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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Atlanta is no longer “Losersville”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yes, our town is “Losersville” no more, a condition cleverly revealed by checking the present-day standings and news of the Falcons, the Hawks, the Thrashers, and those wintertime games in which this old town used to wallow about in.
The self-deprecating term was first used by Lewis Grizzard, when he was executive sports editor of The Atlanta Journal — which, I might add, probably comes as a revelation to you now. That Grizzard was ever a sports editor. That was Lewis’ ambition in life, to be sports editor of the Journal, our afternoon paper which claimed to “cover Dixie like the dew.”
So a sports editor he became before he struck gold as a national humorist, something he didn’t realize he had in him until Jim Minter set him on the right path. His career producing sports sections didn’t turn out to be his joy in life, mainly because I was his boss, and he didn’t like the way I yanked on his reins.
I dawdle, though. About “Losersville,” Atlanta just about led the nation in losing franchises. The Flames had been here and soon would take flight to Calgary. The Hawks were consistent losers, until Dominique Wilkins came along, but ‘Nique couldn’t get it done by himself, even with help from Doc Rivers, who has found latter-day serenity with the Celtics.
I won’t apply the insufferable term “miserable” here, as applied to the Falcons, but truth to tell, there were often the laughing stock of the NFL. Coaches came and coaches went, and except for a brief flirtation with joy when Norm Van Brocklin presided, only when Leeman Bennett came on did they have even a fling with the romance of winning, then blew it in the title game with Dallas on our own stadium grass.
Now, have a look. Falcons just a game out of first place in the NFC South. Hawks leading their division of the NBA. Thrashers on a four-game winning streak and looking good safely removed from last place. Only bunch sloshing along in the muck of mediocrity — the Braves. This was the one team that we once could count on to deliver our supply of pride. I wouldn’t contend that they’ve reverted to the condition of rebuilding, but Terry McGuirk and Frank Wren have a full off-season to change course.
Meantime, while we haven’t yet become “Winnersville,” at least we’ve finally shaken the embarrassing old title of “Losersville.”
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