Everyone who knows me knows that I haven’t been the biggest football fan in the area. But boy, they’d be surprised to see me now as I’m decked out in Falcons shirts and a Matt Ryan jersey. Someone very dear to me has gotten me into watching the Falcons this year with him, and I have thoroughly enjoyed. The only time that a game was missed was during Steel Magnolias, but I kept my cast informed of the score through the help of a very trustworthy smartphone.
It’s been an exciting year for the Falcons, hasn’t it? For the first time in franchise history, they are 8-0 (knock on some wood so it’s not jinxed). Even a newcomer such as myself knows this is an exciting thing. Tight end Tony Gonzalez really wants to close his career on a high note by making it to the Super Bowl. He’s been my favorite to watch this season and even though this is my first season actually watching football without the big cameras, I’ll be sad to see him go. While I don’t know all the stats and facts that go with every team in the league, I sincerely hope that Tony Gonzalez is finally able to make it to the Super Bowl.
In honor of Mr. Gonzalez, I decided I would enter the Atlanta Falcons’ pumpkin carving contest with an original design on Tony in hopes that he’d see it. Using two photos from their summer practice (one of them was in the Barrow Journal), I crafted a design so technical that I was sure it would win. After two and a half hours designing the concept, then three hours putting the design on the pumpkin and finally four more hours of carving the pumpkin itself, the perfectly executed design lived! My family stood there in awe, while Dad handed down his reigns as Master Pumpkin Carver to his prodigy. For over a week, we waited for the winner to be announced. Finally on Halloween, the word came out and sadly I had failed.
It didn’t matter about winning a prize or gaining praise from the Falcons’ fans online. What hurt was the fact that Tony Gonzalez would never see his own unique pumpkin. Countless pumpkins paid tribute to Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White and even head coach Mike Smith. Tony deserved his own creation and I was determined that he would see it one way or another.
After doing a little research, as a college student is so thrilled to do, it hit me. There on the Gainesville State College website it said on Nov. 1 the president and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons would be at the college to make a speech. Being so thrilled at this discovery, the significant other and I trekked up to Oakwood with the mission to hand President Rich McKay a photograph of Tony’s pumpkin inside a heartfelt letter to Tony in the hopes that he would maybe see how much we have enjoyed watching him and to say thank you for being a big part of the team’s success.
Sadly, as we walked in the conference room and a projector screen was lowered, it was made clear that McKay wasn’t there. Instead he was at the North Georgia campus via a live video stream. Our foolproof plan burst before our eyes. Not willing to take no for an answer, a quote popped into my head at the perfect moment. Yoda always said: “Do or do not. There is no try.” While we tried one plan, defeat was not an option.
Hurriedly, we raced towards the training facility in Flowery Branch. As luck would have it, the Falcons were practicing for the Dallas game later in the week. How exciting it was seeing Tony Gonzalez so close and yet so far away! If only the two entrances weren’t gated, the mission could have succeeded.
Since the craziest of attempts had fallen through, the only solution left was addressing the letter directly to him and cross our fingers that he’d get it after one of the practices. It was mailed to him last Friday, and we wait patiently as we hope he will read it and see his pumpkin carving and smile.
It was a crazy day that day. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect myself to be this consumed with sending a professional football player a letter. But I am, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. By now Tony has probably seen that letter and who knows, maybe it put a smile on his face. Maybe it even convinced him to play another season? Whatever the case may be, I know in my heart that I will have made him smile.
Let’s make it to the Super Bowl for Tony. Rise up!
Jessica Brown is the staff photographer for the Barrow Journal. You can reach her at jessica@barrowjournal.com.
