Wow, I had no idea that white and gold was in the teams colors because I've NEVER seen any on the unis. Talking about throwing a dry hard bone to the Tech folks.
Many, many, many of the old guard of the Atlanta business world had hoped Mr. Jim Clay ( i believe that was his name) would get the pro franchise for Atlanta
It seems (outside of all the other "politics" on such things as rewarding a pro football franchise) that Mr Clay wanted to pursue an AFL franchise instead of NFL. Supposedly his vision was such that an AFL franchise would allow ATL to mature with the league, have a little more success than going the NFL route, and he believed in the explosion of pro football and tv exposure.
He was said to have truly believed, with Lamar Hunt, that Rozelle would not allow the AFL to prosper at the NFL expense - hence the future merger.
But NFL glitz ruled the day - despite the fact that the "clampetts" would run (Ha!) the organization.
Years after the first Falcon coach, Norb Hecker, was fired he was referenced in a book about Lombardi. (If my memory serves correctly). He was a well thought of Lombardi asst. In the book he told of how Rankin Smith allowed, at the time, his young boys to make one of the draft choices. How Smith wasted a draft choice by taking John Wayne. And how they drafted a non football playing, basketball player from ugag.
Clampetts.