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NFL Created
Organized in Canton on Sept. 17, 1920, as the American Professional Football Association, the league was renamed the NFL in 1922 http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/10/03/loc_ohiodate1003.html -
First NFL Game
On Oct. 3, 1920, the Dayton Triangles beat the Columbus Panhandles 14-0 in the first game between two members of the National Football League. http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/10/03/loc_ohiodate1003.html -
First NFL Night Game
November 6, 1929
The Chicago Cardinals defeated the Providence Steam Roller, 16-0. http://football.about.com/od/nflhistory/a/bl_nflfirsts.htm -
First NFL Championship Game
December 17, 1933
In the first NFL Championship game the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants, 23-21. http://football.about.com/od/nflhistory/a/bl_nflfirsts.htm -
First NFL Draft Pick
February 8, 1936
A halfback by the name of Jay Berwanger holds the distinction of being the very first NFL draft pick and the first Heismann Trophy winner. http://football.about.com/od/nflhistory/a/bl_nflfirsts.htm -
First NFL Pro Bowl
January 15, 1939
The New York Giants defeated the Pro All-Stars, 13-10. http://football.about.com/od/nflhistory/a/bl_nflfirsts.htm -
Helmets
Approximate date. First helmets required in the NFL. -
First African American NFL Player
March 21, 1946
The Los Angeles Rams signed halfback Kenny Washington to an NFL contract. (Fritz Pollard won a championship with Akron in 1920, but Washington is considered the first African-American player of the modern era.) http://football.about.com/od/nflhistory/a/bl_nflfirsts.htm -
First NFL Cheerleaders
Approximate date.
For the NFL, the Baltimore Colts were the first team in the NFL to have cheerleaders in 1954. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Cheerleading -
First Super Bowl
January 15, 1967
Although it was not called the Super Bowl at the time it was played, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10, in Super Bowl I. At the time the less flashy title of AFL-NFL championship game was used. Super Bowl III was actually the first championship game that was billed as the Super Bowl at the time it was played. http://football.about.com/od/nflhistory/a/bl_nflfirsts.htm -
The Miami Dolphins Infamous '72 season
Approximate date. Miami Dolphins go undefeated. http://www.72dolphins.com/ -
First NFL Strike
Even before the 1974 strike, the NFLPA challenged the so-called "Rozelle Rule", as a violation of federal antitrust laws in a lawsuit filed by president John Mackey and allied union leaders in 1971. The rule, named after commissioner Pete Rozelle, allowed the commissioner to award compensation, which included players, to a team losing a free agent. This rule limited player movement, as few teams were willing to sign a high-profile free agent only to have their rosters raided. http://en.wikipedi -
Second NFL Strike
Approximate date. The NFLPA struck for a month in 1987 upon the expiration of the 1982 CBA with the major matter in dispute being the league's free-agent policy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Players_Association -
Paul Tagliabue
Former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Tagliabue -
Pete Rozelle Era Ends
Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world.
Contents
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NFL Europe Established
Approximate date. NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Europe -
Houston Texans Added to NFL
Approximate date. The Houston Texans are currently the last team to be added to the NFL. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_team -
NFL Switches to Reebok
Approximate date.
The company had exclusive rights to manufacture and market both authentic and replica uniform jerseys, sideline apparel and caps, and onfield football footwear of the teams of the National Football League (NFL) from 2002 to 2012
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First Playoff Game Featuring Two Black Head Coaches
January 4, 2003
Herman Edwards' New York Jets defeated Tony Dungy's Indianapolis Colts 41-0 in the wild-card round. http://football.about.com/od/nflhistory/a/bl_nflfirsts.htm -
NFL Network Created
NFL Network (NFLN) is an American television sports channel dedicated to American football, owned and operated by the National Football League (NFL). It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation. The league invested $100 million to fund the network's operations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Network -
First International NFL Regular Season Game
On October 2, 2005, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 31–14 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, under the name NFL Fútbol Americano. It was the first regular season NFL game held outside of the United States. The game drew the NFL's highest game attendance at the time with 103,467 spectators. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_International_Series -
Goodell Era Begins
Commissioner of the National Football League (NFL), having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the owners. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Goodell -
First Super Bowl Featuring two Black Head Coaches
Tony Dungy's Indianapolis Colts faced Lovie Smith's Chicago Bears http://www.christianpost.com/news/first-black-super-bowl-coaches-say-the-lord-set-this-up-25363/ -
Spygate
The 2007 New England Patriots videotaping controversy, widely dubbed "Spygate," refers to an incident in the 2007 National Football League season when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the National Football League (NFL) for videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals during a September 9, 2007 -
Player Conduct Policy
In April 2007, following a year of significant scandal surrounding some NFL players' actions off-the-field, Goodell announced a new NFL Personal Conduct Policy. Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry were the first two players to be suspended under the new policy, and Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson was suspended months later due to his conduct involving weapon ownership and drunk driving. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Goodell -
Cowboy's Stadium Opens
It was completed on May 27, 2009. The stadium seats 80,000, making it the second largest stadium in the NFL by seating capacity. The maximum capacity of the stadium, including standing room, is 110,000. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_Stadium -
2011 Lockout
NFL Locked the players out in 2011, came to an agreement on August 4th, 2011 after months of lawsuits and deliberation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Players_Association -
New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal
On March 2, 2012, the NFL announced that it had evidence that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had created the program soon after his arrival in 2009, and alleged that "between 22 and 27 Saints players" were involved. -
NFL Switches to Nike
The National Football League draft is right around the corner, but Nike has already been picked when it comes to NFL apparel. It'll take over the job of making uniforms and jerseys from Reebok. http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/nfl-switches-over-nike-apparel -
First Female Ref
Shannon Eastin debuts as the first femal NFL Referee
