Just how close were the Atlanta Falcons to winning the Super Bowl against the Patriots? The stores in Atlanta already had the championship gear on display.

As the Falcons jumped out to a 28-3 lead with just over 17 minutes to go in Super Bowl 51, stores across Atlanta went ahead and prepared to stock the Falcons gear on its shelves and mannequins. That lead quickly evaporated in the form of a 34-28 Patriots win. And if that wasn’t bad enough for Falcons fans, there is actual footage of the championship gear being pulled off the shelves.

Ouch.

The stores, of course, couldn’t sell the merchandise, but it just makes the Falcons’ collapse seem that much more depressing. Atlanta was minutes away from the city’s first championship since 1995 (Braves).

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