Is This the Best Time Ever to Be an Atlanta Sports Fan?

Time to jump on the bandwagon, folks.

Despite Atlanta being labeled a "transplant" city, full of sports fans from Boston, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, to the boroughs of Alabama and South Carolina, being a hometown fan couldn't come at a better time.

I'm proud to say that my faithfulness to my hometown sports teams, as a resident of metro Atlanta, is paying off. I'm also proud to see fans show up for games, even if they are just a bunch of fair-weather fans.

But to those who have emotionally connected to the woeful franchises of the past, now is your time to give yourself a pat on the back.

No longer are people talking about going to a Hawks game to watch 'Melo or Kobe. No longer are fans showing up to Braves games just to down a few drinks. No longer are the Georgia Dome's empty seats scarring the aesthetics of Sunday football.

Nope. Those times are over.

For the first time in my lifetime, each of Atlanta's major pro franchises is riding high expectations. On top of that, we now have a minor league baseball team in the area, a WNBA franchise that is one of the winningest in the league, and a resurgence of Georgia Tech football, while Georgia State University is entering its inaugural season as a D-I school with a football program.

The only sore spot on the list is the overlooked (for good reason) existence of hockey, via the Atlanta Thrashers, who have been in free-fall for the past few months.

I don't think anyone cares about that, however, considering the rest of the Southeast's sports scene couldn't be sweeter.

The Atlanta Braves have had success in the recent past. However, many who thought Bobby Cox's time was over are biting their tongues right now.

The Bravos have taken a commanding lead in the NL East thanks to a magical run since their 9-14 start. At 42-28, the Braves own the best record in the National League. Jason Heyward has been the daily crowd pleaser, helping sell tickets at the Ted.

The home crowds have proven beneficial as well. The Braves own the best home record in baseball at 24-7, and they have played fewer home games than anyone in the majors. That's good news in itself.

Martin Prado has evolved in the best hitter in the league, and Troy Glaus has gone from an apparent joke to the biggest slugger in the lineup, hitting 14 home runs to this point and leading the league in RBI.

The Braves' batting lineup is running way deeper than pundits thought it would this year, as their offense continues to sizzle. Combine that with the inevitable return of Jair Jurrjens, and Atlanta will have one of the strongest pitching rotations as well. Even with the 0-9 Kenshin Kawakami as a starter, the Braves have been able to claim first place.

While many thought a wild card was the only prize within reach for the Braves, it is becoming more and more inviting of a thought to claim Atlanta could reach the World Series.

All I know is, Bobby Cox likely hasn't been more popular in his career than he is right now, shutting up naysayers and leading a blue-collar team in the right direction. Jason Heyward's youthfulness, along with the heroics of Brooks Conrad, has injected childlike enthusiasm into the Braves locker room.

Even Larry Jones couldn't help but smile and fist-pump as Eric Hinske batted in the winning runs in yesterday's game against Kansas City.

The hype in Braves country hasn't been this high in a while.

But wait, fans—there is more to be excited about.

Many might be sour about the Hawks being swept in the second round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, but many also blame it all on the awful coaching job of Mike Woodson.

While Woodson has always been a good defensive coach, his lack of ability to create a dynamic offense stuck out like a sore thumb in the past few postseason appearances.

The Hawks will return the core of their team that went 53-29 last season, including crowd pleaser Jamal Crawford.

But new coach and former Hawks assistant Larry Drew didn't waste any time calling out the offense after being appointed. Drew promises ball movement and emphasis on efficiency on offense will become a priority in 2010, as he tries to lead an obviously very talented team to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Josh Smith has continued to mature, yelling and arguing less and crashing boards and scoring more. Joe Johnson could very well leave; however, either way Atlanta will be returning All-Star Al Horford and All-Star snubs Smith and Crawford.

Having fans upset over the losses of a 53-29 team proves that expectations are much higher for the Hawks. Getting wins in the second round means success for Drew in his first year with the rising franchise.

But what about the other flock of birds next door? That's right—the curse is lifted.

For the first time in team history, the Falcons were able to record back-to-back winning seasons, thanks to head coach Mike Smith. Atlanta went 11-5 and 9-7 in Smith's first two years, the second year being full of injuries.

Atlanta also has a franchise quarterback in Matt Ryan, who is 20-10 as a starter in the NFL. The Falcons are stacked on offense, with Tony Gonzalez returning, claiming he feels like he has the best chance of reaching the Super Bowl now of any he has had in his entire career. Additions on defense continue to flood in, and the offense should be one of the best in the league next year if everyone stays healthy.

The Falcons definitely are moving in the right direction, which is insane to think about considering the direction they appeared to be moving in when Bobby Petrino left and Michael Vick got indicted.

Also, Paul Johnson has the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets creating buzz around town. The ACC champions return their centerpiece, quarterback Josh Nesbitt, as well as their lethal triple option offense.

Many think the losses of Jonathan Dwyer and Bay-Bay Thomas will hurt Tech, but I think the offense is systematically successful as opposed to gaining steam from personnel.

As long as the triple option exists, Georgia Tech will have one of the best offenses in college football. As long as their defense can be as good as it was during the bulk of the last decade, this team could win plenty of conference titles.

Not one major athletic program in the city enters the year with low expectations.

Combine this with the Georgia State Panthers, Atlanta Dream, and Gwinnett Braves, and it may not be a better time to become a hometown sports fanatic in Atlanta.