Atlanta Falcons: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
ClueBot (talk | contribs)
1,596,818 edits
m Reverting possible vandalism by 150.176.78.12 to version by Rrburke. False positive? Report it. Thanks, ClueBot. (673528) (Bot)
←Replaced content with ' the flacons have never won a game'
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Refimprove|date=November 2007}}
{{Current NFL season}}
{{NFL team
| name = Atlanta Falcons
| logo = Atlanta_Falcons_logo.svg
| founded = 1966
| city = [[Atlanta, Georgia]]
| uniform = Image:NFCS-Uniform-ATL.PNG
| colors = Red, black, white
{{color box|#bd0d18}} {{color box|black}} {{color box|white}}
| coach = [[Mike Smith (American football)|Mike Smith]]
| owner = [[Arthur Blank]]
| general manager = [[Thomas Dimitroff]]
| mascot = [[Freddie Falcon]]
| hist_yr = 1966
| NFL_start_yr = 1966
| division_hist =
* Eastern Conference (1966)
* Western Conference (1967-69)
** Coastal Division (1967-1969)
* '''[[National Football Conference]] (1970-present)'''
** [[NFC West]] (1970-2001)
** '''[[NFC South]] (2002-present)'''
| conf_champs =
* '''NFC:''' 1998
| div_champs =
* '''NFC West:''' 1980, 1998
* '''NFC South:''' 2004
| no_league_champs = 0
| no_sb_champs = 0
| no_conf_champs = 1
| no_div_champs = 3
|
Championships
| playoff_appearances = <ul><li>'''NFL:''' 1978, 1980, 1982, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008
| no_playoff_appearances = 9
| stadium_years =
* [[Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium]] (1966-1991)
** known as Atlanta Stadium (1966-1976)
* '''[[Georgia Dome]] (1992-present)'''
}}
The '''Atlanta Falcons''' are an [[American football]] team based in Atlanta, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. They are currently a member of the [[NFC South]] division of the [[National Football Conference]] (NFC) in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). The Falcons joined the NFL in 1965 as an [[expansion team]]. In their 42 years of existence, the Falcons have compiled a record of 262&ndash;386&ndash;6 with division championships in 1980, 1998 and 2004.


the flacons have never won a game
==Franchise history==
{{details|History of the Atlanta Falcons}}
The Atlanta Falcons franchise began on June 30, 1965 when [[NFL Commissioner]] [[Pete Rozelle]] granted ownership to [[Rankin Smith Sr.]] The expansion team was awarded the first 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|accessdate=2008-09-27 |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame}}</ref> The Falcons drafted [[All-American]] [[Linebacker]] [[Tommy Nobis]] from the [[Texas Longhorns football|University of Texas]] with the first pick of the [[1966 NFL Draft|draft]], making him the first-ever Falcon. The [[National Football League|league]] also held the [[1966 NFL Expansion Draft]] six weeks later in which the Falcons selected unprotected players from existing franchises.<ref name=HOF1966/>.

The Falcons had their first season in [[1966 NFL season|1966]], and their first preseason game on August 1, [[1966 NFL season|1966]], losing to the [[Philadelphia Eagles]]. They lost their first nine regular-season games and secured their first victory on the road against the [[New York Giants]]. The team finished the 1960s with only 12 wins. The Falcons had their first [[Monday Night Football]] game in [[Atlanta]] during the 1970 season. The 1971 season was their first with a winning record.

In the 1978 season, the Falcons entered their first playoff series and won the Wild Card Playoffs against the Eagles only to lose to the [[Dallas Cowboys]] in the Divisional Playoffs. In 1980, they finished 12&ndash;4 only to lose again to the Cowboys in the Divisional Playoffs. In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Falcons made the playoffs but lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 30&ndash;24. Falcons coach [[Leeman Bennett]] was fired after the loss. After the 1982 season, the Atlanta Falcons did not see another playoff series until 1991, when they lost to the [[Washington Redskins]] in the Divisional Playoffs.

