THAT WAS DIFFERENT. AND IN THIS TOWN...DIFFERENT IS GOOD

The Falcons played this past Sunday. I was there. I saw it. More than that...I felt it. All of it. So did you.

It had the look and feel of a fight. Not a championship fight. We're not there yet. But it was one of those fights that for all intent and purpose decides whether you are true contender on his way up. Or just another flawed pretender stepping up in class. The guy with the real good record who doesn't have the chin or the knockout punch to truly take on all comers.

I won't go over it round by round. But at the end of 12 you had a scorecard that was all over the place. You've seen it before. Little bit of early dancing. A real good jab that stuns. A couple of big punches that let you know one guy is in charge. 10-9 10-9 10-8. A knockdown. A standing 8 count. Refs looks in his eyes and signals "Keep Fighting". You cut him. They stop it for a minute. (Actually about 15 minutes. It's called halftime) They have a good corner and cut man. Guy comes out after that swinging. Connects. You counter. They land a couple of the biggest punches of the day. He's down big on points. Probably needs the Knockout at this point. It turns from reeling into bonafide trouble. You're in the corner just looking for the round to end. It doesn't. 4. 5. 6 shots in a row. Next thing you know you're flat on your back, Only one of two things is going to happen at that point.

The Atlanta Falcons won more than a football game on Sunday vs Seattle.

They won a fight. And in a world that is as Black and White as an elimination fight or an NFL Playoff game...styles matter right up until the end. Then the only thing that matters is..

DID YOU WIN. OR DID YOU LOSE.

They also won a stay of execution.

Not a full blown Pardon. But they live another day in a world where you're either standing upright with the Sun shining down on you or you're laid out in a new suit and here come the guys with the shovels full of dirt.

The former beats the Hell out of the latter. Go ask the 28 who have been or are being lowered into the ground as we speak. You won't get much out of them though. I CAN tell you all of them had the same last words. The age old battle-cry of "Wait til Next Year". A good handful of them don't believe it. But you have to put it out there.

Well The Falcons are still standing. Not talking about "Next Year'...but working on how to extend "This Year". Because the Governor of all that is sports got the phone call in just in time. Told the guy at the switch to back away. New evidence had shown that this team was not actually guilty of the crime that has plagued way to many in this town. Guilty of fraud. Or ripping the hearts out of its victims. Or any other number of things that leave way to many hurt in their wake. The type of emotionally cruelty that leaves one side saying I have to get away from you because this isn't healthy.

If a straight up "Not Guilty" is to strong...lets at least go with a "We need to look at this further". Someone threw the red flag on the field and the ref has now got his head under that tarp and he's taking a look. Did the Falcons fumble away their 2012 season...or was there a knee on the ground?

Sometimes the sweetest words to a fan of an NFL fan start with..."After further review...the ruling on the field..."

Or maybe it was more like they got themselves off the table after a flatline moment. Someone broke out the paddles and the cry of "Clear" could be heard in the Georgia Dome. And sure enough...after a couple of bolts of life were thrown into them..the Falcons walked away from the bright light. Turned right around and decided it just wasn't their time. And if you've lived in this town for more than 6 minutes, you know that the bright light was damn near undefeated in these situations.

The Grim Reaper resides in Cleveland. But he has a summer place here in Atlanta. The good news is he was in Denver this weekend. Snowed in after a connecting flight on his way here.

However you want to look at it...with all of the work that the Falcons have to do to get ready for the San Francisco 49ers...and they have a LOT of work to do this week..they live to see another day. Another Fight.

I say bring 'em on. More importantly, I believe the group in Flowery Branch says the same thing. "Who's Next?"

Winning the belt ain't easy. Ain't supposed to be. You're not going to be as pretty coming out of the ring as when you went into after fights this big. But holding the belt above your head will make you forget about a broken nose and a black eye. Ease the pain of a few internal organs screaming. Never heard a Champion say it wasn't worth it. Never seen a crowd not get to its feet to applaud that kind of effort.

