AP Photo/John Bazemore
When I left the Georgia Dome on Jan. 15, 2005 just after the Falcons picked apart the St. Louis Rams 45-15, it was a pretty routine exit. The franchise had a great future with quarterback Michael Vick, and the multiple postseason victories in the first few seasons of his career pointed to a steady improvement. We’d have plenty of postseason parties to anticipate in the Dome.
I never would have guessed it would take eight years to experience that feeling again as a Falcons fan. And if that seemed like a lifetime, imagine what Atlanta’s tight end Tony Gonzalez has gone through, waiting an actual lifetime to get a playoff win.
In what could have been the final game of his 16-year career (he says he’s likely retiring at the end of the season — why he would go out with so much talent left to give to the Falcons is anybody’s guess), Gonzalez caught a huge pass with less than 30 seconds left in the game to get his team into field goal range. When the Matt Bryant kick went through the uprights — a moment I didn’t actually see despite being at the game — and the remaining seconds ticked off thanks to a few more defensive stops, Tony G. had notched his first-ever postseason victory. People on the field would later say he was crying. Could you blame him?
The city of Atlanta should be very happy for Gonzalez, especially because he was a key reason why the chips fell so favorably for the Falcons on Sunday. This guy has worked so hard to be the All-Pro he still is, and to see him finally reap what he has sowed makes the moment even more special.
Now, can we get him to the Super Bowl?
Per usual, there’s another similar story going on elsewhere, and the media has locked on that narrative instead. Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is the first person the cameras find after each of Baltimore’s playoff victories because he announced he will retire at the end of this season. Maybe Gonzalez hasn’t formally said he’s done when the Falcons play their last game in these playoffs, but it would still a pretty good story for the media to tell.
They’re just not telling it, because they have to tell everyone what a great player Ray Lewis has been and how much he’ll be missed.
Well, I’ll say it then: we’re really proud of everything Tony Gonzalez has done for the city of Atlanta, on and off the field, in the four years he’s been in Red and Black.
And I’ll let local talking-head Chuck Oliver take it from here:
Why isn’t national media giving Tony Gonzalez a daily parade as w/Ray Lewis? 88 every bit as good and was never involved in a double murder.
— Chuck Oliver (@kingcfb) January 14, 2013
I was shocked to learn it was Tony Gonzalez’s first playoff victory of his career. At least it wasn’t dramatic or anything. :-)
Yeah, it sure didn’t come easy!
Sean, being a Steeler fan, I’m not paying too close attention to the playoffs….but props to the Falcons and the fans (such as yourself) for having a great season. Always fun when it happens, huh? And Tony G seems like a total stand up guy who is certainly a frost ballot Hall of Famer. Good luck next week. I’d love to read what you would write about a Super Bowl.
Oh, how sweet that would be!
Despite having questionable character, I can’t agree that Gonzalez is “every bit as good” as Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis changed the way NFL fans look at defensive players, allowing players who give their bodies and lives to their teams a chance to not get completely overshadowed by their offense-playing teammates. Gonzalez is very good and a class act. I couldn’t be happier to see his hard work finally pay off, but your Twitter friend is a bit jaded in his fandom for the Falcons. Ray Lewis will be remembered for the rest of the history of this sport. Unfortunately for Gonzalez, the same isn’t a given.
That being said, I do agree with his notion that Gonzalez isn’t talked about enough. It seems each team only gets only one story line when it comes to the media and Atlanta’s was Ryan’s quest to finally win a playoff game. I’m sure sports media outlets are turned upside down trying to figure out what to do now that he beat the Seahawks. Gonzalez winning his first playoff game and possibly his first Super Bowl seems like a pretty dang good story, especially when it is a guy who is so likable and caring.
Thanks for commenting. I personally think some will regard Tony Gonzalez as the best tight end to ever play the game. He’s definitely in the top 3.
He is damn good and his pro bowl record is unbelievable. I didn’t mean to imply he wasn’t great, especially in the realm of tight ends. He is easily top-3, maybe even the number one, although Mackey puts up a good fight for it (the Beatles argument).
I was just trying to say that Ray Lewis, for whatever reason, is much more known and revered, and that’s why the media homes on him. Gonzalez is a great guy and a treasure to those who watched his teams and scratch beneath the surface of what sport news outlets give us. Unfortunately, he probably had the most silent “best career ever for his position” that you’ll ever see. For every star that is always in the news, there’s an equal star who does all of the right things and goes unnoticed. Personally, I’d rather have the Gonzalez on my team.
Me too…especially at this point in their careers!
Gonzalez looks like he could play another 2 or 3 years at a high level. I hope this playoff run makes him change his mind about retirement.