Falcons’ return to the Super Bowl is a triumph for the city of Atlanta

Monday was similar to any other day in downtown Atlanta. Noise pollution was aplenty because of the constant construction and hip-hop blaring from passing by cars. Even if you don’t listen to Migos, you’ve certainly heard a bar or two of “Bad and Boujee” walking down Peachtree since late October.

Going through Georgia State’s campus — smack dab in the middle of everything else downtown — most students are still wearing Panther blue. Yet, there’s a noticeable splash of black and red. A Patriots hoodie here or there appears, of course.

School buses were lined up just outside of the Center for Civil and Human Rights, with dozens of children outside, some rocking Falcons gear as they prepare to take in one of the many attractions the city has to offer.

The Waffle House at the corner of Andrew Young International and Centennial Olympic Park is packed. People are standing waiting for a table while they watch the already-seated patrons stuff their faces with waffles, bacon, eggs, and hash browns that just might be scattered, smothered, and covered.

As you make your way past Philips Arena and the CNN Center, Mercedes-Benz Stadium sneaks up on you suddenly as you make your way up Centennial Olympic Park Drive. It’s starting to take its final form. You can see where the letters will be placed on the side of the stadium coming from Philips, with the Mercedes-Benz logo on the other side.

Hook a right onto Northside Drive, and you go from a construction worker-filled Mercedes-Benz Stadium site, to an empty Georgia Dome one. A pine green Porta-Potty across the street, slightly leaning, appropriately has “ROLL TIDE” spray-painted in silver. The Crimson Tide aren’t strangers to the Dome, playing in the SEC Championship seemingly every year in Atlanta.

When you glance at the buildings, they look so uncomfortably close to each other, as if you could touch both at the same time with outstretched arms.

Everything about this day is consistent with any other day in Atlanta, but there’s a palpable feeling that for the first time in 18 years, the Falcons were one of two remaining teams in the NFL postseason.

While there have been a handful of good, even great moments in the Dome, the heartbreak sticks out. On this particular day, the Dome next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium feels symbolic. The NFC Championship last Sunday was the final game in that building, and it ended on the best note possible. It’s like the passing of a torch, from one era to another.

Looking back at the Falcons’ past anguish leading up to recent success would at least leave us to hope for just that.

When the Falcons were set to have their first 1,000-yard rusher in Dave Hampton back in 1972 (they still played in Fulton County Stadium then), he was tackled for a 6-yard loss the play after eclipsing the mark, and finished the season with 995 yards.

In 1998, the Falcons surprised everybody by going 14-2. Jamal Anderson made us fall in love with the “dirty bird” dance, along with other players you almost never think of nowadays, like Terence Mathis, Bob Whitfield, Ray Buchanan, Bob Christian, Tim Dwight, the great Jessie Tuggle.

And then there was Eugene Robinson.

Robinson joined the Atlanta Falcons in 1998 and had a Pro Bowl year. The night before Super Bowl XXXIII, he was arrested by an undercover police officer for soliciting a prostitute. Earlier that same day, he received the Bart Starr Award, which honors the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community.

That Sunday was John Elway’s last hurrah. Along with Terrell Davis and Rod Smith, he handled the Dirty Birds in Miami as the Broncos won a second consecutive Super Bowl.

Fast forward a few years, and the Falcons drafted Michael Vick.

The city immediately fell in love with Vick. The NFL hadn’t seen a player like him, and he was ours. He might be the only player in franchise history who made you feel like you absolutely had to watch every single play on offense.

Vick was often the fastest player on the field, and Falcons fans made damn sure they were going to be in the Dome or at home every Sunday. His run against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 of the 2002 season — where he split two defenders who crashed into each other to win the game in overtime — is a moment where everybody remembers exactly where they were. Atlanta knew they had something in No. 7.

Michael Vick was everything to Atlanta. There was the Michael Vick Experience Nike commercial. He had his own signature sneakers. He became the best Madden player ever and was even in T.I.’s “Rubberband Man” video dancing with Usher.

Michael Vick was that dude, even if he did give some of y’all the finger.

Atlanta then lost any future optimism in April of 2007, when we learned Vick was involved in a dog-fighting ring, of all things. He was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, and the city — without warning — lost the most entertaining player to ever put on the black and red.

Michael Vick wasn’t perfect. What he did was awful, without question. It hurt Atlanta, and though he never returned, he served his time, and most of the city has forgiven him.

