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ATLANTA -- Arthur Blank donned traditional soccer garb to mark his newest venture -- an MLS team for Atlanta. Athletics Jerseys China . "I love this one," Blank said, looking down at the red, black and gold scarf draped over his dark suit. "I havent taken it off since it was given to me. I may not sleep in it tonight, but I may. I havent decided yet." Major League Soccer announced its latest team Wednesday, an expansion team for Atlanta that will begin play in 2017 at the citys new retractable roof stadium. The team will be owned by Blank, who also controls the NFLs Atlanta Falcons. He said it was the culmination of a process that started about a decade ago, when he first started talks with MLS about bringing a team to the city. The off-and-on discussions picked up again after Blank reached a deal with the city last year to build a new $1 billion downtown stadium next to the soon-to-be-demolished Georgia Dome. He is putting up most of the money, with the city kicking in $200 million from a hotel tax. "I think Atlanta is a natural fit for Major League Soccer," said Blank, who was serenaded by a burgeoning fan group that calls itself "Terminus Legion," a reference to the citys former name. The teams name has not been determined. Blank said he will get input from the fans before deciding on the new moniker, though he already knows the colours: red and black -- matching the Falcons -- with a substantial amount of gold as well. "What the name will be, we really dont know," he said. "We will spend a lot of time listening to our fans and trying to understand why some names are more important than others, why certain designs are more important than others, why certain logos are more important than others." One name that wont be considered: Atlanta Chiefs, the name of two previous teams that played in the old North American Soccer League. While the Chiefs won the first NASL championship in 1968, both versions struggled financially and eventually folded. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said there was no hesitation about putting a team in Atlanta once Blank worked out a stadium deal. It is the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and the biggest without a top-level soccer team. The city has a large Hispanic population and last month drew more than 68,000 fans to the Georgia Dome for a friendly between Mexico and Nigeria. "This is something that will help elevate our league," Garber said. "It will also elevate our sport in the entire Southeast, which is something that is very important to us strategically." The league went all out to tout its newest team. Hundreds of fans turned out for a street festival before Blank and Garber arrived by helicopter for the introductory news conference, touching down on the roof of a downtown hotel overlooked Centennial Olympic Park. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed also attended. While the new stadium is primarily designed for the Falcons, Blank stressed that it will be soccer-friendly. The stands along the sideline will have the capability to retract, accommodating the larger soccer pitch while maintaining sightlines. Curtains will descend from the roof automatically to close off the upper sections, creating the sort of intimate atmosphere that works better for less-attended MLS games. The new facility is designed to seat about 71,000 for NFL games, Blank said, but can be reduced to about 29,000 for soccer using only the lower bowl. "There will never be an MLS game in Atlanta where NFL lines are shown on the field," Blank said, drawing a big cheer. MLS, which has 19 teams this season, is expanding rapidly with a goal of having 24 teams by the end of the decade. Orlando and New York City are scheduled to begin play next season, and the league has awarded a provisional team in Miami to a group led by David Beckham, contingent on a soccer-specific stadium being built. The league has added five teams in the past five years, including the hugely successful Seattle Sounders. Garber said there is no worry about growing too fast given the abundance of soccer talent around the world. "When we expand, we can pick from players around the world," Garber said. "We could change the roster rules, the international player limits, and have no dilution in talent." Blank said he will try to encourage some crossover between Falcons season-ticket holders and those interested in attending MLS games. But he acknowledged the teams are likely to have very different fan bases, making it clear the new soccer team will not merely be a side business for the Falcons. His first priority is to hire a team president for the MLS venture. He will also be exploring possible locations for a state-of-the-art training facility. "We dont want any stepchildren in our family," Blank said. "We want to make sure the people running soccer get up in the morning thinking about soccer and go to bed thinking about soccer." Fake Athletics Jerseys .com) - A pair of Eastern Conference rivals will meet on Saturday as D. Oakland Athletics Store . Wrights first stint with Milwaukee was on a 10-day contract from March 14-23. He played in two games, averaging six points and two rebounds in 16. