The History of the NFL

Many people stick by the assertion that baseball is America’s one true sport. But today, America loves nothing more than football, and the National Football League is by far the most popular sport league in the country. The precursors to the National Football League date over 100 years ago, and the game of football in America date back several decades further.

It was the college game that was first played and popularized. The professional teams and leagues were not formed until the college game was already entrenched as a favorite sporting activity. The Ohio League, formed in the 1890s, was the first attempt at a professional football league. This league however was not stable or maintained very well, although it did begin holding official yearly championships in 1903. Coincidentally, that is the year of the first World Series.

In 1920, a more rigidly defined league was put into place. This was called the American Professional Football Association. A year later the name changed to the American Professional Football League and a year after that, the name National Football League was coined.

11 teams initially entered the APFA, mostly from Midwestern towns and cities. Soon the number of teams doubled, and by the mid 1930s, many of the teams now operated in larger cities on and near the east coast.

The Chicago Cardinals and the Decatur Staleys are the two franchises that have been around since the original inception of the league in 1920. These teams today are the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears, respectively.

The Green Bay Packers debuted their team just a year later and has never changed its location or team name. The first championship was held in 1933 and drawing from the huge pool of talent from the popular college ranks, the annual draft began in 1936.

Another interesting similarity between the formation of the NFL and MLB is that in both cases, African Americans were originally allowed to play, then were later removed from action. While MLB went far longer without any black players, there was a 12 year drought from the time of the first championship held in 1933 until after World War II in 1945 when no black players were in the NFL.

In 1960 the rival AFL was formed, and although this league was looked at as upstart and inferior, it was still gaining popularity and spreading the reach of football. The first major player to choose the AFL over the NFL was Joe Namath, signing with the New York Jets.

It would be the same Jets, led by Joe Namath, that would finally legitimize the AFL teams by winning the 3rd championship held between them following their 1966 merger, which was completed in 1970.

Since then the NFL has survived the creation of several other football leagues, including the USFL and the Arena Football League. Free agency and the salary cap were introduced to the game and the number of teams has grown to 32, with 16 in each league.

Of course today the Super Bowl is the most popular sporting event in the United States, garnering huge ratings and public attention. And it seems as if nothing could possibly dethrone the NFL from the top of the American sporting world.