Hello. My Name is Thomas, And I’m a Falcons Addict
Posted: January 10, 2013 Filed under: NFL, NFL Playoffs, Thomas Lake, Weekly Issue | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, nfl, NFL Playoffs, Thomas Lake Comments Off
After 46 years in the National Football League, the Atlanta Falcons remain one of 14 teams that have yet to hold the Vince Lombardi trophy and call themselves Super Bowl champions. To be a fan of the Falcons is to accept the inevitable feeling of complete and utter disappointment. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED senior writer Thomas Lake, a lifelong Falcon fan, describes how his fondest memories of the Falcons are fogged with the eerie understanding that even the most outstanding victories can be followed by season-halting losses. Whether it was the debacle that was their first Super Bowl appearance in 1999, the complicated love-hate relationship and bitter divorce with Michael Vick, or last year’s playoff shutout loss to the Giants, Falcons fans have learned to live with heartbreak. But as the Falcons gear up for this year’s playoffs, Thomas and his brother, Red, stand together amongst a sea of red and black waiting for their turn to come. Could this be their year? History says no, but their eternal optimism and devotion is telling them yes (page 66).
NFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: PETER KING PREDICTS SAINTS OVER PATRIOTS 34–24 IN SUPER BOWL XLVI
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: aaron rodgers, Atlanta Falcons, baltimore ravens, Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, Cincinnati Bengals, denver broncos, detroit lions, Drew Brees, green bay packers, houston texans, jim harbaugh, Justin Smith, New England Patriots, new orleans saints, New York Giants, nfl, NFL Playoffs, Peter King, pittsburgh steelers, san francisco 49ers, tom brady, Von Miller Comments OffThe four quarterbacks on the regional covers of Sports Illustrated’s NFL Playoff Preview—Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, New England’s Tom Brady, New Orleans’s Drew Brees and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger—have combined to win seven of the past 10 Super Bowls, including four Super Bowl MVP awards. Senior NFL writer Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) predicts that Brady and Brees will square off in a duel of record-breaking quarterbacks in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, with the Saints beating the Patriots 34–24. King’s complete predictions are listed below:
2011 NFL Preview: Peter King Predicts Falcons over Chargers in Super Bowl XLVI
Posted: August 30, 2011 Filed under: Peter King, Sports Illustrated Cover, Weekly Issue | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, calvin pace, clay matthews, curtis lofton, dallas cowboys, demarcus ware, green bay packers, jerod mayo, lamarr woodley, New England Patriots, new york jets, nfl preview, pittsburgh steelers, super bowl prediction 2 Comments »Can senior NFL writer Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) correctly predict who plays in the Super Bowl for the second year in a row? King was on the money last year when he said the Packers and Steelers would reach football’s Promised Land. Now, after a four-week road trip through over 20 training camps, King predicts the Falcons will take down the Chargers, 24–20, in Super Bowl XLVI. This year’s NFL Preview also contains detailed scouting reports for every single team and a list of eight great matchups for every division.
The six regional covers for the Sept. 5 NFL Preview—on newsstands Wednesday—feature Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Calvin Pace (Jets), Curtis Lofton (Falcons), Lamarr Woodley (Steelers), Clay Matthews (Packers) and DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys). Below is the last time each team appeared on the cover and how many appearances they’ve had overall:
- Falcons: Sept. 6, 2010 (NFL Preview, regional cover); seventh appearance
- Patriots: Jan. 24, 2011 (divisional playoff loss to the Jets); 25th appearance
- Jets: Jan. 24, 2011 (divisional playoff win over the Patriots); 22nd appearance
- Steelers: Jan. 30, 2011 (AFC championship game win over the Jets); 39th appearance
- Packers: Feb. 14, 2011 (Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers); 36th appearance
- Cowboys: July 26, 2010 (Miles Austin/training camp); 48th appearance
Sports Illustrated’s Aug. 8 Issue: All the Developments from a Wild First Week of Training Camp
Posted: August 3, 2011 Filed under: David Epstein, Grant Wahl, Jim Trotter, Peter King, Weekly Issue, Weekly Press Release | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Matt Kemp, NFL Free Agents, NFL trades, sports science, World Cup 2014 Comments Off
NFL 2.0: Inside All the Developments from the Wildest First Week of Training Camp Ever
Elite Athletes Don’t Have Faster Reflexes (and Other Findings From Sports Medicine’s New Frontiers)
Matt Kemp Provides the Silver Lining in a Gloomy Dodgers Season
SI’s Road to Brazil 2014: Palestine Uses World Cup Qualifying As a Symbol of Nation Building
In addition to the cover featuring Nnamdi Asomugha, the “NFL 2.o” package that headlines this week’s Aug. 8 issue includes the following:
SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKERS – JIM TROTTER (@SI_JimTrotter) AND PETER KING (@SI_PeterKing)
NFL senior writers Jim Trotter and Peter King weigh in on the big-name deals and the under-the-radar moves, respectively. To view the full write-ups, go to Facebook.com/SportsIllustrated and “Like” the page. Then click on “This Week’s Issue” on the menu that appears on the left-hand side (page 31).
