Falcons can lead way to an Atlanta sports grand slam
Green Bay fans invaded the Georgia Dome last month expecting a Packers win but they learned what we had already found out: Atlanta now has winners. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
If this isn’t Shoeless Joe Jackson looking out at some ball field cut into a cornfield and asking, “Is this heaven?” then what is it? Because it’s certainly not Atlanta.
Is it?
The Braves returned to the playoffs in October after four years of personnel miscalculations and an extended viewing of Mike Hampton’s exploding limbs (later to become a Ripley’s exhibit, adjacent to the two-headed goat).
The Hawks appear to be stabilizing under new coach Larry Drew. The presumed-to-be undermanned Thrashers resemble a Swiss Army knife, taking apart the Axis powers with just the corkscrew and the bottle opener.
The Falcons are 12-2, which ties them for the NFL’s best record and makes them two wins better than the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, who visit here Monday night.
Bobby Cox and the Braves celebrated after clincing a playoff berth.
Put away the paper bags. You won’t need those here in our sudden sports Utopia.
For the first time in Atlanta history, all four pro franchises from the four major sports are on track to make the playoffs in the same season (the Falcons, Hawks and Thrashers following the Braves, or vice-versa).
The only thing that could possibly top this would be if, by some miracle alignment of the stars, Atlanta Spirit owners actually
Dustin Byfuglien (center) has ignited Thrashers' celebrations.
stopped suing each other. Oh wait, that just happened. The courtroom pie fight is over.
What next? Free beer?
“This is something, isn’t it?” said Evander Holyfield, who ranks among the city’s most famous and longest-suffering sports fans. “Of course, I’ve been watching the Braves back since I was in the Boys Club. They weren’t very good, so they’d just give the tickets to us. The place was empty and we got beat all the time, but, shoot, I
The biggest reason to cheer for the Hawks: Al Horford.
didn’t care. It was the only way I could see a game because I didn’t have any money.”
Holyfield actually represents an interesting timeline in this evolution. He worked concessions at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium at Braves and Falcons games, selling Cokes and popcorn. Later, after he turned boxer and won a few fights, he attended Hawks and Atlanta Flames games.
Of course, there seldom has been a sports season without some form of disaster. The city too busy to implode, we’re not.
The Braves went through a stretch where they reached the postseason only once in 21 years and finished last or next to last 14 times. The Falcons mostly were a cartoon under the Smith family. They had a few good seasons but one of the best ended in heartbreak (a 1980 playoff loss to Dallas). This was loserville central and it became the city’s moniker.
The Flames, the NHL’s first incarnation in Atlanta, won the Stanley Cup — but not until after moving to Calgary. Probably in some small, remote Canadian neighborhood north of 285, they celebrated.
The Hawks were a postseason staple for most of two decades (18 out of 22 years, 1977-99) but they always hit a wall. Quoth Holyfield: “I always thought if we could beat Boston, we could beat everybody else. But we couldn’t beat them. They played that slow defense. They were aggravating.”
Aggravating. That word sums up a lot since the 1960s.
Technically, the city’s first pro champion was the 1968 Atlanta Chiefs of the North American Soccer League. That title had such a pronounced effect on the sports world that 10 of the league’s franchises folded after the season.
In 1990, Holyfield dropped James “Buster” Douglas for the world heavyweight title. He now laughs about it. “People would come up to me and said, ‘You’re the first champion that Atlanta has.’ It’s almost like I gave people hope. Then the Braves went worst-to-first [in 1991] and even though they didn’t win the World Series, there was something to cheer for.”
Finally, in 1995, the Braves won a World Series. The following year, they blew a 2-0 Series lead over the New York Yankees and lost four straight games.
Atlanta fans have been crawling through the desert ever since. The city has had three teams make the playoffs in the same year, but not since 1998. That year the Falcons made it to the Super Bowl, losing to Denver. The Braves and Hawks also made the playoffs.
The Falcons are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, seemingly the closest of the four teams to winning a title. Holyfield has been to a few games this year but isn’t sure when he’ll go to the next one.
“I know I can catch them on the tube,” he said. “I figure I might just wait for Dallas until I see them again. They’re going to the Super Bowl so I’ll see them there.”
Suddenly, success is assumed.
