Scantily clad cheerleaders under hot lights

By Gerald Laskowski | May 9th, 2008

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Before you plunk down your hard earned money for Atlanta Falcon season tickets this season make sure you have an understanding of what to expect. Odds are that the most exciting thing you will see are the aforementioned cheerleaders and not anything that resembles playoff contention football.

Now I’m not advising you to stay at home Sundays during the upcoming football season. Actually I suggest the opposite. Support of this team is crucial and it would be fantastic if this team could see several sell-outs this season. I just hope that expectation is set at a realistic level and that the mediocre play you will see on the field doesn’t resort to premature cries for the head of Arthur Blank on a plate or the resignation of Head Coach Mike Smith.

You see, I started to get sucked up in the post-draft hype. Looking back over the draft it’s easy to get excited. A quality draft combined with projecting possible starting lineups and depth charts can give one a real sense of excitement…at least on paper. Looking at these lineups is what gave me an early case of Falcon Fever but it didn’t take long for my temp to come down and return to reality.

Looking over the names on the roster got my adrenaline pumping. Abraham, Norwood, White, Turner, Brooking…..this is one helluva team I thought to myself. Then as I moved starting lineups around I found one word being repeated over and over to myself. It was becoming the team mantra and it sums up everything about the Falcons in 2008. That word is “If”.

If Jamaal Anderson has a breakout season, the DLine should be Ok. If Turner or Norwood can handle 25 carries a game the RB’s will be fine. If the OLine can protect our QB we should be good. If the Ryan/Redman can playaction then the team will move the ball. If our corners can adapt to the cover 2, then our secondary will be great. If Dimitroff knows his stuff, our rookies should be great. If Mike Smith can bring this team together then we will be fine.

If, if, if. Not the word you want for your team mantra. Now I realize it is May, which is very early to be writing a team off, but give me a chance to explain my thought process here. First and foremost, I am all for supporting this team in any variation. I think that the right steps have been taken towards building a strong nucleus from which the team can grow. I believe that Coach Smith and TD are the right guys for this job and I believe that with time, this franchise will become a formidable force in the NFL for many seasons to come.

That being said, our ride to glory as Falcon fans is going to take a little bit longer. While most NFL teams could handle a crisis involving their starting QB and probably rebound the following season, it wont be that simple for the Falcons. The loss of the starting QB to a felony conviction combined with the fiasco that was Bobby Petrino has set the Falcons back to the stone age in football terms.

A couple of months ago I wrote a piece about the rebirth of the Falcons and I spoke about the lean times ahead and said that the fans have to be prepared for some bad football and even worse win/loss records before we tasted glory. I reiterate those statements today and hope that the fans come in droves to see the Falcons play but do so only with the understanding that Rome wasn’t built in a day nor will the Falcons be built with one good draft and a lot of “ifs”. Just remember that even if the football on the field is sub-par, you always have those cheerleaders to put a smile on your face.

Good take, FalconTammer.
Realistic but optimistic view of the future.

The 2008 Falcons draft (with Ryan) was clearly all about the future instead of going for the more immediate impact player in Dorsey.

I think, if the Falcons had taken Dorsey, they would have been quickly improved on defence and possibly won up to 50 regular season games over the next five years with a two or three playoff appearances but promptly eliminated when they run up against any of the elite teams.
A lot of Falcon fans would have been happy with that.

However, given the option of taking Ryan (with the understanding of it being a two or three year project) in an elite QB driven league.
I`m happy with taking our lumps over the next couple of seasons becaues the ultimate goal is getting to and winning the Super Bowl.
IMO, it`s highly un-likely that we will ever achieve that goal with average or sub-par QB`s.

This thread sucks withou pics!

U suck without saying..

Would you like some cheese with your whine?

Is all you can do is criticize without adding a damn thing?

Thanks guys. Falcons have an uphill battle this season. I would be happy as long as they progress through the season, show improvement each week, and dont beat themselves.

Oh, and here are your pictures...http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/2008_Cheer_Roster.aspx

Just so I'm clear, you are positve, absolutely positive, that Matt Ryan is a quarterback that is elite? That Matt Ryan is going to win a Super Bowl for the Falcons? :huh:

Here is another one for the Derrick Zoolander School for children who don`t read good. :lol:

I said,

3452jjj

So your attempt at humor aside, that is what you are saying. I fail to see how in any category except blandness of personality how Ryan is better than average in any category for a NFL starter. If Dorsey has the career he's projected to have then people will remember this draft the same way they remember the Hawks insanely passing over Deron Williams and Chris Paul for a bust in Marvin Williams.

Let me ask 2 questions KB56..

* Who was the last DT to lead a team to the Super Bowl?
* Do you think that Shock, Joey or Redman has what it takes?

Tampa Bay when they won went on Sapp and his effect on the game. One of the main reasons the Bears went and won the SB was due to Dan Hampton, ditto the Raiders with Howie Long.

I don't think any of those are franchise quarterbacks. I also don't think Matt Ryan is either. I would have been more than fine with taking Dorsey and taking a shot at Tebow or Stafford next draft.

Long and Hampton were DE`s and I could argue Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch were the stalwarts of the Bucs defence that won their only SB.

In fact, the only defence in the last 30 years I credit with being dominate enough to win a SB was the 2000 Ravens.
Thus, it`s a myth that defence wins championships.
I`m not saying you don`t need defence but having a high powered offence led by an elite QB with only a good defence will give a team a much better chance to win titles than if the balance of the team was reversed.

Lets be clear about Matt Ryan, he has a chance at being an elite QB in this league.
If you break in down about all the QB`s selected in the 1st round since 2000.
There is less than a hand full of them I would select over Ryan.
Palmer and Young for sure..
Rostelinburger, maybe
Russell..nope
E. Manning..nope
McCown..nope
Smith..nope
Phillipn Rivers..probally not.
Harrington, nope
I think you`r getting the idea.

Wait until next year to draft Matt Safford?
He is a junior that is projected (if he comes out) to be the top overall pick.
Same deal with Tebow but he would be more of a project adjusting to the pro game.
Chew on that and come back and tell me if that sounds like a sound plan?

Its a QB driven league.

So what if Stafford comes out as number 1 QB next year, who says we are in a position to draft him? Can we afford 2 top 5 pics and could we get the trade value of a number 1 pick? If Stafford looks as good as Manning or Palmer, what team would pass on that? Unless we tank next year intentionally, the wait for a QB scenario is problematic.

If you accept that, then why not try the consensus #1 QB in 2008. Could he flop, sure. But he could also be great, if we give him an opportunity. [['l..]

Long and Hampton were DT/DE. I know, I watched plenty of them in the 1980's.

If you don't think the 85 Bears won almost solely on their defense then I don't know what to say to that.

Defense does in fact win championships. I guess it was just a miracle that the Giants won last year's SB over the greatest offense in NFL history? Did they outscore them in a shootout or did their defense (in particular the defensive LINE) show up and take out Brady?

If you wouldn't take Eli Manning who just won a SB over a quarterback that was slighly rated higher than a Delaware product...wow. I don't even need to get into the rest of the cherrypicking that went on in that strawman argument you presented.

If Stafford is projected to be that great of a quarterback already then what does that say about him? Why NOT draft the best DT in this year's draft (Dorsey) and knowing beforehand our team will be lucky to win 4 games next year we go into it with a very good chance of drafting Stafford? Why not have the best of both worlds?

If the Bears defence of that era was so great and capable winning championships?
How come they only went to and won 1 SB ?
I believe 85 was the only year they had sufficent offence and QB play to get them there even with them having a top 5 defence for a number of years.
McMann, Walter Payton and Wille Gault had career years in 85.

Uhh, that Pats team has been to 4 SB`s (won 3) this decade and was favored to win that one too with, you guessed it, great offence.
Try telling the members of the great 49er teams who over 2 decades racked up 5 SB titles while averaging over 12 wins a season and 30 Points a game on backs on 2 HOF QB`s that defence wins championships.
When you think back to the Cowboy dynasty of the 90`s, you don`t think Jim Jeffcoat and Leon Lett.
You think Aikman, Irvin and Smith.

The same Eli that was all but declaired a bust in NY until he played well down the stretch last season?
Yeah, if Eli and Ryan we both coming out in the same draft?
Ryan would have recieved a higher grade.

Any GM and staff that heads into a draft thinking hell, we will suck so bad this season, we will get the #1 overall next year, so why not draft our QB next season? He won`t be a GM in this league very long.
You do the best you can when you can do it and you hope to improve every week and year.

Actually both TD and Blank have said they expect it to take YEARS to turn this franchise around. So they are already in that mode of thinking. Not taking Dorsey to take a mediocre QB prospect in a very poor QB draft was insanity. They wanted to get over Vick so bad they lost their perspective (Blank) and forced them to take Ryan.

Go back and look at the Bears record in that era. They were right there in the hunt because the defense put them there. It wasn't until Buddy Ryan left that they stopped being a serious contender.

Those 49ers and Cowboys teams you mentioned had all kinds of great defenses. Look at their stats and where they finished in team defense. They absolutely led them to winning those titles. I guess the Doomsday Defense, the Steel Curtain, the No Name Defense, heck even the Purple People Eaters had nothing to do with their titles??

Btw its McMahon.

