National Football League (NFL)

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NFL... A Brief History

The National Football League (NFL) is the highest level of professional American football. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of thirty-two teams from the United States. The league is divided evenly into two conferences the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC), and each conference has four divisions that have four teams each. The NFL is organized as an unincorporated association of its 32 teams.[1][2] The NFL is by far the most attended domestic sports league in the world by average attendance per game, with 67,509 fans per game in the latest regular season (2009)

The regular season is a seventeen-week schedule during which each team plays sixteen games and has one bye week. The season currently starts on the Thursday night in the first full week of September (the Thursday after Labor Day) and runs weekly to late December or early January. At the end of each regular season, six teams from each conference play in the NFL playoffs, a twelve-team single-elimination tournament that culminates with the championship game, known as the Super Bowl. This game is held at a pre-selected site which is usually a city that hosts an NFL team.

Season structure

Since 2002, The NFL season features the following schedule:

a 4-game exhibition season (or preseason) running from early August to early September;
a 16-game, 17-week regular season running from September to December or early January; and
a 12-team Single-elimination playoff beginning in January, culminating in the Super Bowl in early February.

Traditionally, American high school football games are played on Friday, American college football games are played on Saturday, and most NFL games are played on Sunday. Because the NFL season is longer than the college football season, the NFL schedules Saturday games and Saturday playoff games outside the college football season. The ABC Television network added Monday Night Football in 1970, and Thursday night NFL games were added in the 1980s.

Regular season

A sample scheduling grid, with a single team's (the Browns) schedule highlighted. Under this hypothetical schedule, the Browns would play the teams in blue twice and the teams in yellow once, for a total of sixteen games.

Following the preseason, each of the thirty-two teams embark on a seventeen-week, sixteen-game schedule, with the extra week consisting of a bye to allow teams a rest sometime in the middle of the season (and also to increase television coverage). The regular season currently begins the Thursday evening after Labor Day with a primetime "Kickoff Game" (NBC currently holds broadcast rights for that game). According to the current scheduling structure, the earliest the season could begin is September 4 (as it was in the 2008 season), while the latest would be September 10 (as it was in the 2009 season, due to September 1 falling on a Tuesday). Each of the thirty-two teams' schedules are organized in the following way:

Each team plays the other three teams in their division twice: once at home, and once on the road (six games).
Each team plays four teams from another division within its own conference once on a rotating three-year cycle: two at home, and two on the road (four games).
Each team plays four teams from a division in the other conference once on a rotating four-year cycle: two at home, and two on the road (four games).
Each team plays once against the other teams in its conference that finished in the same place in their own divisions as themselves the previous season, not counting the division they were already scheduled to play: one at home, one on the road (two games).

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Playoffs

The NFL Playoffs. Each of the four division winners is seeded 14 based on their W-L-T records. The two Wild Card teams (labeled Wild Card 1 and 2) are seeded fifth and sixth (with the better of the two having seed 5) regardless of their records compared to the four division winners.

The season concludes with a twelve-team tournament used to determine the teams to play in the Super Bowl. The tournament brackets are made up of six teams from each of the league's two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), following the end of the 16-game regular season:

The four division champions from each conference (the team in each division with the best regular season won-lost-tied record), which are seeded one through four based on their regular season won-lost-tied record (tie-breaker rules may apply).
Two wild card qualifiers from each conference (those non-division champions with the conference's best record, i.e. the best won-lost-tied percentages, with a series of tie-breaking rules in place in the event that there are teams with the same number of wins and losses[4]), which are seeded five and six.

In each conference, the #3 and #6 seeded teams, and the #4 and #5 seeds, face each other during the first round of the playoffs, dubbed the Wild Card Playoffs (the league in recent years has also used the term Wild Card Weekend). The #1 and #2 seeds from each conference receive a bye in the first round, which entitles these teams to automatically advance to the second round, the Divisional Playoff games, to face the winning teams from the first round. In round two, the #1 seeded team always plays the lowest surviving seed in their conference. And in any given playoff game, whoever has the higher seed gets the home field advantage (i.e. the game is held at the higher seed's home field).

The two surviving teams from the Divisional Playoff games meet in Conference Championship games, with the winners of those contests going on to face one another in the Super Bowl in a game located at a neutral venue that is either indoors or in a warm-weather locale. The designated "home team" alternates year to year between the conferences. In Super Bowl XLIV, the AFC Champion was the "home" team.

Pro Bowl

The Pro Bowl, the league's all-star game, has been traditionally held on the weekend after the Super Bowl. The game was played at various venues before being held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii for 30 consecutive seasons from 1980 to 2009.

However, the 2010 Pro Bowl was played at Sun Life Stadium, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV, on January 31, the first time ever that the Pro Bowl was played before the championship game. The 2011 and 2012 games will return to Honolulu.

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Calendar

Though the NFL only plays in the late summer, fall, and early winter, the extended offseason often is an event in itself, with the draft, free agency signings, and the announcement of schedules keeping the NFL in the spotlight even during the spring, when virtually no on-field activity is taking place. A typical calendar of league events is as follows, with the dates listed being those for the 2010 NFL season:

February 22 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game opponents announced.

February 24March 2NFL Scouting Combine: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.

February 25Deadline for Clubs to designate Franchise and Transition players.

March 5Veteran Free Agency signing period begins. Trading period begins.

March 2124NFL Annual Meeting: Dana Point, Calif. Usually accompanied by announcement of scheduling and opponents for first game and opening-weekend night games.

Early April: Teams begin voluntary workouts.

April 20: 2010 schedule announced.

April 2224 NFL Draft: New York City.

May 2426NFL Spring Meeting: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

June 27 June 30NFL Rookie Symposium, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Mid-July (varies by team)-- Training camps open.

August 7 Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Canton, Ohio, including Hall of Fame Game.

August 1216First full Preseason weekend.

August 31Roster cutdown from 80 to maximum of 75 players.

September 4Roster cutdown from 75 to maximum of 53 players.

September 913 Kickoff 2010 Weekend (Week 1 of regular season)

October 31 International Series game (Wembley Stadium, London).

November Pro Bowl balloting, flexible scheduling for Sunday Night Football and the NFL Network's night game package all begin.

November 25 Thanksgiving games.

January 2, 2011End of regular season.

January 8, 2011 Playoffs begin.

January 23 AFC Championship Game and NFC Championship Game.

January 30 Pro Bowl.

February 6 Super Bowl.

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Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award

The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and broadcasters who vote after the game. The media panel's ballots count for 80 percent of the vote tally, while the viewers' ballots make up the other 20 percent.[1] The game's viewing audience can vote on the Internet or by using cellular phones;[1] Super Bowl XXXV, held in 2001, was the first Super Bowl where fan voting was allowed.

Since the first Super Bowl was held in 1967, the MVP award has been given to 40 players. From 1967 to 1989, the Super Bowl MVP was presented by Sport magazine.[3] Bart Starr was the MVP of the first two Super Bowls. Since 1990, the award has been presented by the NFL.[3] At Super Bowl XXV, the league first awarded the Pete Rozelle Trophy, named after the former NFL commissioner, to the Super Bowl MVP.[4] Ottis Anderson was the first to win the trophy.[5] The most recent Super Bowl MVP was Drew Brees, who was named the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLIV, held on February 7, 2010.

Joe Montana is the only player to have won three Super Bowl MVP awards; three othersStarr, Terry Bradshaw, and Tom Bradyhave won the honor twice. The MVP has come from the winning team every year except 1971, when Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley won the award despite the Cowboys' loss in Super Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts.[6] Harvey Martin and Randy White were named co-MVPs of Super Bowl XII, the only time co-MVPs have been chosen. Including the Super Bowl XII co-MVPs, seven Cowboys players have won Super Bowl MVP awards, the most of any NFL team. Quarterbacks have earned the honor 23 times in 44 games. Mark Rypien and Hines Ward are the only players born outside the United States to earn the Super Bowl MVP; they were born in Canada and South Korea, respectively.[8] Roger Staubach, Jim Plunkett, Marcus Allen, and Desmond Howard are the only four players to have won the Super Bowl MVP and college football's Heisman Trophy.

