The Falcons' post, a black falcon on red, white, black and gold stripes, prompted Nazi comparisons on X. The Guardian reported roughly 26 million views for the post.
On Thursday the Falcons replaced the image with a red helmet bearing the black falcon. A club spokesperson told NBC the design was meant only for social media and was not a new official logo.
Users coined 'The Bird Reich' and '28-3rd Reich', referencing the 2017 Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots after the Falcons led 28-3.
The Atlanta Falcons shared a throwback logo on social media showing a right-facing black falcon in front of red, white, black and gold stripes. The falcon matched the team's older emblem, while the striped background was not part of the throwback helmets or uniforms the team planned to wear. 20 Minuten dates the post to Wednesday, 21 October, whereas the Guardian says it appeared early on Thursday, 22 October. Within a short time, many users likened the image to the symbolism of Nazi Germany, and the design became the target of memes.
Users on X coined mocking names such as 'The Bird Reich' and '28-3rd Reich', the latter a jab at the Falcons' 2017 Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots after leading 28-3. The Guardian reported that the team's post had attracted roughly 26 million views shortly after it went up, while N-tv reported that the X post showing the new profile picture had been clicked more than 36 million times by Friday morning. Blick described altered images showing Adolf Hitler as a Falcons fan and players wearing Nazi armbands. Other jokes referred to a supposed invasion of Poland, to 'road games in Dunkirk, Normandy, and Stalingrad' and to a '49ers vs 39ers' billing for the Sunday matchup.
The club did not respond to NBC's request for comment at first, and the Guardian reported that the Falcons had not immediately commented on the logo. A club spokesperson later told NBC that the Falcons had not introduced a new official logo and that the design had been intended only for social media. On Thursday the team swapped its profile picture for a red football helmet bearing the black falcon from its earlier logo. Reports disagree on the original post: 20 Minuten says it stayed online, while der Standard says it has since been deleted. The club did not say whether the criticism prompted the change.
Chris Creamer, a sports logo historian, told NBC News that he did not believe the design had been intended as a deliberate link to Nazi symbolism. He said he could not picture the Atlanta Falcons doing such a thing. Team owner Arthur Blank is Jewish and has donated money and offered support for Holocaust remembrance causes through the Molly Blank Fund, which is named for his mother. That support included $1.5 million to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2023, according to AP.
The Falcons are scheduled to host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, 25 October, wearing throwback uniforms that recall the team's early years. Blick reports that the red, white, black and gold colour scheme appears to have been dropped, even though the retro falcon remains in use. The NFL did not respond to AP's request for comment before publication. No further statement from the club has been reported in the sources.
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The Atlanta Falcons posted a throwback logo with red, white, black and gold stripes that drew Nazi comparisons on X. The club then replaced its profile picture and said the design had been meant only for social media.
AI text based on reports by AP NEWS, 20 Minuten, Blick.ch and other publishers. Published .