Live from Falcons-Vikings: Anybody excited about this one?
"Hey, I'm pumped. Who's with me?" (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
I wish I could say I’m looking forward to a great day of pro football here at the Dome, but I’d be a big fat liar. The Atlanta Falcons tend to play to the level of the opposition, and if that happens today …
(Pause to shudder.)
The Minnesota Vikings are awful, and they’re without their best player. (Adrian Peterson, RB.) They’re also without Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Alan Page, Joe Kapp, Carl Eller, Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman, Cris Carter, Mick Tinglehoff and anyone else who ever put the pop in the Purple. The Vikings are 2-8, having beaten two other terrible teams (Arizona and Carolina).
This is one of those games the Falcons should win by three touchdowns, and I’m thinking it’s a game they need to win by three touchdowns. Even at 6-4, there’s scarcely a buzz about this team nationally or locally. I got out of Mass later than usual this morning, and I was thinking I might hit traffic around the Dome, but I drove right in at 11:30.
It’s 12:03 as I write, and there’s almost nobody in the house. I know it’s the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the day after Tech-Georgia, but still … this is, on the record, a pretty good NFL team. I wondered in preseason why more people weren’t talking about the Falcons, and on the final Sunday of November I’m wondering still.
So I ask again: Are you pumped about the Birds? Are you too stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey to care? Has watching Florida fall to 6-6 and Clemson to 9-3 last night dulled the senses? Is there anybody out there? Is this microphone on?
With that, I’ll hang up and await your responses. Assuming there are any.
By Mark Bradley
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1,179 comments Add your comment
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
8:59 pm
Falcons lost 4 games this year, in two of them, Ryan led them down the field and put the ball in Roddy’s hands at the end of the game. That is what I call taking the team and putting them on his shoulders.
But today, there Roddy was, trolling the endzone for the W, and did Ryan try to put the team on his shoulders because he did not trust Roddy? Nope, he put it in Roddy’s hands again…And he caught it….LEADERSHIP.
JSS
November 27th, 2011
9:00 pm
“Besos” is my favorite word…
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
9:02 pm
No, I see a lot of “Cant’s”. Cant Cant Cant Cant. I do have one real question….Do you want to see the Falcons win the SB this year? If not, you are not a fan. If that is the case, be honest.
JSS
November 27th, 2011
9:03 pm
8:59PM see 2-8… Was it leadership when Urlacher made that INT?
JSS
November 27th, 2011
9:04 pm
Or was that leadership when Tramon ran by him laying on the ground?
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
9:06 pm
JSS, one question. Dare to dream, don’t try and think why not. If the Falcons win the SB this year, (don’t tell me why they can’t, your opinion is well documented) would that make you Happy, or Sad? Are you a fan at all?
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
9:08 pm
Was it leadership when Vick fumbled the ball 9-10 times a season? Do leaders never make a bad play?
DawgNole
November 27th, 2011
9:09 pm
“Choke” and “72 Mill” may or may not be one in the same. Doesn’t matter. Both are spineless, race-baiting liars who vanish from the blog as soon as the Falcons clinch a victory–especially when Ryan has a solid game.
Once Recent Reader
November 27th, 2011
9:09 pm
Vick the Coach Killer .. …I’ve been able to have some good conversations with JSS. We don’t see eye to eye often, but have managed to keep it cordial. I know that many of my opinions and comments on a certain QB will probably have little impact . . .but JSS has answered me respectfully. Can’t ask for more than that.
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:10 pm
Vick has never been a thing but maddeningly inconsistent….
Isn’t it obvious?
And injury prone, of course.
And I forgot, a felon as well.
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
9:11 pm
It does not matter what happens to leaders, it is how they respond. Again, Roddy dropped 2 game winning TDs this year, and yet, today, Ryan threw to him with total confidence for the game clinching TD. THAT is leadership.
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:12 pm
Fire Bill Cowher!
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:14 pm
What are we, 40-19 under Smith and with Ryan under center in all but 3 of em?
Not bad.
Once Recent Reader
November 27th, 2011
9:16 pm
Phil I agree. I understand we are 0-2 in playoffs under Coach Smith and with M. Ryan starting at QB . . . .but does that erase the 40-19 winning record? I just don’t think it can be discounted. Now they do have a little playoff Monkey that has to be removed from our back . . … .hopefully Falcs get the opportunity and then remove it this year!
JSS
November 27th, 2011
9:16 pm
Time to do some real work, I’ve played with the mentally deranged long enough today. So OK you boys, Charlie, multiple blogger disorder sufferers (and you know who you are), and the always entertaining O.R.R. (I’ll be in Boston in early January, stop by Legal Sea foods on Boylston (the Chestnut Hill Market one on the 7th, I’ll buy you dinner between 7-8…) the rest of you can do what you normally do and call me out of my user name when I’m not around to defend myself… Don’t let my multi-racial family scare you… We’re such racist (gasp)!!!
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:17 pm
Given our long term track record, 40-19 is like winning a super bowl…
Mike.P
November 27th, 2011
9:18 pm
Mark, I am confident the problem is coach smiths unwillingless to let this offense flow aggressively for 4 qtrs….case in point…we come out strong, two quick TD’s then coach reeels it back to 3 yrs and a clpud of smoke….team gets out of sync….how many times does this happen…we look like world beaters to start a game, only to throttle down coach smith gets so darn tentitive…..or we wait til 6 min. left in 4th qtr, to allow offense to open up to make up for suspect play calling the 1st 55 minutes of game….am i the only one that sees this?
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:19 pm
JSS – just in boston…you shameless people dug up the dead to widen Boylston years ago….shame on you all!
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:19 pm
Mike p – no. You aren’t.
Vick the Coach Killer
November 27th, 2011
9:19 pm
JSS,
r@ci$t
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:22 pm
I think digging up dead white people long since buried is racist….
Fire JSS!
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
9:22 pm
Have a good night JSS….was a good game today.
Mr Charlie
November 27th, 2011
9:23 pm
Later JSS
JSS
November 27th, 2011
9:23 pm
Before I go, Phil, do you ever drive on 75S… Son, they dug up 5 cemeteries to make the 75-85 interchange between Summerhill and the College Park exits… Americans have never respected the dead… Ask anybody in Dunwoody too!
Once Recent Reader
November 27th, 2011
9:24 pm
Test Test Test . . .oh where are my posts going ??
Once Recent Reader
November 27th, 2011
9:26 pm
Hey JSS, I’ll try again. Traveling to Boston almost every week as I’m on a Project up there. But will have daughter in town over the holiday school break and have to fly her back to San Fran on the Jan 6th . . .so not in Beantown on 1/7. Enjoy some fried clams (whole with bellies!) at Legal Seafood as well as the chowdah!!!
Vick the Coach Killer
November 27th, 2011
9:30 pm
JSS,
Apparently no one appreciates your r@ci$m here.
phil
November 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
JSS – i’m just messin with you….
JSS
November 28th, 2011
10:08 am
At O.R.R….
I always do! Safe travels… My youngest niece starts at Northeastern that week after graduating from CC next month… So it is always interesting to be in the Northeast is the dark of winter…