It's an exciting time to be a fan of the Atlanta Falcons.
Backed by one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, the Falcons are set to make their second-ever appearance in the Super Bowl.
In the long march to Super Bowl Sunday, you'll hear talk that this iteration of the Falcons may be the best in franchise history. Atlanta cemented its spot as the best the NFC has to offer this year by easily dispatching Seattle and Green Bay in the playoffs, but do fans in Georgia hold this team in the same esteem as Falcons squads of the past?
Let's take a look:
The 'Dirty Bird' era
The "Dirty Bird" era dawned swiftly and suddenly. After a 3-13 season followed by a 7-9 year, the Falcons stunned the NFL by posting a 14-2 record and soaring into the Super Bowl.
Along the way, they upset a juggernaut 15-1 Minnesota Vikings outfit that featured a seemingly unstoppable pairing of Randy Moss and Randall Cunningham. The Vikings were the presumptive Super Bowl champions - so much so, they entered the NFC title game against the Falcons as -10.5 favorites. Atlanta, however, hung with its high-flying opponent and pulled out a 30-27 victory in overtime to book a trip to Super Bowl XXXIII.
Perhaps the most memorable part of that season was the touchdown dance that gained popularity with every Falcons win. Jamal Anderson celebrated every one of his scores with the "Dirty Bird," a dance that ended with him flapping his wings. As the scores and victories mounted, so did the frequency of the dances.
The "Dirty Bird" became ingrained in sports and culture beyond Atlanta, finding popularity in schools and playgrounds, and was frequently the most notable representation of the team.
The national attention the dance and team garnered in 1998 and '99 dissipated almost as quickly. The Falcons followed their Super Bowl appearance with a five-win season. Anderson played in just two games that year and was out of the league by 2002.
Though it didn't have staying power, Falcons fans took great pride in the "Dirty Bird" era - that is, until ...
The Michael Vick Experience
The most athletic and exciting quarterback to set foot on a football field made Atlanta home from 2001 to 2006. During those six seasons, Michael Vick set records both on and off the field and made the Falcons the NFL's most en-vogue franchise.
Vick was an icon. The ultimate dual-threat quarterback, he could win games with his arm, but often decided them with his legs. He brought new meaning to the term "running quarterback," as he would go on to set the record for rushing yards by a player at the position.
In his first year as a starter in 2002, he took the Falcons to the playoffs and became the first QB to win a road playoff game at Lambeau Field.
Vick owned the league's second-best-selling jersey in 2004 and Atlanta rewarded his entertainment value with a record-breaking 10-year, $130-million contract.
In the early 2000s, Vick was making $4 million in off-field endorsements with the likes of EA Sports, Coca-Cola, and Nike.
In Atlanta, Vick featured in music videos and was even idolized by fellow local celebrities. He took the Falcons as far as the NFC Championship Game in 2004, fostering dreams of a future Super Bowl triumph. But it all came crashing to an end at his compound in Virginia.
As a whole, Falcons fans were compelled to divorce themselves from Vick when his dog-fighting transgressions came to light. While his on-field exploits were unmatched, his off-field behavior left a lasting stain.
Present day
After Vick's unceremonious exit from Atlanta, the Falcons made a concerted effort to distance themselves from his negative headlines by tabbing the squeaky-clean Matt Ryan as their quarterback of the future in 2008. "Matty Ice" made progress with each passing season, and Atlanta added the final piece to its playoff puzzle by trading up in the 2011 draft to select receiver Julio Jones.
What Ryan and Jones lack in off-field personality, they more than make up for with production and wins. Since they were paired together, they've produced three seasons of double-digit victories, each ending with trips into the playoffs.
Ryan has never had a better statistical season than this one. By throwing for nearly 5,000 passing yards and a career-high 38 touchdowns against a career-low seven interceptions, Ryan will likely be named 2016 NFL MVP the night before he participates in his first Super Bowl.
Jones has enjoyed better individual seasons, but he produced a stunning 300-yard performance this year and followed it up by going off for three touchdowns in the playoffs.
The Falcons are firing on all cylinders. But while Ryan and Jones lead the way, the supporting cast lacks the name recognition it had when the Falcons employed Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White. The defense is comprised mostly of youngsters and unsung role players, and its star is a sophomore coming off a forgettable rookie season.
Though the Falcons have been successful for the majority of this decade, they're still struggling to capture the imagination of fans. Atlanta ranked 14th in attendance this year. As of December, Jones ranked 25th in jersey sales from the league's pro shop website, and despite his MVP-caliber season, Ryan didn't even crack the top 25. Neither of them placed in the NFLPA's top 50 player sales list at the end of the 2015 season. It's a far cry from the attendance and jersey sales of the Vick era.
Ryan and Jones do not own the star power Vick once did, and Kyle Shanahan's explosive offense may not match the entertainment value Vick's performances provided.
These NFC champion, Super Bowl-bound Falcons may not have the following the team attracted in the early 2000s, but they will - if they manage a triumph over the dynastic New England Patriots on Feb. 5.
