Falcons

Here is a jaded look at Atlanta?s NFL team. Public Enemy No. 1. Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is trying to unseat Donovan McNabb as the NFL?s Mr. Excitement. Vick is good, but did he play nearly a whole game on a broken ankle like you-know-who? Call them fans? On Dec. 1, 1974, a record 40,202 no-shows stayed home, wisely it turned out, for the Falcons? 30-7 loss to the Rams. Brett who? The Falcons traded Brett Favre to the Packers for the 17th overall choice in the 1992 draft.

Today at 1 p.m., at Lincoln Financial Field TV: Fox29 Radio: WYSP-FM (94.1), WIP-AM (610) Line: Eagles by 9 THE MATCHUP MICHAEL TURNER VS. EAGLES RUN DEFENSE WHO IS TURNER? He ranks third in the NFL in rushing with 597 yards on 128 carries, averaging 4.7 yards a run. ... He has six touchdowns, including a 66-yarder. ... He set a team record with 220 yards rushing against Detroit on Sept. 7, the second-highest opening-day total in NFL history, behind O.J. Simpson?s 250 in 1973.

It was the day that the Pennsbury softball team was supposed to compete in its season opener. Instead, the Falcons found themselves inside the school's gym, hitting off a machine and playing "pepper. " The hype for the season to begin was already at a fever pitch when the Falcons held a pasta party the night before, but when they woke up that Monday morning and looked out their windows, snow was falling and the ground was covered. Texts starting flying between teammates. They wouldn't be playing, would they?

I MIGHT BE crazy, but I'm taking the Eagles. Not that impressed with a few of the Falcons' wins, think the Birds' defense will be pretty solid in its first outing under Todd Bowles. Looking for lots of LeSean McCoy on a forecast bad-weather day, against a defense ranked 28th against the run. Feel free to poke fun at me mercilessly if I'm wrong, but the Eagles really, really need this game. They have declared they will make their stand here. The Falcons, well, I'm sure they want to stay unbeaten, but really, is 6-1 a huge problem for them?

The Atlanta Falcons literally limp into the Georgia Dome to play the biggest game of the year against the Eagles in basically a do-or-die game to get to the postseason for the second consecutive year. The Falcons' difficulties have been well-documented throughout the season, including everything from tons of injuries and a difficult schedule to inconsistent offensive play and an underperforming defense. But the bottom line remains that the NFL shows no pity and excuses need not apply.

Phil-Mont Christian's basketball team accomplished two unusual things during last weekend's 22d Annual Delco Christian Invitational. Not only did the Falcons (23-3) win their first invitational championship, but they also defeated coach Russ Nixon's Delco Christian squad for the fourth time this season. "We were one of the original teams in this tournament, and it makes it that much nicer to win it," Falcons coach Chip Struck said. "And beating any team, especially Delco Christian, four times in one season is a tough thing to do. Russ has done a great job with his kids, and they've played us well all season.

Burlington Township has forfeited its only two football victories after an internal investigation revealed an ineligible player had participated in the games, the school announced yesterday. Burlington Township's 34-3 victory over Cinnaminson on Sept. 29 and 34-0 win over on Palmyra on Oct. 7 have been changed to forfeit victories to those schools. The Falcons are now 0-5 entering tomorrow's game with Holy Cross. Citing NJSIAA rules, Burlington Township said the player should have sat out for 30 days from the first game of the season.

Pennsbury used a combination of solid defense, tough pitching and strong hitting to claim the Suburban One League's National Conference Patriot Division with a 7-1 victory over second-place North Penn on Friday. In 1987, the Falcons (16-2, 14-2) won the title, and they have shared the crown three times since then with Council Rock. The Falcons have won 14 games in a row since losing to the Maidens (13-6, 12-4) by 8-2 early in the season. "They thumped us, but we said to the kids after that game it was the best thing they could have done for us," Falcons coach Frank McSherry said.

The Phil-Mont Christian Falcons won the 22d Annual Delco Christian Invitational Basketball Tournament Saturday with a 44-43 victory over Norfolk Christian. Phil-Mont's Carlin Warley, who averaged 17 points per game in the three- game series, was voted the tournament's most valuable player. Carlin's brother Jason Warley, who averaged 23.6 points, was named to the tourney's all-star team. Jason Warley failed in his bid to reach 1,000 points for the season during the championship game.

