Editing Atlanta Falcons (section)

===Professional football comes to Atlanta (1962)===
Professional football first came to Atlanta in [[1962 American Football League season|1962]], when the [[American Football League]] (AFL) staged two preseason contests, with one featuring the [[1962 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]] vs. the [[1962 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]] and the second pitting the [[1962 Dallas Texans season|Dallas Texans]] against the [[1962 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]]. Two years later, the [[American Football League|AFL]] held another exhibition, this time with the [[1964 New York Jets season|New York Jets]] taking on the [[1964 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]].

In 1965, after the [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]] (then known simply as Atlanta Stadium) was built, the city of Atlanta felt the time was right to start pursuing professional football.<ref name=sivmsur>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1965/07/12/606341/the-mayor-surrenders-atlanta |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Minter |first=Jim |title=The mayor surrenders Atlanta |date=July 12, 1965 |page=14 |access-date=August 10, 2018 |archive-date=August 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810235423/https://www.si.com/vault/1965/07/12/606341/the-mayor-surrenders-atlanta |url-status=live }}</ref> One independent group which had been active in NFL exhibition promotions in Atlanta applied for franchises in both the AFL and NFL, acting entirely on its own with no guarantee of stadium rights. Another group reported it had deposited earnest money for a team in the AFL.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atlanta Falcons Team History |url=http://www.nflteamhistory.com/nfl_teams/atlanta_falcons/team_history.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517201016/http://www.nflteamhistory.com/nfl_teams/atlanta_falcons/team_history.html |archive-date=May 17, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2012 |website=NFL Team History}}</ref>

With everyone running in different directions, some local businessmen ([[Cox Communications|Cox Broadcasting]]) worked out a deal and were awarded an AFL franchise on {{nowrap|June 8, <!--1965,-->}} contingent upon acquiring exclusive stadium rights from city {{nowrap|officials.<ref name="atlgeta">{{Cite news |date=June 9, 1965 |title=Atlanta gets AFL berth |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=32pQAAAAIBAJ&pg=5649%2C1275283 |work=Milwaukee Sentinel |page=3, part 2 |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News}}</ref><ref name="nhodsbr">{{Cite news |date=June 9, 1965 |title=No-holds-barred war set by grid leagues |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OOhMAAAAIBAJ&pg=7296%2C4341116 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505013051/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OOhMAAAAIBAJ&pg=7296%2C4341116 |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=December 21, 2020 |work=Rome News-Tribune |location=(Georgia) |page=11 |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News}}</ref>}} NFL [[History of the NFL Commissioner|Commissioner]] [[Pete Rozelle]], who had been moving slowly in Atlanta matters, was spurred by the AFL interest and headed on the next plane down to Atlanta to block the rival league's claim on the city of Atlanta.<ref name="AtlantaFalcons1"/><ref name=sivmsur/><ref name=nhodsbr/> He forced the city to make a choice between the two leagues;<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 22, 1965 |title=NFL stakes Dixie claim, Atlanta, '66 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xyhQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0AwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7221%2C1859727 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |page=10 |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News}}</ref> by June 30, the city picked Rankin Smith and the NFL.<ref name=sivmsur/><ref name="nwwfst">{{Cite news |date=July 1, 1965 |title=NFL wins 'war' for Atlanta stadium |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2MMVAAAAIBAJ&pg=1613%2C78312 |work=Milwaukee Sentinel |page=2, part 2 |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News}}</ref>

