The Atlanta Falcons is a local American football team. The National Football Conference (NFC) South division is where the Falcons play in the National Football League (NFL). The Falcons became an expansion team in the NFL in 1965[6] after the league offered then-owner Rankin Smith a franchise to prevent him from leaving for the rival American Football League (AFL). The Falcons have a 55-year record of 379-487-6 (369-473-6 in the regular season and 10-14 in the postseason), and have won division titles in 1980, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2012, and 2016. The Falcons have participated in two Super Bowls. Their first appearance was in Super Bowl XXXIII in 1998, which they lost to the Denver Broncos.
The city of Atlanta decided it was time to pursue professional football in 1965 after the construction of the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which was then just known as Atlanta Stadium. One unaffiliated organisation that participated in NFL exhibition marketing in Atlanta petitioned for franchises in the AFL and NFL, working independently and without any assurance of stadium rights. Another organisation declared that it had paid earnest money for an AFL team.
In the midst of everyone scattering in separate directions, a group of local businessmen (Cox Broadcasting) struck a deal and on June 8 received an AFL franchise, subject to obtaining exclusive stadium rights from the city council. Due to the AFL’s interest, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who had been moving slowly on Atlanta-related issues, boarded the next flight to Atlanta to prevent the rival league from claiming the city. By June 30, the city had chosen Rankin Smith and the NFL after being forced to choose between the two leagues.
Franchise History
The AFL originally intended to grow by adding two new clubs in 1966, in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Following that, it changed into the Miami Dolphins in 1966 and the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968. The NFL originally intended to add two teams in 1967; however, due to competition from the AFL for Atlanta, the first franchise had to be established a year earlier, in 1966. Due to the odd number of teams (15), there was one bye week each team, with each team playing 14 games over a 15-week period (similar to 1960: 12 games over 13 weeks). As scheduled, the New Orleans Saints, the second expansion team, became the NFL’s 16th franchise in 1967.
On June 30, 1965, Rozelle gave 40-year-old Rankin Smith Sr., an executive vice president of Life Insurance Company of Georgia, ownership of the Atlanta Falcons team. The most expensive franchise purchase in NFL history at the time was made by him for $8.5 million. The Atlanta Falcons brought the biggest and most well-liked sport to the city of Atlanta after Rozelle and Smith made the agreement in about five minutes.
The 1966 NFL Draft gave the Atlanta expansion team the first overall pick, as well as the last pick in each of the first five rounds, making them the 15th NFL franchise. As the first-ever Falcon, they chose University of Texas line backer Tommy Nobis, a unanimous All-American. Six weeks later, the league also hosted the expansion draught, during which Atlanta made unprotected selections of players from the 14 current franchises. The Falcons were able to pick up a lot of quality players in previous rounds, but they were unable to start winning right immediately.
Final Takeaway
It was officially given to the Atlanta team on August 29, 1965. Among the many persons who submitted “Falcons” as a moniker for the new team, Miss Julia Elliott, a teacher from Griffin, was singled out. She penned: “The Falcon is a fierce fighter who is proud and dignified. It never abandons a victim. It is dangerous and has a rich sporting history.”
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