The most popular sport in the US – football – is governed by the National Football League (NFL). It is the association of the 32-member teams and is operating through the NFL Europe League. The franchises operate in the same way as regular business entities. The only difference is that 75% of the revenues are shared by the member franchises.
American football started in the 1980s as a derivation of soccer and rugby. The first set of rules for the game was drafted in 1876. In the 1890s, the game became popular among rival teams in Pennsylvania. The first football player who received a pay for playing football was William “Pudge” Heffelfinger. He was paid $500 by Allegheny Athletic Association to play against rival team Pittsburgh Athletic Club. This became the dawn of professional football.
Several football teams were organized and spread up to Ohio. Competition was stiff among professional football clubs. Players in turn were seen switching from one team to another in search for high paying bids. Teams began scouting college players and some even hired good players even before they finish college. Due to a lack of governing body that shall regulate the games and instill discipline among players and teams, a call was made to organize an association.
The first meeting was held in August 1920 in Canton, Ohio. Four teams were represented in that meeting. The American Professional Football Association (APFA) was established. The next meeting was attended by three more teams.
APFA started with 14 teams. The new organization was met with several administrative problems, a re-organization took place and Joe Carl of the Columbus Panhandles was named as President. During his tenure, the by-laws were organized, criteria for franchises were developed and player rights were restricted. In 1922, APFA was renamed as NFL.
From these humble beginnings, NFL games today are attended by an average of 66,960 spectators per outing. Franchises in the NFL are multi-billion franchises, the Dallas Cowboys being the most valued at $1.6 billion.
Television coverage of the NFL, especially the Super Bowl, has topped the ratings according to Nielsen Media Research. Each franchise in the league owns its own radio network which covers each team game. NFL also operates its own website, the NFL.com.
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