It's that time of year when the wind blows sharp and the trees are molting and the TV is loaded down with holiday commercial after holiday commercial. This can mean only one thing: the CHOA Falcons Signature Ornaments are on sale again.

I've been a participant of this very worthwhile program since 2008. You get a snazzy metal ornament displaying the Falcons logo, a holiday symbol, the year, and a Falcons player's signature (on the back). CHOA gets a donation to help continue their efforts to bring good health to children everywhere. I'd say that's a fair trade.

The ornaments are $12.00 each. All proceeds benefit Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Buy one (or else!)

Hey Falcoholic Faithful -

Dave is out this week so I'm going to take a swing at uploading all by myself (go me!). Below is my preview of Falcons vs. Lions. If we can contain Stafford and Megatron and capitalize on Michael Turner, we'll win this one.

As a side note, I was unable to film at the Georgia Dome this week, so enjoy the view of my living room. Dave thinks I should get a moving background, like a volcano, or perhaps space. I'll work on it.

SBN ATL is up and running, right on schedule.

If you're a fan of Atlanta (or Athens) teams besides just the Falcons, think of it as your new sports home page. All four Atlanta pro teams, plus Georgia Tech and Georgia, all on one site. Team blogs like The Falcoholic are only going to get bigger and better, due to synergy. If you need me to explain synergy, simply view the following image:

Pretend Jack just said the word "synergy." Now you understand.

Here's how the site specifically relates to The Falcoholic:

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Twitter: @FalcoholicPC
Facebook: Here
Email: FalcoholicPodcast AT gmail DOT com

We're looking for fan/reader guests, so if you want your voice to be (literally) heard, send us an email! We've already got some killer guests lined up. Stay tuned for more info!

PS: The first episode launches in July!

We've linked to him. He's linked to us. We've read his stuff for three years now. Now, he's leaving the nest and striking on his own. The managing editor of the official Atlanta Falcons website, J. Michael Moore, is leaving the Atlanta Falcons organization. I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing him the best in his new endeavor. Sure is sad to see him go though.

When I learned of his departure last week, I asked him if he'd mind doing a sort of "exit interview" with me for the site and he kindly obliged.

Adam: You've certainly seen a lot the past three seasons, from the worst imaginable situation (2007) to a meteoric rise from the ashes (2008) and a historical earmark in the pages of Falcons lore (2009). What are some of your favorite "wow" moments from your time covering the Falcons?

JMike: That's a great question and I'm not sure any answer is the right one. I could type all night and not list all the great moments. For starters, Matt Ryan's pass to Michael Jenkins to set up Jason Elam's last-second field goal against the Bears in 2008 was amazing. I'll always look back at that moment fondly for two reasons: it's the time we all realized Ryan has "it" and it's the second-best ending to a game I've ever seen in person (next to the Music City Miracle).

On a less uplifting note, the Bobby Petrino resignation really made me say "wow." It was a surreal experience, but the way the team rallied together around Interim Head Coach Emmitt Thomas - players and staff -- and got through that last trying time of 2007 was really something special. It's a big part of Falcons history I helped document so it will always be in my memory. Let's also not forget that the turmoil of 2007 is what made 2008 and 2009 so very special.

Finally, taking the photo of fans in Tampa after the win to clinch back-to-back winning seasons was pretty cool. It's one of my favorite blog posts and to say ‘hello' to everyone who supported the team and read the blog for so long was a touching experience.

Follow the jump for the rest.

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Remember when all those kooky Falcons fans decided to help pay Mike Smith's fine for the "sideline brawl" that occurred during the Redskins Dome game? Well, the effort raised a hefty $3503.63 and inspired ring leader Hal Moore to start the Falcon Nation Charity Organization.

Here's the info on the new endeavor:

The Falcon Nation is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to organize charity and fundraising events to support Falcons related charities. We will be organizing the fan base to work directly with players, coaches, cheerleaders, officials, and the Blank Foundation to raise support and funds for their charities. There will be opportunities throughout the year to show your support for our team and have the opportunity to work alongside folks from the Falcons organization.

 

From what we are told, there is not another organization like this in pro sports in America. Everyone from the Falcons and the Blank Foundation are extremely excited about what we as fans will be able to do, and they are doing all they can to help this organization get off the ground.

You've all heard about the Falcons' charitable endeavors. Now we as fans are going to be making a difference, too.

This Saturday at 7:00pm during Falcons Face to Face on 11Alive news, Falcon Nation will be presenting the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation with the donations from the Smith Charity drive. If you're not in Atlanta, video of the event will be available on the charity's official website shortly afterword.

Ever sat there in your licensed Falcons easy chair, wearing your throwback Jamal Anderson jersey, pondering just how well the 1998 Falcons could do against an opponent on this year's schedule? Have you, like I'm sure reader orang3b has, sat there with your voluminous notes and play charts and stat sheets, dreaming of a chance to actually use the numbers you so lovingly analyze? Well, dream and ponder no longer. What If Sports has partnered with your favorite Falcons blog to bring you some awesome features.

What If Sports is, at its heart, a fully-functional fantasy simulator. You can build a "dream team" in any sport, drafting the players you choose from any year on any team or you can simply take, say the '76 Steelers, and pit them against the '07 Patriots. Or, if you're feeling particularly mean spirited, you can pit the '07 Patriots against the '07 Lions 10,001 times. If What If Sports can get away with simulating the Browns-Ravens MNF matchup 10,001 times, I'm sure you won't have any conflicts of conscience.

With all of this simulation, you're probably wondering where the "playing with the numbers" part comes in. You fantasy football nuts should zoom in right here -> What If Sports lets you build a fantasy sports team with your favorite players from any era, any team, any style of play and then puts your personal all-time pro bowl team in a league to play against up to 24 other stat mavens' perfect teams. The gurus at What If call this feature SimLeague.

Now, onto business. I plan to introduce a few new features on the site utilizing What If Sports' snazzy technology. First and foremost, I'll either be taking some classic teams of Falcons lore and pitting them against modern day foes, or taking our new look Falcons to battle against older foes that deserve a spanking or, in some cases, a re-spanking.

Also, What If was nice enough to provide us with a free 24 slot Falcoholic SimLeague. Yes, we now officially have a fantasy fantasy football league. Dave and I take up two slots, so that invariably means that 22 of you will be the lucky winners of some hot, free SimLeague action. You're welcome in advance. I'll run the raffle soon.

To kick off this day of forces joining, I decided to pit our 2008 surprise playoff team against our 2004 surprise playoff team. Both teams went 11-5, both went into the playoffs. Of course, the '04 Falcons made it all the way to the NFC Championship while our newer Falcons lost in the Wild Card. Apparently, that doesn't matter. Ryan and company completely demolished 'em 48 to 21. What a difference four years makes, eh? Check out the full boxscore