The AFL's original expansion plans in June 1965 were for two new teams {{nowrap|in [[1966 American Football League season|1966]],<ref name="msafltadd">{{Cite news |date=June 8, 1965 |title=AFL to add 2 teams in '66 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3mpQAAAAIBAJ&pg=7400%2C1110883 |work=Milwaukee Sentinel |page=3, part 2 |agency=UPI|via=Google News}}</ref><ref name="sr">{{Cite news |date=June 8, 1965 |title=American Football League will expand in 1966 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WWtWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7320%2C2064194 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505013057/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WWtWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7320%2C2064194 |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=December 21, 2020 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |page=16 |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News}}</ref>}} in Atlanta and {{nowrap|Philadelphia.<ref name="pfldojap">{{Cite news |last=Hackleman |first=Jim |date=June 20, 1965 |title=Pro football leagues duel over juicy Atlanta plum |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xShQAAAAIBAJ&pg=5397%2C1442669 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505013036/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xShQAAAAIBAJ&pg=5397%2C1442669 |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=December 21, 2020 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |page=4, sports |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News}}</ref>}} It later evolved into the [[1966 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] in 1966 and the [[1968 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]] in [[1968 American Football League season|1968]]. The NFL had planned to add two teams in {{nfly|1967}}; the competition with the AFL for Atlanta forced the first to be added a year early in {{nfly|1966}}. The odd number of teams (15) resulted in one idle team (bye) each week, with each team playing 14 games over 15 weeks (similar to {{nfly|1960}}: 12 games over 13 weeks). The second expansion team, the [[1967 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]], joined the NFL as planned in 1967 as its sixteenth franchise.

The Atlanta Falcons franchise began when it was approved to begin play in 1966 by a unanimous vote of the NFL club owners on June 21, 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 22, 1965 |title=NFL Votes Franchise To Atlanta |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XNpIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZgENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1170%252C6219289 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240918005219/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XNpIAAAAIBAJ&pg=1170%2C6219289&sjid=ZgENAAAAIBAJ |archive-date=2024-09-18 |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=The Morning Record|via=Google News|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Rozelle granted ownership nine days later on June 30 to 40-year-old [[Rankin Smith Sr.]], an executive vice president of Life Insurance Company of Georgia. He paid $8.5 million, the highest price in NFL history at the time for a franchise.<ref name="AtlantaFalcons1"/> Rozelle and Smith made the deal in about five minutes and the Atlanta Falcons brought the largest and most popular sport to the city of Atlanta.

The Atlanta expansion team became the 15th NFL franchise, and they were awarded the first overall pick in the [[1966 NFL draft]] as well as the final pick in each of the first five rounds.<ref name=HOF1966>{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.jsp?story_id=1998|title=1966 NFL Draft|access-date=September 27, 2008|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame|archive-date=December 8, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208234646/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.jsp?story_id=1998|url-status=live}}</ref> They selected consensus [[1965 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] [[linebacker]] [[Tommy Nobis]] from the [[1965 Texas Longhorns football season|University of Texas]], making him the first-ever Falcon. The league also held the [[1966 NFL Expansion Draft|expansion draft]] six weeks later in which Atlanta selected unprotected players from the 14 existing franchises. Although the Falcons selected many good players in those drafts, they still were not able to win right away.<ref name="AtlantaFalcons1"/>

The Atlanta team received its nickname on August 29, 1965. Miss Julia Elliott, a school teacher from [[Griffin, Georgia|Griffin]], was singled out from many people who suggested "[[Falcon]]s" as the nickname for the new franchise.<ref name="l481">{{cite web | last=Holden | first=Sarah | title=Bryan resident reflects on late relative who gave Atlanta Falcons their name | website=KBTX | date=2017-02-03 | url=https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Bryan-resident-takes-pride-reflecting-on-late-relative-who-named-the-Atlanta-Falcons-412739493.html | access-date=2024-08-24}}</ref> She wrote: "the Falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It is deadly and has a great sporting tradition."<ref>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.atlantafalcons.com/footer/faq.html|publisher=Atlanta Falcons|access-date=August 5, 2016|archive-date=August 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810215914/http://www.atlantafalcons.com/footer/faq.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Franchise nicknames|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/nicknames.aspx|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame|date=January 1, 2005|access-date=August 5, 2016|archive-date=October 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017054446/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/nicknames.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>