Dem Dirty Birds!!!!

Welcome Back!

     Its baaaaaack!!!  Yes folks the NFL season is finally upon us and the excitement level surrounding every team is at an always rampant level at the seasons start.  Even the Cleveland Browns are being discussed on a daily basis, thanks ESPN and Johnny Football.  This is the time of year where every city feels their team has a true chance to make a push towards the playoffs and I truly enjoy this time of year based on that simple idea.  This NFL off-season was not filled with high profile players switching teams (Peyton to Denver) but it was filled with costly suspensions, arrests, and fines for a record high amount of players.  Roger Goodell had plenty on his plate and still does as he is looking to implement a rigid system that makes players accountable for these increasingly stupid slip ups.

     Let us move on what those of you reading this actually care about..... Dem Dirty Birds!!!!  We are back for a 2014 season that is to be filled with redemption and trying to re-gain the respect that we had for the previous 5 years in the Mike Smith era.  It was an off-season where we actually received a high amount of publicity thanks to the ground breaking on our one of a kind stadium, participating with HBO's Hard Knocks, and an early splash in free agency.  Last years struggles were easy for any NFL fan to dissect.....injuries to key players in all positions and pitiful play along both lines.  Injuries are something that every NFL team is faced with so I will never be one to blame an entire season on.  With that I will say that it will be great to be getting Julio, Roddy, and Jackson back on the offensive end. 

     The shoddy play along both the offensive line and defensive line was clearly addressed in both free agency and the NFL Draft.  As soon as free agency began Dimitroff began improving those aspects by signing Jon Asamoah (Guard), Tyson Jackson (Defensive End), and Paul Soliai (Defensive Tackle).  These immediate signings give us size, strength, and most importantly talent.  The improvement continued with the NFL Draft as the Atlanta Falcons used their first 2 picks to
snatch up obvious talent with Jake Matthews and Ra'Shede Hageman.  Both should make immediate impact as Matthews has had to slide over to Matty Ice's blindside with the injury to Sam Baker and Hageman getting play time with his improved play throughout the pre-season.  These additions do not count for anything unless their are coaches to mold these players into what the Atlanta Falcons are looking to create.  Hince the signings of O-line coach Mike Tice and D-line coach Bryan Cox (Favorite on Hard Knocks).  

Rivalry Continues

     The rivalry continues as the 'Aints come into the Dome and look to start their season off with a bang.  The Falcons are looking for a huge win to start their season of redemption and of course I believe they will because they have the opportunity to bang ATL rap throughout the speakers!!!  Anybody else catch that VH1 documentary on us ATLiens and the influx of rap, yes we are #BoutThatLife.  

     Our rivalry with the 'Aints began as both franchises were stuck in mediocrity, but has since been transformed to one of the most intriguing match-ups of talent in the last 5 years.  Both Drew Brees and Matt Ryan are the keys to each offense and both are fully capable of putting up a big day.  The achilles heel is always defense in these games.  The 'Aints had a much improved defense under the always fat and disgusting Rob Ryan, while the Falcons are constantly searching for the right combination of talent.  The Falcons certainly did not benefit from the injury to Sean WeatherSPOON and while it will be strange to not see the SPOON celebration these younger players are more than ready to step up.  The Falcons defense was able to give ample snaps to the younger guys last year as they were struggling through the season so look for one of the weaknesses (secondary) to be a marked improvement this year.  Trufant, Alford, WillyMo, and newcomer Dwight Lowery will form a formidable secondary that will look to establish their reputation against the always talented 'Aints offense.  The most excited aspect of the defense is our new and improved defensive line.  Trying to put the clamps on Brees always starts and stops with getting early pressure on him.  His ability to step up in the pocket and utilize his infamous pump fakes have been the keys to his success since his signing with the 'Aints.  In order to clamp down on the 'Aints offense the Falcons D-line must get continuous pressure on him.

Key Matchup:  Atlanta offense vs. 'Aints improved D.  The Falcons will have the healthy returns of Roddy, Julio, Jackson and an improved offensive line.....need I really say more?!?!?!  This Tha City, This Tha City!!!!!  While Roddy and Julio get the majority of the publicity, the true Falcoholics know that Harry Douglas and Devin Hester will be critical to the overall success of this offense.  No longer is Tony G here to dominate the middle of the field and bail out Ryan.  Our top 4 receivers are in my opinion the most talented group in the league, by far.  Everybody just has to gel and learn how to play within the system that has proven to be successful.

