Our headline that morning seemed to say it all.
SUPER STOMP!
Indeed it was.
With their impressive 44-21 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons advanced to only their second Super Bowl in franchise history, providing title-hungry fans with a Georgia Dome finale they’d never forget.
“It was surreal. It was just fun. No agony at all,” one fan, who’s been rooting for the Falcons since the 1980s, told us after Sunday’s game:
As journalists, we’re taught to remain impartial and objective. But when it comes to cheering for the home team, well, let’s just say that’s a different story. It’s why those of us who worked that Sunday watched the game on televisions scattered around the newsroom and cheered with each touchdown. It’s why Christian Boone, one of our reporters and a die-hard Falcons fan, volunteered to pull together the feeds from reporters in the Dome and around metro Atlanta that Sunday to craft our main story capturing the jubilation.
It’s why we, too, now have Falcons fever.
Wonder how some of our coverage came together? Curious about what lies ahead – and what you can expect as the Super Bowl inches closer?
First, let me share a secret on what we call the “Field Edition.” That’s a keepsake front page that read SUPER FALCONS! It was distributed on the field and given to some fans in the stands the moment the final whistle blew. (If you were watching as closely as I was, you might have seen it briefly amid the falling confetti on Fox TV’s post-game show.)
The headline was written days before, on a Tuesday morning. The celebratory photo came from a game earlier this season against the Saints. (We knew the Falcons would be dressed in their red home jerseys.) It printed Friday morning – more than 48 hours before kickoff. And as soon as it rolled off the press, we delivered hundreds of copies to the Falcons, who kept it under lock and key until the end of the game.
Here’s another secret: For Monday’s printed newspaper, we made plans for two front pages – one if the Falcons lost (the football gods aren’t that cruel, are they?) and another if they won – as we hoped they would. We routinely use that same approach on Election night so we can react quickly once we have a winner.
When I left Friday, we had agreed to devote the entire front page to the Falcons if they were to win and advance to the Super Bowl. By Sunday morning, though, we suddenly found ourselves covering a tragedy in South Georgia.
Deadly storms swept in overnight and became the focus of our attention – particularly because violent weather threatened to head our way. At 11 that morning, reporters and editors gathered for a conference call to discuss our storm coverage. Of course, reporters were already en route to South Georgia, but we also promised to use news alerts and frequent updates to provide useful and timely information to keep metro Atlantans safe.
During that call, the death toll, we learned, had increased from four to 12. It would eventually climb to 15, and a child is still missing.
Surely, with that loss of life, our Falcons plans, win or lose, would have to change. We agreed to gather again for another call at half-time.
When I walked into that meeting at about 4:30 on Sunday afternoon, the Falcons were up 24-0. By the time it ended and I got back to my desk, they had somehow already scored another touchdown. Then another. For Falcons fan, this game was looking more like a rout than a heart-breaker.
At the beginning of fourth quarter, with the Falcons up 37-15, we began moving in the direction we had expected to all along – with some changes.
We placed our coverage of the storms at the top of A1 and devoted the rest of the front page to the Falcons. A headline that earlier in the day had read SUPER WIN! was changed to SUPER STOMP!
That afternoon, Philip Kearney, our news editor, floated the idea of a one-word headline that read SUPERB! While it didn’t quite work for A1, we used that headline for our Sports cover. At the last minute, someone suggested changing the exclamation point from black type to red type. We used that same red and black color scheme for our front-page headline, too.
As Sunday’s newspaper was put to bed, plans were already being made for our Super Bowl coverage. We gathered again at 10 Monday morning. By then, Super Bowl credentials had been requested for 18 of our journalists. A special book deal (if the Falcons win the Super Bowl) was already in the works. And Monday morning’s sports page had been sent to a T-shirt vendor.
A portion of our coverage, we decided, would have to focus on the fun, excitement and Atlanta pride that comes with a Super Bowl appearance. We’re hoping to send a reporter to Boston in a Falcons jersey, just to see the reaction. We’ll share insider tips so you can have a blast while you’re in Houston – if you’re lucky enough to have tickets to the big game. For those of us looking forward to watching Super Bowl here in Atlanta, whether it’s a large party or a small gathering, we’ll provide plenty of information for making the most of Super Sunday.
All week long, from Houston, we’ll be Snapchatting, Instagramming and Facebooking. We’ll share the flavor, the scene and the celebrity hoopla that comes with a Super Bowl. And, of course, we’ll bring you all of those off-the-field insights and interviews with the players and coaches that you’ve come to expect from our sports coverage.
Along the way, we’ll also be looking to provide fans with something special to remember this magical time in Falcons history.
So beginning today and concluding next Saturday, we’re presenting snippets of information to help you learn more about Matt Ryan, Atlanta’s MVP. Each snippet is presented in the form of a puzzle page. Collect all seven pieces and you’ll not only know as much about Ryan as the quarterback himself, but you’ll also be able to piece together a giant poster of Ryan.
Above all else, savor this moment. As someone who rooted for the Seahawks for years, I know they don’t come around very often. Remember, some teams never even make it this far. (Just ask any long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.)
Yes, this week promises to be exciting. It’s a time to hopefully erase the championship curse that has hung over this city for years. A time for a region to come together as one mass of red and black and cheer for Atlanta. A time for the Falcons to win a Super Bowl, once and for all.
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