Led by QB [[Chris Chandler]] and RB [[Jamal Anderson]], the "Dirty Bird" Falcons had their greatest season to date in 1998. On November 8, they won 41-10 over the [[New England Patriots]], snapping a streak of 22 consecutive losses at cold-weather sites in November and December that had dated back to 1982. The team finished with a 14&ndash;2 regular season record and the NFC West division championship. On January 18, 1999, the Falcons upset the top-seeded 15&ndash;1 [[Minnesota Vikings|Vikings]] at [[Metrodome|Minnesota]] in the NFC Championship Game, 30&ndash;27 in overtime. They lost, 34&ndash;19, to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

In the [[2001 NFL Draft]], the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the [[San Diego Chargers]], acquiring the first overall pick (which was used on [[quarterback]] [[Michael Vick]]) in exchange for [[wide receiver]] [[Tim Dwight]] and the fifth overall pick (used on [[running back]] [[LaDainian Tomlinson]]). Michael Vick became backup to starting QB Chris Chandler, and was the full-time starting quarterback by 2002. He lead them to the playoffs in 2002 only to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles once again in the Divisional Playoffs. During the 2003 preseason Michael Vick broke his leg and missed the first twelve games of the season. The Falcons ended up with a dismal 5&ndash;11 record that year.

Vick returned for the [[2004 Atlanta Falcons season|full season]] in [[2004 NFL season|2004]], when the Falcons went 11&ndash;5. They made it to the Conference Championship, once again losing to the [[2004 Philadelphia Eagles season|Eagles]]. The [[2005 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]] failed yet again to maintain back-to-back winning seasons in [[2005 NFL season|2005]], going 8&ndash;8. The [[2006 NFL season|2006]], the [[2006 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]] had a chance to make the playoffs until the [[2006 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] beat the [[2006 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]], helping to seal their record at a losing 7&ndash;9. In [[2007 NFL season|2007]], Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after pleading guilty to charges involved with dog fighting in the state of Virginia. On December 10, Vick received a 23 month sentence. In the beginning of the 2007 season, the [[2007 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]] were forced to put Joey Harrington as starting quarterback. On December 11, 13 games into his first NFL season as coach, [[Bobby Petrino]] resigned, then accepted an offer to take over as the head coach at the [[Arkansas Razorbacks football|University of Arkansas]]. [[Secondary Coach]] [[Emmitt Thomas]] was named interim coach for the final three games of 2007 on December 12.

On January 13, 2008, Atlanta Falcons named the former Patriot's director of college football scouting [[Thomas Dimitroff]] General Manager.<ref>http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/Staff/Executive/Thomas_Dimitroff.aspx</ref> On January 23, 2008 [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] defensive coach and former linebackers coach for the 2000 Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens [[Mike Smith (American football)|Mike Smith]] was named the Falcons' new head coach.<ref>http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/Coaches/Mike_Smith.aspx</ref> On March 2, former back-up to Ladanian Tomlinson on the San Diego Chargers [[Michael Turner (American football)|Michael Turner]] agreed to a 6 year deal worth 30 million.<ref>http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/Players/Active/Michael_Turner.aspx</ref> On April 26, [[Matt Ryan (American football)|Matt Ryan]] (Quarterback from Boston College) was drafted 3rd overall in the [[2008 NFL Draft]]. He started all 16 games in his rookie season and was named the associated press offensive rookie of the year.<ref>http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/Players/Active/Matt_Ryan.aspx</ref>

On December 21, 2008 Atlanta Falcons beat the Minnesota Vikings 24&ndash;17 to clinch a wild card spot to go to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Falcons finished the 2008 regular season with a record of 11&ndash;5.<ref>http://www.nfl.com/teams/atlantafalcons/statistics?team=ATL</ref>

And in the closing of the first year under head coach Mike Smith, the Falcons lost in the wild-card round of the 2008 NFL Playoffs to the eventual NFC champion [[2008 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]] on January 3, 2009. The score was 30&ndash;24. In the game Offensive Rookie of the Year, Matt Ryan threw 26-40 for 199 yards with a pair of touchdowns and a pair of interceptions; and tallied a QB rating of 87.7 for 2008&ndash;2009 season.

==Logo and uniforms==
[[Image:NFC-Throwback2-Uniform-ATL.PNG|thumb|left|150px|Atlanta Falcons uniform: 1971-1977]]
[[Image:NFC-Throwback-Uniform-ATL.PNG|thumb|left|150px|Atlanta Falcons uniform: 1997-2002]]
When the team debuted in [[1966 Atlanta Falcons season|1966]], the Falcons wore red helmets with a black falcon crest logo. In the center of the helmet was a center black stripe surrounded by 2 gold stripes and 2 white stripes, These colors represented the two college rival schools in the state of Georgia; rival schools [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets]] (White and Gold) and the [[Georgia Bulldogs]] (Red and Black) Although the gold was later taken out the White remains to this day. They wore white pants and either black or white jerseys. At first, the falcon crest logo was also put on the jersey sleeves, but it was replaced by a red and white stripe pattern four years later. They switched from black to red jerseys in 1971, and the club began to wear silver pants in 1978.