Food: 
Now to the part that everyone comes for.......the Figgy Fat Boy food section!!!!  I have to start with a huge shoutout to my boy Wally (@Wally___world on IG, throw that boy some Follows, he thinks he's "IG Famous") who was able to take care of everything while I was stuck dealing with people who sell "body wraps" at the hotel????  Really, thats a profession....its NFL season sir I have some serious obligations that need tending to.  Wally was hooked on the blog when I posted my ribs recipe so he decided he was going to tackle them on the green egg along with some classic jalapeno poppers.  Here the items needed for the ribs.

-2 racks of baby back ribs

-2 cups brown sugar

-1/2 cup dry mustard

-1 tbsp.  cayenne pepper

-1 tbsp. smoked paprika

-1 tbsp. garlic powder

-1 tbsp. onion powder

-1 tbsp. salt (I prefer kosher salt)

-2 teaspoons black pepper (I use mixed pepper)

First step is to remove the membrane on the under side of the rib.  Slice down the middle and tear back to remove all of the membrane.  Much harder than it sounds.  Before I mix the rub together in a bowl, I like to coat both sides of the rib in spicy mustard.  This coating will make it easier for the rub to stick and also give the rib a good crust.  When applying the rub make sure to fully rub it in and make sure all parts of the rib are covered.  Once done applying the rub, cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge for overnight.  In the morning take out the trey of ribs and let sit in room temperature for about an hour.  Place the ribs down meat side first for about an hour.  Turn and check the ribs every half hour after that, making sure to apply your bbq sauce every time.  I've never done ribs on the egg before so we'll see how they turn out.

If you don't have that Dirty Bird Fever running rampant through your blood then please get to steppin!  This game will be a great statement game to showcase to the league that we are #BoutThatLife.  I apologize for the length of the 1st post, but the 1st of the season is always the longest as I have so much built up adrenaline for the Falcons.  I hope you enjoy the food, game, and atmosphere!  Rise Up!!!

-Bon Appetit, Long may you eat

Down South Georgia Boys: Defend the Dome!

Y'all still running off the great fumes of last weeks dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs?  Yea, me too!  For a season opener there really was no better way to show the rest of the league that we serious about this SuperBowl season.  Matt Ryan showed his ability to get everyone involved in our offense while even running it in for a TD himself.  That was BOSS.  I am sure Turner was not happy with his day, but I am looking for him to have a much better game against the Broncos tonight.  As far as the defense is concerned I liked how we came out in the second half.  The defense played likeI know they are capable of playing.  Running around and causing turnovers gets me excited, because Nolan is letting the defense play to its strengths.  I can't think of a more entertaining way to open the season in Atlanta than a Monday Night Football game against the ageless wonder Peyton Manning.  I don't know about y'all but I've been listening to Pastor Troy all day in preparation for this event.  It's me and Papa Koppelman tonight for the game, so I got Siracha hot wings going on the grill, a pizza baking in the over, and a nice Italian sub waiting in the fridge.  Yea we do it BIG over here!

Food:
These hot wings are literally better than any I have ever got from a restaurant.  Plus I make them, so you know already they are delicious.  Beware to those losers who don't like spicy food (who likes those people anyways?)  These wings are already seasoned with some spices, but then tossed in a wing sauce consisting of both Siracha and Crystal hot sauce.  Here is a quick list of the items you need:
-2 pounds of chicken wings
-2 cups of beer
-2 teaspoons kosher salt
-1 teaspoon black pepper
-1 teaspoon paprika
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1/2 teaspoon celery seed
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-4 tablespoons butter (melted)
-1/4 cup siracha (the GREATEST sauce ever by the way)
-1/2 cup Crystal hot sauce
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
-1-1/2 cups wood chips