Good baseball teams are usually a given at North Catholic. In Larry Conti's 12 years as head coach the Falcons have won three Catholic League titles. North finished first in the Northern Division in 1985 and 1986, third in 1984 and second in 1983. Last year, though, the Falcons stumbled to a 10-13 record overall, 7-9 in the league, and finished a dismal sixth. It was only the second time in Conti's tenure that the Falcons have not qualified for the playoffs. "We have been pretty strong lately," Conti said.

EVEN AS F. ARTHUR McMorris was being dive-bombed - with just a broom between him and the fastest animal in the world - he had nothing but pride for his aggressors. "The more aggressive they are, the more we like it," McMorris said. "That means they're better parents. " McMorris, the peregrine-falcon coordinator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, spent yesterday morning inside City Hall's tower banding four healthy baby peregrine falcons that he estimated to be about 30 days old. The birds are the offspring of one of just 33 pairs of peregrine falcons known in the state.

As Pennsbury coach Joe Pesci knows well, Falcons righthander Brandon Garrett would rather undergo complicated root canal than be pulled from a game. "We were playing Harry S Truman and I was walking toward the mound," Pesci recalled. "He's like, 'I'm not coming out of this game.' I said to him, 'Calm down. I'm just coming out to talk to you.' " Garrett's workhorse approach to pitching has been evident in his Pennsbury career. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior has worked 13 complete games over the last three seasons.

It was the day that the Pennsbury softball team was supposed to compete in its season opener. Instead, the Falcons found themselves inside the school's gym, hitting off a machine and playing "pepper. " The hype for the season to begin was already at a fever pitch when the Falcons held a pasta party the night before, but when they woke up that Monday morning and looked out their windows, snow was falling and the ground was covered. Texts starting flying between teammates. They wouldn't be playing, would they?

It was the day that the Pennsbury softball team was supposed to compete in its season opener. Instead, the Falcons found themselves inside the school's gym, hitting off a machine and playing "pepper. " The hype for the season to begin was already at a fever pitch when the Falcons held a pasta party the night before, but when they woke up that Monday morning and looked out their windows, snow was falling and the ground was covered. Texts starting flying between teammates. They wouldn't be playing, would they?

THE ATLANTA Falcons have found a replacement for John Abraham by reaching an agreement with free-agent defensive end Osi Umenyiora on a 2-year contract. The Falcons released the 34-year-old Abraham, who led the team with 10 sacks in 2012, on March 1. With the 31-year-old Umenyiora, the Falcons have a slightly younger replacement at defensive end. Umenyiora had only six sacks for the Giants in 2012. He had a career-high 14 1/2 sacks in 2005, but has reached double figures in only one of the last 4 years - 11 1/2 in 2010.

THE ATLANTA Falcons replaced Michael Turner with another proven, productive running back. Steven Jackson, the top running back in free agency, agreed to a 3-year, $12 million deal with the Falcons on Thursday. Also getting new deals were backup quarterback Matt Cassel in Minnesota and cornerback Keenan Lewis in New Orleans. The New York Giants signed defensive backs Ryan Mundy and Aaron Ross. And the Houston Texans were rolling out the red carpet to make their pitch to safety Ed Reed.

Tony Gonzalez, who has more catches than any tight end in NFL history, announced Tuesday he is returning to the Falcons for the 2013 season. Gonzalez, the Falcons' leading receiver last season, said during the season he was 95 percent sure he would retire after the 2012 season. His productive season made it difficult to stick with the retirement plan. While Gonzalez is staying, Titans left guard Steve Hutchinson has decided to retire after 12 NFL seasons, the last cut short by a knee injury that limited him to 12 games.

The Falcons and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed have reached financial terms on a proposed new $1 billion stadium downtown to replace the 20-year-old Georgia Dome, officials said Thursday. Taxpayers will be on the hook for $200 million of the project's cost. Those funds will be raised by the city's hotel-motel tax, Reed said. The mayor made the announcement alongside Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal . The stadium will help the city compete for major events, including the Super Bowl, Blank said.

ATLANTA FALCONS quarterback Matt Ryan sprained his left shoulder in the closing minutes of the NFC Championship Game and won't be able to play in Sunday's Pro Bowl. Coach Mike Smith said Ryan will need 3 to 4 weeks to recover from the injury, which was described as a sprained AC joint to the non-throwing shoulder. No surgery is required. Ryan was hurt just after the 2-minute warning. On a 5-yard pass that Jason Snelling took down to the San Francisco 10, linebacker Ahmad Brooks got a shot on the Atlanta quarterback.