The History of the NFLThe NFL has become the most popular sport in the United States. It is seen by millions of people every weekend. The NFL is only growing in popularity. With new fans joining the fun every day. The NFL has also faced its share of problems. With concussions scaring many future players, the NFL hopes to reduce the possibility of concussions in the future. Each NFL team plays a total of 16 games over a 17-week span. There are two conferences in the NFL, AFC and NFC. There are four divisions in each conference, each with 4 teams. Playoff teams are decided by division standings. The winner of each division advances to the playoffs, with the top two 2nd place teams entering as wild cards. The NFL made its debut in 1922, but it wasn't the first professional football league. The American Professional Football Association was founded in 1920 and included ten teams from four different states. The APFA began as the American Professional Football Conference. It originally consisted only of Ohio League teams. A month later, the league renamed itself the American Professional Football Association and added the Buffalo All-Stars and Rochester Jeffersons of the New York league, as well as the Detroit Heralds, Hammond Pros, and several other teams from surrounding local leagues. The remaining teams in the league are as follows: Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Tigers, Cleveland Tigers, Columbus Panhandles, Dayton Triangles, Decatur Staleys, Kenosha Maroons, Muncie Flyers, Rock Island Independents, Toledo Maroons. Only four teams finished the 1920 schedule, and the undefeated Akron Pros captured their first championship. Throughout the 1920s the league struggled for... mid-paper... Saints beating the Indianapolis Colts. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl XLV. The New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots. Last year the Super Bowl was between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens won in tough fashion, including a blackout during the third quarter. The NFL continues to grow in popularity and size. The NFL continues to improve safety and innovations in the game. In the future, the NFL will try to eliminate kickoffs and extra point kicks. It will also look to add a team in Los Angeles and Canada. The NFL even considered eliminating its "all-star" game, the Pro Bowl, due to players not performing at 100 percent for fear of injury. I don't see any sports league topping the NFL in the future, so it looks like the NFL is here to stay.