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From a true NFL enthusiast!
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What is football insurance? Some people often wonder what kind of person would be the best type of person to take out a policy for football insurance on. The simple answer to this question is anyone who has any sort of regular involvement with the game of football. This could be an amateur or a professional as well. The football insurance type of policy is basically full capable of offering protection for any individual that could possibly have their life style, or earnings compromised resulting from the involvement with the game of football. When it comes to amateurs, any type of serious injuries that are sustained from playing football have a very high chance of affecting the total earning power of the player. This is not because that person will not be able to earn money from the lack of being able to play the game of football, but ultimately because injuries are likely to prevent the individual from earning wages at their day job.

Football insurance is going to specifically protect an individual from ending up in this type of situation. This kind of policy can also offer protection to the immediate family of the policy holder. The main point of football insurance is to allow an amateur to completely enjoy their involvement in the game of football. This lets an individual live the life they wish to live, without having to worry about things like losing wages if they become injured while playing. Football insurance is just as important for all of the staff positions involved with the game, as it is for the players. Agents, managers, coaches, all rely on the performance of the football players when it comes to their income. This means there is much more of a degree of risk when it comes to income security for promoters and agents as opposed to someone with no involvement with the game. Learn about AIA Life. Also make sure to visit AXA Life Insurance policies.

This is why it may be an excellent choice for even individuals holding staff positions dealing with football to take out insurance policies for football. This will basically give them protection in the event they suffer some sort of loss of wages. Most of the pros in football end up assuming that football insurance is unnecessary for them. This is actually entirely false, and the pro players because of the huge sums of money they earn are the ones that will benefit most from this form of insurance. There are policies to cover these pro football players that make sure a retiring football player has their income completely protected during their transition period for retirement.

This type of insurance even has coverage for all of the huge amounts of assets that pro football players incur throughout the length of their career. It also protects against targeted situations of burglary that might occur, not to mention other types of risks that may find their way to pro football players. There is no reason to take a chance of losing any amount of income spawning from the involvement with football. Anyone who has any level of involvement with the game of football including staff, need to be aware of this policy and the benefits it offers to policy holders. This is basics when it comes to football insurance policies, what they cover, and how they work.

Make an informed decision about the best life insurance quotes by visiting AIA Life. Also make sure to visit AXA Life Insurance policies for your life insurance needs.
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- English Championship of Professional Football.
The English championships of professionalism are classified in four.
The English league football is under the auspices of the Football Association, the Football Association of England. Since 1992, the English top division is called the FA Premier League. It is the league's oldest football club in the world: its origins date back to 1863, the year the Football Association or FA.
- Italian Championship of Professional Football.
The Italian championships of professionalism are classified in four.
The Italian league football is a collection of national tournaments set up by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). The championships are divided and organized into 10 levels, the first 4 are framed in the profession, while the remaining 6 are for amateurs.
- German Championship of Professional Football.
The German football league consists of a series of alloys.
At the top of the German football system there Bundesliga.
Structure:
The German league has the following divisions:
1. Erste Bundesliga (literally the first federal league), better known as the Bundesliga- 18 teams
2. Bundesliga (literally second federal league) - 18 teams
3. 3. Liga (literally third league) - 20 teams
4. Regionalliga (regional league literally), divided into three groups, North, West and South
5. Oberliga (literally higher league), with 12 subdivisions
The last two teams relegated from the Bundesliga in the Bundesliga and are replaced by the top two teams in the Bundesliga. The sixteenth ranked in the Bundesliga and the third-placed Bundesliga play a promotion-relegation play-off in two games (round trip). The last four teams in the Bundesliga standings in the 3.Liga recede.
- French football league.
The French league of professional football is divided into three categories related hierarchically.
The top division of football in France is the Liga 1.
Structure: The football league in France is divided into the following levels:
1. Ligue 1 (20 professional teams);
2. Ligue 2 (20 professional teams);
3. National (20 teams semiprofessionistiche);
4. CFA (4 groups of 18 amateur teams);
5. CFA 2 (8 groups of 16 amateur teams);
6. Ligues rgionales, namely regional divisions;
7. Districts dpartementaux de football, that the provincial championships.
Spanish football league.
The Spanish football league is a collection of tournaments divided into several categories, all under the aegis of the Real - Federacin Espaola de Ftbol.
The Primera Division (also known as La Liga) is the Spanish top flight football. The winner wins the title of champion of Spain.
- The Portuguese Liga.
The football league Portuguese Primeira Liga as the top division, called Liga Sagres (for sponsorship reasons) from the 2008-2009 season.
The league comprises sixteen teams Primeira. The last two teams relegated to the Liga de Honra. The highest wins the title of Champion of Portugal. The team winning the championship and runner-up, go directly to the Champions League. The third pre-qualified to enter the contest the Champions League. The fourth and fifth ranked teams have direct access to the Europa League.

My name is Antonio de Simone, online journalist.Read Me Free. information about the world of European football: Charts, training, news players, team news, schedules and results in real time.
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Some of the new players in the fantasy football world and even the long time players may assume that the phrase "weekly fantasy football contest" may refer to the game or playing fantasy football, drafting, competing for the season etc. What you need to know is there are weekly fantasy football contests you can join in aside from maintaining and playing fantasy football in your own league.

Playing in a weekly fantasy football contest is a type of game which is still part of the fantasy football umbrella. The weekly fantasy football contest may be you choosing to play a game in which you pick the best QB, WR and RB trio to win or you debate on a certain fantasy football issue. These are just side games in the wide world of fantasy football that makes watching football such a popular and fun endeavor. Here are types of weekly fantasy football contests which you can enjoy.

Types of Weekly Fantasy Football # 1: Pro Football Pick'em

This is the most common fantasy football contest. You have an NFL team with a corresponding "+" symbol and a number. This indicates that the particular NFL team is an underdog. A negative number is an indicator of the favorite NFL team. Now, you pick a team to win an NFL game and the score of the team is added or subtracted to the final score and the total determines the winner.

Types of Weekly Fantasy Football # 2: College Football Pick'em

This type of contest is similar to Pro Football Pick'em. The only difference is you are betting on college teams. This is much harder because there are more factors that affect a college team than an NFL team.

Types of Weekly Fantasy Football # 3: Weekly Line Up Challenge

You pick players who you predict will come on top of their specific NFL positions. For this contest you are betting against an "expert." If you get a higher score than the expert, you get a bonus point.

Types of Weekly Fantasy Football # 4: Name a Fantasy Football Team Contest

Think of a creative and catchy fantasy football team name. Entries are voted on by everyone to win.

Types of Weekly Fantasy Football # 5: Survivor, Fantasy Football

Pick the winning team each week. One wrong prediction and you are out of the game, survivor style.

Types of Weekly Fantasy Football # 6: 3 Play Fantasy Football Prediction

Pick the QB, WR and RB who will top the game. The right combination equates a win for you.

Types of Weekly Fantasy Football # 7: Football Debates

Are you good at arguing? Seven judges will determine the better debater in issues that concern fantasy football of course.

Fantasy sports is growing popular everyday.NBA,NFL,NHL and MLC fantasy sports contest are now live at Fantasy Factor. build your fantasy sports team and enter to win real cash daily or weekly!
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In most countries, the name of the game sound alike. Words like football, fussball, futbol, futebol... dont just sound the same, they are the same game. In the U.S., however, they call it soccer. Major League Soccer (MLS) as an American professional soccer league has been around for some time now.

Unlike other American major league sports, MLS does not dominate the sport's public attention on global scale, nor its champion is crowned as the World Champion. MLS has been going through constant development. Did it gain significant public and media attention in the world football? No!

Soccer as the 2nd, 7th or 10th most popular sport in the U.S. doesn't make a great difference, the American public will still follow the NFL, , MLB NHL or NBA. The world public would follow those leagues with same attention as they are world's most prominent sports leagues.

In recent years with the globalization of media, the world sports scene has started to change; in that process, English football league, Premiership, promotes itself as 'The Greatest Show On Earth' and is in fact the world's most popular and most watched sporting league, with a current worldwide viewership of half a billion people and media income for seasons 2007 to 2010 worth over $5 billion.

If the world will watch football leagues like English Premiership or Spanish La Liga, who will watch the American major league sports other than domestic spectators? Will a part of the American public turn to watch overseas football leagues as well? Such questions made soccer be an issue in the U.S sports.