A prototype white helmet was developed for the team prior to the [[1974 Atlanta Falcons season|1974 season]], but never worn.

In [[1990 Atlanta Falcons season|1990]], the uniform design changed to black helmets, silver pants, and either black or white jerseys. The numbers on the white jerseys were black, but were changed to red in [[1997 Atlanta Falcons season|1997]].<ref>[http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/Alumni/Uniform_History.aspx "Falcons Uniform History"], NFL</ref> (The red numerals could be seen on the away jerseys briefly in 1990.)

Both the logo and uniforms changed in [[2003 Atlanta Falcons season|2003]]. The logo was redesigned with red and silver accents to depict a more powerful, aggressive falcon, which now more closely resembles the capital letter ''F''.<ref>[http://www.atlantafalcons.com/fans/article.jsp?id=699 "Falcons unveil New logo"], NFL</ref> Although the Falcons still wore black helmets, the new uniforms featured jerseys and pants with red trim down the sides. The uniform design consisted of either black or white jerseys, and either black or white pants. During that same year, a red alternate jersey with black trim was also introduced. The Falcons also started wearing black cleats with these uniforms.

In [[2004 Atlanta Falcons season|2004]], the red jerseys became the primary jerseys, and the black ones became the alternate, primarily wearing white pants with the white jerseys and white pants with the red jerseys. The Falcons also in select road games wear black pants with white jerseys. In the past three seasons, the Falcons wore an all-black combination for home games against their archrivals, the [[New Orleans Saints]], winning the first two contests (24&ndash;21 in [[2004 NFL season|2004]] and 36&ndash;17 in [[2005 NFL season|2005]]), but losing 31&ndash;13 in [[2006 NFL season|2006]]. They wore the combination again in 2006, against the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] in Week 2. The Falcons won that game as well, 14&ndash;3.

In the 1980s, the Falcons wore their white uniforms at home most of the time due to the heat. When the Falcons started playing in the dome, the team switched to their dark uniforms. The Falcons have worn their white uniforms at home since switching to the dome. In 2000, the Falcons wore white against the [[2000 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]] and the [[2000 New York Giants season|New York Giants]]. In [[2002 Atlanta Falcons season|2002]], the Falcons wore white at home for a game against the [[2002 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]]. In [[2003 Atlanta Falcons season|2003]], the Falcons wore white for a game against the [[2003 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]].

