Seven Years of Being a Falcons Fan Pays Off

Hannah Willmore, Views Editor

Some people watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. Others watch it for the halftime show. But this year more than ever, I am watching it for the game.

In sixth grade, I decided I wanted to play fantasy football with my dad. It was something the boys in my grade were involved in, and I wanted to play too. Doing an auto draft team, I ended up with three Atlanta Falcons players, including current quarterback Matt Ryan.

Those players helped clinch my victory in a public league—probably full of middle-aged men based on their team names and pictures—and therefore won me over as a Falcons fan.

Now with Super Bowl LI sporting a faceoff between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots, Atlanta could win their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

The Patriots have been in eight Super Bowls and won four of them, now taking the top spot for the most appearances with Super Bowl LI. Two of those wins happened within the past 12 years.

But this year, Atlanta holds the better stats. According to nfl.com, Ryan had almost 1,500 more yards and 10 more touchdowns this season than Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The Falcons also top the Patriots in offensive and defensive yards.

As a family who constantly roots against the Patriots because of cheating allegations in Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams, we will all root for the Falcons, but I will be cheering a little more than the others.

Ryan got me through my first year in fantasy football and I have picked him as my quarterback ever since. He caused me to enjoy the game even more and become a dedicated fan of the sport.

The team has had plenty of successful and awful seasons since I’ve become a fan, but they are the underdogs of this game deserving of a title.

This Sunday, I will be glued to my TV in my Falcons jersey cheering on a team that has held a special place in my life for the past seven years.