Every now and then, the MLS officials would wake up from the drowsiness of being in shadows of Top 4 American major leagues around the time when World Cup takes places and it becomes evident how immense the game of football is in the terms of world public interest, media attention, sponsors.

As the noise around World Cup passes, the MLS would fall back in drowsiness. It was not to be like that after the World Cup 2006 in Germany when the world public had clear picture of European footballs modern stadiums, multi-million player contracts... the world sports spotlight got a hold on football.

This time it's not the MLS who is to take the initiative of promoting MLS, it's the whole of American professional sports entertainment industry. It is an economic opportunity where the money revolving around the world football was too great to be missed or discarded.

In the summer of 2007, U.S. soccer attempted to take over the world football by storm by offering David Beckham a $250million contract, the most expensive football player contract in history of the sport, some described it as the deal to bring Beckham to America is thought to be the biggest in sporting history. MLS sent out a message to the world.

In the midst of summer when European leagues were between the seasons and the waters were still, MLS got the wanted exposure with news stories being dominated with the Beckham family moving to LA. Did the stories overtake the world football media and public attention in favor of MLS yet? No!

Is $250 million worth of exposure in the long run? Time will tell. Autumn came, European and international leagues are in full swing, the world sports news publish less articles about Beckham, LA Galaxy and the MLS. To make things worst, LA will hardly make the play-offs, giving the media less to write about.

In the league that has had an overall lost of more than $350 million in the first 8 years after its foundation (a BusinessWeek report from 2004), where at the present time only two teams, LA Galaxy and FC Dallas, are profitable with 3 additional teams expected to be profitable within a year, a $250 million one-player investment seems like a gamble. If so, what are the odds?

In recent years, several notable players chose to make the step away from the bigger leagues of Europe and South America for a financially good contract with teams from the Gulf countries. The headlines reported rich transfer deals, though there was no to little follow-up in media coverage of those leagues.

Not to be forgotten, prior to David Beckhams arrival, MLS attempted to gain exposure with Freddy Adu, a player under the age of 16 that was crowned as the next Pel. Adu received significant media attention, the world knew hes playing for DC United of the MLS.

Many may or may not know that Adu, this past summer at the age of 18, signed a contract in Europe with Benfica FC - Portugal. Prior to joining Benfica, Adu spent some time during summer in the Man Utds training camp, Alex Fergusson did not give him the reason to stay.

Benfica paid to the club from Salt Lake City $2million for the players release note and Adu will receive $1.2million per year, solid but not the contract that tops the news. Adu was not on Benficas Champions League match roster against Milan on Sept. 18th, in compare a player like Messi at the current Adus age was already among the starting 11 for the football giant FC Barcelona.

The MLS didnt appear to have gained substantial attention for the sport with Adu, nor contributed to his development into the world dominant player as expected. Through history, some of the best players of all times played soccer in the States, including Pel, Beckenbauer, Eusebio

After the decades long attempts that did not give hoped results for the success of U.S. soccer, what difference Beckhams playing (currently on a 6 week absence due to the injury) may makes now? Lets have a brief look at the MLS, a professional soccer league that started in 1996 with more than 10 seasons of experience under way.

Logistics and facilities: On the day of publishing this text, September 27th 2007, Beckhams LA Galaxy is playing against the KC Wizards. SPORTiana.com, as the author of this text, had the insight in MLS through KC Wizards in the summer of 2006, a year prior to Beckhams arrival in the MLS.

At that time KC Wizards head coach complained about having himself and 2 more assistant coaches to run the teams training, forcing him to leave several players from 26 man roster sitting on the bench because of not being able to have them all on the field during trainings at the same time.

The training facilities included one open-air field and the in-door field with gym used by the NFL team KC Chiefs, within the Arrowhead Stadium complex. The Wizards open air-training field was situated next to the fence aside KC Chiefs training fields.

Grass on the Wizards field was almost separated turfs on the ground as hard as a rock, a field where many players would pass on training in order to avoid injuries. A head coach, 2 assist coaches, fitness trainer NFL stadium and facilities small office space at the corner of a stadium it would be quite a contrast to the clubs from leagues where Beckham previously played.

Players: Majority MLS players come in the league as drafted college players. College soccer usually means players playing for a full ride scholarship with the first pro contracts signed at the age of 22 or so. In other countries, first pro contracts are usually signed at the age of 18, at the age of 22 the player is coming out of a 4 year contract and managers have a better understanding of a players capabilities in pro football.

This means college players are 4 years behind. By signing a first pro contract at the age of 22, they would come out of the 4 year contract at the age of 26, at that time, major world football clubs would rather invest their money in a 22 year olds prospect who has also had 4 years of pro football experience.

College players hardly pass over playing in the MLS (players first pro contract) on their way to better paid leagues as most foreign clubs would not sign a college league soccer player with no pro football experience at the age of 22.

Prominent American players like DeMarkus Beasley ($2million to PSV Netherlands, currently for 700,000 with Rangers Scotland) or Tim Howard ($4million to Man Utd England, currently with Everton after being loaned), joined MLS directly from high-school without playing college soccer, just like Freddy Adu.

For an average football fan with the choice to watch a variety of matches, e.g. the giants of the game squaring up in domestic leagues like this past weekend when it was Man Utd vs Chelsea in England, Barcelona vs Sevilla in Spain, Roma vs Juventus in Italy, PSV vs Feyenoord in the Netherlands Boca Juniors games in Argentina, Lyon in France theres little space for MLS.

A football fan wants to see the competitiveness, passionate fans, decades-long fierce rivalry between the clubs, tradition, the worlds best players, established players with reputation of playing for prestigious clubs, ultra-modern football-specific stadiums, most of which the MLS does not offer.

The MLS needs to gain the interest of the American public and media in order to gain the same interest with the world public. Hard-working, attractive all-around players like Eddie Johnson of the KC Wizards or DC Uniteds Jaime Moreno, who proved their quality in this summers Copa America 2007 are the prototype players for a successful competitive league.

The MLSs proposed soccer-specific modern stadiums for all clubs are a step forwards. German Bundesliga witnessed tremendous boost of public interest and media attention on domestic and global level prior to and after the World Cup 2006, with a legacy of great new and renewed old stadiums.

The MLS ought to internationalize as much as possible, the English Premiership did it, when foreign billionaires started buying clubs, world class players arrived in even great number to make it the most watched and profitable football league in the world.

Many writers have speculated on why football is not as popular in the U.S. as it is in some other countries, most of them point to the fact that the game does not have enough scoring. Changing rules of the game in favor of having more goals per game may be beneficial this time around.

Football is a powerful force, it already changed the North American major league sports philosophy, MLS clubs are competing in the Super League and the Copa Sudamericana, The New York Red Bulls new stadium will feature a full European-style roof, in 2007 MLS started selling ad space on the front of jersey (a floor of $500,000 per shirt sponsorship), following the practice of the international football.

As the Latin American immigration increases in the US, so is the interest in football. With football being the most popular recreational sport for both boys and girls, the MLS has potential. In 2006 Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, expressed his expectations for the league's clubs to be profitable by 2010 overall.

LA Galaxys merchandise sales through Beckhams next 4 four years with the club may not top $600 million as it was during his time with Real Madrid, still an MLS player made onto the covers of Sports Illustrated magazine and gather a crowd of 66,000 spectators at a packed Giants Stadium.

In the words of David Beckham about his move to MLS: I'm coming there to play football... I'm not saying me coming over to the States is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. Its about taking one step at the time, if soccer aims to make it in the football world.

SPORTiana.com is the author of this text. None part of the text is copyrighted by the third parties. Feel free to published, broadcast, rewrite or redistribute the text in full or part and add a link to http://www.sportiana.com/ upon your wish.

SPORTiana.com

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Online sportsbooks have opened with the New Orleans Saints as 9-1 betting favorites to win Super Bowl XLV with the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings next as 10-1 choices in NFC odds. Heading into NFL predictions for the 2010 season, the Saints are the obvious betting favorite based on the public perception of their having won the Super Bowl last year and their potent offense that was ranked best in all of pro football. That does not take away from the fact that their defense still has weaknesses and they will not have the element of surprise, which makes them a potential overlay and poor NFL betting value.