You ready Atlanta? I think the Falcons are.

The Falcons played this past Sunday. I was there. I saw it. More than that...I felt it. All of it. So did you.

It had the look and feel of a fight. Not a championship fight. We're not there yet. But it was one of those fights that for all intent and purpose decides whether you are true contender on his way up. Or just another flawed pretender stepping up in class. The guy with the real good record who doesn't have the chin or the knockout punch to truly take on all comers.

I won't go over it round by round. But at the end of 12 you had a scorecard that was all over the place. You've seen it before. Little bit of early dancing. A real good jab that stuns. A couple of big punches that let you know one guy is in charge. 10-9 10-9 10-8. A knockdown. A standing 8 count. Refs looks in his eyes and signals "Keep Fighting". You cut him. They stop it for a minute. (Actually about 15 minutes. It's called halftime) They have a good corner and cut man. Guy comes out after that swinging. Connects. You counter. They land a couple of the biggest punches of the day. He's down big on points. Probably needs the Knockout at this point. It turns from reeling into bonafide trouble. You're in the corner just looking for the round to end. It doesn't. 4. 5. 6 shots in a row. Next thing you know you're flat on your back, Only one of two things is going to happen at that point.

The Atlanta Falcons won more than a football game on Sunday vs Seattle.

They won a fight. And in a world that is as Black and White as an elimination fight or an NFL Playoff game...styles matter right up until the end. Then the only thing that matters is..

DID YOU WIN. OR DID YOU LOSE.

They also won a stay of execution.

Not a full blown Pardon. But they live another day in a world where you're either standing upright with the Sun shining down on you or you're laid out in a new suit and here come the guys with the shovels full of dirt.

The former beats the Hell out of the latter. Go ask the 28 who have been or are being lowered into the ground as we speak. You won't get much out of them though. I CAN tell you all of them had the same last words. The age old battle-cry of "Wait til Next Year". A good handful of them don't believe it. But you have to put it out there.

Well The Falcons are still standing. Not talking about "Next Year'...but working on how to extend "This Year". Because the Governor of all that is sports got the phone call in just in time. Told the guy at the switch to back away. New evidence had shown that this team was not actually guilty of the crime that has plagued way to many in this town. Guilty of fraud. Or ripping the hearts out of its victims. Or any other number of things that leave way to many hurt in their wake. The type of emotionally cruelty that leaves one side saying I have to get away from you because this isn't healthy.

If a straight up "Not Guilty" is to strong...lets at least go with a "We need to look at this further". Someone threw the red flag on the field and the ref has now got his head under that tarp and he's taking a look. Did the Falcons fumble away their 2012 season...or was there a knee on the ground?

Sometimes the sweetest words to a fan of an NFL fan start with..."After further review...the ruling on the field..."

Or maybe it was more like they got themselves off the table after a flatline moment. Someone broke out the paddles and the cry of "Clear" could be heard in the Georgia Dome. And sure enough...after a couple of bolts of life were thrown into them..the Falcons walked away from the bright light. Turned right around and decided it just wasn't their time. And if you've lived in this town for more than 6 minutes, you know that the bright light was damn near undefeated in these situations.

The Grim Reaper resides in Cleveland. But he has a summer place here in Atlanta. The good news is he was in Denver this weekend. Snowed in after a connecting flight on his way here.

However you want to look at it...with all of the work that the Falcons have to do to get ready for the San Francisco 49ers...and they have a LOT of work to do this week..they live to see another day. Another Fight.

I say bring 'em on. More importantly, I believe the group in Flowery Branch says the same thing. "Who's Next?"

Winning the belt ain't easy. Ain't supposed to be. You're not going to be as pretty coming out of the ring as when you went into after fights this big. But holding the belt above your head will make you forget about a broken nose and a black eye. Ease the pain of a few internal organs screaming. Never heard a Champion say it wasn't worth it. Never seen a crowd not get to its feet to applaud that kind of effort.

You ready Atlanta? I think the Falcons are.