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322 comments Add your comment
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 24th, 2010
6:54 pm
JSS
December 24th, 2010
6:20 pm
Scrolled right past that “snsrky” 5:13PM post… Maybe somebody can let the rest of the crybaby class of bloggers know that they can keep looking for affirmation on Ledbetter’s and the Birdcage blogs! Happy Holidays anyhow!
________________________________________
Too funny
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 24th, 2010
7:01 pm
Just so you guys know, only 2 of the teams the Falcons have beaten have made the playoffs, during the same season, during that “Overrated” home record by the CHOKE.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 24th, 2010
7:04 pm
“POLL TIME”
Just released on NFL Network, of all viewers, they polled that 63 percent for Vick and 14 percent for CHOKE, indicating who will have a
better game this weekend.
Not that it was a surprise
“AMERICA HAS SPOKEN – AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN”!
Michael "Choke" Vick Fish House
December 24th, 2010
7:24 pm
Merry Chirmas Matt “Choke” Ryan,,, your my hero!!
Crawling through the desert
December 24th, 2010
7:32 pm
Atlanta fans escaped the desert only briefly with the 1995 Braves.
Covers Dixie like the Dew
December 24th, 2010
7:36 pm
Matt Ryan is a damn good
NFL ….. QB.
bob
December 24th, 2010
8:02 pm
No it is Joe Johnson – He gets paid more than Lebron and doesn’t have to show up in the post season. Now that is heaven.
JSS
December 24th, 2010
8:25 pm
@ MCR…
Don’t always agree with your approach; but you have just as much as right to say what is on your mind as the next person… You’ve never stooped to being a race baiter or just plain snarky as the ones who are always calling you out… Have a good safe holiday, that goes for everyone on the blog… That is especially for those who I never agree with or even respect…
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 24th, 2010
8:38 pm
bob
December 24th, 2010
8:02 pm
No it is Joe Johnson – He gets paid more than Lebron and doesn’t have to show up in the post season. Now that is heaven.
________________________________________
He and CHOKE should hang out because CHOKE makes 42 million more than Flacco and still has 3 playoff wins and a championship game less
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 24th, 2010
8:40 pm
JSS
The feeling is mutual and you keep it clean as well.
Have a safe holidays!
D-Man
December 24th, 2010
9:14 pm
So much for that “Loserville” title…lol
Melissa
December 24th, 2010
10:13 pm
Seriously? No mention of the Dream at all? Just on the hopes that the Thrashers and Hawks might make it to the playoffs? I think that’s a bit disappointing.
Frozen Rope
December 24th, 2010
10:54 pm
Merry Christmas too alll ,, and too all a goodnight,,, except for you Matt “Choke” Ryan,,, Loser
Hit A Single
December 24th, 2010
10:58 pm
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Go Falcons, you are what hard work, desire and discipline are all about.
Falcon Jim
December 24th, 2010
11:12 pm
My Christmas list:
The Taints torn.
World Peace.
The economy and jobs pick up.
Matt “Choke”…………….chokes.
Falcon Jim
December 24th, 2010
11:31 pm
Switches, coal and “dirty socks” for CHOKE.
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
12:10 am
Merry Christmas………………………so God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…………….
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
12:26 am
2 Weeks until Falcons draft watch
Atlanta Housewife
December 25th, 2010
12:39 am
you must really be a longly person on x-mas talking, and that’s all you are doing is talking hatefulness on this blog this night ! You should be glad christ was born and died for you ! merry x-mas anyway…..
Sid
December 25th, 2010
1:29 am
Be Content!!!!
December 24th, 2010
11:59 am
************************************************
this decade? jeez dude ….only 7 days left, give us a chance!
….and that saints sb once in a blue moon win…………that only happens every 400 years….sit down, relax, it will be awhile!
And by the way…..we did get to the Super Bowl before the Saints, we just had a lil problem with the
Robinson’s lack of action at home
Sid
December 25th, 2010
1:31 am
Didn’t this “choke” fella used to tout Flacco as the second coming………..
……………..dude, that ain’t what the chicks are saying.
Katherine
December 25th, 2010
1:43 am
Merry Christmas!
Jim
December 25th, 2010
6:23 am
N’Orleans is a great sports town. Baseball, basketball, hockey. They support all the teams. Oh, they don’t have any?