The Dallas Cowboys would love nothing more than to become the first team ever to host a Super Bowl as the game takes place in Cowboy's Stadium in February 2011. But to make it to "Jerry's World" Dallas must continue to build its depth and become a truly consistent team in NFC odds, which has not happened under coach Wade Phillips. Tony Romo must also prove once and for all that he is a big game quarterback. Minnesota's chances rest on the rocket right arm of 40-year old quarterback Brett Favre. While it is not yet decided, Favre will likely return after a great 2009 season.

Favre made one of his customary blunders in the NFC championship game at New Orleans with a terrible interception near the end of regulation but the Vikings never would have made it that far without him. Minnesota has the defense to go all the way in NFC odds if Favre does come back. Green Bay was an 11-5 wild card team last year that was well balanced as they ranked 5th in total offense and 2nd in total defense. As long as the Packers stay healthy they could be one of the better NFL betting values on the board.

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About the Author:
Bishop Whitmore is Editor in Chief of VegasSportsOdds.com and has been in the sports entertainment industry for the past 10 years consulting for various media outlets and sportsbooks. View daily sports reviews, poker strategies and casino rooms from Bishop Whitmore at VegasSportsOdds.com.
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Whether you are a fan of the most successful teams in football history, or the cursed few desperate to make the playoffs, it's certain that you wear your teams' colors with pride. Unlike other sports events that attract moderate fan bases and casual viewers of the game, American Football fans tend to be an intense and passionate group of people. They watch the games with intent, and never veer too far from the television screen during the commercial breaks.

For these devoted fans, watching the game in the highest quality is an essential part of reliving the football experience. Most true American Football fans are regular devotees of high definition football broadcasts. They remark on the improved quality and vibrancy of the game, which in turn creates a more real and intimate experience with the action of the game. From pre-season through the playoffs, Football fans young and old have become avid viewers of HD television in an effort to recreate the experience of actually being at the game, right next to the action.

With more football fans than ever tuning into satellite TV to catch all their favorite games, it seems that the intellectual fanatic has taken over the scene. Casual viewers no longer stand a chance when bar room discussion about faulty plays, bad calls, and new rookies begin to take over the evening. Those interested in the game can still bask in the glory of a hard fought victory, can celebrate their teams' success and mock the other's failure, but the pure energy that the true fans possess has taken on a whole new level of intensity.

As more of these avid fans come into the limelight, more are discovering the benefits of such television packages like the NFL Sunday Ticket. Unlike other sports programming packages, the Ticket' provides comprehensive coverage of virtually all the pro football leagues regular season games. In addition, the ticket' provides alternative coverage of college games and the most sought after bowl games. If you've ever dreamed of raising the stakes when it comes to your fanaticism, then this is certainly a good chance for you to do so.

Satellite TV is offering more variety in more ways than ever. With the introduction of new comprehensive sports packages to meet your needs and your desires, you'll see the difference immediately. Win or Lose, your devotion as a fan is something that stays with you forever. For some people, loyalty to a particular team comes from where they grew up. For others, it may be a kind of inheritance that's been passed down from previous generations. Still others don't even know why they became diehard fans; it may have been some childhood fascination or a favorite player that changed the course of their fanaticism forever. No matter the case, it has become unquestionable that the big football fans in this country need to take part in the games in some way or another. That's why watching the action in stunning clarity is the only way to go.

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Tony Dorsett was born in Rochester, Pennsylvania on April 7, 1954. Dorsett was very attached to his mother, Myrtle. She was the one responsible with sending Tony to church as well as running and maintaining a steady household. Tony's dad was named West Dorsett. He worked in a steel mill for thirty years. Tony Dorsett grew up with a very athletic build and was often clocked at amazing speeds much faster than his peers. In high school he gained 1,034 yards rushing as a junior. His record of excellence continued unabated when he moved up a step to the University of Pittsburgh.

At the University of Pittsburgh he took the position as a running back. While in college, Dorsett helped Pittsburgh win a national title in 1976. He also won the Heisman Trophy and the Walter Camp Award, which is the Player of the Year. Not to mention he won the Maxwell Award and the UPI Player of the Year along the way. He also led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. He also finished his college career with 6,082 total rushing yards, then an NCAA record.

His record with the Panthers was legendary. He is arguably one of the greatest running backs in the history of college football. He is one of the few football players on the planet to win a collegiate NCAA Championship and then go on to win a Super Bowl in back to back years.

In the 1977 NFL draft, Tony Dorsett was selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. He played with them through 1987. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight of his first nine seasons. In 1981 he rushed for 1646 yards. This was his most productive season. Dorsett had a career total of 12,033 yards in Dallas before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 1988. Dorsett was elected to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. Tony also went in to the Dallas Cowboy Ring of Honor in 1994 as well.

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The Minnesota Vikings certainly are a professional football team operating out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings compete within the North Division with the National Football Conference (NFC) from the National Football League (NFL). Previous to divisional realignment in 2002, that they had been an associate from the Central Division, also called the Black & Blue Division. The team played home games at Metropolitan Stadium over the 1981 NFL season and also have played their home games at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (former home in the American League baseball team Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Golden Gophers on the Big Ten) since 1982. You'll be able to visit the largest selections of Vikings Tickets online to see the said Minnesota Vikings Schedule.

The look for the very first head coach had the team court then-Northwestern University head coach Ara Parseghian, who based on Minneapolis Star writer Jim Klobuchar-the Vikings' first beat reporter for your newspaper-visited team management within the Twin Cities under the condition that his visit ended up being remain secret from his current employer. His cover was blown by local columnist Sid Hartman who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials. Philadelphia Eagles assistant Nick Skorich including a man with Minnesota ties who was in the the CFL, Bud Grant, were also candidates until another Eagle, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, was hired on January 18, 1961. Van Brocklin had just finished his career being a player on the high note, having defeated the Green Bay Packers within the 1960 NFL championship.

The Vikings happen to be probably the most successful NFL franchises. They currently possess the fifth-highest winning percentage within the NFL. Fortunately they are certainly one of only five NFL teams to win fifteen games throughout the regular season. The Vikings have won one NFL championship (pre-1970 AFL-NFL Merger), but subsequently lost 237 towards the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. The Vikings were the very first team to experience in four Super Bowls, though losing them. The Vikings have won their division 18 times, third most among teams currently playing within the NFL and the majority of among current teams within their division. Counting playoff apperances only after 1970, they're tied using the second most within the league. No team has as numerous NFC or AFC Championship game appearances (nine) with no Super Bowl title. Only three other NFC teams have took part in more Super Bowls compared to Vikings. The team currently has ten members from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you want to check the schedule of the game and also purchase your tickets towards the large selection of Vikings Tickets, by viewing the Minnesota Vikings schedule.

Pro football within the Minneapolis Saint Paul area (the "Twin Cities") began using the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets, an NFL team that played intermittently from the 1920s30s. However, a fresh professional team within the area didn't surface again until August 1959, when three Minneapolis businessmen Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund and Max Winter were awarded a franchise on the new American Football League. Five months later in January 1960, after significant pressure with the NFL, the ownership group together with Bernie Ridder forfeited its AFL membership after which was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise with play to start in 1961. Ole Haugsrud was put into the NFL team ownership as a result of a contract he had using the NFL since 1920s when he sold his Duluth Eskimos team returning to the league. The agreement allowed him 10% of any future Minnesota team. Coincidentally or not Ole Haugsrud's secondary school, Central High School in Superior WI teams were also known as the Vikings and their school colors were purple and yellow.

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Dish Network recently became the second provider to sign up for NFL RedZone, the NFL Network's rookie scoring channel. Dish had previously said they would be the only carrier of the network.Dish will kick off NFL RedZone with the start of the pro football league's regular season. It will be broadcast on channel 155, in both standard- definition and high-definition, as part of the Multi-Sport Package, which is available to most Dish Network customers at $5.99 per month.

Comcast is following suit and will make RedZone available as part of its Sports Entertainment Package.Both Dish and Comcast, who had been engaged in legal battles with NFL Network, reached new agreements with the NFL's in-house service earlier this year. In April, Dish and NFL Network reached an out-of-court settlement -- other terms of which were not disclosed -- under which Dish will continue to carry NFL Network on its Classic Silver 200 programming package over a multiyear term.

