Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons tight end, says it’s a fifty fifty chance he will retire following the 2010 season.

On Monday Gonzalez said to Fox Sports, it’s a year by year thing.  Maybe I will end up playing three to four years.  I’m sure I could.  There are many different factors.  I probably will return, but I never know.  I will wait.

The 34 year old Gonzalez has been in the Pro Bowl ten times.  Last year was the first sine 1998 that he missed making an appearance as an all star.  During his first season as an Atlanta Falcon he caught 83 passes for a total of 867 yards receiving and scored six touchdowns.

When he makes his first regular season catch it will be his career 1,000 reception.

Gonzalez said to Fox Sport that the single thing motivating him at this stage is to win a Super Bowl.

It isn’t a secret.  People have known this for a while.  That’s why last off season I left Kansas City and why I am here.  Just making the playoffs isn’t what I want.  It’s winning a Super Bowl.  Here I think we have a good chance.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Michael Turner, Falcons running back, can catch the football indeed.

That was one glimmering highlight that could be gleaned from the 20-10 victory of the Falcons over the Chiefs on Friday night in the exhibition opener in the Georgia Dome.

Although it was jut one catch, it did show an area where Atlanta is planning to diversify their offense.  The crowd of 65,726 lightly applauded the play.

Atlanta opened the game with involving Turner in the offense’s first four plays.  Turner carried the ball twice, had one catch, and then ran the ball again.  The most impressive of the plays was his first carry.  Turner made a gain of 7 yards after moving the pile.

Atlanta is looking to establish Turner as a threat receiving from the backfield.  He has just 22 receptions in his career.  On his reception, Turner gained six yards and was the check down man.

Turner said, we want to get out there early on and set the tone.  We had a few big runs I think.  Our offensive line I think had a really push in the beginning.

Turner wasn’t happy about the starting offense having to settle for just two field goal tries before going to the sideline to watch the rest of the game.

After the Falcons first drive stalled, a field goal of 30 yards a made by Matt Bryant, giving Atlanta a 3-0 lead.  After that, from an artistic perspective, things went downhill.

It was a typical exhibition game.  There were plenty of penalties, missed field goals and dropped passes.

Steve Hauschka and Matt Bryant, who are battling for the starting field goal kicker job, each missed on long field goals.  During the first half the Chiefs missed two field goal attempts as well.

A 53 yard field goal attempt from Hauschka was low, slamming into the crossbar.  A 50 yard attempt from Bryant was long enough but went wide to the right.

During Atlanta’s second possession Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense used the non-huddle attack.  A promising drive was ended when Roddy White, Pro Bowl receiver, dropped a pass.  Then Sam Baker, left tackle, jumped offside.

Brian Finneran started for Michael Jenkins, who was injured.

The starting defense played a strong game, however the Falcons retooled secondary was not really tested by Matt Cassel, Chiefs quarterback.

Kroy Biermann, defensive end, got a sack, forcing a fumble which John Abraham recovered.

Early second quarter during a third down play Atlanta sent the all out blitz.  Cassel was sacked by linebacker Curtis Lofton.

There was a scary moment for the starting defensivee unit when Lofton andJamaall Anderson, defensive end, when down and needed to receive attention from the medical staff.  Anderson was able to walk off the field on his own, while Lofton, who had leg cramps, was helped off by trainers.

On five out of six possessions during the first half the starting defense was able to hold the Chiefs scoreless.  Kansas City didn’t score until a field goal of 20 yards was kicked by Ryan Succop with time running out in the second quarter to make it a 3-3 game going into halftime.

During the second half the Falcons reserve players took over.

Shann Schillinger, rookie safety, intercepted a pass from Brodie Croyle.  The six round pick out of Montana showed he has some running ability in the open field.  Schillinger returned the ball 29 yards down to the 14 yard line of Kansas City’s.

Dmitri Nance scored five plays later on a run of two yards.  Nance, the former Arizona State player and rookie undrafted free agent, capped a later 81 yard, 18 play drive off with a touchdown run of one yard to give the Falcons a 17-3 lead.

Chevis Jackson intercepted a pass and then a field goal of 37 yards was added by Hauschka, making the score 20-3.

Atlanta was extra cautious following last year’s injury riddled season.  They decided to keep 11 players out of the game, including Dunta Robinson, cornerback, the Falcons major pickup this offseason.

Atlanta should be getting a stiffer test on Thursday when the Patriots visit the Georgia Dome.

Popularity: unranked [?]

