The Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday showed off a retro team symbol on their social media platforms, which sparked backlash across social media from fans who said the image bore an uncomfortable resemblance to World War II-era German Nazi imagery.
\n\nRed, white and black stripes adorned the familiar Falcons logo on the team’s Instagram and X accounts
\n\nIt was called “New PFP” on X, shorthand for “new profile picture.”
\n\nA team representative, reached late Thursday afternoon, said the Falcons do not have a “new logo” and declined any further comment.
\n\nThe Reichskriegsflagge-like imagery triggered a wave of taste-challenged World War II-themed comments and jokes to the Falcons social media pages.
\n\nThe artwork appeared to be an ill-advised effort to honor the expansion 1966 Atlanta Falcons.
\n\nThe Dirty Birds next take the field on Sunday, welcoming the San Francisco 49ers to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in an old school NFC West showdown that Atlanta is set to wear throwback threads.
\n\n“Absolutely there was no ill intent and I can’t imagine in a million years the Atlanta Falcons would do something like that (seek Nazi alignment),” sports logo historian Chris Creamer told NBC News on Thursday.
\n\n“It’s throwback weekend for the team, and the social…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports