Dear Iffy Atlanta Falcons Fans,
I would like to start off by thanking all of the loyal Atlanta Falcons fans around the world like myself. I’m talking about the Falcons fans who were still fans when Michael Vick was sent to jail, and we went 3-13 the year after, or when the Falcons had a 13-3 record in the regular season, but got destroyed by the Green Bay Packers in our first playoff game that season. Most Falcons fans right now are bandwagon fans, which are people who become fans of teams who are doing well. Most people who live in Georgia are not even Falcons fans because they cannot handle the stress that comes with being a Falcons fans. A lot of people who don’t like the Falcons down in Georgia are usually haters. These type of people can easily be spotted when you hear them say something along these lines: “The Falcons suck,” or “Matt Ryan is a choker.” There is a high chance that they are a Patriots or Cowboys fan, which are the teams with the most bandwagon fans.
I would like to start off by thanking all of the loyal Atlanta Falcons fans around the world like myself. I’m talking about the Falcons fans who were still fans when Michael Vick was sent to jail, and we went 3-13 the year after, or when the Falcons had a 13-3 record in the regular season, but got destroyed by the Green Bay Packers in our first playoff game that season. Most Falcons fans right now are bandwagon fans, which are people who become fans of teams who are doing well. Most people who live in Georgia are not even Falcons fans because they cannot handle the stress that comes with being a Falcons fans. A lot of people who don’t like the Falcons down in Georgia are usually haters. These type of people can easily be spotted when you hear them say something along these lines: “The Falcons suck,” or “Matt Ryan is a choker.” There is a high chance that they are a Patriots or Cowboys fan, which are the teams with the most bandwagon fans.
The attendance at the Georgia Dome has been fluctuating lately, which raises the question, “Where are all of the Falcons fans?” Part of the reason may be the way the Falcons have been playing the last couple of seasons, and them not reaching the playoffs. When anybody asks a person in Georgia if they are fans of the Atlanta Falcons, they look at you like your crazy for liking them. The Falcons pumped artificial crowd noise into their stadium during the 2013 and 2014 football seasons to disturb the away teams. You can make the argument that they were trying to make up for the loss of the fans who would normally attend their games in the past. Because of the noise gate, the Falcons were fined $350,000 and will lose their fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. This caused more people to look down on the franchise.
In addition, when haters of the Falcons talk bad about us, they discourage people who want to be fans of the Falcons from rooting for them. I’m a proud Falcons fan, so anytime people question me for liking them, it does not affect me like most loyal fans. According to a study by Emory, the Atlanta Falcons has the second worst fan base in the whole National Football League. The study mainly compares team office box revenues to the team’s on-field success, the marketing population, the stadium capacity, etc. Part of the reason may be from having SEC football down in the south. The main reason is because Atlanta is a city of transplants, which would mean most people who are in Atlanta were most likely not born there. People come to Atlanta for jobs, and most people already root for another NFL team. This causes a lack of identity for Falcons fans because most of the population is not a fan of the state’s team. The Atlanta Falcons’ value has increased in 2015 to roughly $1.6 billion dollars in 2015 due to the optimism about the Falcons. The Falcons’ revenue in 2015 was $303 million while averaging $18 per 5.5 million fans in the Metro-Atlanta area.
Another big reason why the fan base is not so great is because going to a Falcons game is not cheap. When you go to a game, you would have to pay for transportation, parking, and tickets. In this economy, not everyone has a few hundred dollars to spend to go to a football game.
Another big reason why the fan base is not so great is because going to a Falcons game is not cheap. When you go to a game, you would have to pay for transportation, parking, and tickets. In this economy, not everyone has a few hundred dollars to spend to go to a football game.
Every loyal Atlanta Falcons fan knows how hard it is to be a fan of them even when they are doing well. At the beginning of every season, we’re always expecting the Falcons to rise up, but something bad always happens. Hopefully this season will be different with the way our defense is playing. Most seasons, the Falcons had a strong offense, but did not have the defense to be championship contenders. The Falcons general manager, Thomas Dimitroff, did a great job in the last couple of drafts. Thomas gave the Falcons fans players to look forward to watch every Sunday with the selections of Tevin Coleman, Jalen Collins, and Vic Beasley.
Moreover, I along with the rest of the Falcons fans are sick and tired of not being able to win games in the playoffs. Ever since we drafted Matt Ryan in 2008, the dirty birds have been to the playoffs four times. Out of those four playoff runs, the Falcons only won one playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. Hopefully our new head coach, Dan Quinn, will be able to help the Falcons change that. Dan Quinn coached the Seattle Seahawks, which had the top defense for the past couple of years.The all-around player Julio Jones brings a lot of fans into the Georgia Dome with his extraordinary play. During the 2015 football season, Julio Jones was ranked the 13th best player that season.
Moreover, I along with the rest of the Falcons fans are sick and tired of not being able to win games in the playoffs. Ever since we drafted Matt Ryan in 2008, the dirty birds have been to the playoffs four times. Out of those four playoff runs, the Falcons only won one playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. Hopefully our new head coach, Dan Quinn, will be able to help the Falcons change that. Dan Quinn coached the Seattle Seahawks, which had the top defense for the past couple of years.The all-around player Julio Jones brings a lot of fans into the Georgia Dome with his extraordinary play. During the 2015 football season, Julio Jones was ranked the 13th best player that season.
To all of the people who watch NFL and live in the peach state, it is never too late to become a true Falcons fan. During this 2015-2016 season, the Falcons have showed that they are playoff contenders, and most likely will be in the playoffs this season. With the play of Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, the Falcons have become an exciting team to watch again because they now have a running game. Matt Ryan has the offense in his hands, and he has done a great job for the Falcons since they drafted him. Desmond Trufant and the rest of the Falcon’s defense have stepped up thanks to Coach Quinn. The offensive line is getting back to what they used to be back in 2010, which sparked our running game and protected Matt Ryan. The dirty birds are heading back toward the top of the NFL, which will also cause more fans to come out of the cave they have been hiding in since we lost Michael Vick.
Sincerely,
Azuma Onyiri
Sincerely,
Azuma Onyiri