What you want to do first is rinse off the chicken wings and throw them in a container with the beer and let marinate. I let my wings marinate for 24 hours just to soak up the beer. The next step will be to make the rub so add all the salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and celery seed into a mixing bowl. Once you have drained the beer and blotted the wings dry you throw the wings in the rub and add some olive oil. Mix well until all wings are evenly coated with the rub. By this point everything will be smelling damn delicious, but don't eat yet! Make sure your grill is set up for indirect heating and you have soaked your wood chips for about an hour or so. Since we are grilling wings you want to make sure that you clean your grill thoroughly and wipe some oil on the grill so the wings do not stick. The wings can be thrown on now and will take about 30-40 minutes, flipping occasionally. Once the wings are done the best part is coming up. Throw the wings in another bowl and add the Crystal hot sauce, siracha, melted butter, and cilantro. Mix all of this up so the wings are evenly coated with the sauce and the sheer presentation of this meal will have you and your guests drooling immediately. Serve with either ranch or bleu cheese, whichever your preference is and BAM you have a crowd pleaser that will for sure be a repeat recipe. Enjoy dem HOT thangs baby!!

Falcons game: 
Here we go DirtyBirds, its Monday Night Football and the whole country is watching you!  At this point in the Smith era everyone should know that this is a very important statement game and exposure to the country.  I don't expect anybody to have jitters, because we a veteran team.  Not only is this a good opportunity to showcase our talents, but it is also a good test against a very good team.  The Denver Broncos looked ready for the post-season in their opener last week against the Steelers.  Peyton Manning was even running around for 1st downs!  Here are a couple of things I will be looking for in the game:
-The Brent Grimes injury sent a shock wave through the Falcons Faithful, but I believe that Chris Owens will step up to the challenge and provide more than enough help in the back.  As a defense this week, we have to continue getting good pressure on the quarterback.  Despite the couple of runs last week, Peyton is not going anywhere.  I expect Big Play Ray, Predator, and them dirty defensive tackles to get lots of opportunities to bring Peyton down.  Lets show the Broncos that when they come to the Dirty South they better be ready for some crunk football.  Lets GO!!!
-I thoroughly enjoyed the success that Ryan had with all receivers and backs last week, but I would like to see Turner bust a couple of long runs tonight.  I am not saying that we need to feed him the ball 30 times, but get him into a nice groove to throw the Denver D off balance.  Along with Turner, Jaquizz needs to continue to showcase the big play ability on both offense and special teams. 
-Lastly, I think that Matt Ryan needs to have a good game against Peyton Manning.  For some reason a lot of Falcons Faithful don't give Ryan the credit he deserves.  This dude has got us winning nearly 70% of our games, not too shabby.  I have always likened him to Peyton Manning and the media seems to think the same thing.  This will be a good opportunity for Matty Ice to come out on top on national tv!  Matty Ice, us real Falcoholics love and appreciate what you bring to the Falcons. 

I hope you guys and gals are as excited for the game as me.  Probably not possible, but if your anywhere near my excitement level I'll take it!  Hopefully you are watching the game with friends, family, at a bar, or maybe even lucky enough to be at the DOME.  No matter where you are make sure you root loud and often.....nobody likes a boring football fan.  As I do every week I expect SPOOOOON to have a great game and bust out the Spoon for the United States of America to witness!  Enjoy the food, game, and atmosphere!
-Bon Appetit, Long may you eat

Rise Up 2012: Dirty Birds @ Chiefs in Arrowhead

     The NFL is back folks!!  Instead of an off-season full of lockout mumbo jumbo we were blessed with a true NFL off-season.  One filled with Tebow, Peyton Manning re-location, more Tebow, bounty scandals, and then more Tebow.  As a long time Falcoholic I am used to not getting any type of media coverage unless it has to do with a certain Mike Vick.  I prefer flying under the radar, but its only going to be a couple weeks until the media is all over our Julio Jones' leaping catches and Sean Weatherspoon's SPOOOON antics.  That being said it has been a long time since we've had a meaningful Falcon game and I for one am happy that we are back for this promising season.  We are opening up against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium, which is a daunting task in itself.  Being that Kansas City is most notorious for their BBQ I figured we would open this beautiful season up with some ribs!  I did the ribs last year, but the thought of a game in Kansas City without any representation of BBQ just seemed wrong.  So here we go!

