Sports Illustrated writer who predicted World Series tries to predict Atlanta Falcons future

Atlanta Falcons have never won a Super Bowl. In 2014, Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Ben Reiter predicted that the Houston Astros would win the World Series in 2017. He was right. So, we spoke with Ben and asked him to predict the future of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Atlanta Falcons have made an appearance in roughly 4% of NFL Super Bowls. Their Super Bowl winning percentage is 0%.

Falcons fans do not need to be reminded of this fact. They are well aware.

What they need however is hope. They need to know what the future holds for their beloved Dirty Birds. They want to know if their Atlanta Falcons will ever win a Super Bowl.

I might be able to provide them with some answers.

Prior to winning their first championship in franchise history this week, Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros had only made one World Series appearance (circa 2005).

They lost in that 2005 campaign.

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Fast forward to the Summer of 2014. Ben Reiter, a Sports Illustrated Senior Writer, wrote an article which led to the magazine predicting that the Astros would win the World Series in 2017.

The article became a full page feature on the magazine’s cover and read “Your 2017 World Series Champions”. Featured next to this bold declaration was a photo Houston outfielder George Springer.

Three years after publishing the article and declaration, Ben and Sports Illustrated were proven to be right in their prediction.

The Houston Astros won the first ever World Series championship in franchise history, just like Sports Illustrated said they would.

So I decided to have a little fun and I reached out to Ben at Sports Illustrated. I congratulated him on his bold prediction. I also asked if he could look into his magic 8-ball and provide a glimpse into what the future holds for the Atlanta Falcons.

Hey, it worked for the Astros, so why not? Falcons fans are desperate. And desperate times call for desperate measures.

Here is my conversation with Ben…

"Ikaika: Ben, congratulations on your new found fame! Now baseball will forever have two incredible stories. The time Babe Ruth called his home run shot, and the time Ben Reiter called the Astros World Series win. How does it feel to accomplish such a feat and to know you’ll never have to pay for a meal in the City of Houston?"

"Ben: Feels both lucky and like a great opportunity. The only places I’ve eaten in Houston, I think, are the ballpark and maybe Chick-Fil-A, so looking forward to trying out other spots – free or not."

"Ikaika: What went through your mind the moment Houston solidified their World Series victory?"

"Ben: Disbelief, and a little relief. After the first couple of innings, Game 7 was such a stress free ride. Then it crossed my mind that if they somehow lost it late, plenty of people would be angry at both SI and me. But they came through."

"Ikaika: Ok Ben, you called a World Series win for an organization that had never won one before. And you did so three years prior to their winning one nonetheless. Inquiring minds want to know. Atlanta Falcons fans are curious. What does the omniscient Ben Reiter believe the future holds for the Dirty Birds over the next three years? Is there a Super Bowl victory somewhere in there?"

"Ben: Look, I’ve been so disconnected from football that I can probably name eight current Falcons. In fact, let me try:– Matt Ryan– Devonta Freeman– Tevin Coleman– Mohamed Sanu– Julio Jones– Taylor Gabriel– A guy named Trufant?So, seven. Should have taken the Under. As far as a Super Bowl prediction, my Magic 8 Ball is telling me: Reply Hazy, Try Again. Maybe the bigger question is whether there will be an NFL in three years?"

Next: Atlanta Falcons Defense Picked the Right Time to Click

Ben. That doesn’t help man. Shake that magic 8-ball again.

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