You're all aware of the Falcons' official online store, proudly titled Falcons365. I'm sure the name was chosen to represent the fact that fans could get Falcons gear from the store year round, not just during the season. To me though, "Falcons365" is more than what we fans see plastered on the sides of merchandise trailers and web banners. Falcons 365 is a passionate way of life that I have come to adhere to.
The evidence of my passion stands before you. My wanton dedication to all things Falcons landed me this role with The Falcoholic. My fandom has colored my life ever since donning my first Falcons hat in 1997. I live and breathe Falcons football. Just ask my friends and relatives how annoying I am when we start talking football. While they want to boast and brag and relive every last shining moment they've endured fanning the Alabama Crimson Tide, all I want to do is relive the Falcons' 2008 season. Unfortunately for me, majority rules and the Falcons talk is few and far between.
Don't get me wrong. I was born and raised an Alabama fan and I will always have a special place in my football loving heart for my Crimson Tide. They are not, however, my first football priority. Consider, for a moment, how rare that is. Here I am, in the SEC-driven south, a lifetime fan of the most storied and successful team in the SEC, coming off a huge National Championship win with a perfect season, and all I can think about is how my Falcons are going to do come September. I guess the opposite would be a Patriots fan going "Oh, another Super Bowl; how about that Boston College?"
Forgive the SEC faithful when they lambast pro ball. "They get paid too much." Yeah, tell that to Reggie Bush, Vince Young, et al when it comes to the special perks NFL-bound college athletes get. "There's no real offseason magic like recruiting." Ever heard of the draft and the lead up to it? Oh, and don't forget that training camp in the NFL is much more open and much more eventful than the closed, selective offseason practices most college teams hold. "I don't really have a reason to root for a team because we don't have one in our state." Yeah? Really? I'm an Alabama fan that graduated from Auburn University. I've only been to Tuscaloosa a few times. I've never seen an Alabama game in person...and yet I still root hard for them and against Auburn at every turn. Hard to swallow, right? It's not that hard of a transition from college to pro ball. In some cases, with the sheer volume of teams in the NCAA versus the 32 fielded in the NFL (as well as their less-varied offensive/defensive styles), it's quite easy.
That is, ultimately, my goal as a blogger and Falcons fan. I want my "Falcons 365" mentality to rub off on the masses. I want all you UGA, GT, AL, AU, and every other SEC/ACC fan in this great state and country to end up just like me. Pro football in the South is, when compared to college football, a joke. I don't like it and I want it to change. Pro football IS relevant in the south. Last year, New Orleans proved that. This year, our Falcons will further vindicate it. The era of laughing-stock southern NFL teams is gone. Let's get supportive. Live Falcons 365 with me.
