Arthur Blank Insists Falcons Won't Have Super Bowl Hangover
BOSTON (CBS) -- It will be intriguing to see how the 2017 Patriots follow up their Super Bowl-winning 2016 season, especially after their active offseason. But it will be even more intriguing to see how the Falcons respond to their shocking Super Bowl collapse.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank stood on the sidelines as the Patriots completed their historic comeback, after heading down to the field prematurely when the Falcons held their now-infamous 28-3 lead. In a borderline humiliating moment, red, white and blue confetti fell around a stunned Blank as the Patriots snatched the victory away from the Falcons in overtime.
But Blank insists that the Dan Quinn and Matt Ryan-led Falcons will not drop off after one year in the Super Bowl. He believes they are built to win consistently for a long time and avoid the dreaded "Super Bowl hangover".
"I feel now that we have what I've envisioned for many years is to be a sustainably winning organization," Blank told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "I love our head coach. I love our general manager. I love our coaches, coordinators and whole personnel department. I love a lot of the talent that we have, all the talent that we have.
"I think we're in a great position. I look forward to this year and many years to come. It's not about a one-trick pony or one-year wonder. It's about creating a sustainably winning organization, and we've done that."
The so-called "Super Bowl hangover" has become something of a myth in recent years. Although the 2016 Panthers went 6-10 after losing Super Bowl 50 to the Broncos, they were the first Super Bowl-losing team to have a losing record the following season. The last 10 Super Bowl losers are a combined 102-58 in the years following the loss.
There have only been two Super Bowl participants to make it back in the following season (the 2004 Patriots and 2014 Seahawks) in the past 15 years. But history indicates that the Falcons won't necessarily fall off a cliff in 2017, even if they don't make it right back to the big stage.