Origin of the name
(By Raúl Cancio) In June 1965, owner Rankin M. Smith, Sr. organized a contest to choose a name that represented the values of Atlanta and Georgia. The contest was won by Julia Elliott, a high school teacher, who justified the appropriateness of the bland Falcons, in the pride of the falcon, their courage and bravery; never lets go of its prey, it is deadly and has a great tradition in sports. In short, a great opportunity was missed to capture southern pride with a striking Atlanta Rebels, for example.
Owner: Arthur Blank **
The owner of the Falcons made his fortune with the construction and DIY company, The Home Depot. He bought the team in 2002 and since then, he has tried to buy numerous franchises from other sports, always in Atlanta. He has brought stability, meaning, and roots to the Falcons and does not get involved in sporting decisions. Just for that, he deserves a big applause, but the truth is that under his leadership, they have never stopped being dull on almost any occasion.
General Manager: Thomas Dimitroff *
This will be Dimitroff's first season as a general manager without Mike Smith as head coach. He survived his dismissal, but his authority is shaken after so many years keeping Smith in the position. Now he's hanging by a thread, so he can't afford any more mistakes. His performance, given that he managed the miracle of having a franchise QB from the beginning of his tenure, is as mediocre as the team's.
Head coach: Dan Quinn ***
Dan Quinn has become a head coach in the NFL because in his last two years he was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Two Super Bowls, with a victory in one, where his unit was the great protagonist. He must take advantage of this opportunity because he is already at an age, and that's why it can be expected that the Falcons will adopt his personality and become a very aggressive team, something they lacked with greed under Smith's leadership. No one should expect complex defensive systems or a reckless attack, but rather many players prepared to do their job with order and security.
STADIUM: Georgia Dome, the largest in the NFL **
The Georgia Dome is the largest indoor sports facility in the NFL. When it opened in 1992, it was the largest in the world, but it has since been surpassed. It received an upgrade in 2006 that cost $300 million when the original construction cost $214 million. It has had several problems with the roof, as leaks were caused in 2008, leading to the suspension of a basketball game in the SEC tournament (NCAA) and the relocation of subsequent games. For all these reasons, the Falcons are already in the process of building a new stadium.
FANS: Tired of being in the shadow of the NCAA **
Atlanta Falcons fans are tired of the rest of the NFL not considering them one of their own. In many parts of the United States, Atlanta, Georgia, and the South in general, are considered a bunch of football fanatics... but only in the collegiate NCAA level, specifically in the SEC, the most important division. But there are also Falcons fans who want it to be known that Atlanta also has support for professional sports. In fact, the Georgia Dome is a loud and passionate venue... and not only when there's NCAA.
CHEERLEADERS: The Falconettes ***
The Falconettes, created in the 1960s, have gained popularity in recent years for being the group where Tiffany Fallon became known. Fallon, a dancer, became the Playboy Playmate of the Year in 2005. Also in the same cheerleading squad was Laurie Lynn, who fell in love with the team's backup QB, Matt Schaub, and ended up marrying him and going to the Houston Texans where she also served as a cheerleader, in a not so common double free agency move.