Sports are a huge passion for billions of people around the world in one way or another. While some are into niche sports, the masses follow some of the biggest sports which have transitioned across cultures perfectly.
American Football, the NFL in particular, has been growing worldwide in recent years as the league looks to build its image and brand globally.
It has now become one of the world’s most popular sports and is the most popular sport in the United States.
Having overtaken baseball as America’s favorite sport, the NFL is reaching out around the world with matches played internationally and the success of Fantasy NFL for fans of the sport to play along the season with.
As we all begin to become experts on the league and keep up with all the latest news and trends, there is so much about the league that many people new to the sport may not realsie. We have some of the more unique and interesting facts on the NFL below:
- Oldest Team Name
One of the unique things about American sports is how much teams move. Uprooting an entire team from one city to another, sometimes completely across the country. Recently we have seen the San Diego Chargers move to become the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Oakland Raiders becoming the Las Vegas Raiders.
The team to have been the oldest to have the same name since being founded is the Green Bay Packers. The third oldest team in the NFL has never left its home nor change its name in any way.
- Longest Winning Streak
The league has grown over the years and now has 32 teams competing to be ground Super Bowl Champions. Each year the NFL odds to win a Super Bowl are tracked by people all over the world to see which side can be the team to beat.
Back in the 2003/04 season, the New England Patriots, coached by Bill Belicheck and led by quarterback Tom Brady, went on to set the all time longest winning record in the league. The Pats won 21 games in a row and went on to beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in the Super Bowl.
- First Home Super Bowl
The venue for the Super Bowl is planned ahead of the season well in advance and moves around the country each season. Miami has hosted the most Super Bowls with 11, the most recent being in 2020; the next being in New Orleans which would be their eleventh to tie with Miami.
Since the start of the Super Bowl era starting in 1967, no team had ever competed in the Super Bowl in their home stadium. That is until 2021, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their way to the Super Bowl with Tom Brady as quarterback. Not only did they make it to the Super Bowl, they even went on to win it when they smashed the Kansas City Cheifs 31-9 at the Raymond James Stadium.
- Longest Wait for a Season Ticket
Getting to an NFL game is something which fans around the world all dream of. Being able to take in the atmosphere, enjoy the tailgate before the game, and watch some of the best players in the league is something that for many could be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
For fans up in Green Bay, getting along to Lambeau Stadium on a regular basis can be tough. The Cheeseheads are obsessed with their side and getting a season ticket has one hell of a wait. Founded in 1919, season tickets eventually started being passed down the family line and the waitlist for anyone trying to get their hands on one needs to join a wait list of over 100,000 people.
- Super Bowl Advertising
One of the most watched sporting events in the world draws in plenty of viewers, which leads to the biggest companies in the world looking to have their adverts featured in the broadcast.
For a company to get 30 seconds of advertising space during the Super Bowl it can now cost a company a whopping $7 million dollars. With so many people tuning in across the country, plenty of companies feel the cost is really worth it.
- Winning without scoring
The offense on an NFL side brings fans in and gets people excited. The fantasy football players will search for the quarterbacks throwing the most touchdowns and the wide receivers and running backs finding the endzone the most, that’s how you win games right?
Well, the Baltimore Ravens found another way. On their way to Super Bowl glory back in 2000, went on an incredible run of five games that season without scoring a single touchdown. In that whole time, the only points they scored were field goals from kicker Matt Stover.