Dish pulled NFL Network from the "free preview" on its America's Top 100 package, moving it to its AT200 tier on Feb. 20, 2008, in response to the channel's decision to simulcast a Dec. 28, 2007 game on CBS and NBC that featured the then-undefeated New England Patrios against the New York Giants. NFL RedZone will whip around every NFL game on Sunday afternoons delivering the touchdowns and most exciting moments as they develop.

The channel aims to keep fans updated in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a chance to see every important play.NFL RedZone is said to be the "most exciting thing to happen to football since high definition." It will change the way America watches football, and now customers will be able to catch all the exciting plays as they happen.

By: Frank Bilotta

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Dish Network recently became the second provider to sign up for NFL RedZone, the NFL Network's rookie scoring channel.
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Any conversation about who the greatest pro football player is could go in several different directions. How many ways are there to judge who is the "best"? Which player has been on the team with the most wins, or perhaps the player with the most amazing personal stats?

Or you could just try to find the one player who excelled overall, and who has become a legend. One example of such a perfect player is Jim Brown.

One of the most amazing things about Jim Brown is that he only played in the NFL for 9 seasons, and yet he is still talked about 42 years after his retirement. Even in just 9 seasons, he accumulated an amazing 12,312 rushing yards (an NFL record at the time). Brown also had the single season record for rushing with 1,863 yards. Add to that more records for rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and all-purpose yards.

Even after all these decades, he is still the Cleveland Browns record-holder for rushing yards in a single season (1,863). Not one single other franchise in the league has a record that has held so long. Jim Brown also was awarded the league MVP award 3 times during his time with Cleveland.

What made Brown a spectacular player was that was more than just a good football player. He was an excellent athlete by all accounts. Physically, he was definitely a gifted play but he also had the mental ability to pick up and overcome any athletic challenges that came his way.

His skill was not overlooked. When he graduated from his Long Island high school, he got 42 offers for college scholarships due to his athletic performance. He decided on Syracuse University, where he earned All-American honors in lacrosse as well as football.

Many of Jim Brown's statistics have been surpassed by other NFL players since his retirement, mainly because Brown only played for nine seasons. Most modern day running backs have longer careers that than, giving them the statistical advantage when you look at overall numbers. That doesn't mean their talent is any greater.

He retired in 1966, leaving the game while still in his prime. Unfortunately, that means his name won't always be on the all-time list of great running backs in the NFL. Nevertheless, Jim Brown should be considered one of the best players in football history.

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People have called Emmitt Smith a football player, father, friend, teammate, dancer, announcer and all around great guy. Emmitt Smith came into this world on May 15, 1969, in Florida. Ever since he was a boy, Smith dreamed of playing for the Dallas Cowboys. As a child he had to face many obstacles before he could make that dream a reality. His family had financial problems when he was a child. Emmitt helped his sick grandmother when he was a boy and this required that he work a lot of part-time jobs.

In high school he was an incredible player and athlete. Smith played football at Florida. He quickly established him as one of its most dynamic players. He rushed more than 100 yards in his first game alone. Smith set and broke his own rushing record while at the university. The school record for rushing touchdowns is 14, a record that Emmitt managed to tie. Many of his records at the school remain unbroken to this day.

Emmitt left college as a junior to pursue his dream of a pro football career with the Dallas Cowboys. While playing at Dallas, Emmitt became the main man in the offense early in his career. Smith helped the team to three Super Bowl Championship victories in 1993, 1994, and 1996. He was even singled out for his performance on the field in Super Bowl XXVIII. He won SupreBowl MVP honors in 1994. Emmitt also participated in many Pro Bowl games.

Emmitt starred at the University of Florida where he set 58 school records in his three years along with earning All-American honors and including being named the 1989 SEC Player of the Year.

Smith received the Super Bowl MVP award for Super Bowl XXVIII, becoming the only Cowboys running back ever to win the award out of all their Super Bowl wins. Emmitt was named both league MVP in 1993 and Super Bowl XXVIII MVP that same season.

In 2006, Smith returned the spotlight as a contestant on the hit television show, Dancing With The Stars. He won the competition, beating out actor Mario Lopez in the final round.

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The 2009 NFL season kicked off on September 10, 2009. All eyes are on defending Super Bowl title champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. This article analyzes the NFL schedule to help Pittsburgh Steelers fans know what challenges lies for their favorite team this season. Your support can motivate the Steelers to win yet another Super Bowl title. Prepare to deck yourself with attractive Steelers merchandise as the team gets ready for its next thrilling match.

About the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a successful American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since 1933, the team has won 6 Super Bowl titles throughout their sporting career. The Steelers are the current superstars in the NFL having won Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009.

The team competes in the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers play their home games in Heinz Field, Pittsburgh. They have won more Super Bowl titles (6), won more AFC Championship Games (7) and have hosted more conference championship games (10) than any other AFC or NFC team. With such a prestigious record, expectations are high for the Pittsburgh Steelers for current NFL 2009 season, which kicked off on September 10, 2009. Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise is selling like hot cakes all over the United States as avid fans pin hope for yet another Super Bowl title victory.

NFL season structure
The NFL season includes the following schedule:
- A 4-game exhibition season running from early August to early September
- A 16-game, 17-week regular season running from September to December or early January
- A 12-team playoff tournament beginning in January, culminating in the Super Bowl in early February

The 2009 NFL Season is the 90th in NFL history. Following the season structure, the exhibition season started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009. The regular season, which began on September 10 will be followed by Super Bowl XLIV, the leagues championship game, on February 7, 2010 at Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 - Schedule analysis
The Pittsburgh Steelers regular season has just begun and if you are not yet armed with trendy Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise yet, log on to online NFL merchandise shop. You can view a wide range of Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise and book your orders before the Steelers merchandise goes out of stock.

Steelers regular season games schedule 2009:
Week 1: Thursday, Sept. 10 - TENNESSEE TITANS, 8:30 p.m., NBC
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20 - Chicago Bears, 4:15 p.m., CBS
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 27 - Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 p.m., CBS
Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4 - SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11 - Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m., CBS
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 18 - CLEVELAND BROWNS, 1:00 p.m., CBS
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25 - MINNESOTA VIKINGS, 1:00 p.m., FOX
Week 8: Sunday, Nov. 1 Bye
Week 9: Monday, Nov. 9 - Denver Broncos, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 15 - CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1:00 p.m., CBS
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22 - Kansas City Chiefs *, 1:00 p.m., CBS
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29 - Baltimore Ravens *, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6 - OAKLAND RAIDERS *, 1:00 p.m., CBS
Week 14: Thursday, Dec. 10 - Cleveland Browns *, 8:20 p.m., NFL Network
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20 - GREEN BAY PACKERS *, 1:00 p.m., FOX
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 27 - BALTIMORE RAVENS *, 1:00 p.m., CBS
Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3 - Miami Dolphins, 1:00 p.m., CBS

Home games are listed in bold. All times are Eastern.
* Time and TV network may change due to flexible scheduling

When the Pittsburgh Steelers successfully survived what was dubbed as their toughest schedule in 2008, the slate of games scheduled for 2009 will come as a relief to the team. This year only 5 opponents in the schedule made the playoffs a year ago however, the Steelers do have some challenges lying ahead of them.

Listed below are key challenges before the Steelers:
- The Steelers are scheduled to play the rival Baltimore Ravens twice
- The Steelers will have 2 tough games early. Pittsburgh will play host to the Tennessee Titans in the season opener on September 10 and then travel to play the Chicago Bears in Week 2. The Titans-Steelers game should be a battle of 2 playoff contenders in the AFC. And the Chicago Bears will prove to be a tough competition with the addition of Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler
- The AFC North division which lost badly last season is expected to pose a tough competition this year as Baltimore is looking to unseat Steelers.The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns aim to close the gap after a pair of awful 4-win seasons

Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 - Roster analysis
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced their regular season roster in the first week of September. The team reduced their games on the roster to 53 by releasing 21 players and placing another on the Reserve/Injured List to reach the NFL-mandated 53-player limit. Fans will be disappointed to know that the 6th-year veteran Sean McHugh had to be placed on the teams Reserve/Injured List since he injured his knee during training camp.

