The Falcoholic is 11 years old today

Just a little housekeeping item this morning: We are 11 years old today, and still are not old enough to drive. Alas, we’ll get there.

On October 20th, 2006, I welcomed the small handful of readers I’d have in the first year of The Falcoholic aboard. A few days later, I’d cover my first Falcons game, a 41-38 overtime triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers that featured Michael Vick having one of his better games of the season, a Morten Andersen overtime field goal to win the thing, and not a whole lot of defense. It was a weird, wild game, and considering how weird and wild things have been since, a fitting start to The Falcoholic era.

In the intervening years we’ve all changed a lot, but going from Jim Mora Jr. to Bobby Petrino to Mike Smith to Dan Quinn has felt like forward progress of a kind, and I still marvel sometimes at how much talent this Atlanta team has at the moment. I’m hopeful that sometime before The Falcoholic’s 20th birthday (or even 15th, please Football Gods), we’ll see the championship we’ve all been waiting for. Regardless of what happens, I know I’ll have our readers to make us laugh, challenge us to improve, and to argue with over whether Player X is a bust or not.

I know I don’t say it enough, but I am genuinely appreciative of everyone who reads and comments here, especially those of you who have stuck around for years even as the Falcons have found new and exciting ways to ultimately disappoint us. Thank you, one and all, and happy 11th to this little website.