If “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” was a Major League Baseball team, it’d be the Atlanta Braves—who still have an offensive-ass name, logo, and signature “tomahawk chop but just became world series champs for the first time since 1995.
In order to finally make the impossible a reality, all the franchise had to do was shake the demons of being perennial underachievers, overcome significant injuries (remember Ronald Acuña Jr.?), shutout the Houston Astros in a crucial Game 6, and dig itself out of mediocrity (Atlanta didn’t crawl out of its .500 rut until Aug. 8, when they were 57-56, and finished with only 88 wins). This is a franchise that’s been tormenting its fans for decades, and finally—finally—there’s something to celebrate.
Hell, look at how emotional ESPN anchor Elle Duncan got after Atlanta’s win:
“I know this is so lame because you can tell that I’ve been crying,” she says in a video posted on Instagram. “But you don’t know how hard it is to do this job when your city is known for blowing it all the time.”
Do you see the relief on this woman’s face?! And this is somebody who’s paid handsomely to remain professional and be impartial. Atlanta fans have gone through it, and finally, the clouds have parted and sunshine is pouring in.
“This city has been hungry for a championship for so long,” Freddie Freeman, the longest-serving member of the team, told the New York Times. “I cannot wait to see the crowds in the next couple of days when we get back home. I’m just so thankful that we were able to bring them home a championship.”
Part of what makes this championship feel so special is that Atlanta is so far removed from fielding a juggernaut. Gone are the days of Chipper Jones and Fred McGriff crushing home runs; Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz terrorizing batters from the mound; and Bobby Cox orchestrating the opposing team’s demise. This is a team built on resilience and grit; a team that overachieved when so many rosters bearing the same uniform floundered and failed in the past.
“It’s way different,” Atlanta coach Eddie Perez said, who made his debut as a player for the Braves back in 1995. “You know why? Because we had to fight here. Back then, we knew we had a good team and that it was only a matter of time before we would win. Here, this year, we went through so much and look where we are now. I never thought we were going to be here.”
Ahhh, yes. Sweet victory.
On social media, plenty of hip-hop royalty has joined in on the festivities as well. So So Def founder Jermaine Dupri has been loud and proud after the World Series win, as he is with all sports involving ATL, and Houston rapper Bun B lost a bet to Outkast rapper Big Boi and was forced to post a video in a Braves hat.
Congrats to the city of Atlanta, and especially all of the fans who’ve patiently waited for their moment in the sun, but let’s talk about that team name and ridiculous “tomahawk chop” after y’all are done sipping champagne and throwing confetti.
Oh, and enjoy your parade on Friday.