atljbo Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Matt Ryan: The absolute right man at the absolute right time10:23 am September 24, 2009, by Mark BradleyMatty Ice showed up, and everything around him changed. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind you of what you already know. On Sunday I was talking with Charles Chandler of the Charlotte Observer, and he said, “It’s amazing what these guys have done.”He meant the Falcons, and it is. And we around here saw it firsthand last season, the rise to 11-5 one year after the agony and indignity of Petrino/Vick. And now we watch as the Falcons head to Foxborough 2-0 and only a 4 1/2-point underdog against the gold standard of professional football, and we dare to ask: Might they win?And about now, we should take three steps back and try to see the landscape, as opposed, say, to the hair on Michael Turner’s chinny-chin-chin. We should take a moment to reflect, not for the first time but maybe for the first time in a while, just what has transpired.In the span of two offseasons, a franchise has gone from being both mocked and pitied to being hailed as a new paradigm. It has happened for many reasons, from the celebrated (Dimitroff, Smitty, Turner, Gonzo) to the subtle (Lofton) to the hidden (O-line coach Paul Boudreau). But mostly it has happened because of Matt Ryan.Had Thomas Dimitroff taken Glenn Dorsey with the third pick of Round 1 on April 26, 2008, it wouldn’t have rendered the “process” less valid or made Mike Smith as phony as Jerry Glanville. But Ryan made it all work, and he made it work overnight. More than just the right pick, he was the right pick at the right moment.Michael Vick exited Flowery Branch and the whole operation collapsed. Matty Ice showed up and everyone began to believe anew. It wasn’t because he made any campaign promises. (Like Smitty, Ryan is a smart guy who works hard not to say too much. And if you’ve seen his AirTran spot, you know he’s no Al Pacino.) He made people believe because there’s something about Matty that has that effect on people.It was once said of Joey Harrington — a Falcon quarterback in the lost season of 2007, lest we forget — that he’d step into a huddle and 10 other guys would want to step out. When Ryan steps in the huddle, those other 10 see him and think, “Hey, we’ve got a chance.” Lots of successful sports people write books on leadership. Ryan is the living text.Say Dimitroff had waited a year to take his quarterback. Nobody in this draft — not Matthew Stafford, not even Mark Sanchez — would have had the restorative effect on a woebegone team and a fractured fan base that Ryan has had here. And without Ryan playing for the Falcons in 2008, none of us would have had cause to believe so completely in the process. Because with Chris Redman at quarterback, the 2008 Falcons would have gone 5-11.Joe Flacco, taken in Round 1 of the same draft, slipped into Baltimore and made a decent team better, but Joe Flacco could not have made a bad team believe. Ryan did that by showing up and working hard and respecting his elders — he spent $10,000 to install a new stereo system in the locker room — and hanging tough in Week 2 last season in Tampa, and he did it by not being afraid to be The Man Who Followed Michael Vick.To this day, all Ryan has said about his predecessor as face-of-the-franchise is this: “I’m not Mike Vick; I can’t be Mike Vick.” But the Falcons didn’t need another No. 7. They needed a guy who wanted to be here, who wanted to take the ball and this team and see where he could lead it. And every week he proves to be even better than we thought he was.Nineteen months ago he left Boston and a lot of folks deemed him another Falcons mistake. This weekend he returns to New England as the league’s fourth-ranked passer, as field commander of one of the NFL’s nine unbeaten teams. This up-from-desolation saga is being written because a lot of bright people keep doing inspired work. The most inspirational of all wears No. 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dedsquirl Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 I feel all tingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulldogsPride89 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Great read. I myself doubted Matty Ice when we drafted him, but I can see how wrong I was. He is a great leader and a **** of a QB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falken Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 For the Falcons to turn Bradley into a believer is a major accomplishment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falken Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Great read. I myself doubted Matty Ice when we drafted him, but I can see how wrong I was. He is a great leader and a **** of a QB.The good thing about 'fessing up is that you can still enjoy the ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falcndave Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 the story is nice. Is that really JBO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaymadd Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 "Sooo Icey" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tandy Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Wow, coming from Mark Bradley - that is absolutely awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaymadd Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 For the Falcons to turn Bradley into a believer is a major accomplishment.Wow, coming from Mark Bradley - that is absolutely awesome.Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind you of what you already know. On Sunday I was talking with Charles Chandler of the Charlotte Observer, and he said, “It’s amazing what these guys have done.”It is a shame that someone else had to point it out to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atljbo Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 the story is nice. Is that really JBO? Yes..... It is I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tandy Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Yes..... It is IWhat happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaymadd Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 What happened?He tried to come up against Jaymadd, and i wasn't having none of it. ***Note to Tandy dont mess with Jaymadd*** :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncja Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Dude is gonna get fired if he keeps writing positive things about the Falcons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dedsquirl Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Dude is gonna get fired if he keeps writing positive things about the Falcons.No doubt.Bedwetter is probably calling TMoore right now to get a posse formed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimm Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 What happened?i thought he was banned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atljbo Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 i thought he was bannedYea.... They unbanned me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamPlayer1 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 i thought he was bannedEarly release. Good behavior! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atljbo Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Early release. Good behavior! exactly..lol.. I'm still rocking the ankle bracelet monitor tho...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring It Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Ryan is truly a once in every 20 years NFL quarterback.A born winner with all the tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karst41 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 " He made people believe because there’s something about Matty that has that effect on people."Gee Thanks Mark Bradley.At least we know that you view the Look Alikes.http://life.atlantafalcons.com/index.php?showtopic=3866134 Post #3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karst41 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 It is a shame that someone else had to point it out to him. True Dat ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karst41 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 He tried to come up against Jaymadd, and i wasn't having none of it. ***Note to Tandy dont mess with Jaymadd*** :P My Money is on Tandy ! Aint even gonna be close Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firstiary Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Ryan is truly a once in every 20 years NFL quarterback.A born winner with all the tools.Once in 20? That would make him one of the four or five top QBs of all time, going back to the 20s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCEagleATLFalcon Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Wow!!! I'm going to frame this article. :wub: :wub: :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atljbo Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Wow!!! I'm going to frame this article. :wub: :wub: :wub: Because i post this article ? ...lol..... awww I'm feeling the love ms. BCEaGleATLFaLcOn.... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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