American soccer originated from English sports such as rugby and soccer and gained popularity on American college campuses in the second half of the 19th century.
In 1876, a coach named Walter Camp, who is considered the “Father of American Football,” helped create the first rules of American soccer. Among the important changes were the introduction of the line of scrimmage and the rules of downs and distances.
In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed; two years later its name was changed to the National Football League (NFL), which eventually became the major league of American soccer.
The most popular television event in the United States is the Super Bowl.
American soccer was originally popular only in Midwestern industrial cities; the beginning of its rise in popularity throughout the United States is usually dated to 1958, when the NFL Championship, known as “The Greatest Tournament Ever Played,” was held.
Tony Dorsett of the Dallas Cowboys is the only player to score a 99-yard touchdown, this happened in 1983.
Just 2 years after his career ends, about 78% of NFL players go broke.
In 1892, Yale University soccer star William “Shorty” Heffelfinger became the first recognized professional player, receiving $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletes Association.
Although soccer games usually last about 3 hours, the ball is usually only in play for 11 minutes. Approximately 56% of the time of a game on television is devoted to replays.
In an NFL game, up to 75 minutes or roughly 60 percent of TV time (excluding commercial breaks) is spent filming players standing on the line of scrimmage, conferring, or just walking around in between tackles.
Injured players in NFL games get six seconds more screen time on TV than players celebrating a goal.
Cheerleaders in the NFL typically make $50 to $75 per game. However, spending money on makeup, hair accessories, dance lessons, etc., leaves them at a loss in the end.
In the 1930s, televising NFL games was just a constant broadcast of images of the field. Instant replays became commonplace in the mid-1960s, which helped fill in the passing moments of the game. By the 1990s, some soccer broadcasts were showing up to 100 replays per game.
The NFL consists of 32 teams with an average value of $1 billion. The GLB (Major League Baseball) has 20 teams with an average value of $523 million.
The average attendance at NFL games is 66,957. The GLB has about 30,135 spectators.
Nearly three million people work in sports in the United States, which is roughly 1 percent of the population.
The Baltimore Ravens team is named after the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. The team mascots bear the names Edgar, Allan, and Poe. Poe wrote his famous poem when he lived in Baltimore in the 1830s.
Although the most popular snacks when watching the Super Bowl are wings and pizza, approximately 5,000 tons of chips are eaten on game day. In addition, about 2,000 tons of brezels and 1,200 tons of pecans are eaten on that day.
Six NFL teams do not hire cheerleaders, they are the Bears, Browns, Lions, Giants, Steelers and Packers.
Super Bowl XLV was the first Super Bowl with no cheerleaders because both playing teams, the Steelers and Packers, do not have cheerleaders.
The last NFL game without a goal was in 1943, when the Detroit Lions and New York Giants ended in a 0-0 draw.
The richest team in the NFL is the Dallas Cowboys, with an estimated value of $2.1 billion with revenues of $269 million per year.
Red Grange was the first true superstar of American soccer. He was one of the first athletes to sign an advertising contract. His games attracted record numbers of viewers. He also starred in several movies.
The first officially recognized game of American soccer was played between Rutgers University and Princeton University in 1869, using rules borrowed from rugby.
In 1972, the Miami Dolphins became the only team in American soccer history to go a season without a loss.
Helmets were not mandatory for players until 1939.
About 80 percent of Super Bowl tickets go to sponsors.