< don't give us the respect until it's send and done...we'll go in there and earn it...we got our hard hat on...so that's what we're planning on doing...>
Falcons Cornerback Asante Samuel... Talking about the bird's bid for the NFC championship Sunday...
Hi, everyone. I'm Frank Malloy.
And I'm Leah Johnson.
we're counting down to kickoff... Frank, what's it going to take to advance Mike Smith's guys to the superbowl?
Well, it's down to this... 40 hours...followed by 4 quarters... And a team of 49ers en route to the Peach State.
So here's what Mike Smith might have his eye on.
A trouble spot for the Falcons... rush defense. That's been a struggle all season.
Atlanta has allowed 339 yards on 38 carries for quarterbacks this season... That lands them last in the league.
Matt Ryan has proven he can get the dirty birds down the field in tight situations.. The key to watch for is the Falcons' defense.
If they can limit Starting Quarterback Colin Kaepernick's keeps on read option plays... They've got a better shot at controlling the game and moving on to the Super Bowl.
So as the hours dwindle..we've gathered some predictions for you at 13WMAZ-dot-com.
Here's who's saying what....
Pro football talk's Mike Florio is putting his faith in Kaepernick's ability to block out the Georgia Dome crowd to duplicate last week's performance.
ESPN's KC Joyner doesn't think the Falcons have the stuff.
He rattles off 10 reasons why, including Matt Ryan's ability to keep cool...and Kaepernick's trouble when throwing the ball 30 plus times a game.
And at USA today...a holding of our parent company, Gannett... Only three of eight writers are picking Atlanta over Frisco.
Two picked the Falcons to make the Superbowl before playoffs started.
Three picked the 49ers to WIN the Superbowl before the season.
So Leah..the betmakers have been busy.
That's right, Frank...and there are more predictions on our website.
You can check them all out at 13WMAZ-dot-com... The story's called Falcons Fever: 13 Predictions for the NFC championship.
You can also find that story on your tablet.. Once you download our IPAD ap from the App store.
If Atlanta does advance... They've got a date for the 27th.
And either way... a lot of Americans will have a date with their TV sets.
Now a big part of Superbowl... is of course the ads.
and one commercial in the running for a spot was produced right here in Georgia.
Our sister-station, WXIA in Atlanta, introduces you to its furry star... and the guy who's trying to make him famous.
the ad Has been entered in a contest called Doritos Crash the Superbowl.
There's a whole vote campaign going on with it.
The video director you just saw...is a man named Ben Callner in Marietta... whose inspiration was his friend's pet.
The goat by the way... is named Moose.
Thanks Ben. We'll talk to you again a little later in this newscast.
Another recall is out for Honda automobiles.
The recall again involves minivans and SUVs.
Honda says the driver's-side airbags in 748-thousand of those vehicles may have been assembled without certain parts that secure the airbag's plastic cover.
If those parts are missing, the airbag may not work properly.
The models involved are 2009 to 2013 Pilots, and 2011 to 2013 Odysseys.
Just last month, Honda recalled 800-thousand of the same two model vehicles because the ignition key could be removed when the vehicle wasn't in park.
There's something different...about the inauguration of the Nation's Commander-in-chief this year.
Officially...the swearing in...is supposed to happen on January 20th.
Well this year...that falls on a Sunday...so President Obama will take his second oath of office on Monday instead.
That's right... That's actually the 7th time in U.S. History this has happened.
And some other numbers we've put together about the time-honored tradition...courtesy of CNN.
56. That's the number of formal presidential inaugural ceremonies held since 1789. Sunday makes 57.
69. The number of times the U.S. President has taken the oath of office.
1-point-8 million. That's how many people attended President Obama's first inauguration on January 20th, 2009.
and 800 thousand. That's how many are expected on the national mall this time.
And... Some technological facts to share with you all...
In 1857, President James Buchanan's inauguration is the first one...of which there are photographs.
1897. That's the when President William McKinley was sworn in...and the first time an inauguration...was documented by motion picture cameras.
In 1949, President Harry Truman became the first to have his inauguration shown on television...
And fast-forward to 1997...when President Bill Clinton became the first to have his...broadcast on the internet.
<RICHARD MCWILLIAMS: What's a Casual Friday?>
Alan Parker's agents at State Farm don't usually get a "casual friday"... Today, Parker took a different approach and went with "Falcons Friday."
Falcons gear.. Such as a soda can from Atlanta's 1998 NFC Title and a Matt Ryan autographed hat are just some of the items Parker keeps in his office.
Today.. Red and black was everywhere.
Every four years, Inauguration Day marks the beginning of a new chapter in American history.
And if you'd like to raise a glass to that, you can do it in the style of the nation's former commanders-in-chief.
Karin Caifa ( KAY-fuh) gets us in the spirit, from Washington.
When it comes to political "parties," there's none bigger than a presidential inaugration. And like any good celebration, it requires the right "spirit," perhaps best served, with a little bit of history.
DEREK BROWN OF WASHINGTON'S COLUMBIA ROOM DESCRIBES A LONG TRADITION LINKING PRESIDENTS AND COCKTAILS.
There's the entertainment side of it, but the fact is, presidents are also just people
STARTING WITH A FOUNDING FATHER WHO OPERATED HIS OWN WHISKEY DISTILLERY, POST-PRESIDENCY...
Definitely George Washington enjoyed a tipple or two...
THROUGH F-D-R, WHO HELPED PUT LIQUOR BACK ON THE TABLE.
He enjoyed cocktails, he enjoyed scotch, he enjoyed champagne, and if that's not enough, the main reason that we revere him is because he was part of repealing Prohibition.
IN THE 60S, THE ARRIVAL OF CAMELOT SHOOK UP THIS TOWN OF BOURBON DRINKERS WITH A WHOLE NEW TASTE.
J-F-K was definitely known for drinking one particular drink, and it's the daiquiri, which is a very Washington DC drink. It first came to the United States in 1909 in Washington, D-C, where it was served at the Army-Navy Club.
AS FOR WHAT MIGHT BE IN THE CURRENT PRESIDENT'S GLASS TO CELEBRATE A SECOND INAUGURATION -- OTHER THAN THE WHITE HOUSE-BREWED CRAFT BEER, BROWN'S NOT SPILLING.
What else he drinks, I'm afraid is a matter of a "state secret," I guess. Us bartenders who work in Washington, D.C., we realize one thing. If we want a second term, we don't say what politicians drink.