THE NFL
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
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The NFL was originally known as the American
Professional Football Association (APFA). It was
formed on September 17, 1920.

However, the APFA did not change its name
until 1923, when it became the NFL (National
Football League).

The very first president
of the newly formed
league was Jim Thorpe,
a world renowned
athlete who helped to
bring much credibility
and popularity to NFL
football.

Members of the original league included the
Chicago Tigers, Buffalo All-Americans, Detroit
Heralds, and the Columbus Panhandles.

Today, only two of the original teams are still
active in the NFL, the Chicago Bears (formerly
known as the Decatur Staleys) and the Arizona
Cardinals (formerly known as the Chicago
Cardinals).

THE FIRST NFL
GAME

The First NFL football game took place on
September 26, 1920.
The winning team was always determined by
the one that had the highest winning
percentage.

Since 1920, ties were settled by having the top
two teams play each other twice, with the
winner being the team that won the last game.
However, in 1921, the Chicago Bears and the
Portsmouth Spartans both tied for first place
because they had the same winning stats,
resulting in a need for an alternative way to
determine the winning team.

THE NFL TODAY

Currently, the NFL consists of 32 teams, with
half belonging to the American Football
Conference (AFC) and the other half belonging
to the National Football Conference (NFC).

The regular season runs for 17 weeks, starting
the week after Labor Day. Once the regular
season ends, six teams, three from each
division go on to compete in the playoffs.
Winners from the playoffs then go on to
compete in the Super Bowl.

As one can see, the NFL had very humble
beginnings. It has amassed worldwide fame
and popularity, easily making it one of the
most cherished leagues in the world.

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