Live from Falcons-Giants: We’re a lousy sports city, are we?
"If I give you two dimes and a nickel, will you give me a quarter back?" (AP photo)
East Rutherford, N.J. – Here’s a fun little nugget that was posted on the New York Post’s web site yesterday: As of Friday night, the Giants-Falcons playoff game was not sold out.
If said game were being staged at the Georgia Dome, we Atlantans would be hearing yet again how lousy a sports town we are. But this is New York, where millions live and where sports are, we’re constantly reminded, a point of strutting metropolitan pride.
Let the record reflect that an attempt to find available tickets this morning via Ticketmaster was unavailing, so we can assume that the game finally has sold out. Still, the thought of a Giants’ home postseason game with available seats not 30 hours before kickoff would surely come as a revelation to those New Yorkers who love to poke fun at us dumb ol’ Southerners for our indifference/inattention.
But I digress. The Falcons arrive with a point to prove, and the belief here is that they’ll prove it. The belief here is that they’ll win because they are, top to bottom, the better team. The tabloids have been full of Matt Ryan stuff this week, the thrust being that he still hasn’t proven anything in the postseason. (He hasn’t, but I’d suggest two games in his first three NFL seasons isn’t quite a true sample.)
I remember another day in Ryan’s pro career, a Sunday here in November 2009 when he overrode a second-half deficit to force overtime. The Giants won the toss and scored in the bonus canto, but that remains, at least to this dumb Southern observer, one of the shining performances of a very good career.
If you can do it here once, you should be able to do it again. And if you can make it here, the song has it, you can make it anywhere. I think Matty Ice will author his playoff breakthrough today, but maybe you disagree.
Which is why we have these little live chats — for you to interact with a dumb Southern writer like yours truly. I invite your comments. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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4,613 comments Add your comment
AIGHT MATTY ICE
January 8th, 2012
12:56 pm
ITS PUT UP OR SHUT UP TIME
Falcons4Eva
January 8th, 2012
12:56 pm
Mark –
2 of the 4 on Fox pre-game picked the Falcons…
katherine
January 8th, 2012
12:56 pm
it does look like a beautiful statdium though
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
12:57 pm
It’s a nice stadium. Not as nice as Houston, though. Or Indianapolis.
Steve
January 8th, 2012
12:57 pm
I have never understood why they call them the New York “Football” Giants. It’s not like New York has any other teams called the Giants.
katherine
January 8th, 2012
12:57 pm
*stadium
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
12:57 pm
They don’t serve alcohol in the press box.
katherine
January 8th, 2012
12:58 pm
they call them the new york football giants because the sf giants baseball team used to be there right?
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 8th, 2012
12:58 pm
Troy Aikman chewing gum at the top of the show.
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
12:58 pm
I believe New York once had a baseball club named the Giants. Moved in the ’50s, as I recall.
AtlRealist
January 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
Hmmmm something about the MLB team formerly known as the NY Giants?
katherine
January 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
joe bucks mouth goes sideways when he talks…its distracting
keepinitreal
January 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
There did used to be a New York Giants baseball team.
Buck Hayek
January 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
SF Giants used to be in New York.
Steve
January 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
This is true but you would think it is no longer necessary to call them the “football” Giants. I think we are all aware since it has been 60+ years.
katherine
January 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
I just said that lol
J.J.M.
January 8th, 2012
1:00 pm
I just took a arrow in the knee
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 8th, 2012
1:00 pm
am looking for short dinks to Quizzy
painter
January 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
Here we go. Just win baby.
JSS
January 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
Were you old enough to catch Frank Gifford when was still in the League (Mark Bradley)?
Buck Hayek
January 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
Baltimore Colts still sounds right though.
Falcons4Eva
January 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
I pray that Mike Smith gave Chris Redman a lot of snaps this week.
I pray Redman was paying attention and all the backup offensive lineman are ready because its going to be a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOg day.
Lets go TURNER and SNELLING ! ! ! !
Yo Vince
January 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
O K game time. Choke you can have your name back. Love messin w/ you and JSS
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 8th, 2012
1:02 pm
4 Krystals now cost 2.84.
Unbelievable.
katherine
January 8th, 2012
1:02 pm
I love how they are doing the national anthem…no awful christina aquilera
Max
January 8th, 2012
1:02 pm
Just joining, Grimes out? wow, HUGE loss
Yo Vince
January 8th, 2012
1:03 pm
Matt looks scared.
Falcon Fan
January 8th, 2012
1:03 pm
BIG fan of Trombone Shorty…awesome Star Spangled Banner!!
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 8th, 2012
1:03 pm
Matty looks alot like Chipper doesn’t he?
JSS
January 8th, 2012
1:03 pm
It is still one of the coolest logos in sports New York Football Giants!
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
Trombone Shorty with the National Anthem. Two questions: I believe he’s from New Orleans, so why him here? Also, why wasn’t he playing a trombone?
Lil' Barry Bailout
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
Playoff time. Did the Falcons pack their Depends?
Bob
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
Charge!!!!!! Falcons>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ohhhYEAH
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
So the Skyrim jokes have finally made their way to a sports blog?
Yo Vince
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
I loved the one about you and JSS naming your 1st kid # 2
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
Giants win the toss. Take ball.
katherine
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
Its about time for all the saints trolls to emerge
Steve
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
Mark, do you have a prediction on Tebow vs. Pittsburgh? Would love to see the upset.
Daily Rounds 1/8/2011 | The Lazy Eye of Sports
January 8th, 2012
1:04 pm
[...] the premise of captains as it relates to the OTHER New York Team. The one that wears blue. Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal Constitution talks up the terrible sports town that doesn’t sell out its home playoff game 30 hours before [...]
phil
January 8th, 2012
1:05 pm
They picked NY for a reason…
MemphisMark
January 8th, 2012
1:05 pm
Summoning the spirits of Tommy Nobis, Bobby Lee, Steve Bartkowski, William Andrews, Rolland Lawrence, Mike Kenn and any other great one that has worn a Falcons uniform…
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:05 pm
I like Pittsburgh. Sorry.
Buck Hayek
January 8th, 2012
1:05 pm
I’m a Falcons fan but I would give the 3 pts in a second if my bookie were not in prison.
Birds don’t do well against a top-notch DL.
Spencer
January 8th, 2012
1:05 pm
Falcons win today
Falcon Fan
January 8th, 2012
1:06 pm
Mark, he is an excellent musician on several instruments! And I also wondered why he didn’t play for New Orleans last night?!
ohhhYEAH
January 8th, 2012
1:06 pm
KATHERINE!!!! SHHHHH. maybe theyre still sleeping
Tomahawkin
January 8th, 2012
1:06 pm
Game Time
All Da Way Turn’t Up!
But Man! Blow Buck and Troy Aikman are Gonna Be So Biased Against Atlanta!
And I Swear If We Lose This Game! I’m Gonna Be Doing The Tomahawk Chop Out of Protest!
We Can NOT Get Clowned!
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:06 pm
Stadium close to full. Fans waving white towels. PA sounds terrible. (Playing “Hell’s Bells.”)
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 8th, 2012
1:06 pm
Add Deion please……
Tomahawkin
January 8th, 2012
1:07 pm
S/O’s To
Phil
And
Katherine!
We Meet Again!