Falcons fan spotlight: Get to know Bruce Luong

Greetings, Falcoholics, it is I, Evan Birchfield. Today I’d like to introduce you to a segment that will take place weekly during the NFL season, known as “Fan Spotlight.” Reading the excellent opinions and thoughts of the Falcoholic staff is fun, but let’s hear from you, the fans!

This week’s Fan Spotlight is on a good friend of mine, Bruce Luong. Bruce became an Atlanta Falcons fan in 1999, the year the Falcons made their first ever Super Bowl, following the 1998 NFL season. He remembers seeing Dan Reeves on the stage doing the infamous ‘Dirty Bird’ celebration following the Falcons victory in the NFC Championship.

“I thought to myself, this team is fun!” Bruce said. Since then, he’s kept up with the Falcons from Jamal Anderson, to Michael Vick, to now Matt Ryan.

Who is your favorite Atlanta Falcons player of all-time?

My favorite player would have to be Roddy White. For the most part, he was consistently healthy, and did not miss many games. Roddy was the cushion for Matt Ryan to close out games. No one could tell me they weren’t excited for Roddy after he just made a big play. I was always happy to see Roddy play week in and week out. I loved not only how he was on the field, but also his interviews off the field. You knew it was hate week [playing the New Orleans Saints] because Roddy let you know it. Over time I’ll probably say Julio Jones, but I’ll wait until he retires. Julio will be one of the greatest to ever play the game, but let’s wait just a little longer.

What’s your outlook on the rest of the 2018 season?

With this being the last quarter of the season, I would still focus on one game at a time. We still have a quarter left of games to play and I don’t feel we should give up. Some fans have been upset and want us to tank the rest of the season but that would mean we’ve given up on this team. Most of these games except the Steelers, Browns, Saints, and Ravens were still winnable games. The rookies still need development and the experience of playing 16 games. The veterans need to set an example for them by not quitting and doing their job. If they can do that then they can get back to winning.

In regards to the offseason, I’m sure everyone feels the same about the evaluation of everyone from coaching staff to the players. We need to look into free agency and see who we can acquire to immediately impact our team. Both offensive and defensive lines need help. We need to figure out what players need to be cut to free up some cap room. Finally, the window with Ryan and Julio isn’t going to last long unless we make changes now.

I greatly appreciate my friend Bruce being a part of the inaugural ‘Fan Spotlight’ article. Make sure to give him a follow on Twitter @ATL_Bruce_Luong. If you want to be the next ‘Fan Spotlight’ or know of someone who deserves to be, let me know on Twitter where you can find me at @EvanBirchfield. Thanks for reading!