The National Football League

NFL stands from the National Football League, the professional league that traces its roots in soccer. It was founded in 1920 and was originally called American Professional Football Conference. A month after its foundation, it was changed to American Professional Football Association, which later became the National Football League that we know today. The first NFL season was only composed of 11 teams but only 4 finished the season schedule (Akron Pros was the first champion). A year later, in 1921, the membership grew to 22 teams but the league was unstable and the teams came and gone throughout the 1920s. Over the years, the NFL gained its popularity, established its rules and expanded its membership. Teams are currently divided into 2 conferences: The American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). This is not similar to National League in Major League Baseball. The winners of the two conferences do not play for the World Series; they only play for the Super Bowl or the NFL Championship.Two original members are still in existence today: Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals). While founded in 1919, the Green Bay Packers did not play until 1921. The Indianapolis Colts traces its roots from several predecessors including the one of the founding teams, the Dayton Triangles. Other original teams from Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Buffalo no longer exist but are replaced by other franchises on the same citiesThe NFL has 32 teams: 16 from the AFC and 16 from the NFC, each conference is subdivided into 4 divisions. (The number on the right represents the total NFL titles the team has won.)AFC - American Football ConferenceEastBuffalo Bills (2)Miami Dolphins (2)New England Patriots (3)New York Jets (1)NorthBaltimore Ravens (1) Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns (4) Pittsburgh Steelers (5)SouthHouston TexansIndianapolis Colts (5)Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans (2)WestDenver Broncos (2)Kansas City Chiefs (3)Oakland Raiders (4)San Diego Chargers (1)NFC - National Football ConferenceEastDallas Cowboys (5)New York Giants (7)Philadelphia Eagles (3)Washington Redskins (5)NorthChicago Bears (9)Detroit Lions (4)Green Bay Packers (12) Minnesota Vikings (1) SouthAtlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)WestArizona Cardinals (2)St. Louis Rams (3)San Francisco 49ers (5)Seattle SeahawksNFL SeasonThe NFL season runs for 17 weeks, with each team playing a total of 16 games. This runs from September to December or early January. 12 teams will play for the playoffs which begin in January. The top team from each conference will play at the Super Bowl that is scheduled in early February.
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