Football
America's most popular sport
The Birth of American Football
American football, also known as gridiron football, originated at universities in the United States during the late 1800's. The game showed many similarities to the English games of football (soccer) and rugby. Football did not grow in popularity early on because of it's violent and crude nature.
The First Game
The first official football game was held on November 6th, 1869 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The game was held between Princeton and Rutgers. Many of the first football teams had differing rules from each other, but they eventually agreed on a set list of rules and style of play.
Important People of Early Football
William Heffelfinger
William Heffelfinger became the first documented professional football player on November 12th, 1892 when he was paid $500 dollars to play in a game. This event marked the beginning of professional football in America.
Walter Camp
Originally a rugby player at Yale, Walter Camp changed his focus to football and played a large role in the adaptation of widely accepted rules for the sport. One of his most notable changes introduced to football was the introduction of the forward pass in 1906, which changed the sport forever. Camp also introduced the 11-man team, the line of scrimmage, the quarterback, and many other critical parts of the football we know today.
The National Football League (NFL)
While football began to grow in popularity, the need for a set of rules and regulations became more prominent. This need called for the creation of the American Professional Football Association (APFA). In 1922, the APFA became the NFL and it has remained through day. The NFL is the most popular sport association in the United States today, with over 100 million people watching the Super Bowl alone. The NFL made $1.07 billion in sponsorship revenue for the 2013 season. These sponsors become much more popular and generate more revenue because of the NFL's massive fan base. The NFL also generates a lot of revenue from merchandise and ticket sales.
Sources
http://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/birth-of-pro-football/
http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/who-invented-football
http://waltercamp.org/about/walter-camp/
http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1921-1930http://www.cnbc.com/2014/09/04/how-the-nfl-makes-the-most-money-of-any-pro-sport.html