Bird-Brained Atlanta Falcons Mascot Explores The Lighter Side Of Suicide

Atlanta Falcons mascot Freddie’s goose could be cooked after making a distasteful joke about suicide over the weekend. As if Atlanta didn’t have enough problems with a 2-6 record, now they have to worry about bad press from an idiotic remark made on Twitter by a team employee. The frustrated Falcons mascot ruffled a ton of feathers by tweeting:

“Had a good time at the #ood suicide prevention walk today. I may need to go back if our season continues the way it is…” — Freddie Falcon, @Freddie Falcon

The party responsible for the Atlanta Falcons mascot’s Twitter account (is it for sure the person who wears the costume?) deleted the tweet and apologized, saying it was “inappropriate and insensitive.” The post came after the Atlanta Falcons fell to the Carolina Panthers to the tune of 34-10. The event’s sponsor, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, offered a reserved response to the insensitive Atlanta Falcons tweet: “For the more than 1,000 survivors of suicide loss who participated in today’s walk, suicide prevention is no laughing matter. We hope everyone who joined us today, including Freddie, support our vision for a world without suicide.”

Jokes in poor taste notwithstanding, who says they “had a good time” at a suicide prevention event? Surely the Atlanta Falcons mascot could have come up with a better way of saying that. Then again, given the bone-headed display of judgment with the quip that followed, maybe not. It’s even more baffling in the wake of recent NFL player suicides such as Junior Seau, Paul Oliver and Jovan Belcher.

The Atlanta Falcons rent out their mascot at $300 and hour and Freddie had better be the early bird that gets the worm, because if class act Atlanta President and CEO Rich McKay has a bad day, Freddie may be flying the coop in the near future. The Falcons mascot had been chosen No. 6 in the Sports Illustrated for Kids’ Top 10 NFL Mascots, although his stock has surely dropped since then.

Should the Atlanta Falcons fire their mascot in the wake of this event?

I am truly sorry for my inappropriate and insensitive tweet. It was in poor taste.

— Freddie Falcon (@FreddieFalcon) November 4, 2013