Well, the pads are finally on and the Falcons have a few days of practice at the Branch in near triple-digit Georgia heat.

As the calendar turns over to the hottest month of the year, the battle for those final coveted spots on the Falcons roster begins to heat up along with the weather.

While the Atlanta’s camp may not have the intrigue of the Ochocinco/T.O. battle of dueling IPhone apps and reality TV shows up there in Cincinnati or have the made-for-reality-TV panache of Rex Ryan’s New York Jets, there still is much to talk about with the Dirty Birds.

As will be the case throughout these final dog days of summer, NFL BlogBlitz will continue to bring you updates on those positional battles and some of the other goings on at training camp. Without further adieu, let’s get to the first of hopefully many of our semi-regular “favorite fives.” (We’ll see if Sir Charles Barkley can somehow slip into this fav five, too … just like he does with D. Wade).

1) Spoon bends his way into camp on time (almost).
While he didn’t quite check into the dorms on time, the Falcons and No. 1 pick LB Sean Weatherspoon, agreed to a five-year, $17.5 million contract on the opening day of camp on

Thursday.

The 19th overall selection in the 2010 NFL draft became the last of his Dirty Bird draft class to occupy the nest. He hit the field with his other rookie teammates and fellow Falcons for Atlanta’s first practice on Friday morning.

2) Douglas, Jerry and Williams cleared for takeoff.
Atlanta hoped to soar deep into the post-season last year. But injuries (and the success of that silly team from New Orleans) brought the Dirty Birds back to Earth.

However, with a new season, there comes renewed optimism, which is buoyed by the return of three grounded Falcons. WR Harry Douglas, DT Peria Jerry and CB Brian Williams and all missed significant time with year-ending knee injuries last season. All three are healthy and have been medically cleared to practice with the club at training camp and have begun to do so on a limited basis.

Expect Douglas to battle with Michael Jenkins for the No. 2 receiver job, Jerry to suit up on the D-line in most situations and Williams to try to outlast Brent Grimes and Chevis Jackson for the right to line up on the other side of Dunta Robinson at corner.

3) Receiving corps not at its Peek.
Bumps and bruises are common on the football field, especially early on in training camp. Predictably, the injury bug has found the Falcons. TE Colin Peek (undrafted, Alabama) left practice on Friday afternoon with a right knee injury. The next day, WR Brian Finneran did not practice with a back injury.

Predictably, Atlanta went out and made a roster move the next day, signing free agent TE Robbie Agnone and releasing CB Gabe Derricks. Agnone played on New England’s practice squad last season.

4) Speaking of tight ends …
Perhaps the biggest piece of news out of camp belongs on Page Six of the New York Post. Rumor has it that Falcons DE Kroy Biermann has been dating “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kim Zolciak for about two months.

I’ll be honest. I have no idea who Zolciak is and have never cared to watch that particular reality TV show (ask me who Snooki or JWOWW is and I can JWOWW you with my knowledge of all things “Jersey Shore.”) But the 30-something year-old buxom blonde, “Tardy to the Party” singing Zolciak is quite the catch for the 24-year-old Biermann.

Both parties declined to comment on their “personal life.” But look for it to be splashed all over cable television later this year.

5) Birds secondary logo named after Hartsfield-Jackson?
You have to love how popular culture intersects with sports. As those of you who are hip enough to listen to hip hop, rap artists from the Atlanta area have referred to the town by its airport code (or area code and even the abbreviated the “A”) in many of their songs to promote the city that they grew up in.

Well, count the Falcons as the latest to cash in on Atlanta’s fortuitous airport code. The team unveiled their new secondary logo this week. Clothing emblazoned with the “ATL” logo can be purchased exclusively in Flowery Branch or on the Dirty Birds’ website: Falcons365.com.

What’s next? The Jets and Giants come out with merchandice with EWR splashed all over it representing nearby Newark Airport (yes, folks both “New York” teams play in Jersey) … or DFW for the Cowboys or MIA for the Dolphins …

That’s turrible, Phil … as Sir Charles would say.

-- PHIL FOLEY
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