The 1st paragraph is BS, while many acknowledge it`s not a one year fix.
Nobody with a brain is saying it will take years to ''turn the franchise around.''
In today's NFL teams can rebound quickly, in fact every team that has won the NFCS since it`s inception has finished last the year before.
Passing on Dorsey was not insanity, it was the correct call.
BTW, if you think AB told TD he has to select Ryan over Dorsey.
You`r just flat out wrong again.
I bet my left nut if, AB had done that to TD, he would have walked on the Monday following the draft.
I have heard from multiple sources it was TD and his staffs draft and AB had nothing to do with the choosing of any player.
Oh, you mentioned Buddy Ryan, great`s D`s every where he went, how many titles was he associated with?
BTW, the Doomsday, No Name, Steel Curtain and 9er Defences have a line up of offensive players off those teams that are a who`s who of HOF`ers.

Eli Stats

2007 New York Giants Comp 297 Att 529 % 56.1 Ydge 3,336

Aver 6.3 TD 23 Inc 20 Rating 73.9 Fumbles 13 Lost 7


Joey Harrington 348 215 2215 % 61.8 6.4 TD 7 INT 8 Rating 77.2 No Fumbles

dp

There is no BS, that is drawn from several quotes from all parties involved. They all said this is going to take years to rebuild from. I don't know what kind of fanboy homer planet you may hail from but any rational football fan knows the Falcons are years from being a playoff team.

I can not believe that Blank had nothing to do with the selection of Ryan. Practically every team in the NFL had Dorsey at the top of their draft board, somehow Atlanta does not with huge holes on the defensive line? :huh:

How many titles did Ryan win? Well he won at least one due almost solely to his defense. If he had any clue on how to run an offense the Eagles might have had some to go along with that SB win with the Bears.

All of those defenses I mentioned have stacked HoF defensive talent on it. Are you seriously telling me those defenses had nothing to do with those teams winning titles? I guess those awesome 17-20 point a game offenses did it themselves?

Eli Manning Super Bowl wins as starting QB: 1

Joey Harrington Super Bowl wins as starting QB: 0

Next?

Show me the quotes, otherwise you`r full of shit!

Maybe 2 but that`s far cry from you`r statement ''will be years from turning things around.''
That statement implies they will suck for at least 3 or more years.
There is a damn good reason you are not an NFL GM, as you have no clue.

That is you`r own stubbornness and unwillingness to accept reality.

Again, Walter Payton, a good O-line and good QB play put that team over the top for one season.
Ryan was a bit like you thinking offense was something you just did until the defence got back on the field.
True, his teams had good defense`s but they got their face kicked in every time the went up against a team with a good offense and defense.
Remember there was a riff between Ditka and Ryan, Buddy thought he knew everything.

Are you trying to tell me the Steelers would have won all those SB`s without Bradshaw, Swan, Stallworth, Franco and one of the best O-lines ever put together?
I`m I to believe the Cowboys of the 90`s would have been as dominate without Akman, Irvin and Emmit?
Finally, are you going to insist that the 49rs rein of terror for 20 years was due to dominate defense?

Any rational football mind knows the answers to the above questions. g6wvuymh87

You`r on record as stating ''defence wins championships.''
You can`t have it both ways. 8DRTV75

Er actually yes I can. He posted up stats to try and make Manning look bad when the kid just won the freaking Super Bowl. That is laugh out loud funny.

You need an offense that can score some points, anyone knows that. What really helps is by having a great defense. If you have a great defense it can carry you in games where your offense is struggling. If you think those Steelers or Cowboys or 49ers team would have won a SINGLE title without having the kind of defenses they had then I don't know what to say.

You can insult me as much as you wish about not being a NFL GM but I at least have some clue as to how football works. You sound like one of those fans who thinks real football operates like a Madden video game. 8DRTV75

HA!..don`t insult me either and we`ll be cool.

Look, I`m not going to sit here and try and say defence is not important.
Of course it is, you can`t win if you cant`t stop nobody.
That said, you are underestimating just how important QB play is for the overall success of any team.

For the perfect example, look no farther than the team we have been talking about to illustrate how just important QB play is to the club.
Just look at the Falcons won/loss record since Vick`s arrival in the games he has played verse the games he missed.

With that...I rest my case.

I am not underestimating the role of a quarterback. I do not feel Ryan is a franchise quarterback and frankly I don't even think he'll be a NFL starter once he is exposed in the NFL. I think he is at best another Joey Harrington and why we would pick that over the best defensive tackle in the draft just floors me.

Obviously I hope I am wrong but we'll see. :dunno:

The reason (I think) Ryan has a good chance of being pretty good QB is, he has all the physical skills and he is already way ahead of you`r average rookie QB in the mental aspects of the position.
He is said to have the Brady/Manning type work ethic and dedication with superior intelligence.
Nothing less than that will earn the respect and confidence from his teammates and coaching staff.

At this point, we will have to trust Dimitroff and Smitty know what they are doing.