the NFC 'West'

I like how the NFL is divided into the different divisions now, a North, South, East, and West for each of the conferences. For the most part, they make sense. It's odd thinking about which teams comprised the NFC West not too long ago (the late 1990's): the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints, the St. Louis Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers. Counterintuitive, isn't it? No wonder the 49ers logged in so many miles in travel.