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"If the Falcons moved to Los Angeles, would we still follow them?"
by Jason Kirk on Jul 21, 2010 1:21 PM EDT
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PrintFrom this comment by brotherbrown. It's a question worth considering, and I didn't want it to get lost in the comment section of a post that'll be off the front page soon.
My answer:
On the one hand, I think I still would. After investing years and years of emotions into the team, I don't see how that could be thrown away just because they change addresses. As this blog's existence suggests, proximity may be the most overrated criteria of fanhood.
Recalibrating based on geography, family, or favorite players and becoming a Panthers, Chiefs, or Lions fan would be tempting, but would feel too much like starting all over. I grew up watching the three-hour Weekly Jerry Glanville Comedy Symposium, the first non-college sporting event I ever really cared about was the 1991 wild card win over the Saints, and 2004 Michael Vick is my second-favorite athlete of all time -- how could that ever be replaced by another NFL team? Even an expansion Atlanta team?
If moving to L.A. were to ever be what's best for the team, then so be it. It would be amusing to see the entire state suddenly claim to have always loved the Falcons if they were on the verge of moving, though I'd imagine plenty of baseball and college football fans would just say "Chris Houston" about the whole thing. I'm not saying the Falcons don't have tens of thousands of all-out fans, and I'm not bashing general Atlanta sports fans. Atlanta fans are busy people from a million different places, and pro football isn't a priority. There's nothing wrong with caring about things besides NFL football.
(Plus, as recently revealed, I'm that kind of heretic who actually admits he doesn't like paying $150+ per ticket to sit at the hospital-ambience'd Dome and listen to Sheryl Crow on the PA alongside bone-silent down-in-front types with TVs in their laps*. So it's not like the team playing in L.A. would cause me to attend their games any less often.)
On the other hand, I'd probably tone down my interest in the NFL. As it is, I really don't care about the other 31 teams. Who will start in Kansas City for Pete Carroll: Donovan McNabb or Tim Tebow??? DOES JULIUS PEPPERS STILL HAVE IT??? I do not care at all. If it wasn't for fantasy football and Madden, I'd have heard of DeSean Jackson twice in my life (exaggeration, duh). I pay way more attention to offseason ACC and SEC football than I do to any February-to-August non-Falcons NFL activities, besides maybe the Draft. Of course, my wife will beg to differ about all this when she finds me trying to watch three straight NFL games in week 11, but that's fine. But if the team wasn't around, I'd care a little less.
Final answer: if the Falcons moved, I wouldn't hold any hard feelings. They'd still be my favorite NFL team, but the NFL would no longer be my favorite sports league.
* Sure, you can find rafter seats for $20, but a decent telescope will run you about $100, so it's a wash. And yes, the Dome gets pretty loud once in a while. Mainly for monster truck rallies and SEC Championship Games, but sometimes for Falcons third downs.
What do you think?
This FanPost was written by one of The Falcoholic's talented readers. It does not necessarily reflect the views of The Falcoholic.
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Interesting viewpoint.
I generally agree with your statements above. I pretty much watch NFL football for two reasons: the Falcons and Fantasy Football. I have attended 0 games since grad school (when I had half-season tickets) 5 years ago. Thus, other than the later start time (which would actually be nice due to church and all), I would follow the Falcons just the same.
Of course, I wonder what would happen if the Falcons not only left, but were replaced by another team like in Cleveland and Houston and LA (which now have the Falcons!)
I would stop watching NFL alltogether.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Jul 21, 2010 1:52 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Oh BTW, the dome
Gets real freaking loud these days. I went to the bears game last year and it was a really good atmosphere. Maybe it’s because of the 11th row home sideline seats we had, (free, whoo whoo) idk. My question is why the talk about this? It’s kinda freaking me out. A town without the Falcons? Hell no! That’s like saying the Oklahoma city Braves. First off if anybody wanted to move a franchise to LA they would want to go a much cheaper route. Teams like Bills, Jags and Rams are all up for grabs more likely. If you wait a year or two you can rip the raiders out of Al Davis’s rigor mortised claws. Yeah LA Raiders or LA Rams are more like it.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Jul 21, 2010 2:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Me and jason: Two shiny ends on the opposite end of one long ass pole.
Everything he said, reverse it. Except the staying with the team part. I’d stay with the team more fervently than he.
You have opinions. We all do. Some of yours may have to do with the Falcons. Sign up today and share them.
