Store in GA put out Falcons SB Champs gear in third quarter

A sporting goods store in Georgia put out Falcons Super Bowl Champion gear during the third quarter.

Never forget the old adage: “it’s not over till’ the fat lady sings.” Somebody needs to tell that to one branch of Dick’s Sporting Goods in Georgia. They were reportedly putting out Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl champion merchandise during the third quarter of Sunday night’s game:

That hurts to watch. Corporate America is always ready to jump the gun when it comes to making money. Then again, so was all of America when the Falcons held a 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots. Tom Brady might as well have gone to that Buckhead, GA store himself and swiped all the merchandise off the shelves. Brady and the Patriots ended up winning the game 34-28 following a whirlwind of a fourth quarter and overtime that included 31 unanswered points from the Pats.

The shirts, hats and other memorabilia inscribed with “Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl Champions” are now all but a distant memory. It’s entirely possible Falcons’ fans could wear shirts like that in the future, but for now the ones from last night can be thrown in the dumpster.

There’s no singular reason why the Falcons blew their massive lead. It may have just been the brilliance of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Atlanta’s defense was swarming in the first half, but it’s possible their youth caught up to them and had them celebrating early.

It was still a successful season for the Falcons as quarterback Matt Ryan garnered league MVP honors and many young players stepped up. Second-year LB Vic Beasley Jr. led the NFL in sacks (15.5) and rookies Keanu Neal and Deion Jones emerged as key contributors.

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Still, nothing will erase the agonizing defeat from last night. If the Falcons are fortunate enough to reach another Super Bowl and find themselves with a lead, something tells me merchandise won’t be put out until the final whistle blows.