Food:
You can't go wrong with ribs for a tailgate, just as long as you know how to properly prepare them for the grill.  The fact that the game is in Kansas City only makes this notion right.  Here is a quick list of items you would need to prepare the ribs, and the steps to grill as well:

-2 racks of baby back ribs
-2 cups brown sugar
-1/2 cup dry mustard
-1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
-1 tbsp. smoked paprika
-1 tbsp. garlic powder
-1 tbsp. onion powder
-1 tbsp. salt (I prefer kosher salt)
-2 teaspoons black pepper (I use mixed pepper)

First step is to remove the membrane on the under side of the rib. Slice down the middle and tear back to remove all of the membrane. Much harder than it sounds. Before I mix the rub together in a bowl, I like to coat both sides of the rib in spicy mustard. This coating will make it easier for the rub to stick and also give the rib a good crust. When applying the rub make sure to fully rub it in and make sure all parts of the rib are covered. Once done applying the rub, cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge for overnight. In the morning take out the trey of ribs and let sit in room temperature for about an hour. Set your coals up on the grill for indirect heat. Place the ribs down meat side first for about an hour. Turn and check the ribs every half hour after that, making sure to apply your bbq sauce every time. After roughly 2 1/2-4 hours your ribs should be perfectly cooked for greatness.  Enjoy!

Falcons game:
     I have always liked opening the season on the road, because the team has to be in the right frame of mind to get a W.  This isn't more true when having to play at Arrowhead.  This stadium is one of the loudest in the league, right up there with Seattle, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh.  It may not be the biggest stadium but the crowd is always rowdy and the tailgating scene is incredible.  Us Falcoholics could learn a thing or two from these fans.  Here are a couple of things I am interested in seeing from this game:
-  Defense, defense, defense!  The talk all last season and all off-season was on improving our defense.  We know that the talent is definitely there, we just need a defense that is able to clamp down when the offense is in need of a first down.  This opening game will be a good test for our starting unit.  The Chiefs are very fast and intelligent on offense.  I am looking for our trio of cornerbacks to be able to hold their receivers to a minimum.  More importantly though I am really looking forward to our safety combination of Moore and DeCoud to take a big step forward in their 3rd and 4th seasons respectively.  If our back unit is working together that can only mean good things are to come with our pressure up front and linebacker corps having to deal with the shifty Jamaal Charles.
-  On offense, the talk is always about our receivers.  In order for Roddy, Julio, Gonzo, and HD83 to get loose the offensive line has to hold strong.  In the season opener last year the Bears created terror up front leaving Matt Ryan to be tossed around like a rag doll.  There has not been much change along the front, but our unit has always been a very productive one when everyone is healthy and communicating.  We may not have the most talent along our front line, but we are a group that has been together a long time.  This is a huge key in not only the outcome of todays game, but also how far we can go this season.
-  Lastly, on offense Matt Ryan is going to need to do what he does best.  Communication!  Matty Ice is one of the best at being able to still call a game no matter what the condition is.  We have been witnesses to his ability to block out the crowd noise and still drive down the field.  This is going to be very important in today's game as noted before, Arrowhead is absolute mayhem on the field.  This is when I think the familiarity with each other and Ryan's knowledge of each players tendencies plays a big factor.

Here We Go folks!  I didn't think it would ever get here to be honest and now that the season is upon us, I don't think I could be any more hype.  As far as individual games go I am looking for Gonzo to make a triumphant return to KC, Weatherspoon to break out the SPOOOON, and the Asante Samuel to have a big first game as a DIRTYBIRD!  I hope you all check back every week as I will have a new recipe and breakdown of the Falcons games here for you.  Get ready, get hype, and put your jersey on because its time to RISE UP ATL!!!
-Bon Appetit, Long may you eat

Home to The Highlight Factory: We Must Protect Phillips

Hey folks, so it has been 10 games since my last post so its time for an update on all things Hawks.  Last time we chatted the Hawks were finishing up a quick home stand and about to embark on the longest road trip of the season.  While the home stand ended on a very good note with quality victories against both the Bucks and Thunder, the road trip was quite tough!  We went a combined 2-4 on the road trip, but were in contention at the end of each game.  The quality of play over the road trip excited me and I think has our Hawks headed towards the right direction.  Overall our Atlanta Hawks went 6-4 over the past 10 games which is a win with our continued health issues.  Lets get to some of the main points.....

