Things I have heard from the 'experts'...

[MagnusXXIII]

• Falcons did not deserve to win the the Jets game ... Steak Shapiro
  
• The Falcons are not better than Detroit ... Brandon Adams 2008
  
• when the Falcons already had 6 wins in 2008 "The Falcons will win 7 games this season" ... David Pollack
  
• The Falcons will draft in 2009 James Laurenitis ... Jamie Dukes
  
• The Falcons never won more than 12 games have they? ... Warren Sapp
  
• (in response) They went 13-3 in 1998 ... Rich Eisen
  
• The Falcons just had their first back to back non-losing seasons ... Rich Eisen
  
• Curtis Lofton is solid but nothing special ... Jeff Wolverton
  
• Matt Ryan is an average quarterback ... Mike Bell
  
• Matt Ryan will never throw 4000 yards ... Mike Bell
  
• Matt Ryan has a weak arm ... David Pollack
  
• Falcons should draft Taylor Mays ... Chris Demino
  

to name a few ... vent your own if you wish....

[rugger8]

Why do you listen to 790?

[MagnusXXIII]

When Mayock asked Dukes ... "but where would you play [Laurenitis]?"

Duke replied ... "In the middle."

[SetzerFalcon]

Walter of Walterfootball's 2008 Post-Draft Power Rankings, Falcons dead last:

"5/4/08: Looking at the schedule, I don't see more than three or four wins for the Falcons. About a month ago on this page, I listed all of their holes (you can see this below). So, let's see how well they did with all of the draft picks they obtained for Matt Schaub and DeAngelo Hall: Matt Ryan - ugh. Even if he becomes a good pro, he won't do much as a rookie. Offensive tackle - yeesh. Tight end - nothing. Nose tackle - try again. Cornerback - whoops. Receiving depth - yeah, right. What in the world did Atlanta do with all of its selections?"

[MagnusXXIII]

790 the Zone ... "Atlanta is a smaller market than Philadelphia"...

Access a full copy of the Spring 2010 Market Survey Schedule & Population Rankings (Blue Book), which includes the Market Rankings.

Rank Type DST Qual Type Market Name Metro 12+ Population

1 PPM BH S/PPM New York 15,669,500

2 PPM BH S/PPM Los Angeles 10,999,100

3 PPM BH S/PPM Chicago 7,862,200

4 PPM BH S/PPM San Francisco 6,145,800

5 PPM BH S/PPM Dallas-Ft. Worth 5,216,100

6 PPM BH S/PPM Houston-Galveston 4,815,700

7 PPM BH S/PPM Atlanta 4,413,800

8 PPM BH S/PPM Philadelphia 4,357,600

[MagnusXXIII]

Walter of Walterfootball's 2008 Post-Draft Power Rankings, Falcons dead last:

"5/4/08: Looking at the schedule, I don't see more than three or four wins for the Falcons. About a month ago on this page, I listed all of their holes (you can see this below). So, let's see how well they did with all of the draft picks they obtained for Matt Schaub and DeAngelo Hall: Matt Ryan - ugh. Even if he becomes a good pro, he won't do much as a rookie. Offensive tackle - yeesh. Tight end - nothing. Nose tackle - try again. Cornerback - whoops. Receiving depth - yeah, right. What in the world did Atlanta do with all of its selections?"

+1

[MagnusXXIII]

THEYRE PAID TO GIVE THEIR OPINION THAT MEANS THEYRE MENTALLY MORE FIT THAN YOU AT FOOTBALL

maybe so ... maybe so....

[SetzerFalcon]

I know these are older ones, but they're ones that stick with me. It's early August 2008 and I'm listening to NFL Radio on Sirius and it's Adam Schein and Marty Schottenheimer doing their afternoon show and a Falcons fan calls in (probably Poppa Falcon) and comments on how Atlanta's training camp is going so well and how impressive Coach Smith, Matty and Turner are looking and how he thinks maybe, just maybe, Atlanta could win 7 games. Nothing ridiculously unrealistic like 11-5 and going to the playoffs, just 7 games. And you could hear these guys just basically fall out of their chairs laughing at the mere prospect of Atlanta not being the worst team in the league and how absurd any Falcons fan would have to be to have optimism. Then they composed themselves and did a song and dance for the caller, and immediately after he hung up they start just ripping Atlanta and Schottenheimer says something to the effect of "I'll eat my hat if they win more than 4 games."

It really irked me, and it's why I don't dismiss ANY team, no matter how woeful they may appear to be.

[paulitik]

I know these are older ones, but they're ones that stick with me. It's early August 2008 and I'm listening to NFL Radio on Sirius and it's Adam Schein and Marty Schottenheimer doing their afternoon show and a Falcons fan calls in (probably Poppa Falcon) and comments on how Atlanta's training camp is going so well and how impressive Coach Smith, Matty and Turner are looking and how he thinks maybe, just maybe, Atlanta could win 7 games. Nothing ridiculously unrealistic like 11-5 and going to the playoffs, just 7 games. And you could hear these guys just basically fall out of their chairs laughing at the mere prospect of Atlanta not being the worst team in the league and how absurd any Falcons fan would have to be to have optimism. Then they composed themselves and did a song and dance for the caller, and immediately after he hung up they start just ripping Atlanta and Schottenheimer says something to the effect of "I'll eat my hat if they win more than 4 games."

