Falcons

By PreyDawg

December 21, 2007 3:38 PM | Link to this

As a 35 year fan I have had it myself. I have some sympathy for the players but they have million dollar salaries to mask their pain. I am convinced that several players quit long before Petrino left.

My greatest sympathy is for the core Falcon fans. Believe it or not we do exist. And we have taken it on the chin for this team year after year after sorry year. The bright spots have been too few and far between.

We are true fans. We will still attend games and watch on TV but as for me. At least for this year, I just cant watch anymore. I will start keeping up again when and if a new legitamate regime takes over.

By Brian O'Brien

December 21, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this

Hard to blame them. I eagerly await management’s next colossal blunder.

By they stink

December 21, 2007 3:48 PM | Link to this

THEY NEED TO HURRY UP AND GET THIS SEASON OVER WITH ITS SAD TO WATCH A PRO TEAM THAT ISNT COMPETITIVE I MEAN WHEN A MAN GOES FROM A 3-11 TEAM TO A TEAM WITH 1 WIN THAT HAS TO SAY ALOT I SAY U DONATE THE PLAYERS CHECKS TO CHARITY TO HELP OUT WITH LESS FORTUNATE FAMILIES FOR X MAS

By mountain jim

December 21, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this

San Diego Union Tribune article says (text below) but ESPN’s Mort says Marty has had no contact from Falcons

Falcons have Schottenheimer, Nix in sights

By Kevin Acee UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

December 21, 2007 In the Atlanta Falcons’ attempt to rebuild their football operations, they apparently are considering becoming a sort of Chargers Southeast.

League sources said yesterday the Falcons have made overtures to former Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer about being their next head coach and are considering hiring Chargers Assistant General Manager Buddy Nix to be their general manager.

Atlanta lost coach Bobby Petrino to the University of Arkansas last week, and according to a statement from the Falcons, Rich McKay will be replaced as general manager.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank first talked with Bill Cowher about running the team, but Cowher reportedly told him he was sitting out from coaching at least one more season. Atlanta then made a well-publicized run at Bill Parcells to head its football operations, but Parcells yesterday took the same job with the Dolphins.

Atlanta’s next fallback as coach is evidently Schottenheimer, who was fired by the Chargers in February after a 14-2 season but a second playoff loss in two tries. The hirings of Schottenheimer and Nix would be in concert, sources said.

Asked about the possibility of his right-hand personnel man leaving, Chargers GM A.J. Smith professed to know nothing about it.

�I have not heard about Buddy Nix, but I have heard the Coach Schottenheimer rumors,� he said. �If true, I believe a Buddy Nix-Marty Schottenheimer team in Atlanta would be a perfect fit… . Buddy got along well with Coach Schottenheimer. They socialized together, went out to dinner, golfed together, sat together on the plane, talked football all the time.�

Nix came to San Diego in 2001 along with Smith and former GM John Butler. Nix was director of player personnel in 2001-02 and ascended to assistant GM when Smith became general manager in 2003 after Butler’s death. The three also worked together in Buffalo before coming to the Chargers.

�I’d hate to lose him,� Smith said. �But it’s something he’s told me in the past he’d like to do � or explore it. If this situation should work out, I’d wish him the best.�

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20071221-9999-1s21chnotes.html

By Ike

December 21, 2007 4:01 PM | Link to this

McKay needs to be accountable for his watch. He knows it, Blank knows it, we know it. No business would keep leadership that failed this miserably. None. Happy trails Rich, you’ll land on your feet.