==Statistics==
===Season-by-season records===
{{main|Atlanta Falcons seasons}}

===Record vs. opponents===
Includes postseason records<ref>{{Citation | url =http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/atl/?redir |title=Atlanta Falcons Team Encyclopedia |accessdate =2008-08-17 |date= 2008 |publisher=Pro Football Reference}}</ref>
{{Start NFL RVO}} <!-- Stats from http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/teams.nsf/histories/falcons as well as http://pro-football-reference.com/teams/atlindex.htm -->
|-
| [[San Diego Chargers]] || 7 || 1 || 0 || .875 || W 22-16 || Nov 30, 2008 || San Diego ||
|-
| [[Carolina Panthers]] || 17 || 12 || 0 || .586 || W 45-28
|| Nov 23, 2008 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[New Orleans Saints]] || 45 || 35 || 0 || .571 || L 29-25 || Dec 7, 2008 || [[New Orleans]] || 1-0 postseason
|-
| [[Buffalo Bills]] || 5 || 4 || 0 || .555 || W 24-16 || Sep 25, 2005 || [[Orchard Park (town), New York|Orchard Park, NY]] ||
|-
| [[New York Jets]] || 5 || 4 || 0 || .555 || W 27-14 || Oct 24, 2005 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[New England Patriots]] || 6 || 5 || 0 || .545 || L 31-28 || Oct 9, 2005 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[New York Giants]] || 10 || 9 || 0 || .526 || L 31-10 || Oct 15, 2007 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[Houston Texans]] || 1 || 1 || 0 || .500 || W 26-16 || Sep 30, 2007 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[Green Bay Packers]] || 11 || 12 || 0 || .478 || W 27-24 || Oct 5, 2008 || [[Green Bay, Wisconsin|Green Bay]] || 1-1 postseason
|-
| [[Chicago Bears]] || 11 || 12 || 0 || .478 || W 22-20 || October 12, 2008 || [[Atlanta]] ||
|-
| [[Arizona Cardinals|St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals]] || 10 || 14 || 0 || .417 || L 30-24 || Jan 3, 2009 || [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale, Ariz.]] || 0-1 postseason
|-
| [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] || 13 || 18 || 0 || .420 || W 13-10 (OT) || Dec 14, 2008 || [[Atlanta, GA|Atlanta]] ||
|-
| [[Philadelphia Eagles]] || 13 || 15 || 1 || .440 || L 27-14 || Oct 26, 2008 || [[Philadelphia]] || 1-2 postseason
|-
| [[Tennessee Titans|Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans]] || 5 || 7 || 0 || .417 || L 20-13 || Oct 7, 2007 || [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] ||
|-
| [[San Francisco 49ers]] || 28 || 44 || 1 || .375 || W 20-16 || Nov 4, 2007 || [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]] || 1-0 postseason
|-
| [[Cincinnati Bengals]] || 4 || 7 || 0 || .364 || W 29-27 || Oct 29, 2006 || [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]] ||
|-
| [[Oakland Raiders|Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders]] || 5 || 7 || 0 || .417 || W 24-0 || Nov 2, 2008 || Oakland ||
|-
| [[Minnesota Vikings]] || 10 || 16 || 0 || .385 || W 24-17 || Dec 21, 2008 || [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] || 1-1 postseason
|-
| [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 8 || 15 || 0 || .348 || L 38-28 || Dec 16, 2006 || Atlanta || 0-2 postseason
|-
| [[St. Louis Rams|Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams]] || 26 || 47 || 2 || .356 || W 31-27 || Dec 28, 2008 || [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]] || 1-0 postseason
|-
| [[Baltimore Ravens]] || 1 || 2 || 0 || .333 || L 24-10 || Nov 19, 2006 || [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] ||
|-
| [[Denver Broncos]] || 4 || 9 || 0 || .444 || L 24-20 || Nov 16, 2008 || Atlanta || 0-1 postseason
|-
| [[Miami Dolphins]] || 3 || 7 || 0 || .300 || W 17-10 || Nov 6, 2005 || [[Miami Gardens, Florida|Miami Gardens, FL]] ||
|-
| [[Detroit Lions]] || 10 || 23 || 0 || .303 || W 34-21 || Sep 7, 2008 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[Seattle Seahawks]] || 3 || 8 || 0 || .273 || W 44-41 || Dec 30, 2007 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] || 1 || 3 || 0 || .250 || L 13-7 || Sep 16, 2007 || [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] ||
|-
| [[Washington Redskins]] || 5 || 15 || 1 || .238 || W 24-14 || Dec 3, 2006 || [[Landover, Maryland|Landover, MD]] || 0-1 postseason
|-
| [[Cleveland Browns]] || 2 || 10 || 0 || .166 || L 17-13 || Nov 12, 2006 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[Kansas City Chiefs]] || 2 || 5 || 0 || .166 || W 38-14 || Sep 21, 2008 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] || 3 || 11 || 1 || .143 || W 41-38 (OT) || Oct 22, 2006 || Atlanta ||
|-
| [[Indianapolis Colts|Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts]] || 1 || 13 || 0 || .077 || L 31-13 || Nov 22, 2007 || [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]] ||
{{end box}}

===Single season records===
* '''Passing Attempts''':557 [[Jeff George]] (1995)
* '''Passing Completions''': 336 Jeff George (1995)
* '''Passing Yards''': 4,143 Jeff George (1995)
* '''Passing Touchdowns''': 31 [[Steve Bartkowski]] (1980)
* '''Passing Interceptions''': 25 [[Bobby Hebert]] (1996)
* '''Passing Rating''': 110.2 [[Wade Wilson (football)|Wade Wilson]] (1992)
* '''Rushing Attempts''': 410 [[Jamal Anderson]] (1998)
* '''Rushing Yards''': 1,846 Jamal Anderson (1998)
* '''Rushing Yards by a QB''': 1,039 [[Michael Vick]] (2006)<ref>{{http://www.nfl.com/players/michaelvick/careerstats?id=VIC311467}}</ref>
* '''Rushing Touchdowns''': 17 [[Michael Turner (American football)|Michael Turner]] (2008)
* '''Receiving Catches''': 111 [[Terance Mathis]] (1994)
* '''Receiving Yards''': 1,382 [[Roddy White]] (2008)
* '''Receiving Touchdowns''': 15 [[Andre Rison]] (1993)
* '''Quarterback Sacks''': 16.5 [[John Abraham (American football)|John Abraham]] (2008)
* '''Pass Interceptions''': 10 [[Scott Case]] (1988)
* '''Field Goal Attempts''': 40 [[Jay Feely]] (2002)
* '''Field Goals Made''': 32 [[Jay Feely]] (2002)
* '''Points''': 138 [[Jay Feely]] (2002)
* '''Total Touchdowns''': 17 [[Michael Turner]] (2008)

