It's a very special day for the Atlanta Falcons. Today commemorates the 50th anniversary of NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle awarding the NFL's 15th franchise, which would become the team that we all know and love today, to the Falcons' very first owner, Rankin Smith. The team took its name from the winning entry in an essay contest. Julia Elliott, a schoolteacher from Griffin, Georgia, submitted the entry, stating, "The falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It's deadly and has a great sporting tradition."
Since that time, the team has seen some very good times.