Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Football Fever

Facts And Figures

The National Football League or NFL was established in 1920 and currently consists of thirty-two teams, all of which are based in the United States. The league is further divided into conferences and divisions. Teams must go through conference and division wins to be eligible for the championships, known as the Super Bowl. Because sales of NFL tickets for the Super Bowl are so high, television has stepped in to provide coverage of the games. And as an example of how popular the Super Bowl is on TV, consider this- advertising spots for the Super Bowl are the most coveted and the most expensive.

Though baseball is often referred to as the National Pastime of America, it's the NFL that draws the biggest crowds, bar none. Not only is it the most popular in the country, it also brings in the most crowds of any professional sports league in the entire world. Statistics show that each game draws around 67000 people.

NFL Folklore

One of the most fascinating aspects of the NFL is its brand of folklore that has been passed down over the years. While most of the incidents are passed down through the fans, sports writers and the media have also been responsible for a large amount of folklore. As a result, some accounts are very colorful while others seem to be completely mythical. The majority of them give a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of the game.

Football fans with NFL tickets way back in 1934 were witness to what is now called The Sneakers Game. During this game, the Bears played in basketball shoes for better traction on the frozen field. In 1958, the Colts and Giants took part in what is known as The Greatest Game Ever Played. 17 players of that game went on to enter the NFL Hall of Fame. During the late eighties, the NFL hosted the Bounty Bowls, which were two games which pitted the Cowboys against the Eagles. Both games were marked by fiery tempers and a number scuffles. The second Bounty Bowl was even worse because of rowdy fans that began throwing anything they could find, ranging from snowballs to batteries.

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