On Friday when the Falcons head to their first training camp practice, there shouldn’t be any big distractions.

The Falcons announced that Sean Weatherspoon, the team’s last unsigned player and first round pick, on Thursday evening signed a contract of five years.

It was a $17.5 million contract with $10.5 million of it guaranteed.

Weatherspoon, Missouri linebacker, signed a few hours prior to the first meeting for the team. Weatherspoon was the nineteenth overall selection in this year’s draft.

A majority of Falcons players arrived in luxury cars at the team’s amenities building to check in earlier that day to their living quarters. However Weatherspoon was absent. His agent and team were still hammering out the details of his contract.

The Falcons, now that Weatherspoon is signed, have all 80 of their players under contract and all rookies signed, in time for their first practice. Last season Roddy White, starting wide receiver, was a training camp hold out in an effort to obtain a contract extension.

Coach Mike Smith earlier this week had said he was optimistic the deal for Weatherspoon would be completed before the opening of training camp.

During Wednesday’s negotiations progress was made, then on Thursday there was a big push and the deal for Weatherspoon was finalized. The contract’s terms were not disclosed. Jeremy Maclin the 19th pick last year, got a $15.5 million, five year contract from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Smith said there hasn’t been too much action from the first or second rounds. Of course as the reporting date gets close you’ll see more guys signing.

Under the Falcons’ current management team, three out of the four first round team picks have signed before training camp opened. In May 2008 the Falcons were able to sign Matt Ryan, while the owners’ meeting was in Atlanta months before the opening of training camp. Peria Jerry last year signed on Thursday, with training camp starting on Saturday.

In 2008, however, the deal for first round pick Sam Baker, hit a snag at the last minute. Late Friday night, he agreed on a contract. However the NFL didn’t approve the contract in time and Baker had to sit out the the first practice on Saturday.

During the off season, Weatherspoon was trained by the Falcons for both outside linebacker spots. It is expected that he will be competing for one of the starting positions.

Smith said, when you start adding first round pick skill set and talent level to our corps of linebackers, the position will be very competitive. Sean I think is able to play all three of the linebacker spots. Right now, however, we are basically spending time to train Sean at outside linebacker.

According to Smith, the Falcons are not making a distinction any longer between weak side and strong side linebacker. Last season Stephen Nicolas was on the starter at strong side linebacker and Mike Peterson at weak side linebacker.

In June Peterson turned 34. He played in Jacksonville for Smith. Last season was the first time Nicholas was a starter. However he was drafted by the previous management team for weak side linebacker.

Smith said, is he a weak side or strong side linebacker? He is one of our outside linebackers. During the off season we crossed trained him and gave him that work load. It will be beneficial because we need him to perform the same techniques at weak side or strong side linebacker. More and more I think you will be seeing teams developing and training outside linebacker to play in multiple spots.

Popularity: unranked [?]

An Atlanta Falcons employee had an ad campaign idea that was potentially cool- using the slogan “Rise Up” with a gospel chorus singing it. However, they needed to find someone who was persuasive enough to sell their slogan. They succeeded in finding him.

Samuel L. Jackson will tell fans of the Falcons to rise up. We’re guessing they will. After all it is Samuel L. Jackson telling them to. Landing Jackson for the ad campaign is superb. Very few Hollywood people have more of a commanding presence than Jackson. He also has extensive connection in Atlanta and was happy to help the Falcons out.

This ad is impressive. Jimmy Traina from Sports Illustrated is impressed too. He said that after watching the video he wants to be a Falcons fan. We aren’t going that far. However the advertising is good. If we really were Falcons fans, definitely we’d be ready to go through walls.

Popularity: unranked [?]

On Thursday at 10 am the Atlanta Falcons will be placing their single game tickets on sale for this upcoming season.

Purchases of single game tickets can be made online via www.ticketmaster.com or www.atlantafalcons.com. Tickets can be ordered via Ticketmaster by phone as well at 1-800-745-3000. In person fans can purchase tickets by Visiting Ticketmaster outlets in the Atlanta metro area. The prices for single game tickets run $55 to $150.

The Falcons are also offering other packages.

Also going on sale are a Pre-Game Tailgate Package, Ticket and Food Combo Pack and Two Game Pack.

Group Tickets for 15 people or more, Half Season Packages and Season Tickets can all be purchased now by visiting www.atlantafalcons.com or via phone at 404-223-8444. Half Season Package prices start at $195, with Season Tickets pricing starting at $290.

Popularity: unranked [?]

