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Atlanta Falcons History Has A Record of Success

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Atlanta Falcons history is relatively short, making them one of the younger teams in the NFL. They were added in 1966 as an expansion team. The NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership of the team to Rankin Smith, Sr. They were awarded first pick in the NFL draft that year, and also final pick in each round. They picked Tommy Nobis first, which made him the very first player in Atlanta Falcon history. Even though their first year, the Falcons didn't win very many games, they actually won their first away game versus the New York Giants in the 60s. By the end of the decade, the team had won 12 games total in their four years. Throughout this time, they also changed from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference, and then became a part of the Coastal Division of the Western Conference.

In 1970, the Atlanta Falcons football team was moved once again and became a part of the National Football Conference Western division, or NFC West. They remained there for about 31 years, becoming part of the NFC South in 2002. 1971 was the first winning season for the young Falcons. The Falcons made the playoffs in 1978. They recorded a win in the Wild Card game against the Eagles, then played the division game against the Cowboys. They made the playoffs again in 1980 and 1982, and after the 1982 coach Leeman Bennett was fired. After this, it was almost 10 years before they saw another playoff game, when theyplayed the in the Division game in 1991.

The Atlanta Falcons history for winning championships includes 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, and 2008, and made an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII. The Atlanta Falcons history of losses includes a 22-loss streak for away games in cold-weather cities. In 1998, they won against the New England Patriots during a road game, which broke the 16 year streak of losses in colder destinations. That season was also the one that led them to the Super Bowl against the Broncos, which they lost 34-19. In 2001, the Atlanta Falcons history shows that they became even stronger with the acquisition of Michael Vick and LaDanian Tomlinson. By 2002, Vick was the starting quarterback and led the team to the playoffs that year. In 2003, Vick suffered a broken leg, causing him to miss 12 games. 2003 was a tough year, leaving the Atlanta Falcons with a 5-11 record.

In 2004, they returned to the playoffs once more, only to lose to the Eagles again. 2005 kept the on-again, off-again championship visits going with an 8-8 season. The team had a shot in 2006 until the Giants beat the Redskins, knocking the Falcons out of the running for the playoffs. The Atlanta Falcons history in 2007 was controversial and news ridden. 2007 created a much more socially volatile time for the team, when Michael Vick was convicted of dog fighting. He then received a sentence of 23 months, forcing the Atlanta Falcons to replace him with Joey Harrington. That season, Bobby Petrino resigned as coach, leaving Emmitt Thomas, a secondary coach, in command for the last three games of that season.

In 2008, the team found a new general manager in Thomas Dimitroff, and Mike Smith was the new head coach. Later that year, Michael Turner signed on for a $30 million six-year deal. They could clinch the wildcard spot that year, but lost in the first round to the Arizona Cardinals. The Atlanta Falcons history of players in the Hall of Fame includes two members, and has a handful of retired numbers. In December of 2008, there was talk of a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons on the old General Motors plant site. The stadium is projected to use 90 acres of the space, and is highly desired by owner Arthur Blank. He suggests that a new stadium would increase their ability to attract fans, and also the ability to host Super Bowl games.

Atlanta Falcons history has produced some great games and memories for Atlanta Falcons fans. There sure to be a force to be reckoned with, especially when you consider names like Ryan and Gonzalez.

Matt Love http://www.footballcollectibles.com/AtlantaFalcons.htm Our directory provides Falcons resources for History, Blogs, News, Shopping and Memorabilia resources.

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