Philips Arena, Atlanta Hawks Edition

Official Review by John McCurdy, Stadium Journey Correspondent

When they blew up the old Omni Coliseum in 1997, my young self (just awakened to the beauty of basketball and having attended my first few pro games at this place) was obligatorily sad to see it go. The interim years before we got our new digs were painful as a team that was actually playing on the pro level (not a given in our town) did not have facilities to match. During those interim years our NBA affiliate was housed between the Georgia Dome and Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

If only the Atlanta community had known what was to come in 1999: An 18,000-plus-capacity palace for both basketball and hockey. But more on the latter sport in another review; this is all about Philips Arena as the Highlight Factory, home of the Atlanta Hawks.

Food & Beverage    4

Healthy options you won't find, but there's certainly no shortage of appetizing ones. Sure, on the upper concourse you can find all the regulars like pretzels, popcorn, hot dogs and peanuts, but Hawk Walk is where it's at. The burger-and-fry combo of course bucks into the double-digit price range, but it darn near tastes that good.

Other options along this stretch, described as an "indoor street," include the Moe's-style burrito, pizza, barbecue and a decent variety of other grilled sandwiches. Nothing's below $8, but you didn't come to the game expecting to save money, now did you?

The club level's got even more options, including a tiny outlet of the Atlanta Fish Market, but those less-snobbish need not feel as though they're left out. You can always hit up the Headlines Grill, basically a full-service restaurant, if you want to be treated like royalty...and miss part of the game.

Beer is obtained for a similar price as the food (domestics starting at $8.25), but the size is decent and a bump up to import only costs a dollar more. Please do not go for a cocktail at $9.50, though.

Atmosphere    4

Ask about the atmosphere of a Hawks game four years ago and the response would have been a sarcastic laugh, but now we've got it going on. An important step away from the cartoony '90s branding has been taken, and the city has embraced their squad being portrayed as a modern and urban but classy bunch.

The "Highlight Factory" idea is carried over in every bit of marketing you see, and the graphics and pregame presentation fit in well for the ATL. The drumline is only a little dopey, but the spotlights and pyrotechnics of player intros are actually right-on for this on-the-come-up bunch.

This isn't that overblown theater lighting they've got out in L.A., but there is a sense of drama to the way the court looks from the stands. It helps that Josh "J-Smooove" Smith lays down a dramatic dunk and/or block here and there.

Neighborhood    4

The CNN Center is literally attached to Philips; as in, one of three entrances to the Arena is actually directly from the food court. Which is perfect for people who like to save a buck or two and want to have a lot of brand-name fast-food options rather than get stuff inside. Here you can grab Wendy's, Taco Bell, Arby's...the works.

Then, actually still in the same complex (though no longer available in contiguous indoor walking space, requiring a 15-second trip outside) is McCormick & Schmick's. Sure, it's a chain, but the variety is pretty impressive, and the quality is kept high from the lower end fish-and-chips to the tuna steaks and crab/lobster options. Expect to pay around $20 for your entrée, obviously depending on what you order, and then some more for a bottle off the extensive wine list.

There's also a Ruth's Chris within a block-and-a-half if you prefer the turf side of things. Yes, another chain, but being so close to Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia World Congress Center and the Embassy Suites ought to create at least a quasi-unique experience. Get some high-quality beef and a red to match, just don't blame me when your pocketbook weeps.

Fans    4

Just like "Atmosphere," this is a category that has undergone massive improvement in the past few years. I tell you, I was the loneliest man in the state as a die-hard in 2005; all it took was some young, exciting guys and a few wins under our belt, though.

Suddenly, the Hawks are the en vogue team around here. The Braves will always have a following, people will be rabid about the Falcons when they're good, and there are some hockey nuts even this far South, but ask a person between the ages of 16 and 35 who the "cool" club is and where a hot date's at and the answer will likely have to do with the roundball team.

Maybe it's just our modicum of recent success, but people seem to know the team, too. Smith being a native son is a big boost, but knowledge of guys beyond big-namers Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby is common and fairly deep. You might even find someone with an opinion on what we need to add to the roster to take the next step!

You will notice a distinctly younger crowd here, as I alluded to previously. Not sure if it's the roster, the presentation or just the sport itself that's attracting the teens and young professionals, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Access    3

This is downtown Atlanta, which was meant to be traversed not by car but by...

OK, getting from place to place was clearly not a consideration when this city was mapped out.

I-20 and 75/85 meet not five blocks away, which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on whether you're coming in or leaving. Coming south, I'd get on/off at Spring St. or maybe Piedmont Ave. and find either a surface lot along Marietta St. or pay for a CNN or Centennial deck. The price isn't going to be great, but remember what I said before in the Food & Bev section?

On the east-west approach, you can get off at, you guessed it, Spring, or hook it around and actually get on 75/85 to get to MLK Jr. Dr. Along this route you're sure to find plenty of surface lots, but if you skip them you'll still get dumped out next to the decks.

Or bypass all that garbage by riding MARTA. You know, they say it's "smarta."

Inside, infrastructure takes a drastic turn for the better. It should be pretty clear from your ticket if you're heading up or staying on the first level, and there are bathrooms not 30 steps apart most of the way around.

Return on Investment    4

I'm not that old, but I'm old enough to remember when tickets to a pro game weren't this much. I guess I need to consider the times, though.

It's just unfortunate that at Philips, the price point you'd want to get a decent lower-level ticket for ($50-$65) actually nets you something worse than the upper sections: under an overhang that narrows your view of the court beyond the normal TV screen.

I'd say the best angle is to either go cheap up high and fudge it by moving around or just go ahead and lay down $90-plus for serious seats. The middle-of-the-road options simply are not worth it.

You can get some really good views once you break triple digits; in my mind, it's not a bad plan at all to go ahead and fork that over and go cheap in every other regard (eat fast food beforehand in the CNN Center and ride MARTA).

Extras    2

One point here goes to the façade out front. Yep, it says "ATLANTA." Eat it, everybody else.

The other is for Harry the Hawk, our faithful mascot. No, he is not as well-known as that goofy gorilla out in Phoenix (just how is he a "Sun"?) or the now-extinct sasquatch from Seattle (totally not a "Sonic"), but he should be. The way the lower part of his beak just dangles, wobbles and wags willy-nilly as he performs his antics; the constantly furrowed brow that gives him a completely inappropriate sense of intensity; and his incredible stanky leg are truly one-of-a-kind.