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Goodell wants new stadium in Atlanta
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ATLANTA — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Atlanta likely will have to build a new stadium if it wants to host its third Super Bowl.

Goodell was in the city Thursday night to attend the Falcons’ game against the Baltimore Ravens at the 18-year-old Georgia Dome.

The 72,000-seat stadium hosted the championship game in 1994 and 2000, but Falcons owner Arthur Blank has since been rebuffed twice in efforts to land another Super Bowl.

“The bar has been raised because you’re getting great facilities around the country in great communities,” Goodell said during a reception before the game, held on a rooftop overlooking Centennial Olympic Park. “These games are a tremendous value to the communities, so there’s a lot of competition for it. So I think a new stadium with this great community would be beneficial to bringing another Super Bowl to this community.”

The Falcons have been pushing for a new facility to replace their longtime home, contending the Georgia Dome no longer produces sufficient revenues to keep up with newer stadiums around the league. The state, which owns the downtown stadium along with a massive convention center next door, has proposed a major renovation and even discussed the idea of installing a retractable roof to meet the team’s desire to have an open-air facility.

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