Wow, I wasn’t expecting my comment to be taken to another level on this post
But reading this blog allows me to reassess my thoughts. There are many reasons why we are fans to our teams. Even if it is because of one player, we are underdogs, darlings, family/friend influence, storylines etc, it’s still a reason to be “respected” nonetheless and we must find a way to embrace it like the many religions and cultural lifestyles of the world. Grayson if I’m not mistaken is a Falcons fan from Austrailia of all places and has no ties to Atlanta, or maybe even the United States. That’s amazing!
As for expansion, I wonder If Houston has truly embraced the Texans or still Oiler/Titans fans (now a heated rivialry). Is Baltimore’s connection with the Colts still there, or just media inflated? After all the Ravens have maintained their native heritage with the Colts of Baltimore not Indianapolis (and have the leagues only co-ed cheerleaders). Interesting you have the Cleveland Browns (which one?) of 2002 assuming the records the original franchise in an expansion form (a similiar thing could happen to the Seattle SuperSonics if they get an expansion with the same name and heritage- Will Seattle fans be burning about Kevin Durant should be on their team because he was drafted as a Sonic and he’s such a spectacular player)
At first I didn’t care too much about other teams either, but somehow for some reason I like to see the progress of all teams. My Favorite is the Falcons, and I will guilty admit to hypocrisy from my noted posted linked above, it could be because they are representing Atlanta, family and proximity reasons, (the games we see the most), and then the storylines come later. Again my anology with relationships. You need bait to attract you, but it won’t necessarily keep you. You need something solid that will keep you around and “me love you long time”, and that the team that they are becoming. Something that will make me want to continue following them and love or like them if they move to another city.
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
Yes.
1. I don’t live in Atlanta, so the Falcons leaving the city does not hurt me. I don’t lose anything except time zone.
2. The closest team to me is the Bills. I think that speaks for itself.
3. I’ve loved this team for near 15 years. Everything about the Falcons is football to me. I still look back to 1998 with fondness. I just can’t see myself watching the Bills every week hoping they can bring back the good old days (of which I wasn’t even a fan of theirs).
The Falcons would have to flat out fold for me to move on, and than I’m thinking it would be to Miami (Ricky Williams fan). And while no team has ever folded in the NFL to my knowledge. It has occurred in the Canadian Football League with 8 different teams. So there is precedent for it at a professional level.
But to answer the question, I’m thinking a move to LA would simply result in the purchase of a new jersery and staying up later to watch games.
Tough one
IF the Falcons were to move to L.A. it DEFINITELY means that something went wrong in Atlanta. I think, in general, it would be harder for me to root for a team that would’ve gone through several years of drastic decline enough so that it forced ownership to sell the team or move.
Based on those sorta circumstances, it wouldn’t really be the same team anymore.
Final answer: I would FOLLOW the L.A. Falcons, but not sure if I would cheer for them after whatever crap went down. I’d end up equating them in some mystical way to the L.A. Rams or L.A. Raiders and eventually lose all hope.
Bad Karma, man.
Short answer: no. I grew up immitating Alfred Jenkins and Steve Bartkowski. My wife and I were at the Dome for WCW Nitro when the Falcons came to the ring to support Goldberg. I wept like a child when we beat the Vikings to get the NFC championship. I honestly thought Chris Miller, Jeff George, Chris Chandler, and even Mike Vick could be “the One.”
I couldn’t do that if they went to L. “where football goes to die” A. I’d become a Baltimore fan.
Don’t post things like this in the summer, when all of our hopes are on the rise.
i posted worse than this
everyone loathed me about the who’s going to get injuried post.
But this one in particularly…I mean come on? Blank is trying to see if we can get a new stadium in Atlanta or at least upgrade the one we have. In our lifetime I think the Falcons are here to stay. This was just a hypothetical post to test our fandom.
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 21, 2010 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions
He's just playing politics.
Blank I mean. He’s going to get his way with the city, he just is…. He loves Atlanta and he is rooted so deep here that there is no way we move.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Jul 22, 2010 9:07 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah that's what I was saying
Until Blank croaks or unless he gives the franchise to some malcontent, I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 22, 2010 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions
praise the Lord for that
People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....
No because I'm loyal to Atlanta sports teams.
I think if they were to move I would be so heartbroken that I wouldn’t want to watch them play again. Almost like an awful break up with a chick you still love because she cheated on you with another guy. I’ve devoted a significant amount of my life to the team, but I only started rooting for them due to the fact they were the hometown team. I’ve stuck with them through all of the crap for that same reason. It would be so easy to jump to a consistent winner and follow that team from afar, but I love all of our pro teams and can never turn my back on that.