-The New Lineup-  Go back to my first Hawks blog post of the year and you will see the evidence of my genius regarding the Hawks lineup.  I always felt that a starting lineup consisting of Teague/Hinrich/Joe/Smoove/Zaza would yield better results than Marv at the 3 position.  With this lineup it gives the Hawks an ability to come out with an aggressive style of play while also letting Joe play off the ball even more than usual.  I know everyone is not the biggest Marvin fan, but I think when he is coming off the bench he is more potent.  Not only can he see how the game is playing out, but he is also going against the opponents second squad while being the teams #1 scoring option.  Don't believe me about the benefits of the whole team with this lineup???  Just look to Joe's scoring average and efficiency since being in our new lineup.  He is averaging close to 26 points/game while shooting 50% from the field and an astonishing 50% from behind the arc.  This is the Joe Johnson we need to make a run at this thing.  He is able to get his points in an efficient manner, while also getting wide open looks because of Teague&Hinrich's penetration.  Good lineup Larry Drew, I'll tip my cap to ya this time.

-Health-  In years past the Hawks have been one of the healthiest clubs in the NBA.  This year, eh not so much.  Yes we all know about Horford, but in recent games Marvin, Pargo, Green, Radmonovic, Collins, and Ivan Johnson have been hit by injury.  Not to mention TMac's inconsistent minutes per game.  Given all this I think the Hawks can only go up from here.  As long as we keep playing with the consistent effort in every game, I think if we get everybody back together we can make a strong playoff push.  Yes folks I still have faith even against Miami and Chi-Town.  No matter the amount of players, the Hawks have been playing together as a team instead of sulking about the team.  Hopefully Joe and his knee won't have any problems the rest of the year and we can continue our push to complete health, including Horford. 

-J-Smoove-  Last but oh most certainly not least is my man JSmoove.  Okay, I can kind of understand why Smoove was snubbed again for an All-Star spot given his perceived malcontent.  Honestly people this man has matured and his game is taking a change that many Hawks fans have been hoping for in past years.  Yes the shots are still being taken, but they beginning to fall on a very consistent basis.  His defense is one of the most underrated aspects of his game.  Everyone knows about the blocks but they forget that Smith is literally controlling our paint defensively by himself as an undersized power forward.  He should be up for Defensive POY.  Take the Cleveland game as an example.  Smith was struggling through a rare off shooting night, but continued to be effective with his assists(9) and rebounds(8).  Combine the emergence of Smoove into a bonafide star mixed with Joe's hot shooting and the hopeful return of Horfod......Excitement!

-We have a combined 7 homes games out the next 10 Hawks games.  This is the point in the season where we need to continue to improve on our play.  We can make a strong push for a higher seed if we play up to our capabilities at the Highlight Factory.  A strong string of games will give the Hawks fanatics some hope for the season and also help us in our playoff positioning.  I hope you all enjoy the next 10 as much as I will.  Let's keep our Hawks going as they have shown us they will not quit on this season no matter what the case!!!  #Hawksfaithful see y'all in 10 games.

2md Half of 2012: Playoff Position Battle

The All-Star break came to a close with not much excitement for our Atlanta Hawks.  Joe was unable to play/participate in anything, Smoove was snubbed again, and Horford was unable to represent us due to injury.  Maybe thats exactly what we needed though.  Rest and some time apart after a difficult 1st half to the season.  With Wednesday's loss to the Warriors minus Stephen Curry, Hawks faithful are left scratching their heads a little bit.  Here is a look into some of the things that need to be improved upon for us to not only make the playoffs, but make some serious noise. 

