The Falcons Have An Awesome Coaching Staff

by Dave Choate on Nov 13, 2008 8:00 AM EST in Editorial

The title of this post is the only conclusion you can reach after reading this entertaining Mark Bradley article. Mike Smith & Co. have convinced the players to follow them and have won over writers and fans alike, but he's the sort of guy you don't really get to know.

That's why a quote like this is unbelievably great:

Pete Prisco of CBSsports.com reported that Smith sent the Falcons onto the hallowed Lambeau tundra by saying, “That [expletive] field is 100 yards long and 53 1/2 yards wide just like all the other [same expletive] fields.”

The man seems utterly devoid of fear. Famous field? Bah, I say! Team that's widely thought to be better than ours? Phooey on that! The Saints think they can win? [Expletive] [expletive] [expletive] bunch of [expletive] [expletive]! Truly a great attitude for a guy who has to lead a team, and it's clearly one that has resonated with the calmest and coolest bunch of Falcons I can remember seeing.

And this pervades the coaching staff. They're playing aggressive football and absolutely daring teams to beat them while they shove Michael Turner and Matt Ryan down their throats. On defense, they're making up for some obvious shortcomings by giving John Abraham free reign to terrorize the quarterback. In short, Mike Smith has taught this team to never be afraid of anyone and instead instill fear in their opponents. Sounds like a great approach to me.

It's these kinds of stories that make me want to pinch myself. Has this whole season really happened, or is this just one of the best (and longest) dreams I've ever had?

Poll

How do you feel about Mike Smith and the coaching staff?

They've done a great job with this team

93 votes

They've been pretty average, given the talent

1 votes

They haven't done a very good job at all

0 votes

I still don't believe Mike Smith is a real name

5 votes

99 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

No one should vote otherwise

The guy has been unbelievably awesome and has the perfect attitude for this team. We are young, we are unproven, and usually that leads to hesitation or lack of confidence. Smitty is just giving a big ‘F that’ to that idea and saying why the hell can’t we roll all these teams up. I love the attitude. The league should fear what we have coming.

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by BVaz on Nov 13, 2008 9:45 AM EST reply actions

I'll be impressed when they beat the Panthers and the Bucs :)

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by Jaxon on Nov 13, 2008 9:57 AM EST up reply actions

Jeez

I’d much rather them beat a good team…

We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.

by iRonin on Nov 13, 2008 11:17 AM EST up reply actions

He's like the Bizarro Norman Dale

by SG Standard on Nov 13, 2008 10:06 AM EST reply actions

All I want to see...

… Is a video with Smitty subbed in over Gene Hackman in the training montage from Hoosiers.
Great reference SG.
On another note, i don’t know if y’all care about other ATL sports, but the Hawks lost by 1 to the defending Champs in Boston to go 6-1.

If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother.
-Bo Jackson

by Pregame with Pabst on Nov 13, 2008 11:08 AM EST up reply actions

Hawks are going places this year too. Great years to be an ATL fan!

"The nice thing about supporting a bedraggled-cum-decent team? Watching all those analysts eat their words."

by Adam Schultz on Nov 13, 2008 11:24 AM EST up reply actions

Seriously...

Mike Smith is just like Matt Ryan. Ice Cold Balls of Steel. Jeez, no wonder Matty’s maturing so dang fast. He’s got a reincarnated Buford Pusser for a dang coach!

"The nice thing about supporting a bedraggled-cum-decent team? Watching all those analysts eat their words."

by Adam Schultz on Nov 13, 2008 10:39 AM EST reply actions

In Smitty We Trust

Mark Bradley is really good at writing articles like that. I think I trust Smitty more than my doctor now.
Go Falcons!

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Nov 13, 2008 5:32 PM EST reply actions

He gets it

This is a guy that knows how to connect with NFL players and not treat them like kids like Petrino did. He’s been an assistant his whole career and knows what buttons to push to get pro players to respond.

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by AuditDawg on Nov 14, 2008 1:17 AM EST reply actions

I've got a fever...

This post needs more top hat.
I’m disappointed by the overall lack of top hat in this post.

I’ve got a fever and the only cure is more top hat.

We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.

by iRonin on Nov 14, 2008 12:22 PM EST reply actions