The Steelers final roster includes 3 quarterbacks, 4 running backs, 6 wide receivers, 3 tight ends, 9 offensive linemen, 7 defensive linemen, 8 linebackers, 10 defensive backs and 3 specialists (kicker, punter and long snapper).

According to Coach Mike Tomlin, cutting the Steelers' roster to 53 players was the first step to building a team he hopes can contend for another Super Bowl title. But it is not the last step. He predicted more cuts throughout the season, depending on the performance of the players.

Now, that the Steelers roaster is in place, the fans should be ready to cheer the team. Get set buy Steelers merchandise in large numbers and show your avid support for the legendry team.

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The fifth-oldest franchise in the NFL, the Steelers were founded on July 8, 1933, by Arthur Joseph Rooney. Originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates. The ownership of the Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since its founding. The current owner is Art's son, Dan Rooney, who has given much control of the franchise to his son Art Rooney II.

The team enjoys a fanbase nicknamed Steeler Nation and currently play their home games in Heinz Field on Pittsburgh's North Side, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Built in 2001, the stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium which hosted the Steelers for 31 seasons. Prior to Three Rivers, the Steelers had played their games in Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field.

The Steelers rank fourth among all NFL franchises with six NFL titles - zero in the preSuper Bowl era and six since the advent of the Super Bowl. The Steelers trail the Green Bay Packers (12), Chicago Bears (9) and the New York Giants (7). Pittsburgh has won six Super Bowl titles, won seven AFC Championship Games and hosted ten conference championship games than any other AFC or NFC team.

They have played in AFC conference championship games more than any other team and tied with the Dallas Cowboys with 14 championship game appearances in either the NFC or AFC contests. The team is the current National Football League champions, having won Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009.

Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Steelers have posted the best record in pro football. The franchise has won the most total games, won the most divisional titles, earned the best winning percentage (including every expansion team), earned the most All-Pro nominations and has the most Super Bowl wins (6) since the game started in 1970. It is also 2nd overall in playoff wins and season game wins.

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The American Football League was started in 1960 by professional football enthusiasts, many of whom had been denied ownership of National Football League franchises, and was set up to compete against the more established NFL. The league consisted of ten teams, though only eight were in the league from the start, and most of them were placed in cities that had no competing NFL franchise. In the beginning the AFL was not given much respect, but through displaying their on team talent and eventually proving themselves equal on the field, they earned the respect of pro football fans every where. There was decent parity in the league with six of the original eight franchises winning a league title during the AFL's existence. Many of the teams experienced instability and many experienced long stretches of success, but in the end when it came time for the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, every AFL franchise was brought into the NFL and eventually proved themselves to be worthwhile additions.

The Boston Patriots
The Patriots spent their entire stay in the AFL as the Boston Patriots, not changing to their later and more famous name of the New England Patriots until 1971. During their AFL run, the Patriots called a number of fields their home fields. They started playing games at Nickerson Field and remained their for three years before spending their next six seasons as the football tenant of the famous Fenway Park, they then played their final season as a member of the AFL in Alumni Stadium at Harvard University. Though the Patriots did not win an AFL Championship and in fact finished the decade with a below .500 record, they were an important part of the league and after a long period of struggling have become one of the more successful franchises in the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills won back to back AFL titles in 1964 and 1965 and had a very successful run as members of the AFL. Despite their two championships, the Bills still managed to have a below .500 record over the course of their stay in the AFL. Despite this losing record, the Bills ownership was instrumental in the league being successful. The Bills, playing in War Memorial Stadium, were one of only two original AFL franchises to play their home games in the same stadium every year they were in the league. The Bills would go on to experience some early success in the NFL behind star running back O.J. Simpson, before struggling for a number of years. The Bills made their mark in the NFL in the early 1990's with four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, although they did not win any of them.

The Cincinnati Bengals
An ownership group led by former Cleveland Browns founder and head coach Paul Brown was awarded an AFL expansion franchise in 1967. With the groundwork for the AFL-NFL merger already having been laid, Brown agreed to have his team join the AFL only after being assured it would be part of the merged league a few seasons later. The Bengals played both of their AFL season home games in Nippert Stadium and compiled a record of 7-20-1 during their two seasons in the league. After becoming part of the NFL, the Bengals would go on to struggle for a number of years before experiencing some success in the 1980's, culminating in two losing Super Bowl appearances both at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Dallas Texans
The Dallas Texans were one the most successful AFL franchise during the league's run, winning three championships and going 92-50-5 over ten seasons. Texans' owner Lamar Hunt was instrumental in the founding of the AFL, which he largely pursued after being denied the chance to own an NFL team. The Texans won the third AFL Championship in a double overtime game against the two time championship winning Houston Oilers. The Texans shared the city of Dallas with their NFL counterpart the Cowboys, and after three seasons including a league championship, the Texans determined that the city couldn't support two professional football teams. Looking for a team that he could commute to easily from Dallas, owner Lamar Hunt decided on Kansas City, the team would also be renamed the Chiefs. The Dallas Texans were one of two AFL teams to change their mascot (the other being the Titans/Jets) and also one of two AFL teams to change cities (the other being the Chargers). The Chiefs would experience great success in the AFL, eventually winning the final league championship (Super Bowl IV in 1969) before the AFL-NFL merger was completed. The Chiefs would go on to experience moderate success as full members of the NFL, though they would fall short of repeating the league championship winning ways of their AFL days.

The Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos were one of the original franchises of the AFL in 1960. They were also the least successful of all of the AFL franchises, winning no championships and compiling a record of 39-97-4 during there years in the American Football League. The Broncos were the only original AFL franchise to not have a winning record during their time in the league. Despite this, the Broncos have gone on to become one of the more successful franchises following the merger of the two leagues. The Broncos first experienced success in the late 1970's and experienced it again in the 1980's. Their peak of success came in the late 1990's when quarterback John Elway led them to two consecutive Super Bowl victories.

The Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers had a great start in the AFL, winning the championship in not only the league's first year, but in the second year as well. They then lost the championship game in their third season in a double overtime game against the Dallas Texans that was at the time the longest professional football game ever played. The Oilers made a big splash early on by signing Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon out of Louisiana State University and it paid off for them. By the time of the AFL-NFL merger though the Oilers career record in the AFL was just three games over .500 (72-69-4). The Oilers also earned a distinction as the first professional football team to play its home games indoors when they moved into the Astrodome for the 1968 season after playing their home games in two different stadiums up to that point (Jeppesen Stadium from 1960-64 and Rice Stadium from 1965-67). After moving on into the NFL, the Oilers would go on to experience some success in the 1970's behind running back Earl Campbell, and in the 1980's behind quarterback Warren Moon, but wouldn't make it back to a championship game until their loss to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.

The Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the more successful AFL franchises, winning one league champtionship and accumulating the second most victories in the league (behind only Dallas/Kansas City) while compiling a record of 88-51-6. After their first season in the league, the Chargers would move to San Diego where they continue to play today. The Chargers were led by quarterback John Hadl and wide receiver Lance Alworth and were coached their entire ten years in the AFL by hall of famer Sid Gillman. The Chargers would go into the NFL and experience success in the early 1980's behind quarterback Dan Fouts, and also again in the early 1990's under head coach Bobby Ross who they would make their first Super Bowl appearance under, only to lose to the San Francisco 49ers. The team would then experience a downturn in their success before rebounding back to become one of the premier teams in the league behind star running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

The Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins joined the AFL as an organization in 1965 when an expansion franchise was awarded to Joseph Robbie and actor Danny Thomas (who would eventually sell his share of the team to Robbie). The Dolphins would play home games during their four years in the AFL in the famous Miami Orange Bowl. The Dolphins record in the AFL was a dismal 15-32-2 and this was corrected in their first year in the NFL when they replaced their head coach with future hall of famer and eventual all time winning head coach Don Shula. The Dolphins would go on to have the first undefeated season by a professional football team in 1972 winning every game all the way through the Super Bowl, a feat that through the 2007 season has yet to be duplicated.