Key Problems:
-Free throw shooting is one of our biggest weaknesses.  The last couple of years this has not been an issue at all, but for some reason this year we are unable to knock down FREE throws.  Smoove has taken an unexpected plunge from about 70% to a horrid 50%????  Time after time the Hawks have missed early free throws and shrugging them off with the thought that they will make them up later.  In most scenarios these same missed attempts come back in the end and prove to be the sole reason for a loss.  At this point in our players careers it's not about practicing more, rather focusing on the attempts when they do come.  I would list rebounding as a major area for improvement, but with the loss of Horford&Collins I can't complain too much.  There does need to be more of an emphasis on gang rebounding.  I'm sorry but Joe is too tall of a 2 guard to not get more than 5 boards a game.

-Getting back to the distribution and running game will be crucial to our increasing lack of a cohesive offense.  If there is one thing that we have over many teams it is our athleticism.  In the earlier stages of the season, even when Horford went down, everybody was making the right passes.  They did not care who was scoring as long as they were getting open looks in a rhythm shot.  Down the stretch we started to see Joe revert to Iso-Joe and Smoove do whatever it is that he thinks he's doing out there.  I love Smoove but seriously those out of rhythm shots and Carmelo-esque ball stoppage needs to stop.  The lack of any real offense needs to be blamed on Larry Drew and him only!  When he was hired he spoke of a fluid, pass happy offense that would feature cuts to the hoop.  We have been devoid of any real type of offense except for excessive screens, and the new play of guard screens!  Please dude, its like watching church league ball sometimes.  If Joe is being guarded by tiny Monta Ellis then post him up and dominate him all night.  In summary, get back to the cohesive team we were at the beginning of the season.

Key Players:
-Kirk Hinrich.  At this point I don't think there is one person that is very happy with Hinrich.  We traded away a lot for him and at a certain point it looked like a good deal last year, especially in the playoffs.  His return from shoulder surgery has proved to be more difficult than originally thought.  He looks out of shape, sync, rhythm, and lost.  And that's being nice.  His high salary, around 8 million, and Drew's obsession with playing him large minutes means that when he is not effective it shows.  I thought a lineup of Teague, Hinrich, and Joe at the 3 should be a mismatch on all accounts.  His deep ball and overall shooting touch needs to improve for us to have a strong 2nd unit.

-Marvin Williams.  He started off with a bang and has since faded into obscurity.  The 3 ball he showed earlier has escaped him and as always his inability to dribble with any effectiveness is maddening!!  What we need from him on a nightly basis is 7-8 rebounds along with knocking down his threes when he is open.  I have come to not expect much from Marv so in all honesty I will take any type of improvement.

-Joe&Smoove.  This isn't necessarily about their play but about their overall attitude towards the rest of the season.  Don't get me wrong, Smoove needs to improve his shot selection and ball dominance.  Joe needs to do a little more driving and posting up in certain situations.  With Horford out we need Joe&Smoove to take the reins and lead this team into the playoffs.  When we get down by some points instead of hanging both of your heads, yell and get your teammates focused back into the game.  That is all I really ask for as a fan.  If you are going to be the ones representing Atlanta as a basketball team, then please do so with appreciation and gratitude.  Become vocal leaders and hold down the team until Horford is able to return.

That is all for now folks, it won't be this long usually just had to blow off some steem.  I will actually be sticking to my goal of a blog update every 10 games.  That gives us 9 games until the next update after our loss at home to GSW.  Y'all keep being true to the ATL because if my anger management ass can get through this season, so can you!  Also, Atlanta was officially ranked as #1 Worst Sports City by Forbes......uuuummmm Forbes can Suck It.  ATLien till I die.

Falcons @ New York: Dirtybirds/Dirtbags ready to answer HATERS!

Ladies and gentlemen this is the moment that I have been waiting for since the NFL lockout.  During the lockout I came up with this nifty little idea of starting a food blog that would deal with the Falcons games and tailgate food.  Now I must admit that this has proven to be quite beneficial for me, the people who watch games with me, and especially the Falcons.  I would be lying if I did not say that in the back of my mind I dreamt all along of taking this into the Playoffs with hopes of proving all the Falcons haters out there wrong.  This is our chance Falcons Faithful.  We are heading up to New York to take on the NFC East Champion Giants.  A team that is getting hot at just the right time, like the Falcons, and will prove to be a formidable opponent.  With an obvious extreme bias I believe this is the most intriguing wild card match-up this weekend.  Everyone knows that under the Mike Smith era we are 0-2 in the playoffs.  I understand the criticism towards our team, but I do think that there is enough talent, leadership, and toughness to make a run to the SuperBowl!!  Let's get this thing going!  Get rowdy Atlanta!  What do Falcons do???  OOOOWEEEEE Rise Up!

