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"Pudge Wrote"

I don't think I SAID THAT!! 2 points against anyone is horrible and I put a lot on our Qb as I have all of our playoff losses. I don't Blame Ryan
but he hasn't helped us in the playoffs IMO. Re read what I wrote, I said " a lot of times when you go to the playoffs" and I should have said and when you lose; your team is not that great and you can have a lot of things go wrong or right during the next season. I didn't mean during a game. I mean you can have breaks but I believe usually the best team wins during a game.

I'm like talking about this season; a lot of people could step up; but maybe they don't. That's what my original post is all about. We have younger draft picks including Matt Ryan that I think needed a change in the offense and defense!! I just think the new Coordinators should play a bigger part than you do; and its why I think the off season was not wasted.

I don't believe it could be a lot better or it could be a lot worse? I try to look at it as the way it is; and the truth is it could be a lot better;
and that's why I have high hopes for Matt Ryan to get better this year. I don't listen to what the organization says because I know they don't know!! I guess the difference is you sense we maybe peaked two years ago; and I think that Koetter's new offense and Nolan's defense will take us to the next level. I can promise you I HATE getting blown out of our last playoff games; but today I'm glad it happened; because now I believe we get better or Coaches get fired; and sometimes that's not bad; as long as your next pick is not a chump!!

I'd like to address this..I think Cyril is on to something....

All politics is local....For those that dont live here, allow me to elucidate.

We have a real problem with traffic here...I know, traffic is bad everywhere, but up on the upper perimeter our highway system is very bad.

The city and it's population have outgrown it's infrastructure. That is a sad fact. (full disclosure: I live downtown and I own rental properties here, and as long as this sh*tty system is in place, people who hate the commute might consider renting or buying from me, so Im not exactly 'unbiased';-)

Now recently we were bombarded with an 8 million dollar PR campaign to 'Untie Atlanta'. This was going to be done with a 'special local tax' or as it was known TSPLOST. The Republican Gov ,the Democratic Mayor held hands and sang 'Kumbayah'..Cox Communications ( AJC,WSB,etc..) was summarily 'bought off' and guys with vested interests ( Clark Howard, the Traffic reporter, etc..) told everyone how great this was going to be.

Commercials aired in primetime. Robocalling. The works. 8 Million dollars, full court press.

It lost, and it lost 'big time'. People like Vincent Fort ( d- a fire breathing occupier) and Chip Rogers ( r- ) read the proposed 'list' of pork barrel 'projects' and came together. The Tea Party douchbeags and the Sierra Club hippies joined forces. The TSPLOST went down in FLAMES.

Now, you guys may not consider this a 'big deal', but I gay-ron-tee one guy who IS paying attention is one Arthur Blank. The populace pretty much told the politicians 'nope. no more $$ for you. '

Now if the housing market is still in the sh*tter, and unemployment does not improve in a hurry, Blank is going to go before the same populace that just kicked a$$ and say 'hey, I know MARTA is underfunded, but I really need this hotel tax $$ to build a completely unneccesary stadium'. I dont think that is going to play out well for him.

Now suppose Cyril is right, and these 'new coordinators' take what we got and reach that 'next level'..We actually win a playoff game. That makes this bitter pill a little easier to swallow. 'Were building a new stadium for the playoff winning Atlanter Falcons'.

But suppose we take a step back. Even in the case of injury to Ryan, I dont think this local population is going to feel very good about giving that 300-400 million for a billionaires 'new toy'. When an 8 million dollar full court press campign was crushed by the internet, social media and meddling politicians and political groups: the handwriting is on the wall. This aint the 'old Atlanta' where some well placed $$ in the collection plate and the lobbyists could get it done. You now have a population with access to immediate information. Now, you have to go before them and 'splain exactly what you need that $$ for.

Why does this matter? Because Kasim Reed made a grievous mistake supporting this, and he may pay the price for it. Hell, I wouldn't be suprised to see the Governor 'primaried'. In fact, there have already been repercussions around town with politicians who jumped on the TSPLOST train.

The person who needs to be worried the most is Smitty. Because in light of recent developments, and the current attitude towards not only the local Pols but the 'evil evil rich' if we take a step back, Arthur only has 3 choices:

do nothing and ride it out, fire Smith and tell the crowds 'your doing something about it', or scrap the stadium idea.

I see the second option as the most likely to happen.

Now, maybe I'm completely wrong and reading the leaves incorrectly: but I doubt it. All politics is local, and given the devil his due, if this team stumbles this year it's bye bye Smith. And, quite possibly TD as well.

your milage may vary

You are right when you say you are completely wrong.

Describe stumbles? I'm assuming you mean this team needs a playoff win or Smitty is gone. That will not happen. Not this year anyway. This team and this coach needs to learn to win, especially in the playoffs. That comes with experience. Three playoff games, two of which were blow outs, might qualify as enough "experience" for you, but it doesn't for me. This team over achieved in the regular season(s). With that, some of the fan base got spoiled.

