FREE ESSAY ON GRAD PROJECT ON FOOTBALL

GRAD PROJECT ON FOOTBALL

The sport of football is viewed by many as one of the most exciting and greatest sporting
event of all. There are many reasons to believe this. Forms of football have been around
for centuries. The history of modern football can be traced to the nineteenth century,
where it has been developed from forms of soccer and rugby.(Encarta) Also, Football is
one of Americas and the world's most exciting and most popular sports, attracting
millions of spectators every year. Its biggest event, the Super Bowl, brings in millions
of viewers each year. Football also has some of the greatest athletes and role models in
the world. The impact that these people have had on America and the world has been
incredible. These athletes work almost year round to make sure that they perform their
best on game day. The teams that these athletes also play on are idolized and worshipped
by many. If these teams did not exist, then millions of fans would be able to enjoy the
game they love. 
The roots of football go back to the days of the ancient Romans and Greeks.(Encarta) The
Greeks played a version of football called, harpaston, which there was no limit of
players.(Encarta) The object of harpaston was similar to that of modern football. Points
were awarded when a player would cross a goal line by either kicking the ball, running
with it across the goal line, or throwing it across the line to another player. Most
modern versions of football are believed to have originated from England in the twelfth
century. This game became so popular in England that the kings of that time, Henry II and
Henry IV banned football.(Encarta) They believed that football was taking away interest
from the traditional sports of England, such as archery. By the nineteenth century,
football was split into two different sports. One of the versions is called soccer, which
is amazingly popular around the world. The other version of the game is called rugby,
which resembles modern football more closely. In rugby, the players would run and use
their hands to maneuver the ball while in soccer; hands are not to be used except for the
goalie. That is why rugby is related to modern football more closely.
As the new millennium has begun, the rules of football have changed greatly. Instant
replay is being used again, which enables coaches to challenge questionable calls that a
referee might make. The Playing field measures 120 yards in length and 53.3 yards in
width.(Encarta) At each 100-yard line, there is a large white line that marks the
endzone. The endzones are the areas of the playing field where most of the points are
scored. In order to advance to score points, a team must advance 10 yards to gain a first
down. A team has 4 tries or downs to advance the ball before they either have to punt the
ball away or try for a field goal or try to get a first down. A field goal is worth 3
points and a touchdown is worth 6. Then the teams can try for an extra point or go for 2
points. 
The length of a quarter in a professional football game is 15 min. There are 4 quarters
in a professional football game. If the game is tied at the end of 4 quarters, then the
game goes into a 15 min overtime period. If both teams are still tied at the end of
overtime, then the game ends in a tie but if the game is a playoff game, then the
overtime periods continue until there is a winner. During the game, a team has a chance
to stop the clock between plays. They can use time-outs, which stop the clock for 2
minutes. A team has 3 time-outs per half that they can use. Other ways that the game
clock might be stopped are for injuries, instant replay, or severe weather.
The first professional football game took place in Latrobe, PA, in 1895, between a team
from Latrobe and a team from Jeannette, PA.(Encarta) In the next few years, more teams
were formed around the Pittsburgh area. In the beginning years of the game, public
support was limited. Many fans were new to the sport and did not understand the game. But
as the years went by, leagues and more teams were formed. The first league of
professional teams was the American Professional Football Association, which was formed
in 1920. For a team to be in this league, a fee of one hundred dollars had to be paid.
The teams were not allowed to use any players that still had college eligibility left.
The teams were also not allowed to negotiate with other players from other teams. Jim
Thorpe became the president of this league in its first year. In 1922, the American
Professional Football Association was transformed into the National football league or
the NFL. In the old NFL, there were two distinct leagues. There was the American football
league or the AFL. There also was the National football league or the NFL. In 1967, the
champions of each league met in a championship game that was called the AFL-NFL World
championship game. The name was shortened to the "Super Bowl" due in part to the name of
a child's toy football called a "Super Ball". In 1970, the AFL and NFL merged together to
form the NFL. There have been many rival leagues to the NFL, such as the USFL, or United
States Football League, leagues in Canada, and even leagues in Europe. None of these
leagues have even come close to the success that the NFL has had.
The Super Bowl was started in 1967. The best teams in each league were to play each other
in a game to determine the championship. In the very first Super Bowl, the Kansas City
Chiefs battled the Green Bay Packers. The Packers, led by quarterback Bart Starr, won the
game, 35-10. The Vince Lombardi trophy is given to the winner of each Super Bowl. In each
decade, there were memorable Super Bowl games and Dynasties. In the 1960's the Green Bay
Packers were the team to beat. In the 1970's, the Pittsburgh Steelers were a team that
had a dominating defense and a hall of fame QB in Terry Bradshaw. They had 4 Super Bowl
victories in the decade. The 1980's had the San Francisco 49ers as the dominant team.
They also had 4 Super Bowl victories. In the 1990's, one can argue that a number of teams
were very dominant. The Buffalo Bills made a NFL record 4 straight Super Bowl
appearances, but lost all of them. The Dallas Cowboys were also an intimidating team,
winning 3 Super Bowls.
Another main reason why football is so popular today is because of the professional teams
that fans can watch and cheer on every season. Some of the oldest teams that are still
participating today are the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and
Pittsburgh Steelers. They have been famous for years. Also, Professional teams are
organized near major cities, such as Philadelphia, Oakland, Dallas, Miami and San
Francisco.(Silver 38) That is a key reason why football is so popular. Another reason why
these teams are so popular are because of the players that play on these teams.
Football players go through a grueling season that takes up most of the year. They must
be physically and mentally tough. Professional, college, and even some high school
football players also have to deal with the media, which can be very stressful.(Layden
55) They sometimes have to sign autographs, hold press conferences, and hold meetings.
That is a reason why football players are idolized. Besides these things that they do off
the field, some of the things that are done on the field are amazing. Every season,
records have the chance of being broken. But legends such as Dan Marino, Joe Montana, and
Barry Sanders have accomplished some records that seem unbreakable.(Silver 39) New stars,
such as Terrell Davis, Kurt Warner and Ricky Williams have the potential to break some of
these records. These new superstars are also a way to keep football exciting because of
the things that they have the potential to do and every year, new players enter the NFL
via means of the draft, in which college players are selected by certain teams and their
general managers. These new players and the legends of football are one reason why
football is such a great sport.
As the future progresses, football is becoming a great sport not only in the United
States, but also in other parts of the world. As new teams and leagues are formed,
footballs popularity is spreading. Football teaches people skills such as teamwork,
working hard, mental and physical toughness and courage. Hopefully football will continue
to do the great things that it has done for millions of fans and players for centuries to
come.
Bibliography
" Football." Encarta Encyclopedia . CD-ROM. Microsoft, 1999.
Layden, Tom. "Special Team." Sports Illustrated . ( December 6, 1999), 52-58.
Silver, Michael. " Last Hurrah." Sports Illustrated . ( December 13, 1999), 36-41.