===Career records===
* '''Passing Attempts''': 3,329 [[Steve Bartkowski]] (1975-85)
* '''Passing Completions''': 1,870 Steve Bartkowski (1975-85)
* '''Passing Yards''': 23,468 Steve Bartkowski (1975-85)
* '''Passing Touchdowns''': 154 Steve Bartkowski (1975-85)
* '''Passing Interceptions''': 141 Steve Bartkowski (1975-85)
* '''Passing Rating''': 87.7 [[Matt Ryan (American football)|Matt Ryan]] (2008-present)
* '''Rushing Attempts''': 1,587 [[Gerald Riggs]] (1982-88)
* '''Rushing Yards''': 6,631 Gerald Riggs (1982-88)
* '''Rushing Yards by a QB''': 3,859 [[Michael Vick]] (2001-2006)<ref>{{http://www.nfl.com/players/michaelvick/careerstats?id=VIC311467}}</ref>
* '''Rushing Touchdowns''': 48 Gerald Riggs (1982-88)
* '''Receiving Catches''': 573 [[Terance Mathis]] (1994-2001)
* '''Receiving Yards''': 7,349 Terance Mathis (1994-2001)
* '''Receiving Touchdowns''': 57 Terance Mathis (1994-2001)
* '''Quarterback Sacks''': 94.5 [[Claude Humphrey]] (1968-78)
* '''Pass Interceptions''': 39 [[Rolland Lawrence]] (1973-81)
* '''Field Goal Attempts''': 164 [[Mick Luckhurst]] (1981-87)
* '''Field Goals Made''': 139 [[Morten Andersen]] (1995-2000, 2006-2007)
* '''Points''': 620 Morten Andersen (1995-2000, 2006-2007)
* '''Total Touchdowns''': 57 Terance Mathis (1994-2001)

==Players of note==
===Current roster===
{{Atlanta Falcons roster}}

===[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]rs===
No one has yet been inducted based substantially on their service with the Falcons; however, two inductees played briefly for the Falcons late in their careers:
* 29 [[Eric Dickerson]], RB, played for team in 1993
* 25 [[Tommy McDonald]], WR, played for team in 1967

===Retired numbers===
* 10 [[Steve Bartkowski]], QB, 1975-1985
* 31 [[William Andrews (football player)|William Andrews]], RB, 1979-1983, 1986 (short-lived comeback after knee injury)
* 57 [[Jeff Van Note]], C, 1969-1986
* 58 [[Jessie Tuggle]], LB, 1987-2000
* 60 [[Tommy Nobis]], LB, 1966-1976
* 78 [[Mike Kenn]], T, 1978-1994
* 87 [[Claude Humphrey]], DE, 1968-1978

===Georgia Sports Hall of Fame===
* 60 Tommy Nobis, LB, 1966-1976
* 87 Claude Humphrey, DE, 1968-1978
* 57 Jeff Van Note, C, 1969-1986
* [[Marion Campbell]], Head Coach, 1974-1976, 1987-1989 (also Georgia native and former [[University of Georgia]] player)
* 84 Alfred Jenkins, WR, 1975-1983
* 31 William Andrews, RB, 1979-1983, 1986
* [[Dan Reeves]], Head Coach, 1997-2003 (also Georgia native)

