Falcons test out astonishing new 'halo' video screen, promise cheap food and beer

The race to have the world’s greatest stadium isn’t unlike the race to have the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL; you can get there if you throw enough money at the issue, even though you may not stay there for long. The Atlanta Falcons are just weeks away from unveiling their gleaming billion-dollar palace, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and have begun testing an amazing new “halo” video screen that covers the entire interior of the arena. Here, check it out:

Friends, that’s a thing of beauty, and combined with the iris-opening roof, it’s a certainty that MBS will be among the world’s marquee sports palaces … at least until the next Olympics. Till then, Falcons fans can thrill to replays of in-game action and two-and-a-half quarters of Super Bowl 51 magic.

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But gosh, you’re saying, that sure looks expensive! And it is. And fans will be paying their fair share, but not at the concession stand. In another move that has drawn plenty of attention and (deserved) acclaim, the Falcons have reaffirmed their intention to keep food and drink prices not just manageable, but insanely low. Two bucks for a hot dog or a soda, five bucks for a beer … it is literally the cheapest set of food prices at a sporting event this side of Augusta National.

“Our tickets in the NFL are not inexpensive,” team president Rich McKay told Fast Company, “and we can’t use this as an opportunity to hit them harder.”

After several delays stretching nearly six months, the stadium is reportedly on track to open in time for an Aug. 26 preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Georgia Dome is slated to be demolished in late November.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.