By Martin RogersFOX Sports Columnist
Go back a few years and you’d barely be able to say the word “throwback” in the city of Atlanta, because of the traumatic memories it must have evoked.
In a dirty little stretch where a cruel wind blew through Atlanta sports and “so close, so far” became an ever-present catchphrase, the area’s most popular teams found ever more creative ways to let glory slip through their nervous fingers.
There was the whole 28-3 Super Bowl business, of course, with Tom Brady to blame for igniting the Falcons’ epic run in February 2017. Less than a year later, Tua Tagovailoa’s heroics off the bench propelled Georgia to the national championship. And during the COVID-shortened 2020 MLB season, the Braves surrendered a 3-1 series lead to the Los Angeles Dodgers to cost themselves a berth in the World Series.
Still, the same Braves who put the brakes on a tortured storyline a year ago heading into their National League Division Series showdown with the Philadelphia Phillies that begins Tuesday (1:07 p.m. ET; FOX and FOX Sports App) have continued the retooling process this season. .
Because “comebacks” aren’t what everyone else is doing against Atlanta teams anymore. The art of comeback? Well, that’s exactly how the Braves live right now.
“Comeback” is not usually used to describe a long, drawn-out, come-from-behind turnaround in a pennant race, where the build-up takes place over months, not minutes. But that’s exactly what happened as summer turned to fall and the Braves chased the New York Mets, turning a 10.5-game deficit into the final week of capturing the top seed.
The scale was impressive, as was the fact that the Braves compiled an incredible 78-33 record after a poor start to the campaign. What really made it one of the great rushing stories in recent memory was the way it got going, the Mets’ sweep at Truist Park last weekend to take over the division lead and head into the postseason with momentum.
“I think these guys probably have more confidence in what we’re about to experience here than they did last year,” manager Brian Snitker told reporters. “In that sense, we’re better equipped to deal with the stress of what we’ve been through in the last four years.”
Atlanta’s streak was fun to watch and was peppered with some notable shots and clips. The team did not lay down a sacrifice until the 161st game of the season. Dansby Swanson was the only MLB player to start all 162 games, while Matt Olson, who did an admirable job replacing fan favorite Freddie Freeman, accomplished essentially the same feat—but one of his appearances was off the bullpen.
The run brought back memories of last season, when the Braves got off to a similarly bad start, survived and persevered, got revenge on the Dodgers with a 3-1 upset in the NLCS and won the World Series despite only having two starting pitchers, Max Fried and Ian Anderson, that they felt they could rely on.
As things stand, the odds have Atlanta as +450 third favorites (FOXBet) to win it all again, behind the Dodgers and Houston Astros.
Back-to-back titles would be another intriguing chapter in the history of Atlanta sports, which went from zero professional teams to one in each major league during a tumultuous period from 1966-1972.
A recently published book, “Loserville: How Pro Sports Remade Atlanta—And How Atlanta Remade Pro Sports,” takes an intriguing and detailed look at that evolution, with a title that refers to a 1975 newspaper column lamenting how early excitement about the influx of teams has given way to disappointment and apathy.
“There’s a bit of an imbalance,” book author Clayton Trutor told me by phone Sunday night. “The older people of Atlanta remember the bad days, with bad teams and low attendance and little interest.
“But the newer fans feel pretty good about things. Even with the near misses, people have gotten used to the Braves being good and Georgia being competitive. The Hawks have had fun with Trae Young and Atlanta FC in a Major League Soccer challenger people to them.
“There’s a certain expectation locally when it comes to the Braves. And the way things have played out the past few seasons has added to the excitement, because it’s been so dramatic.”
If you’re looking for drama, hunting down the Mets in the eternal catch-me-if-you-can battle will do the trick.
But don’t call it a comeback. In fact, call it whatever you want, because the tale of woe seems to be in the rearview mirror, Atlanta’s scars are mostly healed, and the Braves, lively and dangerous, are having fun.
“A win is a win,” Swanson told reporters. “And winning at the highest level, nothing can replace it.”
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
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