Poured myself a vodka
December 25th, 2010
8:05 am
I still refuse to bite on the Falcons. Once bitten, twice smitten. Or is it, Once smited, twice bitten. No, Once bitten twice shy. that’s it. The braves and the falcons, except for 1995’s world series ring, are perenial heartbreakers and I have got to protect my ticker here.
I am the number one sportsfan in all of Atlanta. I think sports 24/7 365. I am sports. I play sports all the time too. I’m playing sports right now. I’m presently in the middle of a baseball game. (I just happen to have a really big lead off of second).
BTW: are you supposed to tag up after every foul ball? Yeah? I guess I’m out, then. Oh well….
Anyway, I’m not falling for the great Falcon Tease of 2010. They will lose the first playoff game. It’s written in the cold stone that has replaced my heart. Not gonna doit. Not gonna do it. Na ga da.
na ga da!
Ryan Fanning
December 25th, 2010
8:14 am
GO THRASHERS!!!!!!
Joey
December 25th, 2010
8:25 am
Somebody’s gonna have to put the Eagles away. Not us, cause I can’t remember when the Falcons were even competitive against Andy Reid.
Maybe NO or NY can handle that job, then hopefully, it’s Falcons / Pats in the Super Bowl.
Nuts for Boults
December 25th, 2010
9:09 am
And snow on Christmas in Atlanta…..Something strange is happening here……
Frozen Rope
December 25th, 2010
9:19 am
JSS @ MCR…
Don’t always agree with your approach; but you have just as much as right to say what is on your mind as the next person… You’ve never stooped to being a race baiter or just plain snarky as the ones who are always calling you out… Have a good safe holiday, that goes for everyone on the blog… That is especially for those who I never agree with or even respect…
Well isnt that sweet.
yo mama
December 25th, 2010
9:26 am
Jeff, you left out the Knights title, in the 90’s.
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
9:36 am
Vodka,
How can you be the sports fan you claim to be if you deny the future potential. You must be the life of the party.
Frozen Rope
December 25th, 2010
9:45 am
@ Jim
Maybe he should have made it a double….
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
9:55 am
Hey Rope. Merry Christmas. I haven’t been around lately very much since D-Led “band” me for fighting with the Taints and the racist.
GT Falcon
December 25th, 2010
10:14 am
This season will be spoken of, for many years to come. Our time is now… Rise Up!
Gatorman
December 25th, 2010
10:38 am
Old joke: Man wearing coat in purgatory, and the devil ask him why. Because it would be a cold day in hell when all of the Atlanta franchises made the playoffs in the same year.
Frozen Rope
December 25th, 2010
11:09 am
Merry Christmas Jim,.,,, wow,, D-Led banned YOU,,, thats funny,,, JS is always threatening to ban me,,, so far I have managed to avoid getting the boot,,,, At least JS is fair and allows everyone to be equal opportunity idiots,,, Hang in there Buddy!
GO FALCONS!!
Frozen Rope
December 25th, 2010
11:10 am
Oh and Jim,, YOU ARE BAND!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
11:26 am
Joey
December 25th, 2010
8:25 am
Somebody’s gonna have to put the Eagles away. Not us, cause I can’t remember when the Falcons were even competitive against Andy Reid.
_______________________________________
I have some good news, and some bad news:
The good news, the Falcons beat the Eagles in 2005.
The bad news, the winning qb is now the Eagles starting qb.
Oh well – there is always the draft
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
11:28 am
Sid
December 25th, 2010
1:31 am
Didn’t this “choke” fella used to tout Flacco as the second coming………..
……………..dude, that ain’t what the chicks are saying.
_______________________________________________
2008 SEASON
Flacco 2 playoff wins……1 championship game appearance.
CHOKE 1 and done….no playoff wins…..2 picks, 1 fumble, 1 safety.
2009 SEASON
Flacco 1 playoff win.
CHOKE no playoffs.
What more explaining do you need?
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
11:32 am
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
9:55 am
Hey Rope. Merry Christmas. I haven’t been around lately very much since D-Led “band” me for fighting with the Taints and the racist.
___________________________________
D-Led is the man…………. ha ha ha
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
11:34 am
Frozen Rope
December 25th, 2010
11:09 am
Merry Christmas Jim,.,,, wow,, D-Led banned YOU,,, thats funny,,, JS is always threatening to ban me,,, so far I have managed to avoid getting the boot,,,, At least JS is fair and allows everyone to be equal opportunity idiots,,, Hang in there Buddy!
