Atlanta rolls out the red (and crimson) carpet

Ahh, the crush of fandom for the big game. One hour of traffic, another 45 minutes of waiting in a line to get in, Georgia fans barking at a feverish pitch...the Championship is upon us.

Before the wings are chomped and the beverages are guzzled, the full specter of a fan experience was on display at the College Football Playoff Fan Central.

Held at the Georgia World Congress Center (immediately adjacent to the gleaming new Mercedes Benz Stadium), the Fan Central offers a fun, engaging and family friendly environment. With a rumored 150,000 fans in downtown today (only 1/2 are getting into the game!), here are a few observations into one of the largest events that a city can host.

1. Police are everywhere. This is to be expected with POTUS coming into town for the game...but this is a type of police most have never seen. Full combat gear, carrying automatic weapons and literally stationed on every corner. Sign of the times.
2. There is a buzz here unlike any other championship game. With the Georgia campus only 1 1/2 hours away and University of Alabama just over 3...there is unprecedented fan invasion for this game. Consider that the championship game last year was in Tampa and featured a South Carolina team (Clemson) and an Alabama team (Bama). Close, but not in each-others backyard.
3. Atlanta has created a large championship campus footprint. Gone are the days of having events and activities in the immediate surroundings of the stadium. Atlanta has extended the footprint from the airport, up through midtown...and seemingly all points in-between.
4. There are a ton of UGA fans in downtown Atlanta right now. Yes, they are closer...and yes the fan base is starved for a championship (last one - 1980 with the great Herschel Walker). The UGA bandwagon is so full right now. Reminds me of the Falcons bandwagon leading up to the Superbowl last year. Most of those fans jumped off after the historic collapse in SB51 was complete.
5. Atlanta is a world class city...and they know how to throw a world class event. The Superbowl is here in Atlanta next year...the Final Four follows a few years later. Atlanta is a world class championship destination.