Some fans choose their team, and some fans are chosen by their team. Which was it for you? Today, we want to hear your story: How you became a fan of the Atlanta Falcons.
I moved to Georgia in Summer 2005, during the Michael Vick era. I wasn’t much of an NFL fan during the time I lived in Ohio — I was a huge Buckeyes fan, but as far as professional sports, we were more of a Major League Baseball family. (I was a Braves fan even as a kid growing up in Ohio; shoutout to TBS.) I rooted for the Bengals in their Super Bowls, but beyond that, I wasn’t too jazzed about Cincinnati or the Browns. Shocking, I’m sure.
We won tickets to see the Falcons play the Minnesota Vikings in the Georgia Dome during the 2005 season — my very first NFL game. Michael Vick was electric. He got a little banged up in that one — again, shocking, I’m sure — so I also saw Matt Schaub play as Vick’s backup. The Falcons won 30-10, and I was obsessed. The rest is history.
When did you first become a Falcons fan? Were you born into it? Was there a specific game or season that pulled you in? What’s the earliest moment you remember as a fan?