This team plays hard for Smitty and have bought what he sells. Until that changes, he will be coaching here in Atlanta.

well, I think I've said this before, but for me 'stumbling' would be either one of two scenarios: missing the playoffs, or appearing in the playoffs and not being 'competitive'.

http://www.peachpundit.com/2012/08/01/t ... -georgias/

Polling by the groups promoting the issue demonstrated that “trust” was a major issue with voters being asked to give a state government even more of their income. As evidence of the public’s understanding of the trust issue, 87% of Republicans and 72% of Democrats favor capping the amount of gratuities that government officials take from lobbyists.

"Those supporters whose numbers are great at the capitol but short at the ballot box want things. Arthur Blank, who headlined a fundraiser to raise the funds for the TSPLOST PR campaign, is still awaiting nearly a half billion dollars for a new stadium. Atlanta’s Mayor spent last week telling radio stations that MARTA’s expansion was critical for our convention industry. Will he now insist that we proceed to build a duplicative stadium when federal matching funds combined with hotel tax monies earmarked for a stadium could build the beltline? It would seem a more responsible use of a tax on hotels to help hotels."

http://clatl.com/atlanta/t-splost-faile ... id=6060933

"And we can tell Arthur Blank that, we're sorry, but considering this T-SPLOST loss, that $300 million we were gonna give you to help build a new football stadium in downtown Atlanta is suddenly needed for a different project — investing in the city's long-term vibrancy and vitality."

http://themonticellonews.com/tsplost-is ... 8987-1.htm


"Ms. Dooley said that toll roads are an excellent solution. And, she said, DOT is not free of cronyism. She said, “until our elected officials learn to spend our tax dollars wisely, they should not be given another dime.” She said, “we can’t trust elected officials.” She talked about the money in the state budget for a new stadium for the Falcons.
She said Arthur Blank can build the stadium; taxpayers should not."

http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider- ... lost/?cp=3

"Reed tipped his cap at the opposition.

“I’ve been in this business a long time,” he said. “I respect elections, and I respect results….I congratulate the folks who prevailed. I respect them.”

Reed said another traffic-oriented referendum “has to happen in the future,” calling that approach “the only method to try to fund the traffic improvements you need.”

“(But) I don’t know if it will be tried by me and my colleagues,” he said.

Reed said he believed the campaign failed for deeper reasons than a project list that drew many critics.
“We lost the ‘confidence in government’ argument,” he said. “And the argument around whether our projects are transformational.”

Reed said he felt the need to jump into the campaign in a dramatic way two weeks ago after internal polls showed support slipping. After the business community helped raise $8 million for the pro-tax campaign, backing away “would have sent a terrible national message” about the seriousness of Atlanta’s leadership, he said.
“People took real risks in the process,” Reed said, citing Gov. Nathan Deal and others."

Like I said, maybe Im wrong but everything I'm seeing and reading about TSPLOST is that it hurt Blank, the Spirit Group and Liberty Media ( the owners of the Falcons Hawks and Braves, who lent thier support to a tax the public shot down).

Even a blind squirrel and all, but I bet Im right. And I believe if this team 'stumbles' Arthur Blank will have his hand forced. It may not be 'right' or 'wrong' but it is what it is.

The only way this team doesn't make the playoffs is a major injury to Ryan. If that is the case, everyone gets a one year reprieve.
If the Falcons make the playoffs and get blown out again, I still can't see them firing Smitty unless the team totally tunes him out. Which I don't think will happen.

The new stadium doesn't play into it. A new coach with a new scheme means new players and a roster overall....all of which takes time. Blank wants his stadium now, and he's striking while the iron is hot. The Falcons are winning.

That is a pretty bold statement AJ51. I am inclined to disagree. The Arthur Blank I saw in that presser in January left no quarter for anything less then a playoff win. I agree the fan base is 'spoiled' but we are that way because we have been told over and over again that 'good is the enemy of great' and that a playoff win is the bar to overcome.

I know you will prbably disagree, but from my perspective, Arthur Blank is very aware of his 'image' as the owner of this franchise and would have to be a complete idiot not to see the very plain public sentiment concerning using public funds for his stadium..I dont hate Arthur, in fact who can really blame him? I mean if the mayor offered to give me 300 million, I wouldn't say 'no'.

