ATLANTA — This probably will come as a shock to you, but I’m the cranky sports traditionalist at the office who’s been known to denigrate, chide and generally bad-mouth soccer.

Twenty-two players kicking each other. Oh, I hope I didn’t miss the goal. And, hey, let’s invent a game in which you can’t (except for funny-looking throw-ins from out of bounds) use the extremity that distinguishes us from most other animals.

I am here today to proclaim that I’ve seen the sports future (present?), and it might indeed not involve the use of hands while in-bounds, except for one guy on each team who is forced to wear a different uniform.

I was in Georgia last weekend, including what’s known as Saturday in Athens, as I watched the University of Georgia footballers pummel rival Georgia Tech, which is apparently a trade school of some sort. We are UGA fans in my household because my son’s an alum. Someday let me tell you how frustrating it is to be a UGA fan.

Saturday football at UGA’s Sanford Stadium was followed up with Sunday fútbol at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first leg of the Major League Soccer playoff series pitting the hometown Atlanta United FC against the New York Red Bulls (the only team named for a beverage?).

I’ve never seen anything quite like this. So much about my first MLS game opened my eyes to the fact that a sport I’ve denigrated for so long might indeed be a thing.

First, please know that my dalliance with soccer largely was limited to my time coaching my son’s YMCA league team when he was young. As I recall, my biggest fear was a pregame discovery that the opposing coach might actually have some idea what he or she was doing while I was standing on the sidelines yelling such detailed instructions as “Kick it! Kick it!”

Prior to entering the stadium last Sunday, I was aware that Atlanta United is a bona fide MLS phenomenon, playing an aggressive brand of fútbol and setting attendance records. More than 70,000 people packed the stadium, many showing up long before game time and many never using their seats. At one end, a section of people with drums and flags never found a reason to stop beating their drums or waving their flags. I’m glad they were there. I’m glad they weren’t in my section.

The intensity level never calmed down. And thanks to the general lack of timeouts, the flow of play was constant and constantly exciting. I’m kind of sorry I didn’t know the words to the songs the fans sang throughout the game. The closest thing I’ve ever seen to a sports crowd like this was at a baseball game in South Korea, where I also had wondered when the rehearsal was at which fans learned the songs.

All in all, it was quite a spectacle and one I see a good chance of recreating here in Austin (albeit not at those attendance numbers), if this all gets worked out.

I perceived several demographics at the Atlanta United game that might also be counted on here. There seemed to be young professionals who probably always are on the lookout for an entertaining event — especially with cheap beer. (More on that in a moment.) And many of them probably played soccer as kids. I also saw families with young kids, who, if not wearing Atlanta United jerseys, were wearing their youth league uniforms.

I saw people for whom soccer always has been their prime sports interest. All in all, it made for quite a diverse tableau, one we’d do well to duplicate elsewhere in society.

I was, however, shocked by something I saw in the stadium. And it was something that’s shocking in many sports venues: concession stand prices.

This, however, was good shock. Water was two bucks a bottle, way low for a product that can require long-term financing at most ballparks. Same price for soft drinks, with America's favorite perk: free, unlimited refills! Beer starts at five bucks. Having never bought a beer, I don't know if that's a good price. Pizza? Three bucks for a big slice. I have previously purchased pizza. That's a good price.

The deal here is that a family can buy an in-stadium meal without dipping into the kids' college funds. There also is higher-priced fare available, but the standard concession stand fare is shockingly inexpensive.

Another amazing thing about the Atlanta United experience is how it’s marketed to give a feel of long-standing traditions passed down from generation to generation. There’s the clever “Unite & Conquer” motto. And there’s the Golden Spike that’s a nod to the Atlanta’s railroad past. Musician Big Boi of Outkast drove the Golden Spike at the start of Sunday’s game, and the crowd went wild.

There’s also the five stripes on the jerseys that stand for “the pillars of our character. Unity. Determination, Community, Excellence and Innovation.” These date all the way back to 2017.

Other civic considerations aside, MLS could work in Austin. And I'm for jerseys that say, "Don't Move Here." My first exposure to MLS got me interested enough to watch the Thursday night telecast of the second Atlanta United-N.Y. Red Bulls playoff game that sent Atlanta to next Saturday's league championship game against the Portland Timbers.

(Yes, I watched soccer instead of the Thursday night Cowboy game. Should I have myself tested?)

I know I’ll check out our local team, especially if there are free, unlimited refills. And I’m open-minded enough to learn the foreign words so common in soccer. You know, like “pitch” and “nil.”