When making predictions about the Super Bowl, people have a tendency of either focusing on the previous year’s powerhouse teams (defending conference champions for example) or teams just a cut under the level of a powerhouse team (such as teams losing a conference championship game). Those can be called the power condo teams. Once in a while a brave soul will come along that’s too smart to stay out of trouble. Thinking of teams like the Rams in 1999 or Patriots in 2001, the individual predicts one of the bottom feeder teams. We can refer to this as the power shack team that comes from nowhere and wins it all.

However if you take a look at what has happened recently, you’ll see all of these individuals have been wrong. Looking at the records of the last three teams to win the Super Bowl the year before winning the championship tells a different story. In 2008, the New Orleans Saints’ record was 8-8. In 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers went 10-6. In 2006, the New York Giants had a record of 8-8. The Super Bowl champions lately haven’t come from the power condo, powerhouse or power shack ranks. They have come from more like the upper floor power level from the apartment ranks.

Let’s take a look at the Atlanta Falcons. In 2009, the team went 9-7. It was the first back to back winning seasons for the franchise ever. It’s easy to see the 2008 11-5 as a breakout season and then see last year as a set back or step back for the team run by Mike Smith. However, maybe the step back really was part of growing pains that have been well navigated.

That would make a lot of sense. This solid young team is after all ed by Matt Ryan a budding star quarterback. True, Ryan during his sophomore year suffered a step back. His completion percentage fell to 58.3 from the previous year’s 61.1., while yards per attempt dropped to 6.5 from a previous 7.9. As a rookie in 16 games he had 11 interceptions. Last year in 14 games he threw 14 interceptions, a big factor in the decrease in his passer rating of almost seven points.

However, like many of the other Falcon players Ryan was battling a toe turf injury during the season. He did struggle uncharacteristically at times with reading defenses, however he showed no signs of a psyche that was damaged or any panic. In summary, Ryan is fine.

The Falcons offensive line is also fine. If Jerious Norwood and Michael Turner, the running backs, are able to stay healthy the backfield for Atlanta should be fine as well. In terms of the receivers, Roddy White, star wideout, and Tony Gonzalez, tight end and future member of the Hall of Fame, are also fine. The offense in short, is quite solid. With all 2010 eleven starters returning and either new intriguing backups coming on board (Mike Johnson, rookie guard from the third round, and Joe Hawley, rookie center from the fourth round), or returning (Harry Douglas, electrifying slot receiver coming back from knee surgery), things can only get better for the Falcons.

Orchestrated by Mike Mularkey, offensive coordinator, Atlanta’s offense has an identity that is quite distinct: a ball controlled attack centered on power runs coming from sets withtight ends. The Falcons have practically ideal personnel for pulling of this classic, bruising approach.

The last Super Bowl champions, of course, had their runs at the title all spearheaded by their defenses coming alive. In 2009 the defense of the Saints was oriented towards the big plays. The Steelers defense in 2008 stayed healthy. In 2007 the defense of the Giants was a dominant pass rushing unit. What about the 2010 Falcons defense?

Smith last season ran a zone based mundane scheme using mundane players. In the NFL today that doesn’t work. The scheme for Smith isn’t changing. Hopefully the players have improved. The Falcons do have young talent that has joined the team. There’s a good chance that somewhere there will be improvements. The odds are good that this will happen.

Peria Jerry, defensive tackle from last season’s first round, returns after a knee injury that caused him to miss his rookie year. It is expected that Sean Weatherspoon, first round rookie, at outside linebacker will be a three down instant presence. Cornerback free agent Dunta Robinson is an elite stopper, who should be able to help the Falcons stop the big play, something that plagued the team last year. In 2009 Atlanta allowed 55 passes that were twenty yard plus, trailing only the Rams by one play for the NFC worst. Wiliam Moore, hard hitting safety from the second round, has the opportunity of competing as a starter, following knee and hamstring problems that left him on the sidelines a year ago for all except two games.

Do the Falcons have the makings for contending for the Super Bowl? Let’s take a look: last year having modest success; no high expectation burdens; distinct defensive and offensive identity; star quarterback; improving main weaknesses. So far things sound pretty good. Then there’s the stable ownership and leadership, another trait shared by the Giants, Steelers and Saints. Arthur Blank, owner, and Thomas Dimitroff, general manager, have great chemistry in how they run the program. They may even have chemistry that is Super Bowl caliber.

