Congratulations! We didn't do it!

Not that there was ever really any shot but a lot of us are nonetheless relieved this afternoon. 

Charlotte, N.C. -- The NFL regular season doesn't start for another four months but Atlanta already has won a big contest against league rival New Orleans.

The NFL awarded the 2019 Super Bowl to Atlanta on Tuesday in a hotly contested bid competition with New Orleans at the NFL owners' spring meeting at The Ballantyne Hotel.

Okay well Jeff Duncan seems to think this constitutes some sort of win for Atlanta. We, on the other hand, do not. For one thing, we're well aware of the NFL's policy of using the game as yet another tool to extort city and state governments to grant billionaire team owners new privileges and build them new stadiums. For another, we're also familiar enough with the massive burden hosting these events imposes on residents to.. well.. wish it on our worst enemy.

So, good luck, Atlanta. I think Drew Brees will be 40 years old by the time this game happens. If he's really gonna play until he's 45 (as he once suggested he might) maybe we'll win one of these games in your backyard.