ATLANTA – It isn’t often I am hoping for a tie in anything related to sports but one rare exception was the AP 2008 NFL Coach-of- the-Year race that I had been anxiously awaiting.How do you choose between two rookie head coaches who week-in and week-out made headlines around the NFL and rescued two struggling franchises, pulling them out of the rubble and restoring their reputations around the league.

It appears that a majority of the 50 AP writers who voted felt the same way.

In a photo finish race between two rookie head coaches, Atlanta Falcons Mike Smith took home the honors, edging out Miami Dolphins Tony Sparano by just one vote, 23 ½ to 22 ½.

Both coaches had incredible inaugural seasons, converting their last-place teams into playoff teams.

Sparano transformed the Dolphins from a 1-15 laughing stock into an 11-5 contender, earning the AFC East title and a home game in the playoffs.

The Dolphins lost that game 27-9 to the Baltimore Ravens who brought their stonewall defense to the Sunshine State, intercepting AP comeback player of the year Chad Pennington four times and ending Sparano’s run.

Mike Smith turned his Falcons around in similar fashion. The Daytona Beach Florida native took over a last-place 4-12 team with a roster depleted of its All-Pro and high-caliber players. Alge Crumpler, DeAngelo Hall, Joe Horn and Warrick Dunn were traded or cut and star QB Michael Vick was incarcerated for running a dog fighting operation.

Smith created a roster overflowing with no-name players and rookies and rebuilt around AP Rookie-of-the-Year QB Matt Ryan to finish 11-5 and earn a wild-card spot and unexpected trip to the playoffs. The Falcons were defeated in that game by the Arizona Cardinals 30-24.

“We went through every bit of pain last year that a franchise or a community of fans could imagine,” said Falcons owner Arthur Blank. “To see things come around this year as well as they have, it’s just a tribute to the men involved who are making the decisions.”

Smith is the second Falcon coach to take home the award. Dan Reeves won it in 1998, the year the Falcons advanced to the Super Bowl.

Although this race did not end in a tie and allow two deserving men to receive the recognition they deserved, it would have if I had a vote instead of the writer who for some ridiculous reason voted for Bill Belichick.

Although I am based in Atlanta and have covered and supported the Falcons all season, I would have pulled the lever for Sparano, bringing the final tally to a tie.

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