GO FALCONS!!
_____________________________________________
Oh a Jared Diamond moment – so happy for you fellas
rznic60
December 25th, 2010
11:37 am
Matt vs Joe 2010 Matt 1 win Joe 1 loss, what more explaining do you need?
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
12:45 pm
Tony Gonzalez thinking about retirement as playoffs approach
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 25, 2010, 9:58 AM EST
In Tony Gonzalez’s 14 NFL seasons, he has yet to win a playoff game. But the 35-year-old Falcons tight end can’t help thinking about possibly retiring at the end of this season. Especially if his team wins a Super Bowl.
“I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I didn’t think about it,” Gonzalez said of retiring to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’d be a fool if I didn’t think about it; just trying to be prepared a little bit. But you think about it and then you detach from it.”
On NFL Network the other night, Matt Millen quoted a scout that said there are two guys in the NFL that have no speed left, but still get open regularly: Hines Ward and Gonzalez. When Ward heard the comment, he told Millen not to tell anyone his secret.
It’s no secret that Gonzalez has slowed down, but he’s still very productive. Gonzalez has 62 catches, 591 yards, and five scores on the season. He could wind up with his lowest numbers since 1998, yet he’s still the second most valuable receiver on the likely No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Gonzalez worries about a possible lockout and his desire to play in 2011.
______________________________________
Since the thought of Atlanta winning a superbowl this season is O-U-T of the question, it looks like once again the Falcons made another blunder.
Last season they “Wasted” a Number 2 pick for an aging tight end with no more speed. Now, when he retires they have to use another top draft pick to maybe get lucky finding a replacement. So that’s 2 draft picks for one roster spot, just to make CHOKE look decent, because he just plain S-U-C-K-S.
Now, look at the Eagles, Brent Celek, 25 years old and already at the top of his game and he will be around for a long time and he wasn’t a top draft pick.
That’s why the Eagles, in a rebuilding year, are years ahead of the Falcons in what is supposed to be their best shot at winning something as simple as a playoff game.
So, next season its back to the drawing board, but now they are behind the 8 ball, because while they were sleeping behind the wheel, Tampa is on the rise and the Saints are in their prime.
The Falcons will forever be the laugh of the NFL, no matter how many quick slants are thrown by the “Check Down King”
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
12:48 pm
rznic60
December 25th, 2010
11:37 am
Matt vs Joe 2010 Matt 1 win Joe 1 loss, what more explaining do you need?
_________________________________________________
That just shows the difference between a Ravens fan and a delusional Falcons fan – Ravens care more about playoff wins than regular season “referee” assisted wins
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
1:06 pm
Rope, thanks.
I should be “band” for what I’m thinking about this “Choke” idiot.
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
1:09 pm
What I think about this “CHOKE” guy would be considered a hate crime……………
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
1:10 pm
“CHOKE’s” theme-song:
If I Only Had a Brain.
Stinger2
December 25th, 2010
1:42 pm
Jeff, I believe you are right that all four teams will
make the playoffs (counting the Braves in 2010). Its
amusing why so many of the responses (in an increasing
number it seems) never comment on the subject you write about but use it as an opportunity to rant or talk trash to each other about the teams in the post. I realize that everyone has a right to their opinion but why not express
it on the subject at hand instead about the merits of the Falcons vs. Saints, GT vs. UGA in yesteryear, etc.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
December 25th, 2010
1:46 pm
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
1:09 pm
What I think about this “CHOKE” guy would be considered a hate crime……………
____________________________________________
In case you didn’t know – a band plays musical instruments
Secondly, he complains he was banned because of racists on D-Led blog
“Pot meet kettle”……….. ha ha ha.
Falcon Jim
December 25th, 2010
1:57 pm
CHOKE, “BAND” is a joke. I know it is “banned,” idiot. It is what the idiot (like you) Saint’s fans say.
Also, it sure is a sign of your ignorance to accuse ME of racism.
CHOKE: stupid, fat, drunk and ignorant is no way to go through life, son.
Who Dat Nation
December 25th, 2010
2:05 pm
Falcon Jim sounds like another ignorant falcon fan, nothing but a classless piece of trash you ignorant moron. After we beat the pigeons monday night what will you say then Pigeon Jim