The New York Titans
The New York Titans were one of the original AFL franchises in 1960 and one of only three franchises placed in a city where there was already an NFL franchise. The Titans were respectable during their first two seasons, but after a losing season in 1962 the team's lack of community support almost saw it go into bankruptcy. The franchise was saved from such a fate by a change of ownership, and with this change of ownership came a change in the team name to the New York Jets. This transition saw other changes being made as well, future hall of famer Weeb Ewbank was hired as head coach and the team eventually moved from the Polo Grounds to Shea Stadium. The second half of the 1960's saw the Jets experience great success culminating with an AFL Championship in 1969 and a shocking Super Bowl victory (guaranteed by quarterback Joe Namath) over the NFL's Baltimore Colts. Following their inclusion in the NFL, the Jets would experience a predominantly unsuccessful existence. Though they have had strong teams and made the playoffs from time to time, they have yet to have a chance to win another league championship.

The Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were the last of the original AFL franchises to join the league in 1960. The first few years of the franchise's existence were truly chaotic, and the circumstances that they entered the league under equaled that. An AFL franchise had been awarded to Minnesota, but after the initial AFL draft the owners of the unnamed Minnesota team instead opted to join the NFL. This left the AFL one team short and set them on the task of finding a replacement ownership group and city. The focus shifted to Oakland, California after the owners of the Chargers insisted on another west coast team being added to the league so it would ease the demands on their travel needs. Once Oakland was welcomed into the league they were awarded the rights to the players that the Minnesota organization had drafted. Oakland played their first four home games that first year at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, after that they received permission to play their last three home games in Candlestick Park also in San Francisco. They would later play games at Frank Youell Field before finally settling in at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. The Raiders would struggle early on both on the field and financially and were actually saved from going out of business by a loan from Ralph Wilson, the owner of the Buffalo Bills. The team's fortunes turned around in 1963 under new head coach and general manager Al Davis. The Raiders would improve steadily and win the 1967 AFL Championship before moving on and losing Super Bowl II to the NFL's Green Bay Packers. The Raiders would fit right in with the NFL after the merger, winning one Super Bowl in the 1970's and two in the 1980's.

The American Football League of the 1960's was the most successful challenger to the dominance of the National Football League, eventually forcing a merger that in the end made the combined league stronger and even more dominant than it had been. The AFL was innovative and forced the NFL to evolve into a more modern and exciting game. What made the new league a success was that the AFL was competitive in acquiring the players it needed, competitive in attracting the fan base it needed, and in the end when it won two of the first four Super Bowls, it proved itself competitive on the field as well.

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How many times have you heard some pundit proclaim that you don't need to draft a QB early? They usually throw out a couple of convenient examples like Tom Brady going in the 6th round, or Kurt Warner not being drafted. Those taking the other side of the argument may point out the Manning brothers. Both of them were number 1 overall selections and have giant diamond studded jewelry on their ring finger. I prefer however, to break things down into actual statistical percentages.So, to get that result I have separated every QB selected in the top 10 over the past twenty years into 3 categories. Note that the players in each category are listed in order of the year they were selected.

The Jack Bauer Division: Like Jack these franchise QB's can be counted on to come through in the clutch.

--Matt Ryan 3rd pick in 2008: Could argue it's too early for him in this division, but would you want him on your team? I thought so.

--Eli Manning 1st pick 2004: Inconsistent at times, but has the ring and last name.

--Phillip Rivers 4th pick 2004: Maybe a stretch for this division, but a franchise QB

--Carson Palmer 4th pick 2003: No playoff success, but he can't play defense too.

--Donovan McNabb 2nd pick in 1999: 1 Super Bowl and4 NFC Championship games.

--Peyton Manning 1stpickin 1998:May end up as the best ever

--Steve McNair 3rd pickin 1995: 1 Super Bowl and unquestioned team leader

--Troy Aikman 1st pick in 1989: 3 Super Bowls and HOF

The Buick Division: Similar to a Buick these QB's meet basic needs, but you can't help but wonder what it would be like to have a Cadillac.

--JaMarcus Russell 1st pick in 2007: Could still end up in any of the three categories.

--Vince Young 3rd pick in 2006: Great start, but riding the pine now.

--Byron Leftwich 7th pick in 2003:A gutsy player, but a backup.

--Michael Vick 1st pick in 2001: He always puts people in seats but lately it has been courtroom seats instead of NFL seats.

--Kerry Collins 5th pick in 1991: Up and down career but nothing spectacular.

--Trent Dilfer 6th pick in 1994: Has a ring, but would anyone call him a franchise QB?

--Drew Bledsoe 1st pick in 1997: Some would argue for the top category, but no ring for top pick.

The Waterworld Division: Like a certain Kevin Costner movie these guys came with high expectations and a huge cost, but failed miserably.

--Matt Leinart 10th pick in 2006: Too early to give up on, but I don't see it happening.

--Alex Smith 1st pick in 2005: When will teams learn not to draft QB's that ran a gimmick offense at a mid-major?

--David Carr 1st pick in 2002: Not a good career when you once stated that you will cut your hair when your team wins 2 in a row.

--Joey Harrington 3rd pick in 2002: Just hearing his name makes me laugh.

--Tim Couch 1st pick in 1999: Played just 5 disappointing years.

--Akili Smith 3rd pick in 1999: 5 career passing TD's

--Ryan Leaf 2nd pick in 1998: This division could have been named after him.

--Heath Shuler 3rd pick in 1994: Has had more success in politics than pro football.

--Rick Mirer 2nd pick in 1993: Not exactly the next Joe Montana.

--David Klingler 6thpick in 1992: See Alex Smith

--Jeff George 1st pick in 1990: One career playoff win.

--Andre Ware 7th pick in 1990: Not a bad football announcer, but as for his pro career, see Klingler.

Breaking down the date we can see that of the 27 QB's taken in the top 10 in the past 20 years, only 30% are franchise type players. That leaves 70% as disappointments, including 44% who just fell flat on their face.

So, if yo are a fan of the Lions, Jaguars, 49ers, or any team that might give up picks to move into the top ten in this years draft for a QB..........you'd better hope your GM has actually done his research on past NFL drafts.

Until next time, don't forget "it's all in the numbers"

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider/fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL or fantasy football. Visit today at http://www.gothicfootball.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/the-truth-about-drafting-a-qb-in-the-top-10-905975.html

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ELITE Pro Football Combines give hope to players who've been left out of NFL consideration

Thars talent in them thar fields and it's not all on display at the NFL draft. For the past twenty years one of the things that have been made clear is that there's a lot of talent that won't be picked by NFL scouts and GMs in the first go round. Just ask the likes of Adam Vinatieri, Joe Horn, Wayne Chrebet and Nick Harper how their NFL drafts went. Not good.

It's a big country, so don't blame the scouts. Fortunately, the safety net all those and 400+ more past and current NFL players fell into is the ELITE Pro Football Combines, a series of combines put on in May and June that gives passed over players the fortuitous chance to be seen by pro scouts. ELITE Combines has been diligently opening doors for football players who've fallen through the cracks. For a variety of reasons those hopefuls have been left out of the NFL combine and initial selection process. But for determined athletes who know they have what it takes, ELITE Combines has been there for them.

ELITE Combines will conduct eight combines plus three kicker-punter combines in major cities throughout the country. The very best athletes from those groups will be invited to the exclusive ELITE NATIONAL COMBINE in Indianapolis, IN at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 19-20. A bevy of NFL and CFL scouts will be on hand to view the goods. Anyone who thinks they have the mettle to make it to the next level can register on ELITE's site, pay a fee, show up and display their God-given talents. There won't be any fudging the scores as ELITE runs a tight ship. Standardized drills and tests that match the NFL requirements will be taken, with the results being entered into a data base on the ELITE Combines website where NFL and any other pro league scout or GM will be able to access it and decide if a player has what it takes. Videos and photos will be in there too. Every year a handful of ELITE Combine players make it to the next level. The drama is in not knowing who they will be.

ELITE Combines Executive Director Stephen Austin is considered the guardian for those who've not been able to travel the easier routes to the NFL. Many players were rehabbing injuries when their time came, and went. Many played at small schools not in the anointed big time college conferences. Some are just late bloomers. The male body continues to develop past age 23 or so when a player has used up his college eligibility. Most were revered stars on their college teams. Without an NFL development league players are left out of a development process. ELITE Combines reopens the doors that were closed to these guys. The NFL tests the known best. We test the unknown rest," says Austin.