If losing Vick didn’t sting enough, some months later, Bobby Petrino left 78-word notes in the lockers of all of the players after coaching the team for only 13 games. He just up and left for Arkansas, giving the team zero notice.

Hearing that news in the afternoon, and watching him yell “WOOOOOOO PIG SOOIE!” at his press conference just hours later seemed like a strange and unfunny joke. It’s not just because he left, but because that chant sounds and looks absolutely ridiculous. He left Atlanta for that bullshit.

Since then, every Falcons fan has two favorite college football teams: whoever they root for on a regular, and whoever is playing Bobby Petrino.

We have not forgotten. And will never forget. Ever, ever, ever, ever.

The Mike Smith era followed, and he led the Falcons to their first consecutive winning seasons in franchise history. He was cool in our book for that, especially since the Falcons never did a lot of winning in the first place. However, in the 2011 Wild Card Round, the Falcons lost an embarrassing 24-2 game to the New York Giants.

They scored two points.

Two.

As difficult as it was to watch that, 2012 looked promising as the season progressed. The Falcons went 13-3, and advanced to the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons came out blazing, with Matt Ryan connecting with Julio Jones on a pair of touchdowns opening up a 17-0 lead.

The Falcons blew that 17-0 lead, and that game ended a painful 9 yards short of a victory.

More recently, the Falcons started last season 5-0, before finishing the season 8-8. This season, they started off strong again at 4-1. They then fell to 7-5 by Week 13 — after losing thanks to an Eric Berry pick-two — leading fans to start thinking, “Well shit, here we go again.”

Atlanta isn’t used to the pinnacle of success. Loaded year in and year out, the Braves were arguably THE team in the 90s. They had the four aces in Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, and John Smoltz. Fred McGriff, David Justice, Chipper, and Andruw Jones were fan favorites, and there was also Ron Gant, Ryan Klesko, and Jeff Blauser. And the Braves only got one World Series out of them.

One of those shortcomings the Braves had was the greatest home-cooking job in MLB history by umpire Eric Gregg. The Braves never recovered from that one. It was followed by a stretch of early playoff exits in the 2000s, to their poor form now (though to be fair, I believe in the rebuild). They’re even moving to the ‘burbs in Cobb County.

If they’re not an entire mess, the Hawks are typically just good enough to be in the middle of the pack in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, but not a serious contender.

Collegiate allegiances are scattered in Atlanta — the unofficial capital of the southeastern United States and epicenter of SEC football in late November for the title game. Drive around the metro area, and you’ll see representation for every SEC team, with some Ohio State, Notre Dame, and other major universities sprinkled in there. Throughout the years, it’s become increasingly easy to see people become bandwagon fans of other franchises — like the Cowboys and Patriots in the NFL, or Lakers and Celtics in the NBA — because they just can’t take the disappointment year in and year out.

After all, Atlanta’s lost two NHL franchises now. (Shoutout to the Flames and Thrashers.)

The one thing that just about everybody can agree on and come together for is the Falcons.

This particular team is fun, and there’s a player for any fan to attach themselves to, whether it’s Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan, Quintorris Lopez Jones (you might know him better as “Julio”), Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, the fearsome Vic Beasley, Deion Jones, or Keanu Neal. Shoot, I’ve taken a strange liking to Robert Alford.

The best way I can describe these Dirty Birds is like the view of the city from Freedom Parkway. It’s a beautiful sight to see — like the rest of John Lewis’ fifth congressional district — with everything you could possibly want. It’s a complete picture.

That leaves us with the impending Super Bowl. If anybody in metro Atlanta told you they expected the Falcons to be playing for the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 5, they’re more than likely lying. Myself and others are understandably hesitant to get expectations up, and we’ve become numb to any disappointment as an acquired coping mechanism.

But dammit, the Falcons have a chance to beat the New England Patriots, the NFL’s crown jewel franchise since 2001. It would be a cheesy-ass storybook ending for a franchise that has brought more heartbreak than joy for a lot of fans. In the back of the minds of the people in Atlanta, there’s great caution. We’ve seen a version of this script before.

This really could be it, though. Atlanta would like nothing more than to see their beloved Falcons rise up like The Phoenix sitting in Woodruff Park. A MARTA ride home after watching a Falcons Super Bowl victory would be a hell of a time.

A parade down Peachtree sounds damn good, too.