By Ryder

December 21, 2007 4:04 PM | Link to this

Read this article by Jim Trotter on cnnsi.com. This breaks down what the other AJC writers (sans Steve) are too chicken to say:

[(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jim_trotter/12/20/falcons/1.html)]

By John Lovelace

December 21, 2007 4:04 PM | Link to this

I can understand the feelings the team has (some of them). There are a lot more things that have brought this on them besides Vick (no loss) Petrino (good luck!) and Parcells (too bad). A lot of it was brought on themselves. Big mouths ME-ME-ME-ME! They always had an excuse for their dumb a$$ antics. And they don’t have any fans! They only hace critics! This city (ATLANTA) does not deserve a football team because a team cannot survive in this town thats filled with racism and hatred. I hope Blank sells them to someone who will take them somewhere else. Then maybe the few decent player (If they clean the house) will still have an opportunity to be part of something that people enjoy. My prayers are with them.

By Charles

December 21, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this

So, another excuse to lose -“morale.” PLUHEEZE!!

By Falcon Fan 101

December 21, 2007 4:19 PM | Link to this

Yes, things are not cheery in Mudville, but we have at least one more at-bat. First, we have the new GM coming up; then his top choice of Coach. Got to accentuate the Positive and eliminate the Negative.

By Falcons Fan

December 21, 2007 4:20 PM | Link to this

The Falcons are a complete mess, I am glad Blank is the owner, but I am now starting to question his leadership. There is a well documented history college coaches failing in the NFL, yet we hire one, and then can’t believe he left during the season, to go back to what works for him. This franchise has a history of bad mistakes, bad choices, bad leadership. We need to hire a coach who has a lot of NFL experience, Pay more attention to the draft, and build the team with the draft, and young free agents. We have players on the team, that were drafted or singed as free agents, with three diffrent coaching philosophies. No wonder we look awful on Sunday. Why did we not draft a kicker in the late rounds last year, why do we have undrated rookie free agents starting on the Offensive line? We are an embarrising mess.

By Darrin "The Vent King"

December 21, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this

It’s ashame what has happened over the past six months. I’ve been a fan since the late 70’s and can’t remember a season that was this bad. Just when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, you find there’s another 100 feet to go. I feel bad for Blank. He seems to be putting an honest and geniune effort in trying to turn this team around and things just keep going south for him. Having said that, I believe he has made mistakes, but who hasn’t and like I said they were “mistakes”. I don’t think he made those mistakes on purpose because he’s dumb or something. He made rookie owner mistakes to me, that’s all. I can forgive that, just don’t quit on us like you know who. As far as morale, look, I know these guys are professional, but I also know they are human so as a fan, I’m just going to write this year off. I can’t blame any of the players for being down right now, but believe it or not- they are still blessed. They still get payed millions to play a game millions of young boys and even grown men wish they could play. I think they should keep that in mind when they want to completely give up. Some of the things that happened were out of alot of those guys control, but there is one thing they can control and that’s playing with pride. I think last Sunday they may have lost sight of that with all the squabbles. Be professional, play with some class PLEASE. This season has been bad enough without clowning yourselves with temper tantrums and meltdowns. We as fans deserve better. The player’s families, high school coaches, sixth grade teachers, guy who could barely afford season tickets but got them anyway out of pure Falcon love, and all the positive people that helped them get where they are deserve better. Most of all the players owe it to themselves more than anyone. Why go through training camp, do all that lifting in the off-season, deny yourself that triple decker burger when you know you wanted it,or miss out on being with your new-born daughter on her 1st birthday cause you have an away game if all you’re going to do is quit? Don’t do that Birds; to yourself or us the fans.

GO FALCONS!

By mitch

December 21, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this

“It will be very interesting to see how the Falcons play Sunday at Arizona.” are you kidding me??? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say they play gutless, heartless, uninspired football.

By mitch

December 21, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this

“It will be very interesting to see how the Falcons play Sunday at Arizona.” are you kidding me??? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say they play gutless, heartless, uninspired football.

By Michael

December 21, 2007 5:04 PM | Link to this

You would think that as professional athletes, some of these players would as least act like they care about the game of football and show some heart. But that may be a little too much to ask, especially these guys. For way too long, this organization has bred into these players that when something goes wrong, you do not have to fight through adversity, but rather, you can lay down and play dead. How pathetic of a team to just completely lay down and die against Tampa last week, instead of showing some heart and telling the world, “yeah our SOB coach left us, but we will not give him the satisfaction of thinking he got the best of us.”

