Despite loss, Falcons played well
Notwithstanding the decision of those like Mark Bradley (who seem to relish every chance to stew in negativity about Atlanta sports), the 2016 Atlanta Falcons team has given us much to be hopeful about. If anyone at the beginning of this past football season proclaimed that anything short of a Falcons Super Bowl victory would make for a great disappointment, he would surely be thought of as having overly high expectations. However, Dan Quinn’s very young team came within a hair of living up to even that lofty standard while playing against one of the NFL’s all-time great dynasties. Let’s also remember that, of the coaches hired two years ago, no one has even come close to realizing the kind of success Quinn has already reached. Us longtime Atlanta sports fans do not need constant reminding of past heartbreaks but can instead choose to look to the bright times ahead.
SANJAY LAL, STOCKBRIDGE
Professional sports is still a business
For those heartbroken about the Falcons loss: They were the underdog and had three less wins than the Patriots.
If that doesn’t help, remember that professional sports is a business.
Growing up in Cleveland, I was a huge Browns fan. The closest real college team (Ohio State) was a 2.5-hour drive away. Clevelanders loved the Browns. They never won the Super Bowl, but they were competitive. Then, one day in the late ’90s, the owner picked up and moved the team to Baltimore. Fans were in tears. A few years later, the team won the Super Bowl for Baltimore. Teams are now leaving San Diego and Oakland.
The Braves sucked money out of Cobb County because it was in the business’s best interest. Cobb will get nothing should the Braves sell out and move.
While the Falcons wanted to win, at the end of the day, the owners, staff and players will return to lifestyles that blow away that of the average fan. I gave up watching pro football when the Browns left Cleveland, and have been content watching college and high school sports ever since.
ALLEN BUCKLEY, ATLANTA
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