It really irked me, and it's why I don't dismiss ANY team, no matter how woeful they may appear to be.

Adam Schein is all on our jock now.

[vel]

Jamie Dukes is an idiot. He knows nothing about any team unless it is the Cowboys. You can see him cringe when he has to talk about the Falcons. Mike Bell... smh. And David Pollack has brain issues. He was in the league for a week before he broke his neck I think he suffered some brain trauma as well.

NFL Network is (as much as I like Eisen) full of tools. Sapp says the Falcons never won more than 12 then Eisen goes on to say 13. WOW! And your job is to be a sports, no, NFL analyst and you don't remember the 14-2 Falcons that upset the Vikings and the best offense of all-time to that point. And the producers are so stupid that they didn't even catch it.

I laugh.

[aerosmith67]

Just a small insight into how radio, print editorials and TV works, the more controversy a show or channel can dig up the better. Howard Stern became popular and remained popular because he was controversial, more often than no there were likely more people that disagreed with what he does on his show than those that did agree. The same could be said about Fox News.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that for every negative statement made about the Falcons on 790 there was someone either on the show or a caller that disagreed with them. That's what drives ratings and what drives people to listen. Which in turn drives profits made from ad space sold on the channel.

A company like Applebee's doesn't agree with everything that's said on 790 but they definitely know that people are listening. The same could be said for 680, they say some pretty ignorant things on that station as well but that's why you listen, listening to a show that you always agree with is boring.

Something else to keep in mind is that just because someone says something on the radio or on TV doesn't mean they necessarily feel that way personally or live the life they portray. In an industry where fake broadcast voices are used you can't always believe what is being said is truly how those people feel.

[MagnusXXIII]

Just a small insight into how radio, print editorials and TV works, the more controversy a show or channel can dig up the better. Howard Stern became popular and remained popular because he was controversial, more often than no there were likely more people that disagreed with what he does on his show than those that did agree. The same could be said about Fox News.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that for every negative statement made about the Falcons on 790 there was someone either on the show or a caller that disagreed with them. That's what drives ratings and what drives people to listen. Which in turn drives profits made from ad space sold on the channel.

A company like Applebee's doesn't agree with everything that's said on 790 but they definitely know that people are listening. The same could be said for 680, they say some pretty ignorant things on that station as well but that's why you listen, listening to a show that you always agree with is boring.

Something else to keep in mind is that just because someone says something on the radio or on TV doesn't mean they necessarily feel that way personally or live the life they portray. In an industry where fake broadcast voices are used you can't always believe what is being said is truly how those people feel.

I think you may be right as far as some of the negativity ... Belue and Kincade do the good cop/ bad cop all the time. But when I travel to other large cities, I do not hear the same level of negativity about the local sports teams.

...no excuse though for the factual errors. Or the way the Falcons are dismissed in the national coverage.

[aerosmith67]

I think you may be right as far as some of the negativity ... Belue and Kincade do the good cop/ bad cop all the time. But when I travel to other large cities, I do not here the same level of negativity about the local sports teams.

...no excuse though for the factual errors. Or the way the Falcons are dismissed in the national coverage.

If you stay in any city long enough you'll hear the same formula over and over again. It's what works and has worked for at least the last 20 years in the radio industry.

The factual errors are to be expected, anyone with a mic in front of them is instantly an "expert". Those that don't know any better take whatever is being said be it on 790, 680 in Atlanta or on WJFK in DC, or even in Sirius/XM radio as being true. Just like people take what's said on CNN/Fox News as being the truth, those who don't have the desire to dig deeper will always be happy with what's presented to them. I'm telling you, the radio in Atlanta is the same as it is everywhere else. The broadcast quality is horrible and shows are all really hard to listen to because they lack focus most of the time, but content wise they're the same as any other city. (just replace the Falcons with the Skins or Broncos)

As far as the Falcons on a national level, they haven't done ANYTHING over the last 40+ years worthwhile so they shouldn't get as much press as teams that have won multiple Super Bowls or have a strong interest story (Saints) that people can root for. Keep in mind the Pats were a joke for a good 20 year period before they started winning again, if the Falcons can do that on a consistent basis they'll make their way into the national spotlight. Very few teams actually HAVE national respect, the NFC East is a major outlier in terms of the NFL, each division has several teams that rarely get covered on a consistent basis.

[MagnusXXIII]

We will have to agree to disagree on other cities. Not saying there are not other cities with horrible local radio ... but in my frequent travels (usually to the northeast) ... there is much more homerism and relatively few factual errors.

And there is really no excuse for Eisen et company to be so ill-informed when it comes to Falcons history.

[SetzerFalcon]

Sorry for veering slightly off-topic again here Magnus, but honestly if you want a textbook example of 1) how to be a jack*** fan, 2) why preseason results are meaningless and 3) why blindly believing the "experts" is a good way to look foolish then look no further than right here:

http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=253324&start=0

Any given Sunday, folks. Atlanta is a premiere example. And it's 2010 and fans of other teams STILL think Atlanta is an easy win every single week.

