The Atlanta Braves made a surprise announcement in early November that they would leave Turner Field, their home of 17 years, for a new stadium in the city’s northern suburbs. The move makes sense for the team’s owners: some $300 million of the $672 million in construction costs will be publicly funded and new stadiums tend to generate new revenue from naming rights, sponsorships and luxury suites. What fans get out of the deal is far less clear. As this matrix of the performance of MLB and NFL teams who have moved to new stadiums since Turner Field opened shows, a ballooning tax bill doesn’t guarantee better box scores.
