Welcome to Atlanta

For years Atlanta fans have been accused of being lazy, unconcerned, and more importantly lacking passion. How quickly people forget the past and the fans passion, no matter what we did or how often we showed up no one cared on one remembered, because we did not have an iconic moment, an immortal moment that showed that we cared and were passionate about our team.... Enter Friday and Atlanta's redemption.

Now before I go much further please let me acknowledge that I do not feel continually throwing debris onto the field was acceptable, but the initial downpour I thought was called for. I was at the game and I have to say that I have never seen fans that passionate in person before. Do not get me wrong I have seen us excited or seen sold out Thrashers playoff games, sold out Falcons games, and felt the excitement through the media and distance, but I have never been there in person. And you see despite the Braves front office apologizing, I think the fans reaction was the best thing to happen to Atlanta sports in a long time.

No one remember our passion for the Thrashers, all the remember is a lack luster fan base letting their team be taken. In reality we all know that this is not true, we hated Atlanta Spit and after being beaten down for years we could not stand up and support them any more. In sports they allays say protest the ownership if you do not like it, do not buy the product, hit them where it hurts.... We did that and we lost our team. But that is not the point here... When the thrashers were in Atlanta we could fill Philips and did for many years and during our one playoff run the "highlight factory" was raucous and passionate. In the end though no one remember those sell outs or passion, but instead only remembers empty seats and us losing a team for a second time.

Falcons and the Braves have also faced the same fate in regards to fan ridicule. People quickly forget how the Braves fans filled Turner field for 6-7 years after its opening, holding one of the best attendances in baseball. People instead sight a half full stadium on a Monday night to show our fans passion. Despite what Phillies fans say, they do not love their team... Eagles, Fliers, yes, Chillies no. The only reason they sold out the stadium was because the team was good at the time they opened it. Now that they are struggling we shall see what happens to their "die hard" fans.

What Atlanta fans needed to put them on the map was an immortal incident that would show our passion for years to come. A moment where in the bad times, when people are doubting our loyalty we could point to and say "really? you really want to make that point?" Despite all the good Atlanta fans had done through the years we did not have that, however now we do.

On a prime time slot, the Braves fans showed the country watching on TBS what we are made of when you screw over our team. We did not roll over, we booed, we threw things, and we showed our passion for a team that was making its comeback. I do not think people should have thrown things for 20 min (which in reality that is a little overblown, the majority of it came in the first few minutes and then a few stragglers threw things later on), but I think we should have been appalled with the call and how we were being treated.

Turner Field was electric, people were passionate and excited and we showed the country that we cared. In the end if the fans had not raised hell, we would have been accused of being soft and not sticking up for our team. However in the end I was in a stadium where 50,000 thousand people chanted "in-field fly.... in-field fly" every time a ball was hit in the air. I got to see a crowd stand up for their team and their city.

Friday night was special for me, not because I saw Chippers last game or a historic "playoff game", but because I got to be witness to and a part of the birth of the Atlanta fan base. We now have a calling card , a call to arms, an instance that we can all gather behind and rally to show that we are not lazy fans, but instead caring passionate fans. So move over Philly, New York, and Chicago... Atlanta has arrived and is here to stay.