CharityMike

Posted by Mike Florio on November 12, 2012, 7:18 AM EST

APThe Falcons-Saints rivalry hasn’t been much of a rivalry lately, because the Falcons haven’t been doing much winning when they play the Saints. As it turns out, Atlanta’s latest loss to their NFC South rivals was fueled by Falcons’ antics coming before the opening kickoff.

Linebacker Scott Shanle tells Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports that Falcons players were taunting a Saint who defected from Georgia to Louisiana during the offseason.

“They were talking [expletive] to our guy Curtis Lofton,” Shanle told Silver. “I couldn’t even understand them. They were just walking all over our drills trying to mess with him. [Linebacker Jonathan] Vilma went and told their coach it was classless and they didn’t even say anything. It set the tone for the day. It was classless and they got what they deserved.”

It wasn’t the only pregame chatter that got the Saints’ attention. Per multiple team sources, the Saturday night meeting included the latest installment of the “D-Block,” a Falcons.com locker room video that included at the 11 minute mark a nonsensical freestyle rap. Viewed more as comical than offensive, the Saints nevertheless got an extra kick from the goofy antics from a team that seemed to presumed it would show up and win — even though the Falcons have beaten the Saints only twice since 2006.

As one team source told PFT, “That video would never be allowed nor would our players make a video like that in our locker room.”

By the way, the rematch comes later this month, on NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football.

We have a significant amount of anticipation for that specific occurrence

Shanle says Falcons were “classless” before game | ProFootballTalk

TheOak

That team is still a mirror in class of its previous QB.

73Saint

Thug Life

CharityMike

Well looks like Lofton got the last laugh. Dumb a$$'s!

|Mitch|

The "classless" attitude has a lot less to do with the "former" QB and more to do with the players on the team now and the coaching staff that let's them get away with it...

But it's whatever, White just threw gas on the flame that is the Saints and undoubtedly will do the same in 3 weeks...

TheOak

I wonder how deep Roddy's hate for New Orleans buried in last night?

Like a 6 headed tick?

leilung

"They're like our little brothers. Deep down they know they can't mess with us even when we are having a down year." -Scott Shanle

vpheughan

I take exception to the use of Were. It should be changed to ARE!!!!!!

mutineer10

Sure, they were classless before the game. They've been classless for years, and they'll be classless for years to come. They're the Foulcons, for crap's sake ... some things never change.

TheOak

With they had an easier name to blend with douche... Falcoucheans?
Ah! Douchelanta!