5 Reasons Falcons fans hate the Saints

Let’s be honest: listing only 5 reasons Falcons fans hate the Saints seems like a gross injustice, but I don’t want to put together a 10,000 word document that still wouldn’t scratch the surface. So, we’re going to settle on just 5 total reasons with the understanding that the list could be so much larger. In honor of hate week, I present to you the following:

Bounty-gate

When the Saints won the Super Bowl* in 2009, Falcons fans everywhere died a little inside. When it came out that the Saints ran a bounty program between the 2009 and 2011 seasons under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, it took some of the sting off. To this date, Saints fans will still tell you that “everyone does it” and that the NFL (and Roger Goodell specifically) is always picking on them as a franchise.

Never mind the fact that the organization was given fair warning to end the program and they chose to ignore those warnings. Also, let’s not overlook the fact that they were looking to intentionally injure opposing players as part of the program.

In an NFL that is trying hard to establish a new “protect the players” image, the bounties administered by the Saints were a huge black mark on the league.

Their imaginary cap

I’m fully convinced that the Saints don’t use the same numbers that everyone else does. Every year we hear about their cap issues, only to find out that Mickey Loomis “did some math” and found a way to free up cap space. We keep hearing that the cap issues will catch up to them, but dark wizard Loomis finds a way to twist and contort the numbers so that the piper never comes.

They also find a way - with absolutely no cap room - to sign free agents the Falcons seem to be interested in. Falcons need a safety and take a look at Jairus Byrd. Saints sign him. Falcons are linked to Brandon Browner. Saints sign him. Falcons are talking to James Laurinaitis. Saints sign him.

Did I just list some of their worst free agent signings on purpose? Oh, you bet I did.

Drew Brees: pyramid scheme pusher

What’s worse than an elusive, accurate QB that seems to have career games against your favorite team? That would be an elusive, accurate QB that seems to have career games against your favorite team that hawks snake oil products in his spare time.

I mean, is the 20+ million per year not enough for you Drew? Does your wife really need that many yoga pants? C’mon man.

Fans forget their history

Modern Saints fans love to brag about their ring* and how amazing their franchise is, but they conveniently forget just how bad they’ve been. I mean, as bad as the Falcons have been in the past, the Saints were even worse. This is a franchise whose fans used to wear paper bags over their heads in their own stadium.

Yet, many “fans” of the team pretend that part of their history doesn’t exist. In many cases, these fans don’t even know about that history, having only recently become fans of the team because of their recent success.

In fact, if you can’t tell me the one franchise the Saints and Falcons BOTH hated more, then I truly question how much of a fan of the team you truly are.

Just because

We can list reasons until we’re blue in the face, but part of the hatred is there “just because.” Sure, I can come up with reasons until the cows come home, but this is one of those rivalries where reasons aren’t really needed.

What are some of the reasons you hate the Saints?