Ending a Curse

Matt Eichenblatt
Monday June 11, 2007

Analogies are great, aren’t they?

The old adage, ‘They go together like peanut butter and jelly,’ is one of the simplest ways to say two things or people go well together. But what analogy would best describe two things that don’t go together? 

I have the perfect example: Atlanta and the Postseason.

For all of you long time Atlanta natives, this is probably a painful refresher. And for all of you not familiar with our fine city’s historical postseason success or lack there of, let this be a kind assurance that the Georgia Force will probably not be the 2007 champions of the Arena Football League. 

To make things simple for all, we will start the curse in 1991, the supposed year the reign of terror for Atlanta sports had begun to fall. 

When people reminisce about the 1991 Atlanta Braves, phrases like ‘worst to first’ and images of Sid Breem sliding into home to win the pennant come to mind. But what most homers like yours truly fail to think about is how they blew the World Series that year, losing games six and seven by decisive one run margins. 

The postseason futility would not again rear its ugly head until 1993, where the Atlanta Braves would literally choke in the NLCS that year to the Philadelphia Phillies. While many baseball fans figure the biggest choke in the Atlanta Braves decade of dominance would be the 1996 series in which the Braves would blow a 2-0 series lead that gained at New York, the ones who look past the obvious will realize that 93’ was the ugliest of all. 

The Braves of 1993 to this very day was the most talented group of the decade for the Atlanta club, maybe even all of baseball. Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Steve Avery comprised the best rotation of pitchers baseball had seen in the past 50 years, and the hitting of guys like David Justice, Fred McGriff, Deion Sanders, and Terry Pendleton had been murderous all year. Heading into the playoffs, it was the Braves title to lose. When the Braves bowed out to the Phillies in six games in the NLCS, fans in Atlanta were in disbelief. How could a 104 game winner with baseball’s best pitching rotation probably ever, lose before the World Series?

Sorry folks, that’s Atlanta.

Besides the 1995 World Series title the Braves finally brought this championship starved sports town, Atlanta has been known for clumsy front office moves and even worse postseason moments.

As difficult as it is to swallow, Atlanta will always be the city that traded away Brett Favre for a draft pick used on an oft-injured running back named Tony Taylor. Yes, we are also the proud town that traded away our lone sports icon, Dominique Wilkins, for a guy who would join that tight-night fraternity of number one draft picks gone wildly wrong. 

Oh, but it gets better.

On the eve of the Atlanta Falcons first Super Bowl appearance in January of 1999, the city of Atlanta was abuzz. Atlanta was a football-crazed town desperate for a winning franchise to support on Sunday, long after the final whistle of the previous day’s Georgia Bulldog game. 

Sadly, when most Atlantans woke up on Super Sunday, they found a giant picture of Pro-Bowl safety, Eugene Robinson, plastered on the front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution because he was arrested for soliciting sex to an undercover Miami police officer.

I guess the natives weren’t the only ones ‘abuzz’ that night.

Atlanta has a proud history of athletics, but most of that fame comes from the events the city hosts, not the teams they boast.

Since 1991, Atlanta has hosted an MLB All Star game, an NBA All-Star game, two men’s NCAA Final Fours as well as a women’s, two Super Bowls, a PGA Championship, the SEC football championship game, a Sugar Bowl, an upcoming NHL All Star game, and who could forget—the 1996 Summer Olympic games. No city in America in the past 15 years has that kind of resume.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired of having front row seats to see other teams win championships. 

When it comes to the 2007 Georgia Force, team personnel and fans beware: we have seen this story a million times. The Force have a great coach, and when it’s all said and done, they might have the best offense ever assembled. The fact is, it seems very likely that they will be competing for the Foster Cup in New Orleans late this July.

Wait, haven’t I seen this story before? Oh of course! I love that chapter about the 93’ Braves. 

Nevertheless, back to what I was saying about the Force. 

It’s hard to be negative following a victory in which your team scored 81 points and your quarterback broke the century mark for touchdown passes, but the more that I look at this success, the more I am waiting on the untimely injury, that questionable play call, and in the end, the shocking upset. I don’t want to think this way, but it really is hard not too.

In the end, the most I or any other Force fan can do is have hope—hope that this team leaves no stone unturned in the film room, in practice, and in the games. 

Winning a championship etches memories in stone for fans, players and coaches alike. How nice would it be to open the Monday morning paper in late July and have the word ‘champion’ greet you like a long overdue and well-deserved hug? In one word: priceless. Nothing is more gratifying than reaching the summit of something you really care about.

The Georgia Force should be commended for one of the best seasons they have had in their short existence. At 12-2, this team is no doubt a title contender and Atlanta’s best shot at a championship since, well, the 2005 Georgia Force. This time around, let’s finish the job, and reverse the curse on Atlanta.

Like the old adage goes, ‘no one remembers second place.’