Food:
For our grudge match against the New York Giants I will be preparing some baby back ribs.  I have a certain rub that I like to use.  It has worked well for me in the past and creates a great coating for the ribs.  The main thing with ribs is you want to make sure you prepare them the night before, let them sit in the fridge over night, and then make sure you let them sit in room temperature for about an hour in the morning.  Here is a list of items you would need to prepare the ribs:
-2 racks of baby back ribs
-2 cups brown sugar
-1/2 cup dry mustard
-1 tbsp.  cayenne pepper
-1 tbsp. smoked paprika
-1 tbsp. garlic powder
-1 tbsp. onion powder
-1 tbsp. salt (I prefer kosher salt)
-2 teaspoons black pepper (I use mixed pepper)

First step is to remove the membrane on the under side of the rib.  Slice down the middle and tear back to remove all of the membrane.  Much harder than it sounds.  Before I mix the rub together in a bowl, I like to coat both sides of the rib in spicy mustard.  This coating will make it easier for the rub to stick and also give the rib a good crust.  When applying the rub make sure to fully rub it in and make sure all parts of the rib are covered.  Once done applying the rub, cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge for overnight.  In the morning take out the trey of ribs and let sit in room temperature for about an hour.  Set your coals up on the grill for indirect heat.  Place the ribs down meat side first for about an hour.  Turn and check the ribs every half hour after that, making sure to apply your bbq sauce every time.  After roughly 2 1/2-4 hours your ribs should be perfectly cooked for greatness.  Sure to lead the Falcons to a playoff W!!

Falcons game:
One of the main aspects of the previous playoff games that Mike Smith pointed out were the high amount of  turnovers.  We obviously need to reduce that number, but be sure not to become too conservative in our play calling.  The Giants have a very formidable passing attack with the emergence of Victor Cruz and the elite play of Eli Manning.  Along with that they have maybe the best 1-2 punch of running backs with Bradshaw/Jacobs.  This offense is certainly scary but definitely containable.  Our defense needs to play with fire and emotion like we have never seen before.  If the right amount of pressure is being applied to Eli then I think everything else will fall into place.  Here are a few things I am looking for in the big game.
-What is the most intimidating part of the Giants defense?  Their pass rush and ample amount of players they have that are capable of smothering the quarterback.  The list goes on with their D line.  The best way to neutralize that pass rush is to stick to our gameplan of smash mouth football.  Feeding Turner, Snelling, and Rodgers the football along with screens will for sure slow their vaunted pass rush.  If we are able to get these particular guys going then it makes it much easier for the rest of the offense to fall into place.  Lets go Burner Turner!!!  Bring back that Dirtybird!!!
-Depending on the production of our running backs the passing offense can be the X factor in these playoffs.  The fact that we have Roddy, Julio, Tony, and Harry at our disposal puts a lot of pressure on a defense if coupled with a dominating run game.  The possibilities are really endless with the passing game if everything is firing on all cylinders.  Julio has such a great amount of athleticism that nerves hopefully won't play a factor.  The receivers just need to go out and do their job.  Catch balls, move the chains, and shock the hell out of me with their athleticism!!
-Lastly, the defense will be the biggest factor in the game.  Depending on which Atlanta Falcons defense shows up the game can be ours.  When our defense is putting pressure on the quarterback and we are unleashing our linebackers it gives our secondary the opportunity to pick some passes.  Turnovers will greatly help our effort.  As always I am looking for a huge game from my boys on the D-Block!!!  Spooooon, Lofton, and company need big games!!

