AJC > Sports > Falcons > Blog > Archives > 2008 > January > 29
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Plenty of Falcons news in Arizona
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Phoenix — I just got off a long flight and settled into the Super Bowl media headquarters downtown. Organizers have streets cordoned off and everything centralized for the week’s activities, which I’m sure isn’t making the locals happy — my cab driver was hardly amused.
It’s pretty slow right now but things will crank up in the next day or so. I flew out here with former NFL player Dorsey Levens, who is doing some broadcast work leading up to the Super Bowl. More celebs, athletes and others will be streaming in for all the ancillary things that accompany the Super Bowl.
On the issue of ancillary things, vendors are selling NFL licensed merchandise for prices that would blow your mind. T-shirts are starting at $30 and that’s pretty much at the ground floor. Talk about economic impact!
Though the main focus out here, of course, is to chronicle the Patriots and Giants, who face off Sunday. As an agent of the AJC, I will be reporting stories with local/Falcons’ angles. The paper has decided that our readers want to know more about what’s going on in their relative backyard so that’s my mission — to bring to you what matters’ most.
For example, Atlanta tailback Warrick Dunn is a finalist for a major civic-based honor and I plan to hook up with him; not only for that recognition but to get his take on the new changes with the franchise and his future role — if there is one — with the Falcons.
Secondary coach Emmitt Thomas also is a finalist to get voted into the Hall of Fame. I hope to catch up to E.T. and get his take on a lot of things: possibly getting into The Hall and being retained by new Falcons coach Mike Smith among other things.
Smith and newly hired GM Thomas Dimitroff also are expected to be out here. I hope to hang with them and see how they’re adjusting to being in their new roles.
This will be a hornets’ nest of activity and I’ll be checking in, hopefully every day, to keep you updated on some of the things going on.
On the immediate front, the Falcons’ further fortified their coaching staff by hiring Keith Armstrong as the special teams coordinator. Armstrong, who coached with the Falcons in the mid-1990s, comes to Atlanta from Miami.
Armstrong’s arrival punctuates the dismissal of all three coordinators from Bobby Petrino’s staff. Most of the coaching jobs have been filled. One that remains vacant — and arguably is among the most important hires — is that of an offensive line coach.