This is definitely an interesting topic. I’m sure there are people who fall into both camps. I’m in the “Atlanta pride” camp and will always follow our pro teams passionately and if they ever leave (I wasn’t alive for the Flames departure back in the day) they are essentially dead to me.
by LongSufferingFalconsFan on Jul 21, 2010 9:38 PM EDT reply actions
Heck NO!
If the Falcons moved anywhere outside of GA I wouldn’t cheer for them. It wouldn’t be our team anymore. I would just wait until we got a new one. I couldn’t imagine Cleveland fans cheering for Baltimore when they moved there. No way!
And what an odd topic when things seem to be going so well.
by treal81 on Jul 21, 2010 11:33 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
The Jacksonville Jaguars were probably suppose to be the Saint Louis Stallions, but when the Rams moved to St Louis from LA, the Jaguars existed. Now Ironically the Jaguars are the head of talks about eventually going to LA
This message had nothing to do with your response.
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 22, 2010 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Well I live in New York
so I dont think that would affect me a whole lot
Chicago Blackhawks = Champs
Let football season begin. GO FALCONS!
Wow, what a question
Being the only falcon fan born and bred in Los Angeles, California with no ties at all to Georgia, hell, closest I’ve been to the state is a trip to Virginia, I would honestly have mixed feelings! I mean I also grew up w/Bart, Jenkins,Andrews and Curry as my imaginary teammates. I went to watch them get pounded yearly by the rams, was there for the one and only time we beat em in Anaheim(Mick luckhurst!!),got their autographs, wanted knee surgery just like Bart and prayed to see them on halftime highlights(you youngins ask your dads what those were) on MNF just to get a glimpse of a team that was nonexistent on this coast 14 weeks out of the season. Needless to say it was a painful way to root for your team. All that being said, they r the Atlanta Falcons!!! My dream is and always will be to go see my falcons with my people. Until then I have directv and Sirius radio. So much easier to be a fan now
Hell yeah!!
If I had a beer mug and you had a beer mug and you were standing right here, I would klink glasses and scream cheers. Nice.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Jul 22, 2010 9:01 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The most Falconly thing I've ever read:
I wanted knee surgery just like Bart
Excuse my language, ma'am, but that damn Dodd's gonna beat my butt today. -- Bear Bryant, November 1962
Hell to the yeah...
Of course I would no longer purchase my season tickets however…
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Jul 22, 2010 9:26 AM EDT reply actions
I would hate the falcons
and love the Bucs, or Dolphins. I hate L.A. the 2nd worst city in the U.S. (second only to New York City)
People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....
wow
I hate the sucks and the galphins almost as bad as the plowboys… You are setting your sites pretty low for a replacement team.
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Jul 22, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
half of my family is from the state of Florida
and that’s why, of course I did forget to mention the Titans
People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....
argh
I feel for ya… lol. jokin
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Jul 23, 2010 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
DELETE THIS POST NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
before it’s too late
People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....
Probably not. I imagine I’d follow them closely for a few years – at least until most of the current players went to other teams. I would immediatly switch my allegiance to a hypothetical “ATL expansion” team, though.
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
um I hate to burst the bubble here...
but if we ever lose the franchise, we may never get another. See how long it took Atlanta to get another hockey team after they lost the Flames. And now they are one the brink of losing the Thrashers.
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Jul 22, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
to who?
People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....
not sure
They were talking about it for several days on 790 AM here in town. how the ownership team that owns the hawks and thrashers may be looking to sell the thrashers to an owner in another city.
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Jul 23, 2010 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Canada
There’s been talk about moving them to Canada. Both the teams in Pheonix and Colorado used to be in Canada, and those cities are still kinda pissed about losing franchises.
Didn't that happen to us before?
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 27, 2010 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions
yes it did
Beware Newyorkers, Jason Heyward has arrived, he will rob A-rod of 100 homeruns, and will bring at least 5 world series trophies to the great city of Atlanta
Maybe I should move to Canada
But I got my heart set on Denmark. But I heard to be a citizen you have to pass a lot of tests.
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 27, 2010 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions
The thrashers are on the brink of loosing Atlanta.
The spirit ownership group sucks bad a can’t believe how they run the Hawks/Thrashers.
Rule #1: Double tap.
by Ball Hawk on Jul 25, 2010 6:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Maybe the Hawks need to move.
No one goes to the games there anymore, and how they drafted this year, they might as well be stationed in another city.
The Braves, we will always have Bobby as long as he’s Brett Farving his last year.
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 27, 2010 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Bobby made it clear that he's retiring after the season
at least we might still have Chipper and J-HEY
Beware Newyorkers, Jason Heyward has arrived, he will rob A-rod of 100 homeruns, and will bring at least 5 world series trophies to the great city of Atlanta
“Bobby made it clear that he’s retiring after the season”
Or is that what he want us to think like when any manager is ejected they are still nearby.
