Humble and Hungry For a New Season

~ Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes its built on catastrophe. ~

Sumner Redstone

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines frustration as: a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs. This pretty much sums up my 43 seasons as an Atlanta Falcons fan. From inception, it would take six seasons for the Falcons to finally muster a winning record (7-6-1) in 1971, thanks in part to a tie with their then arch nemesis, the Los Angeles Rams.

It would be another seven seasons before they would appear in their first playoff game against Dick Vermeil's Eagles team in the 1978 NFC Wild Card game. In 1977, Atlanta's "Gritz Blitz" defense set the record for fewest points allowed in a fourteen game season (129), yet they could only manage to win half their games, scoring seven points or less in six of them.

After the league switched to a sixteen game schedule in 1978, the Falcons went ten straight seasons (1981-90) winning fewer than eight games. Their most triumphant season in 1998 (14-2, Super Bowl appearance) was preceded by two losing seasons and followed by another three. For every winning season, the Falcons have given us three losing ones. This is the Falcons legacy.

And then there is the ultimate frustration; no Falcons team has EVER had back to back winning seasons. NEVER. EVER. Not once in 43 seasons. I'm not sure any sports fans, in the entire history of professional sports, has had to deal with this level of frustration. This my friends is frustration bordering on futility.

So why are Falcon's fans so resilient? Why is there such a buzz about these Falcons? Why such high hopes for one of the youngest teams in the league coming off of it's lone winning season out of the last four?

Perhaps it's that this team isn't just being built on frustration, but on catastrophe as well. What else would you call the 2007 season? Okay, I can think of a few other names, starting with cluster____, but that's beside the point.

It took the events of that season to steel our beloved owner, Arthur M. Blank, for the task of finally rebuilding the franchise he acquired ownership of in 2002. It isn't just the new players and coaches, or the new faces in the front office; there is a new culture in Suwanee that is palpable. Call it confidence, call it urgency, call it swagga for that matter (but please don't); it is a different feeling of hope that these Falcons invoke.

Take our new Quarterback for example. Smart kid. Hard working. A "gym rat" they call him. Humble to a fault. Not only did he recieve ROY honors, he had one of the best seasons for a rookie QB in the history of the game.

Or our new Running Back. Quiet guy. Paid his dues. Was second only to Adrian Peterson in rushing yards his first year as a starter. Two hundred and forty pounds of rolling thunder.

Then there's our All-Pro Wide Receiver. Team leader. Pace setter. After struggling his first two years in the league he's had two consecutive seasons with over 1200 receiving yards.

And don't forget the new guy. He's just a perennial All-Pro, first ballot HOF Tight End who holds virtually every record for the position. If early indications mean anything, he appears to still be in his prime at age 33.

You want Defense? How about a DE that had more sacks than any defensive lineman in the league in 2008, or a FS that was among the league leaders in tackles, or a rookie Middle Linebacker that made everyone stand up and take notice.

There are plenty of new faces there as well. Seven of eight draft picks were on  defense. There's also the veteran Linebacker signed as a FA that will bring some solid leadership to a very young group. The same care that went into building the offense last year was bestowed upon the defense this year.

I intentionally ommitted their names because that's where this new culture comes in. There isn't a showboat, me-first, T.O. wannabe in the lot of em'. These are all "team players", cliche' maybe, but true. Hard working, professional, Pro Football players who understand how good they have it and what a priveledge it is to play in this league.

This same attitude permeates the entire coaching staff and front office as well. Hard work and quiet confidence. Coach Mike Smith has a new motto for the 2009 squad that sums it up nicely;  "Humble and Hungry". Compare that to the New York Jets';  "Win Big or Bust". I do believe we're on the right track. Like they say, "...the 44th times the charm".

It's only 120 days, 18 hours, 27 minutes and 32 seconds till kickoff. I can't wait.