Things For Which We Should All Be Stankful in 2020

Stank you, 2020. No, really. 

It’s Thanksgiving, and as we know, for many of us it is NOT lit. But that doesn’t mean we can’t count our blessings, few as they may seem to be in a year like the Double-Deuce. 

Yes, the year has been shitty, to say it sweetly. Still, focusing on the negative and dwelling in the past will keep us in 2020, and that’s not an option. 

Looking back at it, there have actually been some wins since everything went down in spring. And if you don’t mind, we’re gonna quickly go down the list to remind you that even in rough times, there are moments of victory we’ve gotta claim in order to stay up in the game. 

Dan Quinn got fired.

It’s not like the Falcons’ rough few years are entirely his fault. It’s also not like they’re doing all that much better without him. Still, he was the head coach, and sometimes heads must roll. 

Anthony Edwards was the #1 draft pick

While he didn’t go to the Hawks, it’s always great when the homie goes to the top. So when the 6’5” Atlanta-born shooting guard went as the first pick — even though it was to Minnesota — we felt like ATL won yet again.   

Mayor Bottoms blew up

Atlanta’s Mayor Named Keisha raise her national profile considerably as a potential candidate for Biden’s running mate. She also showed America how to handle situations of police brutality, and showed a general resilience that made the city proud. So when she was picked by Glamour magazine as one of their Women of the Year, we were like “Y’all late.” 

Fred Blankenship went mainstream

The pandemic brought out the best in some people, and WSB reporter Fred B shined like gold when Atlanta and the rest of the world needed that good energy. Even if only for a couple minutes at a time, Blankenship was 2020’s greatest personal hype man. 

Gucci Mane & Jeezy stole the show with Verzuz

They broke records and made peace on the national stage, and even better, that state was the “H” that sits in the middle of Magic City. Between two poles, these polar trap opposites gave everyone an amazing show that went from shock (they’re actually doing it?!?!) to fear (wait, they’re about to fight…), to reconciliation and rapping back to back on “So Icy.” 

McDonald Trump is kicking rocks

Boy bye.

Ryan Cameron came back healthy

Bankhead representative and Atlanta radio legend Ryan Cameron is important to the culture. Not only has he run radio in ATL for decades, even introducing the world to his intern Chris Luva Luva before there was a such thing as a Ludacris, but Cameron has also served as the official announcer for the Hawks and the Falcons. So with everything else going on, it was great to see him get back in action late this summer after a health scare took him off-air and away from the games earlier this year. Welcome back Ryan King!

The weather in ATL was sweet

It’s hard to find a place where you get a true four seasons; just ask Rudy Guiliani. But aside from a few intense storms during hurricane season, Atlanta had a really great year of weather, with moderate temperatures, not too much rain (but enough to give us a bumper crop year of peaches), and the lovely extended fall season of lush autumn leaf colors we’re enjoying right now from our tree canopy. It forced us outside to places like the Cascade Nature Preserve, which was lit with folks who were looking for safe places to be in the city. There’s no place like home, all year ‘round.

Traffic was actually fine (for a month)

Remember when quarantine began, and the lockdown was in full swing? Not a lot of people were leaving the house, but if you had to leave, you experienced something Atlanta hasn’t seen in a looooooong time: commutes to any part of 285 that didn’t involve a looooooooong time sitting on the interstate and not moving. It was otherworldly. We miss it! Especially now that folks are driving at speeds >100mph but with the traffic pretty much back to old (bad) levels. It was nice though, right? AYO… STOP READING THIS ON YOUR PHONE RIGHT NOW AND DRIVE THE CAR, DAMMIT!

Atlanta’s legacy of civic and global leadership continued.

We lost one of history’s greatest people when Representative John Lewis passed away. But his passing didn’t mark the end of his Beloved Community or the work all of us who believe in this city, and its importance to the conscience of our planet, continue to do. As we see the baton continue to be passed, from rappers like Killer Mike to various activists, allies and just good, old-fashioned voters like you, we see that the marathon indeed continues. Word to Bem Joiner and the AIE team — Atlanta really does influence everything, even the 2020 election.