===Other notable alumni===
====Retired====
{{multicol}}
*[[Morten Andersen]] (1995-2000, 2006, 2007)
*[[Jamal Anderson]]
*[[David Archer]]
*[[Cornelius Bennett]]
*[[Bob Berry (football player)|Bob Berry]]
*[[Greg Brezina]]
*[[Ray Buchanan]]
*[[Scott Campbell (American football)|Scott Campbell]]
*[[Chris Chandler]]
*[[Scott Case]]
*[[Buddy Curry]]
*[[Jamie Dukes]]
*[[Bill Fralic]]
*[[Wallace Francis]]
*[[Jeff George]]
*[[Michael Haynes (wide receiver)|Michael Haynes]]
*[[Bobby Hebert]]
*[[Billy Johnson (football player)|Billy "White Shoes" Johnson]]
*[[Randy Johnson (football player)|Randy Johnson]]
*[[Erik Kramer]]
{{multicol-break}}
*[[Fulton Kuykendall]]
*[[Rolland Lawrence]]
*[[Bob Lee (football player)|Bob Lee]]
*[[Terance Mathis]]
*[[Tony Martin (football player)|Tony Martin]]
*[[Tim Mckyer (football player)|Tim Mckyer]]
*[[Hugh Millen]]
*[[Chris Miller (football player)|Chris Miller]]
*[[Junior Miller]]
*[[Jim Mitchell (football player)|Jim Mitchell]]
*[[Tom Pridemore]]
*[[Ken Reaves]]
*[[Gerald Riggs]]
*[[Andre Rison]]
*[[Deion Sanders]]
*[[R.C. Thielemann]]
*[[Bob Whitfield]]
*[[John Zook]]
*[[Travis Hall]]
*[[Bill Goldberg]]
*[[Brett Favre]]
{{multicol-end}}

====Active Players====
*[[Alge Crumpler]] Currently playing for [[Tennessee Titans|Tennessee]]
*[[T. J. Duckett]] Currently playing for [[Seattle Seahawks|Seattle]]
*[[Warrick Dunn]]
*[[DeAngelo Hall]] Currently playing for [[Washington Redskins|Washington]]
*[[Patrick Kerney]] Currently playing for [[Seattle Seahawks|Seattle]]
*[[Keith Brooking]] Currently playing for [[Dallas Cowboys]]
*[[Michael Boley]] Currently playing for [[New York Giants]]

====Suspended Players====
*[[Michael Vick]]

===All-time first-round draft picks===
{{main|List of Atlanta Falcons first-round draft picks}}

==Coaches of note==
===Head coaches===
{{main|List of Atlanta Falcons head coaches}}

In their history, the Atlanta Falcons have had 15 head coaches.<ref name=TeamDirectory>{{cite web |url=http://sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/DIRECT061.htm |title=Atlanta Falcons Team Directory |accessdate=2007-09-19 |date= [[2007-01-09]]|publisher=The Sports Network}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Coach
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Years
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Record
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Notes
|-
|[[Norb Hecker]] || 1966&ndash;1968 || 4-26-1 {{small|(.129)}}
|{{small|Fired after three games in 1968.}}
|-
|[[Norm Van Brocklin]] || 1968&ndash;1974 || 39-48-3 {{small|(.433)}}
|{{small|Fired after eight games in 1974.}}
|-
|[[Marion Campbell]] || 1974&ndash;1976 || 6-19 {{small|(.240)}}
|{{small|Fired after five games in 1976.}}
|-
|[[Pat Peppler]] || 1976 || 3-6 {{small|(.333)}} || {{small|Interim head coach.}}
|-
|[[Leeman Bennett]] || 1977&ndash;1982 || 46-41 {{small|(.529)}} ||
|-
|[[Dan Henning]] || 1983&ndash;1986 || 22-41-1 {{small|(.344)}} ||
|-
|Marion Campbell || 1987&ndash;1989 || 11-36 {{small|(.234)}}
|{{small|Retired after 12 games in 1989.}}
|-
|[[Jim Hanifan]] || 1989 || 0-4 {{small|(.000)}} || {{small|Interim head coach.}}
|-
|[[Jerry Glanville]] || 1990&ndash;1993 || 27-37 {{small|(.422)}} ||
|-
|[[June Jones]] || 1994&ndash;1996 || 19-29 {{small|(.396)}} ||
|-
|[[Dan Reeves]] || 1997&ndash;2003 || 49-59-1 {{small|(.450)}}
|{{small|Asked to be released after 13 games in 2003.}}
|-
|[[Rich Brooks]] || 1998 || 2-0 {{small|(1.000)}}
|{{small|Interim head coach while Reeves recovered from heart surgery.}}
|-
|[[Wade Phillips]] || 2003 || 2-1 {{small|(.667)}} || {{small|Interim head coach.}}
|-
|[[Jim L. Mora|Jim Mora]] || 2004&ndash;2006 || 26-22 {{small|(.542)}} ||
|-
|[[Bobby Petrino]] || 2007 || 3-10 {{small|(.231)}} || {{small|Quit after 13 games to take over [[Arkansas Razorbacks]]}}
|-
|[[Emmitt Thomas]] || 2007 || 1-2 {{small|(.333)}} || {{small|Interim head coach.}}
|-
|[[Mike Smith (American football)|Mike Smith]] || 2008 || 11-6 {{small|(.647)}} ||
|-
|}

