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Atlanta Needs a Super Bowl

It is Time for the Falcons to "Rise Up" to NFL Royalty

Jan 16, 2017

Deja vu is something else. After defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round of the 2017 NFL playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons are set to host the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game.

In 2010, Green Bay came to Atlanta in the post season and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers lit up the Falcons for 366 yards along with three touchdown passes. In what was supposed to be the Falcon's coronation moment, they were blown out at home 48-21. This heartbreak killed the momentum the franchise had built, and it also ruined the confidence of Falcons fans.

Two years later, the Falcons found themselves in a similar position. They had dominated the regular season in 2012, and had advanced to the NFC Championship game. In a battle at home against the San Francisco 49ers, the Falcons jumped out to a 17 point lead and seemed bound for the Super Bowl. However, miscues by Atlanta and the brilliance of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick resulted in San Francisco winning 28-24. This loss was arguably more devastating than any other loss in franchise history. Blowing such a huge lead and then being only 10-yards away from making a comeback victory at the end is a gut punch to any fanbase. It is an even worse feeling however for us Atlanta sports fans that have not witnessed a professional sports championship since 1995.

As an Atlanta sports fan, and specifically a Falcons fan I have endured all the jokes about my team's lack of success. Every time something good happens, national media members and other sports fans dismiss our teams as if they are nothing. Major sports networks such as ESPN don't even consider us as viable contenders despite evidence to the contrary. It has been a long and frustrating journey being a fan of Atlanta sports, and that is why this upcoming NFC Championship game is so important.

Atlanta needs a championship badly. Winning against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and then a Super Bowl victory over either the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers would erase all the pain i've felt as a fan my entire life. Those three other franchises are the classic teams that always seem to win and that have some of the largest fan bases. The Packers are also the team that tore my heart out in 2010, so a victory against them would be amazing. The Falcons are the underdog in this group that no one seems to even give consideration to. What better way to vindicate our city than to win it all this season.

We have to go one week at a time, and there is no way one can overlook Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. However, I have seen the effort and the heart that the should-be-MVP Matt Ryan has displayed along with his teammates. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and the team's owner Arthur Blank have built a culture that preaches brotherhood both on and off the field. This team isn't waiting for tomorrow, instead it wants to seize the day.

In the past I have been hopeful about this team and then been let down. This year, I have a different feeling. Whether I am right or wrong, we shall see, but I have seen a difference in this Falcon's team. In this previous game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Falcons played with an attitude and with passion that I had not seen before. They know what this city needs, and they will continue to "Rise Up" to the occasion until a championship is brought to Atlanta.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Or at least try to do.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

2. I will look decent for class.

3. I will go to the gym more.

4. I will go to the library and study more.

5. I will meet new people.

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

2. Disappointed you let it get this bad

3. Distracted: When a 10-Minute Break Becomes an Hour

4. When the Yearning for Sleep Sneaks Up

5. In the words of Lorelai Gilmore "Coffee, Coffee, Coffee"

Oh, so done.

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1. When it's December 1 and you have seven things due, three exams, and haven't slept in three days.

2. So you stress.

3. And cry.

4. Then call your mom to cry some more.

5. After the pep talk, you feel determined to get everything done.

6. But, now you're tired.

7. And really hungry.

8. Suddenly, it's 2 a.m. and you have only written three sentences and your paper is due in the morning.

9. You've made it to Friday... somehow.

10. Then Sunday hits and you find yourself back at the Lib.

11. So you cry some more.

12. But, you fight through the tears to get everything done because you're determined.

13. In the end, you feel on top of the world because you made it through the last week of class alive.

14. But, now it's finals week so good luck.

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

What does the world outside the library look like?

Can I read this entire book tonight?

I should have gone to class more often.

Did the professor even teach this?

What is the lowest grade I can get on this exam and still pass the class?

Should I just drop out of school now?

Finals are ruining Christmas.

Just wrote three sentences so time for a break.

Need. More. Coffee.

What is sleep?

I'm too stupid for college.

Brain hurts.

Time for a Facebook Break.

I think I'm dying.

When will I ever need this information in the real world?

I can't read any of my notes.

I need my mom.

When was the last time I showered?

I need study snacks.

The struggle is so real right now.

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1. I'm so tired. I need a nap. Maybe I can sleep with my eyes open in class? Or pretend I'm not napping?

2. We have a test today? Why didn't anyone tell me? Did I know this?!

3. Can I quit school yet? It's only October, and I need a vacation.

4. The struggle is so real.

5. I'm so broke. SOS.

6. Stressed? Eat everything you own in your pantry and stuff your face with all your feelings.

7. "Did we have anything due in class today? Homework? Quiz? Test?" "Not that I know of..."

8. I need food. Where is the closest place to get food? I need it stat.

9. This is the longest day of my life. I need a drink, or two, or three.

10. Sleep? What is sleep? What a foreign concept.

11. When someone suggests going and studying in the library, let alone studying in general.

12. When the cafeteria or student center is packed and you can't find a seat anywhere so you literally have to sit in an abandoned corner.

13. When you see someone you used to hook up with. They see you, and approach you; so you have to pretend like everything is normal.

14. When you get your exam and realize you didn't study as much as you should have.

15. When you crush it on an exam or paper that you totally bullshitted.

16. I need a grande, extra strong coffee to get me through today.

17. When the professor announces you have a project due the following week with no instruction on what it's on and how to do it.

18. Is it Friday yet? Where's the weekend when you need it most?

19. It's freezing in here. I feel like I'm sitting in an igloo. I should have brought a jacket or worn long pants.

20. Did I remember my book? Damn, I forgot the book, and of course I need it for that quiz in class.

21. I would pay a million dollars to not go to class today; or actually never again.

22. I need a hoverboard to ride to class. Maybe then I wouldn't be running 15 minutes late to class every day.

23. Oh she/he's cute! I wonder if they're single. Who are they texting? They're BF/GF? I wonder if they think I'm cute. Could they be a potential new bae?

24. Why is there never any parking? I pay thousands of dollars a year for one parking spot to be open.

25. When it feels like you've been in class for an hour and you look at your phone and it has only been five minutes (I'm crying on the inside).

26. When the professor asks if there are any more questions at the end of class and someone raises their hand.

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