Offense
Before getting too far ahead, I think we can all agree Matt Ryan is one of the NFL’s star quarterbacks. Or an emerging star at least. All the elite passer traits are possessed by Ryan: accurate strong arm: athleticism for moving in the pocket and on occasion fleeing it; poise and tough with bodies surrounding him; football IQ for anticipating throwing lanes and reading defenses. Last season, Ryan didn’t trust always what he saw. His college track record and working with Bill Musgrave, renowned quarterback coach, should mean that he has learned already from his mistakes. If once again Ryan has to miss time, Atlanta has Chris Redman as a reliable and smart backup.

It’s important in 2010 for Ryan to bounce back. Although the offense is centered around the power run, Atlanta will be relying on the young quarterback to help with winning games. Michael Turner, running back, needs a large volume of touches for maximizing his effectiveness. Turner won’t be getting enough carries in every game. Anyway, it’s not a sure thing he is a star still. True he is only 28 years old and it’s only been two years that he’s been a featured ball carrier. However he lacks lateral agility and ability for changing direction quickly or gaining yardge through breaking tackles, which are all characteristics of a short career for a runner.

The depth of the backfield is excellent though. When Jerious Norwood is healthy, a touchdown can happen at any moment. The unique game of Norwood’s has never been polished. Therefore Jason Snelling, downhill interior runner, will see plenty of playing time off the bench.

Ovie Mughelli, fullback is light on his feet for a lead, traditional blocker. Atlanta relieves heavily on Mughelli as well as Justin Peelle, backup tight end, for forcing mismatches in the running game, mostly through a line that is unbalanced. Tyson Clabo right tackle, has somewhat limited athleticism but is always willing to fight. When Peelle enters the game, he lines up quite often next to Sam Baker, the left tackle. Baker is the 2008 first round draft pick. When healthy he is serviceable, however he need to improve his pass protection. The cleverness of Ryan in the pocket frequently masks the mediocre pass blocking of the front five.

Justin Blalock, 333 pound left guard, is a mauler who has the ability to getting to the next level, although only in a straight line. The practically nonexistent lateral mobility of Blalock along with his contract that is expiring could be one reason why Dimitroff used a third round selection on Mike Johnson, powerful run block guard from Alabama. However it’s also possible that Johnson has brought in to challenge Harvey Dahl at some the point, who is an nonexplosive but gritty right guard. Todd McClure, center, with his 128 starts in a row tied Keith Brooking’s franchise record. However his sub par strength can’t be hidden by his craftiness forever. Joe Haley fourth round pick, is being groomed to replace him.

When it comes to their passing game, Atlanta needs to be careful that they don’t focus too much on Tony Gonzalez. At the age of 34 Gonzalez is still one of the elite tight ends. He runs excellent routes and his a tough receiver. It is very tempting to force the football to him. However this limits the aerial assault scope and mitigates Roddy White’s field stretching abilities. White, with three seasons in a row of catching 80 or more passes and accumulating 1,100 yards, has established himself as one of the top all around receivers in the league. Michael Jenkins, the no. 2 wideout, in traffic is effective but slow. If Harry Douglas, slot receiver, is able to bounce back from his knee injury that canceled his 2009 season, the Falcons will have another source of speed to go along with White. If that doesn’t happen, they will stick with their sets with two tight ends.

Defense
Mike Smith and Dimitroff know that if they can fix their pass defense, which ranked 28th last season, that they can certainly propel the Falcons into the 2010 postseason. The team tied for 26th place last year in total sacks with 28. Many were expecting the Falcons during the off-season to obtain a pass rusher.

The Falcons instead are gambling that the dip of veteran John Abraham going from a sack total of 16.5 in 2008, down to only 5.5 in 2009 was a fluke, with the veteran of 11 years still having the fluid athleticism and startling quickness for being a star. The bet isn’t a bad one, although there are dire consequences if they lose it. No other Falcons player is close to being able of getting double digit sacks. It is expected that Peria Jerry, defensive tackle who attacks the gap, will give the inside a boost, however an unproven young player with a knee that has been surgically repaired can’t be relied on. Atlanta knows this, which is why during the third round Corey Peters, defensive tackle, was selected.

Jonathan Babineaux has initial quickness necessary for penetration. However his letter grade as a player for overall performance would be a B. Given that C is the average, that isn’t an insult. Babineaux will be playing on nearly every down. The spot at defensive tackle next to Babineaux will see a rotation of Peters, Trey Lewis and Thomas Johnson (Lewis and Johnson need to learn how to better untangle from double teams).