But, I also know that Blank is kinda FOS. Why bother with that last press conference? If what you sa is true: why did he drag out Smitty and TD in front of the news media and promise a playoff win?
Here is what he said:""I would say in 2011 we took a step back instead of forward," Blank said. "That doesn't mean we haven't taken a lot of steps forward in the last four years. We have, but that being said, we're not where we need to be.
"We have not performed well during the postseason. We have not been competitive at that time. I know there's a tremendous amount of disappointment with our fans, our sponsors and everybody connected with the organization."
Dimitroff said more is needed than "a minor tweak here or there." But he said he doesn't want to start over.
"There's a foundation here in place," Dimitroff said. "I'm not suggesting at all we are going to blow anything up."
Dimitroff said he is "scrutinizing the entire team" and must make some difficult decisions on free agents. He suggested some popular players may not be back in 2012.
We will analyze our roster," Dimitroff said before adding "There are no sacred cows."
Blank quickly added: "There may be some sacrificial cows, but no sacred cows."


What Im saying is even if we get into a playoff game and dont even make a go of it, Smitty can kiss his job goodbye. Hopefully this wont play out, but if it does, I will be there to remind you about it

I can only assume that Blank was speaking in the heat of the moment....very much like all of us fans do. His reaction is the same reaction 90% of the other team owners would have had in our situation, I'd imagine.

And for the record, I do agree with you. Blank is very aware of his image. Who wouldn't be in his position? No one likes an arrogant prick. That being said, I do think Blank wants to win, and win soon. He's no Spring chicken and has invested a lot into this team. I'm sure he'd like to go up to that Home Depot in the sky with at least one Lombardi on him.....

I think both of you are right on some of these issues. Blank's presser was mostly political, but remember it was done in the middle of January. Between then and March, "cooler heads prevailed" namely Thomas Dimitroff re-asserted his control of the football side of things and basically decided that nothing really needed to be done.

I don't think not winning a playoff game this year will get Mike Smith fired. But I do think by the end of 2013, if the Falcons haven't won at least one, he'll be fired. I think not winning a playoff game this year, will get him in a situation similar to past coaches like Wade Phillips in Dallas, Brad Childress in Minnesota, or Tom Coughlin in New York, where there is going to be a lot of press/media scrutiny and a very warm seat throughout the 2013 season where there is going to be the looming potential that Smitty doesn't make it through the season as the head coach.

That's some of the dark cloud I'm talking about. Fun gus is right, the stadium deal plays heavily into it. Blank cannot sell a stadium to the city unless he has wins in January to back it up. And while Mike Smith has done huge things to gain a ton of good will from this Falcon fan base, all of that could evaporate at the drop of a hat without a playoff win this year. And things will be on life support heading into 2013.


Should play, but will they play? That to me is the big question, and the thing I can't quite reconcile (until the actual games start) is the notion that these coordinators aren't really installing their own schemes. Koetter has been asked to adapt his system to what we currently run. Sure, that makes sense because you don't want to spend 2-3 years having to revamp and install a brand new offense. They're not changing the verbiage of the offense, and Koetter is basically inherited 10 of the 11 starters from last year (with RG being the lone potential change). Mike Nolan has spent the last 7 years coaching the 3-4, but now he's being asked to go back to a 4-3, but just add 3-4 principles which is pretty vague. And once again, he's inheriting 10 of the 12 starters (counting the nickel corner as the 12th man).

Not saying it's going to be the exact same as it was a year ago, but what really has changed? You take the 36 core offensive and defensive players, and other than Kerry Meier replacing Eric Weems, plugging Peter Konz into the lineup up front, replacing Lofton with Dent, Hayden with Samuel, and Sanders with Hope, you have made no changes. 89% of the team (32 out of 36) is the exact same. And I'm supposed to buy that these coordinators are so good that they'll make several of those guys into better players. Some guys should/will improve, but it will be enough to get vastly different results.

As I've said for more than a year now, the Falcons problem is the lack of IMPACT players. And with Julio JOnes as the lone exception, all of the Falcons players that could be impact players pretty much are impact players.

And basically, as I said last summer, this season boils down to how good a player Julio Jones is. And as I've said throughout this off-season, I don't believe that Jones can reach his full potential as long as this offense is being held back by people like Michael Turner, and Mike Smith's desire to be a balanced offense.


I would say that's the only way we have a losing season. But there have been 10-6 teams that have missed the playoffs due to tie-breakers. Given that we play the NFC East this year, which includes 3 teams that many think have a chance of making the playoffs, the tie-breakers could win up killing us.

But for the record, I think if we go 10-6 this year, we'll win up winning the division so it's all moot.

I'll throw this in; we all know injuries or a terrible offensive line can kill an offense. Fans are tired too of the price raises and the scrimmage
I didn't go to tonight that cost me 2 tickets $260 (my choice of course)

I'll just say this; I'm as tired of the B.S. as anyone and I think even 3 losses by 3 points and we have a losing season at 7-9 then I
think Smith is gone; and Thomas D. might get fired for refusing to fire him. I'm getting tired of it all; which makes a person more ready
to shift with the wind!!

Fun Gus is right about the attitude of people here; we don't want to spend anything if its not really justified!! Perhaps with the economic climate that's the attitude of many in a lot of cities.