Wednesday, March 7, 2007

The Superbowl: Historically Known as the AFL-NFL World Championship of Football (History & Trivia)

The Superbowl is the ultimate championship match for the sport of American football. In the Superbowl, the National Football League (NFL) leading team meets the American Football League (AFL) leading team. The game takes place on Sunday afternoon which has became known as Superbowl Sunday and which has ultimately become marketed and treated as a national holiday.

The first Superbowl was held on January 15, 1967. The game was promoted as the AFL-NFL World Championship of Football Game but the cumbersome name didn’t stick. Instead, the unofficial title, the “Superbowl” was used by fans and media. By the third match between the NFL and AFL in 1969, the name was officially changed to the Superbowl.

The Superbowl is probably best known for its advertisements than the actual football games. Historically the game is watched by over a billion viewers worldwide. And while the actual game play is often lackluster, with few exciting moments, the advertising campaigns that are launched throughout it are just the kind of moments that make the Superbowl party shine. In a world where thirty seconds of advertising time costs upwards of $2.5 million, they often generate more advance hype than the game match up itself.

The Superbowl attracts some of the top celebrities of the music industry to participate in a pre-game show, the singing of the national anthem and performing in the half-time show. For example, in 2006 the pre-game show contained performances by Joss Stone and Stevie Wonder; Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville performed the national anthem; and, the Rolling Stones headlined the half time extravaganza.

Regardless of the game outcome, however, the Superbowl is the perfect time to host a get together for friends and family whether it be tailgating, a barbeque, or a full-blown party complete with party accessories, good food, and a whole lot of fun.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has a huge selection of free party games, coloring pages, word find, word scramble, printable baby and bridal shower activities. Super Bowl Party Ideas (Super-Bowl-fun.com), football theme party planning tips, recipes, menus, printable activities, party games and free coloring pages.

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NFL History

NFL was started in Canton,ohio on September 17, 1920 by a group of enterprising men. Initially NFL was known as American Professional Football Association (AFPA). American Professional Football Association later got rechristened as National Football League (NFL) in 1922 and became America's favorite sport. Jim Thorpe who was a professional Football player was the first president of NFL and helped add credibility and pouplarity for the sport.

Actually Pro Football began in 1892 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when former Yale star William "Pudge" Heffelfinger was paid a notable sum of $500 to play in a single game for the Allegheny Athletic Association on November 12 1892. Then Pro Football was played mostly in the small towns of Pennsylvania and was mostly a Pennsylvanian sport before it started becoming popular in the eastern and Midwestern states like Ohio.

Initial Pro Football days faced several problems including lack of rules, keeping the players in order and professional recognition. But with the formation of APFA all the problems started to wade away. Actually there were 11 franchises were presented at the first APFA meeting. They were

Canton Bulldogs
Decatur Staleys
Chicago Cardinals
Akron Pros
Cleveland Indians
Dayton Triangles
Massillon Tigers
Hammond Pros
Muncie Flyers
Rock Island Independents
Rochester Jeffersons

On September 26, 1920, the first game featuring a team from the APFA was played at Douglas Park in Rock Island, Illinois. The Independents were victorious as they rolled to a 48-0 win over the St. Paul Ideals. One week later, two league teams battled head-to-head for the fist time. The Dayton Triangles beat Columbus Panhandles, 14-0 in Triangle Park. The Akron Pros, with an 8-0-3 regular season record, were crowned the league's first champion.

Only two of the original franchises of APFA still exist today. Decatur Staleys moved to Chicago and their franchise name was changed to the current Chicago Bears. Chicago Cardinals moved their home to Arizona and they are known as Arizona Cardinals.

Rameshrajan was a big fan of NFL. He has experience playing College Football in California. He had researched the present teams and a collector of NFL Jerseys and merchandise. One of his famous works include NFL History and NFL Jersey

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