The Falcons got their first win under first-year head coach Arthur Smith last Sunday against the Giants. Many would describe the win as ugly, but who wants pretty losses? Atlanta is in the process of trying to establish a sustainable winning culture. Even though the offense and defense have been underwhelming in their own right, each unit has improved throughout the season so far.
The feeling of getting your first win as a head coach is probably indescribable, and it has resulted in Smith being a bit more lighthearted around the facilities. During Wednesday’s press conference, reporters noted a “believe” sign — a reference from the popular TV show Ted Lasso, who is a college football coach hired to coach an English soccer team in an attempt by its owner to spite her ex-husband.
Now at the Atlanta Falcons facility in the press conference room. Hi @tedlasso pic.twitter.com/OyEOQ5S8eJ
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) September 29, 2021
Smith played into the sign by tapping it twice when he exited the press conference, precisely what Lasso did in the show.
VIDEO: #Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith ends his press conference and double taps #Believe @TedLasso sign when he leaves. Just like the TV show!! @AFCRichmond pic.twitter.com/iShUC51VtH
— Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonWSB) September 29, 2021
This will probably divide the fans because many will point to Dan Quinn’s empty gimmicks that attempted to galvanize his former players as a comparison. Quinn was notorious for using these types of motivation tactics, which eventually grew stale with the fan base. This is much different than that, though, and shouldn’t be blown out of proportion.
I can almost guarantee Smith didn’t put this sign up himself. He is just finding humor in the situation, playing into the sign. There is no reason to overreact to this sort of thing. Still, the point remains — with one of the worst offenses in the league, fans obviously don’t want this kind of comedic relief.
Smith is still figuring out who he is as a head coach, so fans should give him the respect he deserves. He isn’t hanging his hat on the win over New York; he isn’t satisfied, nor is he trying to motivate his players using a fictional TV show as a reference, so don’t make this into something it is not.
The most important part of this entire situation is how the first season of Ted Lasso ends… AFC Richmond loses the last and most important game of the season while facing relegation. Hopefully, this isn’t a sign of things to come because the team in the show is terrible. I also have to give my (unpopular) personal review of Ted Lasso — it’s cheesy.
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