We've spent time on how the lockout will affect owners, team staff, players and fans. One thing I hadn't given a lot of thought to until right this minute was how it might affect the Georgia Dome.
You see, like every other organization on the face of the planet, the Dome has a budget. Two, in fact. One is life with a normal Atlanta Falcons season, while the second is one in which the lockout wipes out everything.
The projections are telling for those running the stadium:
The NFL and its 32 football franchises are currently still embroiled in a labor dispute that could scuttle the 2011 season. Without a season of professional football, the dome would have a loss of $1.5 million for the fiscal year, according to the GWCC. With the Falcons playing, the dome would have a $4.6 million profit, according to the projected budget.
So there's someone else—actually, several someones—who is/are desperately hoping the season goes on. The longer this stretches out, the more the full magnitude of financial losses suffered by all those involved comes to light, and the more disgruntled fans get. You can only put a lid on that for so long.
Let's hope this is all resolved soon. I'm making that a mantra.