Atlanta Falcons: Too Legit for me to Quit

Frustrating. Absolutely frustrating.

Over the years that pretty much sums up being a Falcons fan. And for good reasons. There have been too many blunders in my years rooting for the Birds. Here are a few:

Firing Dan Reeves.

The Bobby Petrino experiment.

Watching Jeff George's temper tantrum with June Jones.

With Atlanta's many disasters, there have been some glimmers of hope sprinkled in. The Falcons did go to a Super Bowl in 1998, Michael Vick led Atlanta to a couple of playoff appearances and Mike Smith appears to have them headed in the right direction.

But even if the Falcons follow last year's surprise with a losing season (which could happen, I wouldn't be shocked, after all they are the Falcons), I'll stay loyal and I'll keep cheering. And I can attribute it to a rap catchphrase that many people laugh and joke about today.

Too legit to quit.

That's right. MC Hammer.

As a six year-old boy, this was the coolest thing to me—watching cornerback Deion Sanders dance to an absurd rap that would go down as one of the decade's worst songs.

But there I was, glued to my television each Sunday in a rental home as our family's house was being built, hoping for Falcons success. Even at age six I knew they were on an eight season losing streak. But if the Atlanta Braves could go from worst to first, then the Falcons could make the playoffs.

Even Hammer Time himself would come to some of the Falcons games, back when people loved him for that year or two. And looking back, the Too Legit to Quit Falcons had some of my favorite players: Prime Time, Jessie "The Hammer" Tuggle, Michael Haynes, and Andre Rison.

And how about that season. The Falcons went 10-6, Chris Miller threw for over 3,000 yards, and Atlanta made the playoffs and beat the Saints in the first round.  

That year is my first memory for most sports. I cried when the Braves lost the World Series, threw household items in disgust when former Georgia football coach Ray Goff lost the second of six games to Florida and was in awe while watching Michigan's Fab Five.

But all I can do is look back and laugh when it comes to the Falcons. And it's because I have to admit that it was none other than MC Hammer who hooked me on this franchise. 

Hammer's baggy pants and ridiculous fade didn't look good then and there's still no excuse for either now.  

But it was his second of two hits prior to his bankruptcy that got me on the Falcons, and I've stuck through thick and thin—especially thin. Because Lord knows there's been plenty of that in the Falcons' history.