A friend asked me yesterday whether, in light of the Falcons' 24-20 loss to Denver and the Hawks losing three straight games, I was feeling foolish for the "Change We Can Believe In" story running in this weekend's paper (and displayed on the cover), or for my "Enjoy the Ride" blog entry from last week.
Um ... seriously?
The answer is no. Actually, the answer is, "of course not."
Both addressed the newfound sense of pride, confidence and hope felt by fans of the Atlanta Falcons and (in the case of the blog post) the Atlanta Hawks. True, they were written before the Falcons game on Sunday or the Hawks' second and third losses of the season. The teams were 6-3 and 6-1, respectively; they're now 6-4 and 6-3. When the story was assigned, I knew there was a distinct chance that the weekend's events could take a little of the shine off of both teams' accomplishments; that's one reason we didn't make it the main cover story.
But the events of this weekend don't diminish the "Change" story's snapshot, taken last week, of a city allowing itself to feel good about two long-underwhelming teams. With a new general manager, a new, untested head coach and a brand-new rookie quarterback, the Falcons have done better so far this year than many people expected. Even if they don't win another game this season (which seems unlikely), or even if they squeak out a mere 8-8 record, they've shown their fans and the world plenty to be impressed with, and every reason to believe that this early success has been no fluke. And while it's still way too early in the NBA season to make any definitive statements, the Hawks have likewise given fans and their rivals reason to sit up and take notice.
Could either team, or both, blow it big-time? Of course. But right now, today, there is plenty of reason to feel good about where things stand.
Are we so cynical, so jaded, so conditioned to expect failure that one loss (or two or three) automatically makes us feel foolish for feeling proud of what's been accomplished so far?
I hope not. Because then we've already lost.