Otherwise known as 1970.

When I was a little kid, living in my south central Kentucky home town (where I live to this day), I grew up watching the Baltimore Colts, but I got bored with them because my hero Johnny Unitas was on the decline. I’ve always been geared towards the visual (which is why I grew up (if you call it that) to be a artist and graphic designer), and the Falcons’ helmets and logo caught my eye. Yep, that’s all it took to win over that preteen boy.

I’ve followed the team from Bob Berry, Dave Hampton, Tommy SHOULD BE IN THE FUCKING HALL OF FAME Nobis through Peachtree Bart, William Andrews, Bubba Bean, Dave (zzz) Archer, Chris Chandler, and so on- and there certainly have been a LOT of ups and downs, usually every other year…but no matter what, I can’t turn my back on this snakebitten football franchise. I’ve got it in my blood and I’m too old to change my ways now even if I wanted to.

Having grown up a short drive from Atlanta Stadium, I’ve always assumed that all Falcons fans had passed through Atlanta at some time. Guess my (subconscious) reasoning was that they were a team that only an Atlantan had reason to love. It’s great to see that the Falcons have fans from Maine to Montana, and well beyond!

I started watching Falcons games on TV with my dad around 1968 or ’69, I think. He worked at the Atlanta (Decatur) VA hospital as an administrator, and arranged for several members of the Falcons to visit patients there. No doubt, this helped make good old dad into quite an enthusiastic fan. I remember thinking “why is this man yelling at the TV?” more than once, as we watched the Falcons play. Now, I do the same thing myself…

In 1971, I attended my first Falcons game, a win over John Brodie and the 49ers, and absolutely loved it. The next year, Dad started buying me season tickets as a reward for good grades. That pretty well got me hooked for life, in retrospect.

I can hardly imagine NOT being a Falcons fan now. It’s like growing up with a lovable, three legged pet dog that accidentally pees on the carpet sometimes. It, for better or worse, is yours.

Sorry to ramble. Go Falcons!

My first game was in 1971- I had family living in Washington, GA at the time, and when we went down to visit them I BEGGED to go see a game. Which turned out to be a loss to the St. Louis football Cardinals. Sigh.

I’ve been down twice more; in 1991 or so I saw them shut out the Patriots, and most gloriously, I went to the game in 1997 in which they beat the hated 49ers to clinch the division. We had great seats- 20 yard line field level- and I got to see Jerry Rice let a certain TD pass from Steve Young go right through his hands a split second before Eugene Robinson (sigh again) laid him flat on his ass. It was a hell of a thing to see. The crowd was infreakingsane.

I usually make the trip down to Nashville whenever the Falcons play there; I was rewarded by a closer-than-it-sounded loss in 1998’s valley season (with Danny Kanell, oy, subbing for Christal Chandelier) and last year’s debacle with bad seats and drunken Titans fans making stupid, nonsensical Vick jokes all day long.

What was it Dino sang? “Memories are made of this…”

I grew up in Griffin, but have lived in all areas of the country since I was an early teen. Currently I live in PA. Honestly, with all the bad national media, I didn’t expect that there were any Falcon fans outside GA. Im glad I’m not alone in my misery. I have hope (even after last season) that things are going in the right direction. Maybe Im the only one, but I forgive MVick. I love dogs, wished he hadn’t made bad choices, but if he can come back as a QB/HB/WR out of the back feild. WOW. I live in Steelers country, and if anyone can make that work (Ryan and Vick together), he can. Here’s to a solid 8-8 season. I’ll be watching, will you?

Mularky: He’s the one who can make it happen. sorry forgot in post

Proud Falcons fan, all the way from sacramento, CA, right in a raider town.

I never expected to hear from people spread out all over the map. Glad to see it, and glad to see I’m not even alone in New England!

I never really watched football as a kid, but my German-transplant grandmother from Augusta would have them on any time we were down visiting on a Sunday. The woman couldn’t care less about football, but she loved those Falcons, even when they stunk. When I got in UGA and started caring about football, she’d call me every Sunday/Monday night and talk about UGA’s game, and how the Falcons did/were doing. I almost feel glad that she passed away last year, because she was a member of the Humane Society, and would have been heartbroken by the Vick-fiasco. But, she got me hooked.

Typing from a rainy, cold and wintered Northern Sydney from Australia.

I became a Falcons Fan really in 2003 when I turned the TV in the morning and a live game of the Saints and Falcons was being played on Fox Sports, I cant remember who won however I remeber picking up a copy of Madden 2005 despite not knowing what the game was and have been supporting and playing as the Falcons ever since.

Moved here from DC where I ironically grew up a hardcore Cowboys fan (and am till this day) although the Falcons are a REALLY close second. If you knew how much I loved the Cowboys then you would know that the Falcons coming in second still means I live and die for the Birds, except when they play the Cowboys.

Even as a kid I had a mild fascination with the Falcons and when I moved here it hit me. I don’t HATE the local team of the city I live in. It’s funny, I have friends that are in the same boat as I am. They love their childhood team (Pats, Steelers,etc..) but they also LOVE the Falcons.

This is awesome. Pure awesome. Thanks Dave! And thanks to all of you guys from all over. GO FALCONS!