The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s pinch-me time for fans
Repeated let-downs make it hard to believe this year is different.
This is a different team, Douglasville fan Henry Carter said as the Falcons prepared to kick off Saturday in the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Atlanta sports fans have to tell themselves that, considering the sorry playoff history of its pro franchises. The Falcons entered Saturday’s game 7-12 all-time in the postseason and have lost 4 of their last 5 playoff games.
That lone win came five years ago, against Seattle, 30-28. They would lose to the 49ers one week later, in the only NFC Championship Game ever played in the Georgia Dome.
A victory over the Seahawks, coupled with a Dallas loss to Green Bay today, would bring that NFC title game back to Atlanta in what would be the final game in the Dome.
Fans want to believe, even as the familiar dread that comes with being a supporter of any of Atlanta’s pro sports teams sets in. Falcons fans were feeling it even before the Seahawks marched down the field on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.
“It was there long before that,” said Bobby Mercado, 37, of Candler Park, a fan since 1986. The Falcons were 7-8-1 that year, halfway into a 9-year playoff drought.
You don’t have to be from Atlanta to know the city’s sports futility.
“They always disappoint,” said 34-year-old Shawn Keith, who moved to DeKalb County from Hempstead, N.Y. “They get so close. I hope they get to the Super Bowl. It’d be great for Atlanta.”
The team’s only Super Bowl appearance, against the Broncos in 1999, is best remembered for the arrest of starting safety Eugene Robinson, who was charged with soliciting an undercover officer for sex the night before the game. Denver QB John Elway would burn the veteran safety twice, including an 80-yard touchdown to Rod Smith that gave the Broncos a 17-3 lead en route to a 34-19 victory.
The city’s only championship came four years earlier, when the Braves defeated the Indians in the 2005 World Series. Still, the Braves are better known for their postseason failures. They came up short in the World Series three times and, since 2000, Braves fans have seen the Cardinals (twice), Giants (twice), Diamondbacks, Cubs and Astros celebrate playoff series clinchers at Turner Field, now the home of the Georgia State University Panthers.
At least the Braves came close. The Hawks, who moved to Atlanta in 1968 from St. Louis, have never advanced to the NBA Finals.
But maybe Henry Carter was right. This is a different Falcons team, winners of five of their last six regular-season games. In four of those games their prolific offense accounted for at least 38 points. Vegas oddsmakers favored the home team to win by 6 points.
And then, in the second quarter, a most unlikely turn of events transpired that gave fans renewed hope. With Seattle leading 10-7, former Falcon Devin Hester returned a punt 79 yards, giving the Seahawks an excellent chance to build a double-digit lead.
A holding penalty negated the return, and on the very next play Russell Wilson was tripped by one The Georgia Dome through the years at of his offensive linemen, falling backward into the end zone for a safety. On their next possession the Falcons responded with a field goal to take a 12-10 lead.
“For a team that never gets breaks in the postseason, the safety was huge,” said Arthur York, 36, of Decatur. “But with our track record in the playoffs, every hopeful moment is tempered by a distant but looming sense of doom.”
Minutes later, Matt Ryan hit Tevin Coleman with a 14-yard pass to put the Falcons up 19-10 at halftime. Suddenly, fans were feeling, dare we say, optimistic?
“I feel like the defense is showing up,” said Jelani Hill, 28, an Atlanta native who lives near Turner Field. “Given the fact that this might be the last game in the Georgia Dome, I feel like they’re leaving it on the field.”
“It’s kind of hard going for the home team because they’ve let you down so many times,” Hill said. “But that’s what’s being a true fan is all about. You have to stick with them through the ups and downs.”
But an impressive first half wasn’t enough for some fans.
“I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Mercado said. Hate to say it, but the @ Panthers, Rivera, Shula and Gettleman should take notes on how the Falcons build a team and gameplan The falcons should bring back the dirtybird celebrations JJ is a GROWN MAN. He gives everyone fits. Russell Wilson, meet Brian Poole. Go to for more comments from Falcons fans about the game.