NFL & Football Milestones

Many NFL milestones will be celebrated in 2009.

Fifty seasons ago, the eight original American Football League teams kicked off under Commissioner JOE FOSS and President LAMAR HUNT and forever changed the landscape of professional football.

Since then, there have been a number of historic moments for the NFL ranging from on-field achievements such as DAN MARINO and ERIC DICKERSON's record-setting seasons 25 years ago, to technological accomplishments such as the first Monday Night Football telecast and the implementation of instant replay.

Some of the memorable NFL anniversaries in 2009:

The NFL launches "NFL Sunday Ticket," a new season subscription service for satellite dish owners (6/1/1994).

An all-time NFL record crowd of 112,376 attends the American Bowl game between Dallas and Houston in Mexico City (8/15/1994).

NFL Management Council and NFLPA announce an agreement on the formulation and implementation of the most comprehensive drug and alcohol policy in sports (10/28/1994).

Celebration Anniversary
Source: National Football League
140thRutgers and Princeton played first football game in history using modified rules (11/6/1869).
90thNFL marks its 90th season (1920).
80thProvidence became the first NFL team to host a game at night under floodlights, against the Cardinals (11/6/1929).

Ernie Nevers of the Chicago Cardinals set NFL records with 40 points scored and six rushing touchdowns in win over Chicago Bears (11/28/1929).

75thThe Thanksgiving Day game between the Bears and Lions became the first NFL game broadcast nationally, with Graham McNamee the announcer for NBC radio (1934).
70thIn the first Pro Bowl, the New York Giants defeated the Pro All-Stars 13-10 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles (1/15/1939).

The first televised NFL game took place when NBC broadcast the Brooklyn Dodgers - Philadelphia Eagles game from Ebbets Field (10/22/1939).

NFL attendance exceeded one million for the first time, reaching 1,071,200.

65thCoaching from the bench was legalized (4/20/1944).

The Cardinals and Steelers merged for one year under the name Card-Pitt. The merger dissolved the last day of the season (12/3/44)

50thA new professional football league called the American Football League was formed in 1959 under AFL President Lamar Hunt and Commissioner Joe Foss to begin play in 1960.
45thCommissioner Pete Rozelle negotiated an agreement on behalf of the NFL clubs to purchase Ed Sabol's Blair Motion Pictures, which is re-named NFL Films (3/5/64).
40thThe NFL reaches a three-year agreement with ABC to televise Monday Night Football. The new series makes the NFL the first league with a regular series of national telecasts in primetime (5/26/1969).
35thOne sudden-death overtime period was added for preseason and regular-season games (4/25/1974).
25thSome of the NFL's most hallowed records are broken:

Dan Marino of Miami passes for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns;

Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams rushes for 2,105 yards;

Art Monk of Washington catches 106 passes;

Walter Payton of Chicago breaks Jim Brown's career rushing mark, finishing the season with 13,309 career yards (1984).

20thArt Shell named head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders making him the NFL's first black head coach since Fritz Pollard coached the Akron Pros in 1921 (10/3/1989).

Paul Tagliabue named Commissioner of the NFL (10/26/1989).

15thThe two-point conversion is adopted (3/22/1994).
10thBy a vote of 28-3, NFL owners adopt instant replay (3/17/1999).
5thFormer Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman is killed while on combat patrol with the U.S. Army Rangers in Afghanistan (4/22/2004).

 

NFL 2009 | NFL & Football Milestones