Season of Change

By Joe Cooper

Spring is coming. The trees are budding and the grass is greening. Soon, cars, sidewalks, buildings will have that green hue as the annual southern blizzard strikes as the pine trees emit millions of pollen particles. Achooo.

Spring the time of renewal. A season where trees and plants bereft of their foliage and looking as if death had gathered them in its cold clutches shakes of the morbid and comes to renewed life.

Spring is coming to the Falcons as well. A new brain trust is in place. A new coaching staff is here with new schemes coming to the offense and defense. Now it is time to focus on the pieces to the puzzle. The players. I believe that the Falcons will be loading up for bear.

The Falcons have released Ray Buchanan and Sam Rogers and are trying to renegotiate the contracts of Travis Hall and Bob Whitfield.

The Falcons have a few depth problems that need addressing in the off season. Defensive Line, cornerback, backup quarterback are among some of the glaring weaknesses. These should be addressed during this year’s free agency period and draft. I am looking forward to seeing Rich McKay work.

With all the changes the Falcons have made, Spring has definitely come to the Falcons. There is a renewal coming to the team.

As a fan, I can honestly say that this is the most excited I have been about an upcoming season ever. I keep waiting for September to get here but as I look out the window, I see the trees are just now budding, flowers are blooming and the grass is greening. The season is still a ways away. All I see now is that green cloud of pollen coming that indicates spring is here.

March’s Fan-atic's Meeting

We will have a meeting in March and it will be at Corky’s near Gwinnett Place Mall at 7:00 p.m.

No guest speaker is announced at this time but we are working on it.

Directions to Corky’s:

Phone Number: 770-564-8666

From I-85N

• I-85N to Exit 104 (Pleasant Hill Road.

• Take a right and proceed approx. 6/10th of a mile.

• Turn right onto Sweetwater Road.

• Corky’s will be on the right

From I-85S

• I-85S to Exit 104 (Pleasant Hill Road.

• Take a left and proceed approx. 6/10th of a mile.

• Turn right onto Sweetwater Road.

• Corky’s will be on the right

Clarification on New Dues Structure for 2004

Last month, the new due structure was reported; however, some clarification needs to be made.

The new dues structure will be as follow:

$20.00 per membership without any shirts

Additional $5 for each T-shirt ordered.

Additional $29 for each golf shirt ordered.

These dues will take effect with the April renewals.

It’s That Time Again

It’s April and you know what that means? Yes, that’s it. Time to renew your membership in the Falcon Fanatics. Cut out the application on page 6 and send it in with your dues. Deadline for renewal will be April 30th.

Don’t miss out on being a member of one of the best fan clubs in the NFL.

Who Me?

Yes you. The club still needs volunteers for the upcoming season. We still need people to serve on the tailgate committee. This person will be responsible for helping out at the tailgates, ensuring that supplies are sufficient and brought to the game, determining the menu, or coordinating with the volunteer cooks to get the food.

Oooh oooh, another opportunity to volunteer. Those gourmet chefs out there, even if your idea of gourmet is a charred hotdog and a pot of beans, we need you.

So if it is in your heart to help the club out. The club that we all love. Please send an e-mail to falcon_fanatics@yahoo.com and let me know what area you are interested in volunteering.

The club wishes to express its gratitude to the current and past volunteers and to all those who are about to volunteer.

Answers to February's It's Trivial

1- Steve Bartkowski, 1980 - 1981

2 - 1993

3 - Washington Redksins

4 - Decataur Staleys

5 - Greg Garrity

6 - Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen, Rosie Grier, Deacon Jones

Moving/Change of Address or E-mail

If any member has a change of address or e-mail or is planning to have a change of address, please let Joe Cooper know so he can update the records so that he can make sure you continue to get your newsletter. Thank you.

Spotlight on a Falcon Fan-atic

Dave and Dodi Ingram are dedicated Atlanta Falcon fans, even though they live in distant Miamisburg, Ohio. Dave was visiting his sister in Macon during the 80’s and visited a United Way function at Warner-Robins. Some of the Falcons were there, including Lynn Cain, Kuykendall, Buddy Curry and a few other players and Dave was so impressed, he has been a fan ever since.

Dave and Dodi have been together for nine years and after they attended the Atlanta/Vikings game in 1996, Dodi was cured of her Cowboy allegiance and became a Falcon fan. They have been Fanatics ever since. It helped when Dave pointed out to Dodi, how gorgeous she would look in a black, Falcon home jersey.

They have now been married for two and a half years. Dave has been attending games in Atlanta since 1994 and they have seen numerous Falcon road games over the years. Dave says he is “probably one of the few Falcon fans who can say that they have seen the first game (in person ) for each of the last 3 head coaches (Jones, Reeves, Phillips) and Lord willing, I will also see Jim Mora’s first game as Falcons head coach as well. I am also one who can say that they saw Jamal Anderson’s last carry (in person) as a Falcon.”

Dave also said, “My proudest moment as a Falcon fan was at the 2002 Kickoff Luncheon. Ed Jasper presented me with one of his authentic jerseys. I wouldn’t go so far as saying that Ed and I are friends but I must say that he has been extremely good to my wife and myself, took me on a tour of the new facility and got us practice field privileges when we went to Flowery Branch last summer.” Dave also mentioned meeting and enjoying the hospitality of Ray Anderson, Keith Brooking, Roberto Garza, Patrick Kerney, and Doug Johnson.

During the season, Dave spends many hours each week breaking down Falcon game tapes and as many as 200 hours during the off season watching the previous years Falcon game tapes and evaluating the Falcon personnel. It’s a lot of effort, but an enjoyable hobby.

Dave was highly complimentary towards many of the Fan-atics who he has met and befriended across the years as well as many of the Falcons, such as Ed Jasper, Ray and Buffie Anderson, Keith Brooking, Patrick Kerney, Doug Johnson and others.

With the addition of Rich McKay, Jim Mora, Jr. and Tim Russell, Dave looks for 2004 to be a turn around year and he is excited. He predicts a ball hawking defense and an explosive offense and he believes that with the quick throws and release required in a west coast offense, it will help to keep Michael Vick injury free.

Falcons announce 2004 camp dates

The Atlanta Falcons announced a list of important dates for their off-season camps.

The Falcons will conduct a Veteran Mini-Camp from April 7-9 and a Rookie Mini-Camp from April 30 through May 2. A full-squad Mini-Camp is scheduled to follow, running from June 8-10. All three of the off-season events will take place at the Falcons Flowery Branch Headquarters.

Atlanta will then move on to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina for its 2004 Training Camp. Currently, the tentative reporting date for Falcons players is July 28.

Its Trivial

1 - Which NFL team drafted Quarterback Chris Chandler in the 1988 draft?

2 - Which Falcon was once named to Mr. Blackwell's annual list for best dressed celebrities?

3 - Which Falcon player captured a medal in hockey in the 1989-1990 Utah Winter Games as a junior hockey player?

4 - Which three former Falcon players are the only players in franchise history to be named Falcon Player of the Year in back to back seasons?

5 - Who was the first Falcon ever to be selected to the Pro Bowl?

6 - Who was the only Falcon ever to wear the number 2?

Answers will appear in next month's issue.

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