member of the Atlanta Hawks or Falcons in the crowd, occasionally there will be a rap or R&B star there as well. It's not exactly a festival, but there tends to be a boisterous vibe that brings the crowd on its feet.

As for neighborhood, the surrounding is "downtown tourist Atlanta". A lot of people in general. It's worth seeing Philips Arena at least once, even if you don't go to a Dream game.

Any comments are welcome from established Dream fans regarding the atmosphere, other fans, the structure itself, about the staff or services offered, or anything else. What would you tell a new fan about Philips Arena if they had never gone there?

Dream Games and Seating

In putting together a "how-to" collection of links, I want to mention briefly the cost of attending the game, and ask the question, "what are the best seats for the cost?"

First, it's quite possible to get good seats if you're willing to wait for them. Sometimes, the Dream does a promotion, particularly if the game is going to be on ESPN2 and the Dream want to sell out the game - you can get "all tickets $10" or freebies or some such thing. However, I don't think there are any more Dream games that are going to be on ESPN2 this year.

Second, you can get good seats in what I call the $10 - $20 - $30 range. The $10 dollar seats are generally seats on the upper level (see the seating chart.) Those are the seats in dark blue with sections in the 200s. I've never sat in the upper level seats, but I know that there are people up there and they are cheering.

The $20 seats are behind the backboards. Which means that you'll get to see one team close up and personal each half - but it will be a different team as the teams change baskets at halftime. I don't know what that experience is like, either.

The $30 seats are closer, either closer to the player baskets or at cattycorners to the court. I've sat in the $30 seats before - the "off corner ones" - and I found it quite pleasant.

Anything above $40? That's up to you. For $100 a ticket you're basically at courtside. Try getting that at a Hawks game.

What kinds of experiences have commenters had with seats at Philips? Where are the best places to sit at Philips? What kind of "seat protocol" is there?

Better Instructions

Looking at the Atlanta Dream Directions Page and the Atlanta Dream Alternate Directions Page, it looks like there has been some thought put into how to tell people to actually get to the game.

I think, however, that the instructions can be fleshed out a little bit more. Written instructions can't tell you everything you really need to know. For example, I come to the games down I-85N, and the instructions, such as they are, are exactly right. You take the 248C Williams Street Exit, you turn right on Baker Street and then you turn left on Centennial Olympic Parkway. After you pass Marietta Street, Philips Arena is on your left.

These facts, stated above, are correct. However, there are a few things that the instructions don't tell you.

* They don't tell you how far it is from 248C to Baker Street. It's about five or six blocks. You'll want to be in the far right lane when you finally get to Baker Street.

* Furthermore, when you hit Baker Street you pretty much have to turn right. I don't think you can go straight ahead when you hit Baker.

* When you turn right on Baker...there's not much of Baker left. Just a small lane essentially that "T"s out to Centennial Olympic Parkway, where you can only turn left or right. (Hint: Turn left at the "T".)

* Centennial Parkway tends to curve a bit. You'll cross Marietta Street - it won't be long till you get there, and the signage is clear. One thing you have to think about is that downtown Atlanta has a lot of tourists, who will be trying to cross the street exactly when the light turns green.

* That parking isn't free. Some places near Philips Arena charge $10 for it. Myself, I turn right on Marietta and then left on Park Avenue to go under Philips Area, bending around and ending up in an area called "The Pit", where parking is $5. Keep left whenever you can, and you'll get there.

* If you get lost, can you find your way back? Good question. I don't know what the signage is like to Philips Arena.

They also don't tell you that traffic on days where gametime is 7:30 pm can be tricky. You want to leave early, because Atlanta downtown traffic can be heavy. On the other hand, you don't want to get there too early, because the Arena doesn't open its doors until 30 minutes before tipoff.

If, as readers of this blog, you have

* experiences of your own
* alternate instructions (South I-85, West and East I-20, or MARTA instructions)
* recommendations for parking
* tricky things to watch out for

...then I'd love to read about them. As fans, how can we make the "getting to Philips Arena" experience as quick and as painless as possible for potential new fans?

Atlanta Dream to Honor All American Red Heads

The Red Heads, circa 1976.

It appears that six members of the All-American Red Heads will be attending the August 1st home game between the Dream and the New York Liberty. In addition, the highlight video of the All American Red Heads (via this post) will be shown at halftime on the Jumbotron at Philips Arena.

The Red Heads were one of America's first professional basketball teams, in an era where there wasn't even a professional league. They barnstormed from 1936 to around 1986, playing 200 games a year sometimes, all on the road, against teams of men, and definitely winning more than they lost.

If you can only be at one game this year, this is the game you want to be at. If it weren't for teams like the Red Heads, there might not be a WNBA. August 1st. 7:30 pm. Philips Arena. Mark it down.

Okay guys. Now it's time to give the players of the old Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) some love and recognition, too....