===Current staff===
{{Atlanta Falcons staff}}

==Radio and television==
As of 2006, the Falcons' radio flagship station is [[WZGC]], an [[adult hits]] format station known as "Dave FM." [[Wes Durham]], voice of the [[Georgia Institute of Technology|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets]] and son of longtime [[North Carolina Tar Heels]] voice [[Woody Durham]], is the Falcons' play-by-play announcer. Preseason games not shown on national television are seen on [[NBC]] affiliate [[WXIA]], also known as "11 Alive."

==New Stadium Proposal==
On December 25, 2008, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a developer ([[The Sembler Company]]) is negotiating to buy the former General Motors Plant in [[Doraville]] and is wavering the idea of building a new retractable roof stadium for the Falcons. The Sembler Company has proposed using {{convert|90|acre|m2}} for the new stadium, with the remaining {{convert|75|acre|m2}} going to mixed-use development. [[Doraville]] mayor [[Ray Jenkins]] commented on the project saying "It's an excellent spot for anything". Falcons President [[Rich McKay]] said, "Sembler and a number of developers contacted us many months back when GM put the site up for sale...We have had many preliminary discussions with them". The [[Georgia Dome]] is now older than the majority of the current NFL Stadiums (21). Even though the team's lease of the Georgia Dome does not expire until 2020, Falcons owner [[Arthur Blank]] believes the bonds sold to build the Dome will be paid off sooner than that and possible as early as 2015. Blank also wants a new stadium so Atlanta can be awarded Super Bowls since the NFL usually awards them to new stadiums. The plant site, is adjacent to the Doraville [[MARTA]] station and [[I-285]] and would be more convenient for suburban residents who outnumber downtown residents. McKay said, "The Site in Doraville" is a special location... so we felt like it was something that we had to at least look at". Although construction costs are projected to be approximately $1 billion (USD), these costs will likely be lower compared to other NFL Stadiums currently being built including [[New Cowboys Stadium]] in [[Arlington, Texas]] (opening in September, 2009 and costing $1.3 billion USD) and [[Meadowlands Stadium]] in [[East Rutherford]] (scheduled to open in 2010 and costing $1.4 billion US) which will be again shared by the [[New York Giants]] and [[New York Jets]]. The Doraville City Council had a special meeting in [[January 2009]] to further discuss the stadium proposal.[http://ajc.com/search/content/business/stories/2008/12/25/stadium.html]

==Headquarters==

Atlanta Falcons Team Headquarters
4400 Falcon Parkway
Flowery Branch, GA 30542

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.atlantafalcons.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/atlanta/falcons.html Sports E-Cyclopedia.com]
* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1993 The Atlanta Falcons] at GeorgiaEncyclopedia.org
{{Atlanta Falcons}}
{{NFL}}
{{Georgia Sports}}
{{Atlanta Sports}}

[[Category:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[Category:National Football League teams]]
[[Category:Sports clubs established in 1966]]
[[Category:Sports in Atlanta, Georgia]]

[[da:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[de:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[es:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[fa:آتلانتا فالکونز]]
[[fr:Falcons d'Atlanta]]
[[ko:애틀랜타 팰컨스]]
[[hi:अटलांटा फाल्कन्स]]
[[id:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[it:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[he:אטלנטה פלקונס]]
[[hu:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[nl:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[ja:アトランタ・ファルコンズ]]
[[pl:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[pt:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[ru:Атланта Фалконс]]
[[simple:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[fi:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[sv:Atlanta Falcons]]
[[uk:Атланта Фалконс]]
[[zh:亞特蘭大獵鷹]]

Revision as of 17:49, 17 April 2009

the flacons have never won a game

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atlanta_Falcons&oldid=284461900"