By jeff

December 21, 2007 5:04 PM | Link to this

all of us have had to put up with all this and we don’t even get paid for it

By John Lovelace

December 21, 2007 5:14 PM | Link to this

FOR THE FALCONS FAN: You sound pitiful! There is nothing personal about this football thing. They don’t care what you think about them. Money is all they have on their minds, your money! It’s not like all of the people you mentiond helped them get a nobel prize. They helped them to become FOOTBALL PLAYERS. I have no sympathy for them or someone like you who sounds like you are going to have an orgasm when you mention thier name…FALCONS! Get a life!

By #1 FAN FOR OVER 30

December 21, 2007 5:35 PM | Link to this

What does it take to get a team like the Patriots here in ATL. I’m tired of loosing it seems as if the players here are just sorriest CLOWNS around. These guys get paid a lot of our money to go out and loose all the time freaking time!!!!!! We need to stop blaming the coaches and blame the players. Tell me what would happen if a lineman pay were ducted if he missed a block and W/R pay is ducted if missed a pass. I guarantee that this would be a better team. Additionally, these guys are grown men and where is the pride. The biggest question I have can they go home and feel proud of their performance and actually say they done the best they can. If I own the team I will fire over half of them, because it’s no excuse to be this bad when you are paid the kind of money these clowns are paid.

By OpinionsAreLike

December 21, 2007 5:42 PM | Link to this

You know as well as I do they will mail it in. I’d hate to be a sports writer in this town covering the falcons, sort of like a food critic has to write about Varsity chili dogs every week. There is only so much you can say, they give you gas!

By eddie

December 21, 2007 5:50 PM | Link to this

Lots of media outlets including the Union Tribune are reporting that the Falcons are talking to Schottenheimer and Buddy Nix. You would think our own paper would have a story on it.

By BUSHWACKER

December 21, 2007 6:13 PM | Link to this

These bums quit before the season started.

Now I’m hearing Blank is talking to Marty Schottenhiemer.

He’s almost as good as Dan Reeves, of course bringing Reeves back would mean admitting he made a mistake.

That’s something this owner will not do even though its painfully obvious he and McKay keep screwing up.

I thought that was how rich men got rich, by being able to admit and UNDERSTAND when they are wrong and correct their mistakes.

By OpinionsAreLike

December 21, 2007 6:14 PM | Link to this

I’m beginning to believe being a falcon fan is a sort of mental illness. Honesly isn’t it? Would you put up with this from a spouse who never brought you joy only sorrow and dispair. And yet, and yet, falcon fans pay for this misery. People develop this illness when they put to much of who they are into a sports teams. Fans are not the team, they don’t win games and the players don’t have anything to do with them. falcon fans are very sick people.

By Lyonsjimmy

December 21, 2007 6:36 PM | Link to this

I’ve watched the falcons since I’ve known what football was. Even through the worst years I watched every game that was on TV. This year I have not been able to watch this excuse for a football team. Can you really blame the players when their is no direction? Can you blame Petrino when he thought he was coaching Vick and he ended up not coaching at all? Who is to blame for the chaos that we call the Falcons? Look to the top and you find Arthur Blank. Blame him for this disaster and don’t blame anyone else. This is one of the worst teams I’ve ever seen. The players don’t care, the coaches don’t coach and the owner and his braintrust are as lost as some of the ajc editors. I thought it was bad with the Smiths…sheez bring them back.

By MightyViking

December 21, 2007 6:47 PM | Link to this

People need to lay off of Blank. What did we have before him??? I have been raised a falcon fan. I wore a falcon shirt home from the hospital when I was born. Blank has tried to get the people we need in there but has been lied to by many. I can honestly say that for anyone who is surprised or upset at this season have not been fans very long. We true Falcon fans know not to expect too much. We will keep our motto forever “Wait till next year”

By Boots

December 21, 2007 6:48 PM | Link to this

At times like this, winners reach deep down within and pull out a fist full of gumption and PRIDE!

