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National Football League (view source)
Revision as of 19:35, February 5, 2021
, 19:35, February 5, 2021→History
The NFL was originally formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association and adopted its current name in 1922. Only two teams from the league's founding remain in operation today: the Chicago Cardinals (now the [[Arizona Cardinals]]) and the Decatur Staleys (now the [[Chicago Bears]]).<ref>The [[Green Bay Packers]], considered one of the NFL's historic franchises, played its first two seasons as an independent club before joining in 1921.</ref> Then Staleys coach (and owner) [[George Halas]] is credited with being the father of the league and is compared to [[George Washington]] by many enthusiasts of the game.
The NFL was originally formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association and adopted its current name in 1922. Only two teams from the league's founding remain in operation today: the Chicago Cardinals (now the [[Arizona Cardinals]]) and the Decatur Staleys (now the [[Chicago Bears]]).<ref>The [[Green Bay Packers]], considered one of the NFL's historic franchises, played its first two seasons as an independent club before joining in 1921.</ref> Then Staleys coach (and owner) [[George Halas]] is credited with being the father of the league and is compared to [[George Washington]] by many enthusiasts of the game.
During its existence it has merged with all or parts of two rival football leagues:
During its existence it has merged with all or parts of three rival football leagues:
*In 1937 the Cleveland Rams -- now the [[Los Angeles Rams]] -- switched from the American Football League (no relation to the 1960's league of the same name) to the NFL.
*In 1950 it absorbed three teams from the All-America Football Conference (the [[Cleveland Browns]], the [[San Francisco 49ers]], and a team called the Baltimore Colts which is not related to the current franchise called the [[Indianapolis Colts]]).
*In 1950 it absorbed three teams from the All-America Football Conference (the [[Cleveland Browns]], the [[San Francisco 49ers]], and a team called the Baltimore Colts which is not related to the current franchise called the [[Indianapolis Colts]]).
*In 1970 it merged with the American Football League, which began operations in 1960. As part of the merger agreement, beginning in 1967 it hosted a championship game between the leagues, which is now today's [[Super Bowl]]. Also, in order to equalize the number of teams between what would be the [[National Football Conference]] (comprised of NFL teams) and the [[American Football Conference]] (comprised of AFL teams), three NFL teams -- the Browns, the Colts and the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] -- were moved to the AFC.
*In 1970 it merged with the American Football League, which began operations in 1960. As part of the merger agreement, beginning in 1967 it hosted a championship game between the leagues, which is now today's [[Super Bowl]]. Also, in order to equalize the number of teams between what would be the [[National Football Conference]] (comprised of NFL teams) and the [[American Football Conference]] (comprised of AFL teams), three NFL teams -- the Browns, the Colts and the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] -- were moved to the AFC.
Otherwise, the league has grown through expansions into new markets, which has proven tremendously successful: as an example it expanded into [[Dallas]] in 1960 with the [[Dallas Cowboys]] franchise, which is the league's most valuable and among the most valuable of all sports franchises worldwide.
The league would begin to supplant baseball as America's most popular spectator sport in 1958, when the then-NFL Championship Game between the Colts and the [[New York Giants]] was broadcast nationwide (though ironically not in New York City) and ended in a sudden-death overtime win by the Colts.
==Arrangement==
==Arrangement==