There's nothing worse in sports than making a mistake — or losing a game — after a premature celebration. It appears that's exactly what the Falcons did during Super Bowl 51.
The Falcons famously held a 28-3 lead over the Patriots in the Super Bowl with just over two minutes left in the third quarter before allowing the Patriots to score 31 unanswered points and win the game. While Atlanta was devastated after the game, the tone in the halftime locker room — when the Falcons led 21-3 — was quite different.
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As former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler explained, his current Cardinals teammate (and former Falcons corner) Robert Alford told him that Atlanta was celebrating quite a bit in the halftime locker room.
"I talked to him about it. I asked him — did he want his ring back," Butler said to 12 News' Ryan Cody. "He told me a story. He said he was in the locker room at halftime. He told me he was about to pop a bottle and things like that. It was so funny. And then we came back and beat them."
Butler added: "I'm just imagining him at halftime. Robert, he's a funny guy, got a lot of energy, tells a lot of jokes, and he told me at halftime they were in there dancing and hooraying and we came back and beat them, so I think that was pretty fun."
It certainly was fun for the Patriots faithful, who watched their team complete the history-making 25-point comeback win when James White plunged into the end zone in overtime.
James White is staying in New England! James White scored the touchdown to complete the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history in overtime 🏆pic.twitter.com/DdYkJgqNUp
— Wicked Boston (@WickedBoston_) March 24, 2021
Surely, though, it wasn't for Falcons fans. And hearing about the "dancing and hooraying" won't make them feel much better about it.