Forget about Jamaal Anderson, defensive end from the first round, getting pressure. Anderson gets to the quarterback less frequently than many people get divorced. In three years he’s had only 2.5 sacks. However he is excellent in defending against the run. Athletic backups Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury off the edges are both very quick and on third down can replace Anderson. However we are talking about drawing from the third string now.

Atlanta was comfortable with not addressing the pass rush after acquiring cornerback Dunta Robinson, although there are observers that see the seven interceptions by Robinson in the last five years of him playing in Houston and claim he can’t play. However the true aficionados of football see the instincts and startling quickness of Robinson while in man coverage which makes them realize he is one of only a few true NFL shadow defenders.

In 2004, as a rookie, Robinson had six interceptions. In the Falcons zone-based scheme he will be getting more opportunities for making plays on the football. Across from Robinson the starting job is wide open. It would have been filled by Brian Williams. However officials from the team are skeptical that he will be able to recover from his torn ACL. He was given a 1.6 million, one year contract with substantial roster bonus incentive. Brent Grimes, given that Williams is questionable, will be examined closely. Grimes has a tendency of surrendering about as many big plays as he is able to make. Last year he led the team with six interceptions and his athleticism is loved by the coaches.

One would think that recent third round draft selections Chris Owens (2009) and Chevis Jackson (2008) would be leading candidates for starting positions. However so far the coaches have shown more of a willingness to play their free agents from the streets than either of the young guys. At least Jackson appears to have settled at nickleback. Owens needs to work on getting stronger.

Assuming that William Moore second year pro, can stay healthy he should be able to unseat Thomas DeCoud eventually at the free safety spot. DeCoud is athletic, however when it comes to coverage he is average (particularly from the mental standpoint) and Moore is a ferocious hitter. Erik Coleman, strong safety, is one of the game’s best tacklers in the open field.

Of course, most of the tackling will come from the linebackers. Curtis Lofton, middle linebacker, surprisingly has become versatile enough for staying in the lineup during third down situations. The awareness of Lofton’s improves each week, and when it comes to his fundamentals there’s nothing to really criticize. He’s not really a play maker sideline to sideline however. That’s one of the reasons why Dimitroff selected Sean Weatherspoon in the first round. Mike Peterson, the veteran, is flexible enough for playing anywhere in the scheme, leading to debates of where Weatherspoon is going to line up. It will probably be the strong side. He was drafted by the Falcons just as much for his coverage ability. It will be difficult for Stephen Nichols, last year’s starter, to find a role coming off the bench after his pass defender struggles. For Coy Wire it’s the same thing.

Special Teams
From any distance, Matt Bryant is reliable. However no one has ever thought of him as one of the money kickers. Michael Koenen, the punter, needs improvement from his 2009 36.3 net average per kick. For the return game, Atlanta’s coaching staff most likely will be giving the nod to Harry Douglas, who can be electrifying. However if they aren’t sure about Douglas staying healthy they can always turn to Eric Weems, who is steady and calm.

Bottom Line
To spark Atlanta’s defense, only one or two play makers may be needed. If that occurs, there are enough pieces on offense to flourish. However, the Falcons may still be one or two players short of being a Super Bowl caliber contender.

Predictions: 2nd place in the NFC South

Popularity: 1% [?]

At a listed weight of 244 pounds, Michael Turner is one big running back on the roster of the Falcons. However a year ago Turner has admitted that he was even bigger.

Turner told SI.com’s Jim Trotter, if you look back at some last year’s pics of me, I probably look big, bigger than I normally do. I was too heavy then. That was hard to overcome.

In 2009 according to Trotter, Turner weighed well over 250 pounds and struggled pulling his practice jersey over his gut. However Turner now weights 250 pounds. He says he is in good shape and capable of matching his outstanding 2008 season where he scored 17 touchdowns and rushed for 1,699 yards.

Turner said, I feel great. I am running around out there and feel I could keep running all day. I am out to prove definitely that I am not one of those one year wonders. I don’t want people saying about me, yeah he had a good year one time, but after that what happened? I want to continue putting together seasons back to back.

Turner will be focusing on his diet to return to his old form.

Turner said, I need to watch the things I eat. All greasy foods need to be cut out. I wasn’t doing that.

Popularity: unranked [?]

For the third year in a row, the Falcons program “Fright Night Lights” will stay in Gwinnett County.

The event took place at Grady High School and then in 2008 at Hill Creek High and in 2009 at Brookwood High.

The scrimmage “Friday Night Lights” will take place on August 6 at 7:30 pm in Suwanee at North Gwinnett High.

Admission for the scrimmage is free and it is open for the public.

