Unser Chat » While the visitors had called for a “cola truce” on

ATLANTA (AP) — Pepsi is pouring it on in Coke’s house — injecting some fizz into its biggest rivalry during the buildup to the Super Bowl.social media with the NFL title game in the shadows of its competitor’s Atlanta-based headquarters Youth Deion Sanders Jersey , it seems to have been more of a Trojan Horse subterfuge designed to lure Coke into lowering its defenses.Billboards all around Atlanta call for Pepsi to “paint the town blue” and announce “Pepsi in Atlanta — how refreshing.”“I’d say Pepsi’s had a great heritage of being a challenger brand,” Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s vice president of marketing, said Thursday. “The Pepsi-Coke rivalry has been going on for years. As a marketer, it’s been a fun, friendly kind of a thing. As a challenger brand, it’s really embracing the role to show everybody we’re the official NFL sponsor. Do it in a fun way with a competitor that we respect.”But while Pepsi has been intent on having fun at Coke’s expense, Coke will be tapping into its home-field advantage: Because it owns the “pouring rights” at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Coke products will be for sale at the fountains during the game between the Patriots and Rams. But the drinks will be served in NFL-themed Super Bowl cups.That hasn’t deterred Pepsi. The company, based in Purchase, New York, wheeled a life-sized statue of its founder, Caleb Bradham, in broad daylight to toast a soda with none other than the statue of Coca-Cola founder John Pemberton. The meeting came just outside the World of Coke museum in downtown Atlanta.And it didn’t last long.Pepsi was asked to leave a few minutes after setting up on the Coke property that’s located just a couple of blocks from the stadium.But Coke believes it has home-field advantage and has gone out of its way to stay above the fray.“I think certainly they came and they used Atlanta as an opportunity to have an Atlanta-focused message, and what I would say is that we have a message that is uniquely Coca-Cola,” said Brynn Bardacke, vice president of content and creative excellence for Coca-Cola North America. “I think we’re going to leave the rumbling to the football.“We’re going to use our advertising to talk about what’s important to the brand.”The latest chapter in the decades-long rivalry between Coke, the longtime leader in worldwide soda sales, and its not-quite-as-massive rival has been entertaining.Ask almost anyone around Atlanta — anywhere, really — and they have very strong opinions about the soda giants.Mark Meek, a Carolina Panthers fan from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Stitched Steve Bartkowski Jersey , wasted no time choosing a side.“I like being the little guy, fighting for his place in the world,” he said. “I like it because it’s from my home state and we’ve got a little rivalry thing going with Georgia anyway. I like Lowe’s more than Home Depot. I like Pepsi more than I like Coke. I like the Panthers more than I like the Falcons. I like Bojangles more than I like Chick-Fil-A.”His friend Keith Priest, also Panthers fan from Winston-Salem, is a Coke man all the way.“Pepsi’s too sweet, way too sweet,” he said. “The carbonation seems better in a Coke. Every now and then I’ll get Cherry Coke, but other than that, it’s always just Coke.”Lest anyone forget that, Coke has bought the time slot right before the national anthem to roll out its big Super Bowl ad, “A Coke is a Coke,” a strategic move it would’ve made regardless of Pepsi being in his hometown.“Well, we are here to welcome everybody to the city, Pepsi included,” Bardacke said. “Our effort is really focused on what our brand is and means to people and really what we offer. The message at a high level is that Coke is for everyone.”Maybe so, but not for Kaplan. Pepsi knows where it stands in pecking order, and has launched a marketing campaign that Pepsi is “more than OK.”“Every day there’s a cultural truth that people get asked this question when they’re in a restaurant.” Kaplan said. “Sometimes they will order our competitor’s beverage and they’ll be asked the question, ‘Is Pepsi OK?’ That’s a question that, for years, people get asked, and we wanted to take that truth and flip it on its head. Absolutely, Pepsi is more than OK.”But not for Atlanta resident Jack Jessen.“You’ve got to go with the hometown teams Youth Steve Bartkowski Jersey ,” he said. “Coke and Falcons.”For Houston resident Zephra Belle, there’s no way she’s drinking Coke.“I’m Team Pepsi all the way,” she said. “It’s sweeter. It makes me feel better. I haven’t adjusted to Coke. I don’t understand the Coke people.” Reminisce about the Falcons of old,"Hey Falcoholics, I’m back with another edition of The Falcoholic’s Throwback Thursday series. This weekly segment highlights a former Atlanta Falcons’ player and discusses what they did for the franchise. Whether you’ve been a fan since the inaugural season, or just became a fan recently, this series will give insight on players from the past. Without further ado, let’s reminisce about former Falcons wide receiver Terance Mathis. Terance Mathis was born in Detroit, Michigan, but then moved to the state of Georgia, where he played high school football in Stone Mountain for Redan High School. Mathis played quarterback for Redan in high school, but then switched to wide receiver in college where he played for the University of New Mexico. At New Mexico, Mathis had a solid collegiate career, totaling 263 catches, 4,254 yards, and 36 touchdowns in four seasons. In the 1990 NFL Draft, Terance Mathis was selected in the sixth round by the New York Jets. For his first few seasons, the Jets primarily used Mathis as a kick returner, and he never caught over 30 passes in a season while playing for them.In 1994, the Atlanta Falcons signed Terance Mathis as an unrestricted free agent. His first season with the Falcons was arguably the best season of his NFL career, as he had a franchise-record 111 catches Stitched Brett Favre Jersey , and added 11 receiving touchdowns. Following that season, Mathis was selected to the NFC’s Pro Bowl team. He was selected as the Atlanta Falcons’ “Man of the Year” in 1998 for his accomplishments on and off the field. Also that season, Mathis made his first NFL postseason appearance and got to play for the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Denver Broncos. Even though he led the Falcons in receptions during the game, it wasn’t enough to deliver them a victory. Two years later, he passed Andre Rison on the Falcons all-time touchdown list. Terance Mathis went on to have three more quality seasons with the Falcons before being released by the team following the 2001 NFL season. Mathis then signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he lasted one season, and then he retired from the NFL following the 2002 season. Currently, Mathis is second all-time in career two-point conversions with six, behind Marshall Faulk’s seven. Since retiring, Mathis has served as the Vice President of Marketing for NASCAR’s Leavine Family Racing, and became the head coach at Pinecrest Academy in 2017.I’ll never forget the receiving tandem of Terance Mathis and Tony Martin during the 1998 season. Both wide receivers eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, giving the Falcons a formidable passing attack, which helped lead the team to its first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Tell me your favorite Terance Mathis moments below. If you’ve missed any of the past segments, on players such as Jessie “The Hammer” Tuggle and Tommy “Mr. Falcon” Nobis, you can check them out by clicking the group link above. As always, you can find me on Twitter @EvanBirchfield. Additionally, make sure to follow The Falcoholic on Instagram for up-to-date news and information. Thanks for reading, Falcoholics.