Or maybe you’re right dude, I’m just teasing.
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 27, 2010 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Thank you Jason Kirk
Wow, thank you for the compliment! I am as speechless as I was the time I got Mr Bartkowskis autograph. Didn’t say a word to the man, just stared. My dad thought it was hilarious. You all sure know how to make a guy feel welcome. Cheers right back atcha Ball hawk!
no no no no no no no no
there’s some cities it wouldn’t bother me for the Falcons to move like Vegas or OKC but never, ever ever ever LA. It would be hard to start cheering for another NFL team but I’d have to go somewhat local since I am a Ga boy. The Titans, Jacksonville, and as much as I hate to say it maybe even Carolina so I could actually go to games. I would forever be pissed if they left ATL.
Absolutely not
Why? Because they wouldn’t just leave. They would need to give up on the city of Atlanta, which would piss me off. Like A LOT.
Obviously, I'm coming from a very different perspective here
I have no attachment to the city of Atlanta, except as a host to the Falcons and a home to so many of my loyal readers. I’d follow the Falcons no matter where they went, because they’re the Falcons. That’s my football team.
Sign up for a free account today to join the discussion about all things Atlanta Falcons!
This is what we are all learning
That there are different reasons we follow the team. But at least for now, we are following them now, and that’s all that matters.
Now in Relationships that may be a different story (and for a different site YADA YADA YADA)
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 23, 2010 4:30 AM EDT up reply actions
If the Falcons move to LA
It would be the greatest day ever, since I live in L.A. Catch all the Falcons games on TV! or Live!!! Its gonna be awesome. Maybe go to Beverly Hills and look at Michael Turner buying the whole block, or catching Matty Ice at a In-N-Out (calis best burger joint!) making a burger (cuz he can do anything!)
It would suck so bad for Atlanta if the Falcons would come here, but I really wish they would. Maybe Roddy White will hang out with Mel Gibson…………
by !AtlFalcons-fan! on Jul 23, 2010 5:43 AM EDT reply actions
We should check to see how fervantly the folks in Cleveland followed the Ravens.
Yup, the fans of the Baltimore Colts loved their team in Indy just as much. NOT!!! It’s a question of betrayal.
If the Falcons left Atlanta, I would pack up my jerseys and hats and mail them to their new headquarters, then I’d have my Sundays during the last half of the year back.
That’s the way I see it.
—AOb
How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?
Ooops
and here I thought you were a hardcore Falcon as well… I am very disappointed. in anyone who would dump them actually. I couldnt do it. I have invested too much of my life and my wallet in them.
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Jul 23, 2010 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, I am a hardcore ATLANTA Falcons fan.
At least I think so. It’s hard to judge when I’m standing this close to me. I’ve been blindly loyal from the days of Van Brocklin.
We are, however, talking about a billionaire who decides to pull the team out of my hometown because he’s going to make more-and-better millions by dumping me. I would choose to not reward that behavior.
ANYWAY, it doesn’t matter, because Blank’s home and Foundation are here, and the team isn’t going anywhere but to the Superbowl!! HOO-ah!!!
How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?
I'm not a fan of the city
I’m a fan of the team
Drop them like a bad cold.
I am a Alanta Falcons Fan.. That means they are located in the state I was born.If they left after all this time to move to L.A. That means Blank never cared about the city or state of GA.. So why should I continue to support someone that turned his back on my people..I would probably just give up on football..L.A. would ruin the team..Worst football city in the country ,only city to have 2 teams and lose them both..
no man
do you think baltimore fans root for the colts or houston fans go for the titans no, i’d become a raider fan
over at battle red blog
They really don’t like the Titans for some reason.
Go Figure
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 27, 2010 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions
and about the thrashers
dont care cuz ima devils fan anyways but i hate the calgary flames man
More like the Calgary Old Flames
I belong to NO ONE...and no one belongs to ME.
by brotherbrown on Jul 27, 2010 8:58 AM EDT up reply actions
if...
If the Falcs moved to LA I would finally be able to go to a game! As of now I have never been to one but I am thinking about getting a set of tickets for me and my 2 kids (single dad/full custody yay!!) as well as airline tickets for after I get back from Iraq (should be leaving this week for a year there) to watch them in the Dome!
And just a little side note to this, the Rams still have a ton of old corps fans out here.
Does LA
Still get a heavy load of Rams/Raiders games (even when they play outside of the division) in their home market?
My life is multiplied and then divided by zero.
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