[atlantaprodj]

Finally watched the NFL Films/NFL Network America's Game showing of the 1998 Vikings....

What a butt kiss festival that was...

Acted as if the Vikings deserved it all and no credit given to the 14-2 Falcons.

Why would you make a film about the losers of the NFC Championship game!

[SetzerFalcon]

Finally watched the NFL Films/NFL Network America's Game showing of the 1998 Vikings....

What a butt kiss festival that was...

Acted as if the Vikings deserved it all and no credit given to the 14-2 Falcons.

Why would you make a film about the losers of the NFC Championship game!

Oh man, I watched that last night. Nothing like a good comedy before bedtime.

[aerosmith67]

We will have to agree to disagree on other cities. Not saying there are not other cities with horrible local radio ... but in my frequent travels (usually to the northeast) ... there is much more homerism and relatively few factual errors.

And there is really no excuse for Eisen et company to be so ill-informed when it comes to Falcons history.

I've lived in 13 different States, I'm pretty confident in my opinion. :P As far as NFLN they're no better or worse than ESPN or your local radio, they're not paid to be right, just to have an opinion and to read what's on the teleprompter.

[aerosmith67]

Also, something to keep in mind is that quite a few teams own radio stations or channels, there's bound to be PRO Skins talk on WJFK simply because they're owned by Dan Snyder, the same is true in NYC and the surrounding areas. No team in Atlanta owns a radio/TV station.

[MagnusXXIII]

I've lived in 13 different States, I'm pretty confident in my opinion. :P As far as NFLN they're no better or worse than ESPN or your local radio, they're not paid to be right, just to have an opinion and to read what's on the teleprompter.

NFL Network and ESPN fall more into the sports jounalist category and should be held to a higher standard concerning factual accuracy.

I have lived in 7 large sports markets and have spent extended time in CA, CO, and TX ... so while I respect your opinion and partially agree ... I would still have to say Atlanta's media treatment both locally and nationally is among the worst.

[vel]

Sorry for veering slightly off-topic again here Magnus, but honestly if you want a textbook example of 1) how to be a jack*** fan, 2) why preseason results are meaningless and 3) why blindly believing the "experts" is a good way to look foolish then look no further than right here:

http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=253324&start=0

Any given Sunday, folks. Atlanta is a premiere example. And it's 2010 and fans of other teams STILL think Atlanta is an easy win every single week.

HAHA the kid predicted 5 TD's and then said they were gonna win 33-6. Doesn't 5 TD's = 35 points or did he think his kicker sucked enough to miss 2 PATs in the season opener? HAHA I bet he knows what 0-16 equals!

[SetzerFalcon]

HAHA the kid predicted 5 TD's and then said they were gonna win 33-6. Doesn't 5 TD's = 35 points or did he think his kicker sucked enough to miss 2 PATs in the season opener? HAHA I bet he knows what 0-16 equals!

You know how Adam Sandler's character in the Waterboy needed "tacklin' fuel"? That thread is mine. I bring it out every year about this time because it gets me into a "kill everybody" football mentality. The Dolphins' pre-game thread from last season was pretty solid fuel too.

[aerosmith67]

NFL Network and ESPN fall more into the sports jounalist category and should be held to a higher standard concerning factual accuracy.

I have lived in 7 large sports markets and have spent extended time in CA, CO, and TX ... so while I respect your opinion and partially agree ... I would still have to say Atlanta's media treatment both locally and nationally is among the worst.

Those networks are no better than CNN/Fox/MSNBC there's always going to be spin, hype and facts are going to be as correct as the one's riding through the commentators brain or on the prompter. We're talking about a group of people who aren't necessarily the sharpest tools in the shed. I think you also have to throw out the ex-pros as being stone cold experts I played college football, I have some insight into how things work but that doesn't make me worthy of an expert to even be on a local college station.

[MagnusXXIII]

Finally watched the NFL Films/NFL Network America's Game showing of the 1998 Vikings....

What a butt kiss festival that was...

Acted as if the Vikings deserved it all and no credit given to the 14-2 Falcons.

Why would you make a film about the losers of the NFC Championship game!

I saw that ... amazing.

They tried to give excuses for the loss ... but all they could really come up with is a missed 40+ yard field goal...

[MagnusXXIII]

Those networks are no better than CNN/Fox/MSNBC there's always going to be spin, hype and facts are going to be as correct as the one's riding through the commentators brain or on the prompter. We're talking about a group of people who aren't necessarily the sharpest tools in the shed. I think you also have to throw out the ex-pros as being stone cold experts I played college football, I have some insight into how things work but that doesn't make me worthy of an expert to even be on a local college station.

Listen ... I don't think Dukes chose to say we would draft a middle linebacker even though we just drafted one who became the runner up DROY to get better ratings.

If your argument is that they are all incompetent ... well I would tend to agree.

But people should expect NFL Network to get stats right even if our own Brandon Adams can't.