Poll
Weekend poll: Will you make a bet on the Super Bowl?
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ATLANTA – For those who have never visited this part of the country, we offer a fast-food list of observations about the city hosting today's 49ers-Falcons NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. In other words, here are a few reasons I enjoyed living and working here throughout most of the 1990s:
• There are plenty of sports choices.
This is a football town, absolutely. Georgia and Georgia Tech maintain as fierce a rivalry as there is in college sports. And now that the Falcons are enjoying some success, the NFL franchise is getting plenty of love.
But there are plenty of alternatives, including the Braves, Hawks, WNBA Dream and excellent men's and women's college basketball programs.
• The facilities bring in the bucks. In March, the NCAA men's Final Four will be here for a fourth time. Since the 1996 Olympics, the Philips Arena (Hawks) and Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion have been built.
• The city's rail system (MARTA) runs directly from the baggage area at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to downtown. It's cheap and convenient.
• The '96 Games were tacky and commercial – embarrassing for those of us living here at the time – but the pre-Olympic cleanup efforts secured the much-needed funding to renovate the Martin Luther King Jr. Center.
Dr. King's birthplace (and nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church) has been transformed into a historic district. The center offers free guided tours year-round.
• The choice of cuisine has expanded tremendously. There are wonderful alternatives to barbecue.
• Finally, the Dome will be packed with about 70,000 rowdy Falcon fans, but I still like the 49ers.
What to watch
NFC and AFC championship games, noon, FOX40, and 3:30 p.m., Ch. 13: By 7 p.m. or so, we'll know who will be in Super Bowl XLVII.
Weekend poll
Will you make a bet on the Super Bowl?
• Yes, at a Nevada casino
• Yes, with a bookie
• Yes, with a friend
• No, I don't gamble
Vote above or leave your comments in the comment field; or, go to www.sacbee.com/sports
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• Read more articles by Ailene Voisin
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