Falcons fans attending Sunday afternoon's NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks are encouraged to leave a little earlier than normal for the Georgia Dome because of expected heavy traffic delays.
"Fans attending Sunday's game should plan to arrive early because of the extremely heavy traffic that comes with hosting home playoff games," said Falcons Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing Jim Smith. "The Georgia Dome has had an electric atmosphere all season, and we are all looking forward to a great game on Sunday."
Gates to the Georgia Dome will open at 11:00 a.m. with pregame festivities taking place at State Farm Falcons Landing beginning at 10:00 a.m. Upon arrival at the Georgia Dome, Falcons fans will receive a Falcons Rise Up battle flag specially designed for Sunday's playoff game. During the National Anthem, a large American flag will cover the entire field, stretching from endzone to endzone. The Falcons will also be hosting the Punt, Pass, and Kick National Finals during halftime. Additionally, 790 the Zone, the official radio partner of the Atlanta Falcons, is continuing its Arrive by: 35 promotional campaign to encourage fans to be in their seats at 12:35 p.m.
Fans without pre-paid parking are strongly encouraged to use MARTA (mass transit, www.itsmarta.com) because of the limited number of parking spaces that will be available and heavy traffic expected on Sunday afternoon.
The Falcons would also like to remind fans that the game is sold out and there is a potential danger of counterfeit tickets being sold in the secondary market. Because of the heightened demand for Falcons playoff tickets, the club has advised the following guidelines to avoid purchasing counterfeit tickets.
Fans may choose to purchase tickets at www.nfl.com/ticketexchange or www.ticketmaster.com.
- The NFL Ticket Exchange is the only resale marketplace endorsed by the NFL, providing fans with the opportunity to purchase seats listed by Falcons season ticket holders or other fans.
- When buying from an individual or through other online exchanges, do not be lured away from the website by the seller.
- Fans choosing to buy tickets through an online auction are advised to choose a seller with a long and continuous history of satisfied customers.
- Fans should never pay with a cashier's check or wire money to the seller, as there may be no way to get money back if the tickets are not received. Fans are advised to pay with a credit card or through PayPal, which offer some amount of protection and potential reimbursement.
- Many sellers will include pictures of the tickets with their posts on auction sites or message boards. Fans should scrutinize these tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations, and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the Georgia Dome's website. "The NFL Ticket Exchange powered by Ticketmaster, the only marketplace for fans to buy and sell guaranteed authentic NFL tickets, provides Atlanta Falcons fans looking to buy or sell their playoff tickets a safe, convenient, and League-approved resale platform," said Clay Luter, Ticketmaster's senior vice president of Stadium, Outdoor & College Sports. "Through the NFL Ticket Exchange, the Falcons are able to deliver fans access to the only barcode-authenticated playoff game tickets."
In an effort to help eliminate the sale of fake and counterfeit tickets, the Falcons have incorporated several security devices built into playoff tickets. Some of the overt security devices include a foil stamped playoff logo, thermo chromic ink, and a specially-made gloss varnish. A counterfeit ticket may be missing one or even several of these or other security features.
Fans purchasing tickets from other sources should be advised that tickets may appear to look authentic but in many cases will not be valid or may be counterfeit. If you purchase invalid or counterfeit tickets, the Falcons will not be able to offer alternative ticket options as both potential games are sold out.