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/115m-chris-bassitt-jersey-athletics.html . At quarterback, all agree that Andy Dalton has been a wonderful surprise, but to truly progress he has to play his best in the playoffs. The two losses in the wildcard rounds keep the evaluation on Dalton open -- just like it did for Peyton Manning many years ago and Matt Ryan until last year.PHILADELPHIA - Claude Giroux scored 3:57 into overtime, lifting the Philadelphia Flyers over the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in a fight-filled game Tuesday night.After a throwback clash that featured one ejection and 93 penalty minutes, perhaps this one should have been decided by the judges scorecards rather than goals.Philadelphia wing Zac Rinaldo was tossed and faces a likely suspension for plowing Kris Letang into the glass. Flyers All-Star and NHL scoring leader Jake Voracek threw a series of fists in his first fight of the season. And Pittsburgh forward Steve Downie gave a flippant wave to a jeering crowd as he skated to the locker room after his role in a brawl.Heated rivals for years, the teams fought four times in the second period for a total of 66 penalty minutes.Pittsburghs Beau Bennett and Philadelphias Chris VandeVelde scored in the third to make it 2-all. Luke Schenn also scored for the Flyers, and Chris Kunitz tied it with a short-handed goal.LIGHTNING 4, CANUCKS 1TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Killorn had two goals, Valtteri Filppula added a goal and an assist, and Tampa Bay took over the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a victory over Vancouver.Brian Boyle also scored for the Lightning, who lead the New York Islanders by one point in the East. Ben Bishop stopped 27 shots in Tampa Bays eighth straight home win.Vancouver got 22 saves from Ryan Miller. Frank Corrado ruined Bishops shutout bid at 8:09 of the third.RANGERS 3, SENATORS 2, OTNEW YORK (AP) — Carl Hagelin deflected in Derek Stepans slick backhand pass 2:55 into overtime to give New York a comeback victory over Ottawa.The Senators had the better of the chances in the extra session, but Hagelin put the winner behind goalie Craig Anderson as the Rangers won their third straight and 16th in 19 games heading into the NHL All-Star break.Chris Kreider tied it for New York in the third period. Kevin Hayes also scored, and Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves.Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek had second-period goals for Ottawa. Anderson stopped 32 shots, but let New Yorks only one in overtime get past him.OILERS 5, CAPITALS 4, SOWASHINGTON (AP) — Teddy Purcell scored the decisive goal in a shootout after Edmonton rallied from a two-goal deficit late in regulation, and the Oilers ended Washingtons seven-game home winning streak.Purcell beat Capitals goalie Braden Holtby in the fourth round of the shootout after Viktor Fasth stopped Eric Fehr.The victory was the 12th in 47 games for Edmonton and only the fourth on the road.Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the opening 14 minutes for the Capitals, who held leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 before the Oilers made one final push during the final 5 minutes of regulation.Purcell scored at 15:49 to make it 4-3, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tied it with a wrist shot at 18:53 after Fasth vacated the net for an extra skater.Derek Roy and Nikita Nikitin also scored in regulation for Edmonton.Despite the loss, Washington headed into the All-Star break with at least a point in 19 of its last 22 games.Jay Beagle and Nicklas Backstrom also had goals forr the Capitals, who have lost three straight. Custom Oakland Athletics Jerseys. .RED WINGS 5, WILD 4, SODETROIT (AP) — Gustav Nyqust and Pavel Datsyuk scored in a shootout, and Detroit outlasted Minnesota after the Wild rallied from three goals down in the third period.Detroit won for only the second time in nine shootouts this season and came away with its fifth consecutive victory overall. Nyquist also scored in regulation, but the Red Wings blew a 4-1 lead in the third.Zach Parise scored twice for Minnesota, but missed his attempt to start the shootout. Mikko Koivu, who also scored in regulation, had his shootout attempt stopped by Petr Mrazek.Nyquists backhander under Minnesota goalie Darcy Kuemper gave the Red Wings the win.The Red Wings reached the All-Star break a point behind Tampa Bay for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Detroits five-game winning streak is a season high.CANADIENS 2, PREDATORS 1MONTREAL (AP) — P.K. Subban scored on a power play 4:09 into overtime, lifting Montreal over Nashville in the last game for both teams before the All-Star break.Alex Galchenyuk also scored for the Canadiens (29-13-3).Mike Ribeiro scored for Nashville (30-10-5), which failed to win following a loss for the first time in 14 tries this season.Carey Price was back in the Montreal net after missing two games with an upper-body injury and had to be sharp early as Mike Fisher broke in alone. Price made 37 saves.BLACKHAWKS 6, COYOTES 1CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Shaw broke out of a scoring slump with two goals to help Chicago beat struggling Arizona.Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists, and rookie Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks got back on track after dropping two in a row and three of four. Kanes goal in the second was No. 200 for his career, and Teravainen had his first multipoint game in the NHL.Chicago goalie Antti Raanta made 35 saves while improving to 7-0 at home this season.Arizona lost its sixth consecutive game, extending its season-worst streak. Lucas Lessio scored his first career goal in the second, and Mike Smith finished with 45 stops.The Coyotes played without Mikkel Boedker, who leads Arizona with 14 goals. Boedker had his spleen removed after he was injured in Sundays shootout loss at Winnipeg.Chicago also got a power-play goal from Jonathan Toews on the captains bobblehead night, and Blackhawks defenceman David Rundblad scored in the third period against his former team. It was Toews first goal since Dec. 21, stopping an 11-game drought.BRUINS 3, STARS 1DALLAS (AP) — Tuukka Rask made 36 saves, and Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist to lead Boston past Dallas.Hamilton assisted on Gregory Campbells second-period goal that broke a 1-all tie, then scored on a third-period power play.Rask allowed the games first goal by Vernon Fiddler at 6:46 of the second. Loui Eriksson tied it at 14:17 of the second before Campbell gave the Bruins the lead at 18:27.Kari Lehtonen made 24 saves for Dallas.The Stars failed to score on any of their six power plays. They are 3 for 37 over the last nine games. ' ' '