So the Atlanta Falcons are in the playoffs for the 3rd time in 4 years.  As a fan I must say that is such a huge accomplishment from my standpoint.  Being a true Falcon fan since the early days I never thought I would see this day come even when we were in the Vick era.  Now that we have has our playoff tests and defeats, it is time to learn from those experiences.  I know all the players are excited for this game and know what they have to do in order to take care of BIZNAZZ.  Let's give our team support you guys, Rise Up no matter where you are.  I will for sure be playing my Falcons mix (combo of Atl rap from the crunk era) and pouring it up!!  Thanks to all those that have continued to read my blog throughout the year, couldn't have done it without you guys!!  Stay true.  As always I hope you enjoy the game, food, and the atmosphere!
-Bon Appetit, Long may you eat

Falcons @ New Orleans: DSGB taking over NFC South

First off, for those of you who are wondering what does DSGB mean????  Exit out of my blow now!  Down South Georgia Boys.  The Atlanta Falcons have been on a roar as of late with their offense firing on all cylinders.  We face our number 1 rival in the New Orleans Saints and we have to come into their dome of crazy fans.  The one thing I do have to gripe about is the new name of their dome....the Mercedes Benz Superdome???  Please, get outta here!  The Jacksonville Jaguars game was one that we needed very bad and it showed that we can put together a complete game of offensive power along with our opportunisitc defense.  Before we get to this week I want to send a big shoutout to my orange homie Walerski down in St. Pete, Floria!  I am trying out a new color scheme with a little bigger font, let me know how it looks.  C1 for life big dog!

Food:
For this weeks game we are going to be preparing my brothers version of chilli.  Let me just go ahead and let you know that it is incredible, well worth trying out.  Like all of my recipes it is very easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive.  Here is a list of items you would need to prepare it:
-1 lb. ground beef
-1 can sucotash
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1 can tomato paste
-5 cans tomato sauce
-1 packet chilli seasoning
-3 tbsp. cayenne pepper
-2 tbsp. cinnamon
- 3 sauteed garlic cloves
-1 can corn
-1 can kidney beans

As with any type of chilli you can prepare it in a mixing pot on the stove or let it cook in a crock pot.  Mix together everything and let cook for however many hours, preferrably 4-5 hours.  Stir occasionally and you can add tabasco or whatever type of hot sauce you prefer to taste throughout the process.  Enjoy!

Falcons game:
- We are on Monday Night Football the day after Christmas and personally there is nothing better than that.  With the program that Arthur Blank has set up we have been able to be on nationally televised games, primetime, and able to show off our team as an up and coming ballclub.  Tonight we face our biggest rival in the Saints and what I believe has become the best/most heated rivalry in the NFL.  Name a better rivalry in the NFL right now, maybe the Ravens/Steelers.  But none of the other rivalries have come down to the end of the game with so many important last minute possessions as ours.  I will be willing to bet that wherever it is that you watch this game, the amount of trash talk will be more than any other.  No matter what the venue it is always a great atmostphere.  Here are a couple of things I am looking for in the game tonight:
-Our passing game is beginning to take shape with some spectacular games by Julio, Roddy, and Tony G.  If we are able to continue that against the Aints D then I like our chances.  Especially Rowdy Roddy White, he is very aware of this rivalry and knows how to go down to New Orleans with a nasty attitude.  Every analyst keeps saying that it will be a shootout, but if you look back at our past games they are close games usually with each team scoring 28 points or so.  As long as our running game gets going and we are able to incorporate Jaquizz with Turner I think our passing offense will be just fine.
-The Aints were known for their opportunisitic D win they won it all, but our Falcons D as of late has been excelling at that very aspect.  The one thing that always seems to be our demise in these matchups is the lack of pressure we get on Brees.  We often try to blitz too much leaving our secondary in man on man with their ample amount of recievers.  With the improved play of our defensive line I believe that VanGorder will be able to dial up pressure from the line and leave our linebackers, D-BLOCK, to do their thing.  If you haven't noticed the D-Block is the swag of our D.  As always I am looking for my main man SPOOON to get real nasty this game. 

If you are not amped about this game or looking forward to it at all....something is seriously wrong with.  Go to your doctor and get yourself checked out!  I am in DC for the holidays and my brother and I will be going all out for this game.  Hitting up many hot spots for food and beer, eventually finishing at a great sports bar where we will get extra rowdy for our dirty birds.  I can't even put into words how much this game means to me, thats why I have to end here.  I hope you enjoy the food, game, and atmosphere!  Rise Up!!!!!
-Bon Appetit, Long may you eat