Over the years, over 2,600 ELITE Combines players have made it to another level. The NFL, CFL, NFLE, Arena League... including at least five ELITE Combine alumni who are wearing Super Bowl rings right now.

Here's the schedule:
REGIONALS:
Atlanta, Sat. May 2
Dallas, Sun, May 3
Los Angeles/Long Beach, Sat, May 9
Baltimore, Sat. May 16
Atlanta 2, Sat, May 30
Chicago, Sun, May 31
New Jersey, Sat, June 6
Columbus OH, Sun, June 7
Dallas - KP, Sun, May 3
Baltimore - KP, Sun, May 17
Los Angeles - KP Sat, May 30

ELITE National Combine, Indianapolis IN June 19-20 (invite only based on previous regional combine results)

For more information go to: www.combines.com

ELITE Pro Football Combines is sponsored by Wilson Footballs. Go to: www.wilson.com/wilson/football

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With the Pittsburgh Steelers being the most recent winners of the Super Bowl here is a look at their road to victory through the years including a little bit of the Pittsburgh Steelers founding and history. Firstly, they are the fifth oldest franchise in the NFL being founded in 1933 by Art Rooney the ownership of the team has remained with the Rooney family since foundation with the current Pittsburgh Steelers owner being Dan Rooney, a son of Arts.

They pride themselves in having 18 members and coaches inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, this makes Pittsburgh Steelers the third most recognized within the NFL. There championships consists of 6 Super Bowl wins, 7 Conference Championships and 19 Divisional Championships between the AFC Central and North. In this time they have also had 25 Playoff appearances dating from the first in 1947 through to last season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have moved home several times through the years, the story started at Forbes Road which was their field from 1933 until 1963, with a small gap which they spent the season of 1958 at Pitt Stadium which later become home from 1963 til 1969, moving from there to the Three Rivers Stadium until 2000 when they then moved on to their current home at Heinz Field.

We mentioned the Hall of Fame members from the Pittsburgh Steelers, so to mention them in simply in alphabetical order of their surname they are; Bert Bell, Mel Bount, Terry Bradshaw, Len Dawson, Bill Dudley, Joe Green, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, Robert Hubbard, John Henry Johnson, Walt Kiesling, Jack Lambert, Bobby Layne, Johnny McNally, Marion Motley, Chuck Noll, Art Rooney, Dan Rooney, John Stallworth, Ernie Stautner, Lynn Swann, Mike Webster and Rod Woodson.

As you can see the Pittsburgh Steelers have made some remarkable achievements in their time and deserve all the victorious glory they received after their most recent Super Bowl win, and look set to continue their success into the next season after adding a further 3 investors into the team including John Stallworth.

We will have to wait and see what the next season brings for the Pittsburgh Steelers but until then you can visit QuarterbackFan - a dedicated NFL store online for all Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia, apparel and gifts for yourself, a family member or even a friend. With the love of the NFL growing rapidly the store caters for all 32 teams within the NFL so you are sure to find what you are looking for.

Mark Grey,
mark@markfreelance.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/pittsburgh-steelers-facts-for-fans-842129.html

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Tyrone Braxton

Youth Football Plays

Our youth football plays are designed for teams looking to improve their offensive and defensive performance. If you are coach football, at any level, this downloadable playbook is worth a look! Designed by 13 year starting PRO Tyrone Braxton, the book includes full color plays, hot route reads, tips, diagrams, drills and strategies to prepare your athletes. It's also connected to Wristband Interactive, "Football's Greatest Invention"

Our youth football offensive plays are basic enough that the developing players can grasp and execute the play scheme, but they are also complex enough to challenge the defense and defeat the formation that the defense has chosen. The combination of basic and yet complex is what the playbook chapters in the book are all about.

An entire section is devoted to tips for young players as well. The earlier a young player begins to develop the techniques for effective play, the sooner these effective techniques become a habit and are ingrained for the remainder of a player's football career.

TB's Playbook includes:

Plays to beat man coverage
Plays to beat zone coverage
Defensive plays and strategies
Tips for defensive backs
Tips for receivers
Tips for quarterbacks
Stories about his Journey

Braxton played college football at North Dakota State University where he earned all-conference honors as a senior and won 3 National Championships in 4 years. He was a Defensive back and punt return specialist who earned all-conference honors as a senior after posting 128 tackles, one INT and two FR. He led the conference with five INTs and a punt return average of 15.0 as a junior. He was a member of the North Central Conference champion outdoor 400-meter relay squad and competed in the national championship. Braxton was drafted by the Broncos in the 12th round of the 1987 NFL Draft.

Tyrone Braxton played pro football as a starting cornerback and safety for Denver for most of his career from 1987 to 1999. With Denver, Braxton had 4 visits to the Big Show (SB XXII, SB XXIV, SB XXXII, SB XXXIII) and has 2 Championship rings. In SB XXXII, he had an interception against Brett Favre that set up a key Denver touchdown and ultimately played a big role in bringing home the major championship trophy to Mile High City.

Braxton finished his 13 seasons with 40 interceptions, which he returned for 617 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also recorded 3 sacks and 10 fumble recoveries, which he returned for 106 yards. In 1996, Braxton led the PROS in interceptions and was invited to Honolulu to play with the best of the

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/youth-football-plays-799983.html

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Tyrone Braxton

Tyrone Braxton played pro football as a starting cornerback and safety for Denver for most of his career from 1987 to 1999. With Denver, Braxton had 4 visits to the "Big Show" (SB XXII, SB XXIV, SB XXXII, SB XXXIII) and has 2 Championship rings. In SB XXXII, he had an interception against Brett Favre that set up a key Denver touchdown and ultimately played a big role in bringing home the major championship trophy to "Mile High City".

Braxton finished his 13 seasons with 40 interceptions, which he returned for 617 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also recorded 3 sacks and 10 fumble recoveries, which he returned for 106 yards. In 1996, Braxton led the PROS in interceptions and was invited to Honolulu to play with the best of the best. Braxton also played one season with the Miami in 1994 and led the PROS in interceptions in 1996.

Braxton played college football at North Dakota State University where he earned all-conference honors as a senior and won 3 National Championships in 4 years. He was a Defensive back and punt return specialist who earned all-conference honors as a senior after posting 128 tackles, one INT and two FR. He led the conference with five INTs and a punt return average of 15.0 as a junior. He was a member of the North Central Conference champion outdoor 400-meter relay squad and competed in the national championship. Braxton was drafted by the Broncos in the 12th round of the 1987 NFL Draft.

Tyrone Braxton's football plays are designed for youth, high school and college teams looking to improve their performance. If you are coach football, at any level, this downloadable playbook is worth a look! It includes full color plays, hot route reads, tips, diagrams, drills and strategies to prepare your athletes.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/football-plays-and-strategies-for-a-winning-season-795727.html

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Semi-Pro footballers know a little about living in the obscurity of Americas greatest sport - football. While its difficult to find non-professional football players making the national news these days for their playing talents, one from the Detroit, Michigan area has caught the eye of ABC TV viewers as one of the 4 finalists on that networks American Inventor program.

Erik Thompson, the inventor of a training product called the Catch Vest, spends a great deal of his time these days promoting his new product to youth, high school and semi-pro football receivers, running backs, defensive backs and anybody else who wants to develop a competitive edge for learning to catch a football in flight.

Thompson and his Catch Vest invention can be seen this Thursday (May 11th) at 8 pm on ABC-TV. Like most TV shows of this nature, the American Inventor contestants continue their appearances each week if they receive more telephone votes than their counterpart inventors.

To assist Thompson in his quest to become ABCs number-one American Inventor of the year, the American Football Association is calling on the nearly 100,000 semi-pro adult amateur football players, coaches, team and league administrators across the country to rally behind Erik and make a call to the ABC-TV show Thursday night on his behalf.

The AFA national office wants to encourage our semi-pro people to make some phone calls and/or send e-mails to teammates regarding this opportunity to help Erik Thompson continue his venture as an American Inventor. Watch the show, write down Eriks voting call-in number and send a vote (or two) his way. Lets show Erik Thompson were Semi-Pro and Proud . . . of him.

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