Why these Falcons fans traveled to Madrid — ‘Being a super fan means dedication’
MADRID — She was required to wear a bowling shirt for that competition in Houston, but there were no rules stopping Lizzette Strickland from representing the Falcons everywhere else.
On her shoes. On her earrings. On her purse, water bottle and bracelets. Everywhere.
While the Falcons played some 800 miles away back at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Strickland participated in a bowling tournament planned well in advance of the team’s schedule release in 2022. There were no cancellations. Her fate was settled.
For the first — and still, only — time in her 29 years as a Falcons season-ticket holder, Strickland missed a home game.
“Trust me,” Strickland told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “the day of the game, I was Falcon’d out. There was no doubt in nobody’s mind who was on my heart that day.”
A college cheerleader who took early interest in the excitement and intensity of football, Strickland used to sneak her phone into church and, watching as teams scored touchdowns, say “Amen” with the pastor — for different reasons, sometimes.
Name a place with volunteers, and she’s likely been one there. Need a snack for a flight? She’s got plenty. A Pub Sub? That too.
She can no longer run like she once could, but she has plenty of youthful energy. “She carries on like she’s 30,” a friend says. She wears Falcons gear so often, an employee at a convenience store asked her last year if she worked for the team.
Six years ago, Strickland became the first captain of the Dirty Birds Nest, the group of Falcons super fans who sit in Section 134 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Glance toward the section, and you’ll see her waving a giant Falcons flag with great pride every game.
Strickland has become synonymous with Falcons home games. Trans-Atlantic trips don’t change that.
As the Falcons (3-5) prep to face the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) at 9:30 a.m. EST Sunday at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Strickland — along with several close friends who double as Falcons fans — made the trip across the pond.
Why wouldn’t they?
“Being a super fan means dedication,” Strickland said. “We’re dedicated to the team. No matter when, where or how. Win or lose, we’re dedicated. So we’re fervently with them, supporting them, in their endeavors no matter where they are.”
Among the members in Strickland’s group are Quin King, Melody Snellings and DayVonne Jordan — “Like Michael,” she says with a laugh. “I wish he was my cousin, uncle, somebody.”
King, an Atlanta native, was a high school cheerleader who grew fonder of football as an adult. “I love the Falcons, and I love cheering, and I love the excitement of it,” she told the AJC. “Just cheering and encouraging, even when it’s not going well. But especially when it is.” She’s a season-ticket holder, too.
Jordan was a co-captain with Strickland in the Dirty Birds Nest through last season. She initially became a Falcons fan when Jamal Anderson, Andre Rison and others started doing the “Dirty Bird” in the late 1990s. It served as something she could share with her son, and they still attend most home games together. It’s tradition, after all.
Snellings grew up playing basketball and softball. Her ties to the Falcons aren’t as strong, and she’s not a season-ticket holder — yet. Strickland and her crew are trying.
That’s where trips like these become ever more intriguing. There’s a football element, of course. But there’s also a chance for exploration and fanbase bonding. The Falcons have an event Saturday afternoon with Freddie Falcon, Ring of Honor member John Abraham and others that serves as a quasi-pep rally.
Welcome to Madrid, where Falcons fans like Strickland, Jordan, King and Snellings traveled 4,000 miles for a fine blend of football and fun.
“We get to experience the different cities and the culture, and also be able to cheer on our team and join in with the other fans as well,” Jordan said. “It’s a good camaraderie when everybody’s together.”
“It’s the love of the game and to support the team,” Strickland added. “Because a lot of times, their families may not be able to come, but we are family. Even though we’re not blood, we’re still around. So, when they see us coming to represent and support them and encourage them, then it just makes it all the better. Hopefully they’ll play like they feel the love in the stands.”
The quartet of Falcons fans have enjoyed a busy trip to Madrid. On Thursday, they waited over three hours on repairs for their bullet train before riding into Barcelona, where they spent four hours checking out the city.
They marveled at the cleanliness of Barcelona. There was plenty to do, and not a lot of time to do it.
“It was like speed dating, but we did a speed tour,” DayVonne said. “It was good that everything that we wanted to see was right there in the vicinity.”
“Barcelona was so compact,” Strickland said. “You almost were overwhelmed, but it was majestic at the same time.”
At 11:58 p.m. Thursday — Strickland remembers specifics, naturally — they arrived back in Madrid. After roughly eight hours of travel and some 20,000 steps, trading elbows on trains and buses with club-hoppers and an unruly amount of people packed in tight spaces.
Friday brought a visit to the NFL store and the NFL experience, along with another 20,000 steps. They have plans of trying Spanish staples like tapas. They’re traveling like locals, using buses and subways when possible.
The Falcons played overseas last year against the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin. Strickland and Jordan were there, too. After two days in Madrid, they fancied Berlin.
“Everything was closer together,” Jordan said. “So, if you did the fan fest and the stadium, it was just one beeline train that we got and got off everything. Everything was more conducive to be closer. But now, everything is kind of spread out.”
The NFL store is right next to the Bernabeu, which the group views as a positive. The language barrier has created challenges in casual conversation. “I’m using my translator app a lot,” Jordan said with a laugh. Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski is in a similar situation. He joked Friday that locals have been “very patient with my poor Spanish,” something he appreciates.
One of the group’s disappointments centers around marketing. Unless you’re right at the Bernabeu, there are no signs, no marketing, no advertisements on buses. The group swung by the NFL experience setup Thursday before the event Friday, and they were still trying to get everything arranged at Plaza de Espana.
It’s a stark contrast to Berlin, where the fans felt the NFL’s presence was celebrated, not tolerated.
“Everywhere you went in Berlin, it was all like they were glad to have us,” Strickland said. “Here, they kind of act like, ‘Well, they’re here, OK.’”
No matter the circumstances, Falcons fans have forced a few head turns on the streets in Madrid. Strickland said locals have seen so much red and black, or heard so many yells of “Rise Up,” that several people have stopped them to inquire about the meaning. Some simply weren’t aware there was a game in town, and if they were, they certainly didn’t know the Falcons’ color scheme.
There’s certainly a good contingent of Falcons fans in Madrid. But if you’re looking for the soul of the fanbase this week, there’s a good chance it’s nestled in the group of Strickland, Jordan, King and Snellings.
Some have checked more fan boxes than others, but they’re all here, in the streets of Madrid, with the tall buildings, the cats, the pigeons, the one-way roads, the roundabouts and the paella. Oh, and they’re expecting plenty more of their closest friends to join them in the Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon, too.
“You’ll be overwhelmed at the support the Atlanta Falcons get from their fans,” Strickland said.
“Not only just supporting the team,” Jordan said, “It’s brought us together as an extended family to support each other.”