The grassroots event includes face painting, fan festival with inflatable, interactive games, sponsor activation, an autograph session post event, and fantastic fireworks show. Mike Smith, Falcons coach, team quarterbacks, and other position players during the scrimmage will be mic’d in. This will give the fans an in-depth, inside the huddle look. The event will be broadcast live by WXIA-TV.

Smith said this event is special for the players as well as the fans. The guys love to go back every year to their roots and play under high school field lights. The event gives us a chance to reach out to our community and give fans a chance of getting a personal and up close look of the team, as we are preparing for our 2010 season.

Popularity: 3% [?]

This year the Falcons desperately need John Abraham to play well if they want to have a shot at keeping up with the New Orleans Saints.

John Abraham is a terrific pass rusher. However in 2009 he had only 5 ½ sacks, whereas the year before he had 16 ½. Five times throughout his career the defensive end has had sack totals in the double digits. However, he recently turned 32. There is some concern that Abraham’s play may be slipping. In simple terms, the Falcons can’t afford this to be true.

The Falcons, as they headed into the offseason, had two main needs to fill: a cornerback as well as defensive end for complimenting and potentially replacing Abraham. At cornerback, Atlanta was aggressive, paying big money to sign Dunta Robinson. However not much was done to address their need at defensive end.

It was commonly thought on draft day that Atlanta would address their defensive end need with their first round pick. However the draft for the Falcons didn’t really work that way. Philadelphia trade up and picked Brandon Graham, with other top defensive ends falling off before Atlanta was able to address their need with any reasonable value.

Some of the other defensive ends on the team do show some promise. However there isn’t anyone in the class of Abraham. Jamaal Anderson was a selection from the top 10. However it appears he will never live up to his pass rusher expectations. As a run defender, however, he is underrated and is adequate as a base defensive end. However off the edge Anderson isn’t threatening enough.

Few people know of Kroy Biermann. However he is much more effective than a lot of people realize. Biermann is young and likely will improve. He is a player to be excited about. During his first season, Lawrence Sidbury was definitely underwhelming. However with the big learning curve for the young man from Richmond, it is to be expected. Chauncey Davis, doesn’t add a lot of excitement, but will factor in as well.

The defensive tackle pass rush should see improvement with Peria Jerry, the first round pick from last year, returning healthy hopefully to provide an interior upfield push. Jonathan Babineaux, like Biermann, isn’t a household name. However he’s an extremely productive player and can pose problems for opposing guards. This year Atlanta selected Corey Peters in the third round. At defensive tackle there is some promise. Also there should be some improvment with back end coverage along with play at linebacker after adding Sean Weatherspoon in the first round.

However, Abraham is getting older, and in terms of durability doesn’t have a great track record. The Saints are the biggest competition, obviously, in the division. They are extremely capable when it comes to passing as well as protecting their quarterback. John Abraham doesn’t need to match his output from 2008, and Atlanta would be wise cutting down on his playing time somewhat in order to extend his career as well as keeping him fresh for a run in the playoffs. However the veteran pass rusher still has lots of pressure placed on him. In order to be a top NFC competitor, the Falcons need him.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Some time during the next couple of years the Atlanta Falcons will probably stopping playing at the Georgia Dome. Rich McKay, team President, says when that happens the team will probably end up playing outdoors.

In an interview with Atlanta Journal-Constitution, McKay said the Falcons think an outdoor stadium would make more sense for other events as well as football.

McKay said, an open air stadium will help us pursue the World Cup as a great region and city. It will help in attracting World Cup games for 2018 or 2022. This would give us a dramatic economic impact to the area. We definitely think open air will help us in the bidding process.

Although an open-air stadium could help with Atlanta getting World Cup games, other events that have been hosted by the Georgia Dome would be impossible to obtain, such as when the Final Four was played in Atlanta. That could make the bid for an outdoor stadium much tougher to sell to taxpayers being asked to pay for part of the project.

However, McKay said, the Falcons will commit to the stadium proposal that is right for the state, city and team. McKay also stated that Arthur Blank, Falcons owner, wants to remain in downtown Atlanta.

McKay said, our first choice is to stay downtown. Arthur is very focused on that. We will try to make that happen.

Since 1992, the home for the Falcons has been the Georgia Dome. However it is considered to be somewhat outdated now. I remember when the team was at the Atlanta-Fulton Country Stadium. That makes me feel old. The Falcons will need to have a new stadium most likely before hosting another Super Bowl.

Popularity: 3% [?]