Fans of the Atlanta Falcons have had many, many chances to walk away from this team and choose another team to love. But, as a loyal Falcons fan would tell you, that's not going to happen to the die-hards.
Atlanta would go 42 years without putting together consecutive winning seasons. The team has only had two appearances in the Super Bowl. The first was a blowout loss to the Denver Broncos and John Elway, and the second was the infamous 28-3 loss to Tom Brady....never mind that.
Atlanta Falcons fans cheer during a game against the New York Giants. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Atlanta Falcons fans cheer during a game against the New York Giants. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Atlanta has also been notorious for not keeping their foot on the gas and giving up second-half leads time and time again. Through it all, fans have remained loyal and continue to come back in droves to support the Falcons on game day.
It's for this loyalty and self-depreciating nature that ESPN's Mina Kimes labeled the Atlanta Falcons fans as the best in the NFL. "The Atlanta Falcons are the best fan base in the entire NFL," said Kimes. "They've been through the most. Nobody has been through 28-3, sorry. They by far have the weirdest team. They endure all of this constant, ongoing humiliation with equanimity, poise, resilience."
Kimes would also say, "Falcons fans are self-aware when it comes to the shortcomings of their team through the years. They've turned their mascot into a verb. It's not uncommon when things inevitably go wrong for the team to hear a fan refer to it as "falconing."
For now, Falcons fans find themselves with a team that has endured seven straight losing seasons, but rest assured, the team has a clear goal in mind: building a contender. During this process, loyal fans will be in the seats cheering them on during the transition to the top of the NFC South.