Unfortunately, this team has neither —- throwing in the towel half way through the season —- a behavior that has been repeated for the past three season.

One word comes to mind for this team: LOSERS! And, it really doesn’t matter who coaches, they’re LOSERS

And, the Falcons will continue to be LOSERS until this bunch of misfits and malcontents are shown the door.

A fan pays the big bucks to see a team play with HEART. Win or lose, the situation is palatable if the team has HEART! Get some players and a coach with HEART and PRIDE and the other situations will take care of themselves.

Adios, and go Birds!

By Bk Hawk

December 21, 2007 6:51 PM | Link to this

I would go after Jeff Ireland as GM and Russ Grimm as Coach, from Dallas.Both could get the job done.

By mountain jim

December 21, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this

BUSHWACKER If you think Marty is ‘almost as good as Dan Reeves’, you must not be referring to their drafts/talent evaluation, because Marty’s drafts were a level of magnitude better than Dan’s drafts were. Bringing back Reeves to be GM would be awful, in my opinion.

By DR

December 21, 2007 7:06 PM | Link to this

Bring on Marty ball!

Good thing ESPN doesn’t know of contact with Marty. ESPN sports analyst (except a few) are worthless commentators.

Just like College Coaches becoming a success in NFL, only few ex-NFL players become good commentators. Same goes for most of the coaches occupying broadcast booth.

Bradshaw, Collinsworth are probably the two exceptions and both of them worked at it for long time. Marino and Esiason is getting there, others just load mouth know it all’s.

By Braves Fan 79

December 21, 2007 7:39 PM | Link to this

Just dont do anything stupid like win a game!!

By falcon lifer

December 21, 2007 7:47 PM | Link to this

I’ve been following this team for 30 years, and if you are a true Falcon fan like myself, this season is typical Falcon franchise luck…..prediction for next year is we draft second hoping for McFadden, but Dallas will trade with Miami and get McFadden #1, and we will draft another bust……the beat goes on……winning is an aberration with this piece of crap franchise

By gg

December 21, 2007 7:49 PM | Link to this

What a crappy season. I read all of the blame that is going toward Blank, but many of the same people were praising him when he fired Mora and brought in Petrino. Many were praising him, including myself, for trading Schaub for some draft pics. I am a lifelong Falcons fan, and will continue to be. i have tried in the past to change teams but always come back wondering how the Falcons will do. This is a great opportunity to get rid of some of the garbage on this team like DHall, Crumpler and others that whine and moan like little children. it’s going to be an eventful offseason-give Blank credit for setting his sights high (Parcells). i think he is trying and that is more than most of the players are doing.

By A different Blank IMO

December 21, 2007 7:53 PM | Link to this

Right on Ryder. Trotter got it right, almost. Trotter says,”Blank is a good man who has made bad football decisions.” My additional comment - Blank being a rich man does not make him good man. He is an arrogant, slimy carpetbagger who was simply Bernie Marcus’s hatchet man and not really that good at doing business. As far as his “bad”/dumb decisions, they are the evidence supporting my claim. He “hatchetted” (w/3 games left) the best coach the Falcon’s ever had because he thought he knew more about football. What goes around, comes around! The man is a loser and he has brought nothing but shame and embarrassment to Georgia with his stewardship of OUR football team.

By chris

December 21, 2007 8:04 PM | Link to this

As bad as its been this yea Falcons fans are still fans no matter what. If we can survive the 1990s under June Jones and Glanville this will not deter us. If we can get us a solid coach and QB next year and rebuild the offensive line things will turn around. It may not be soon but we cannot forsake our team. I hope Arkansas ends up last in the SEC west for the next 10 years