Ever since it first appeared football has generated a mass obsessions. It is the most popular sport in the U.S and one of the most popular in the world. Everybody knows that, considering that there is an NFL shop at every corner and you can always find a group of fans ready to share their support for a specific team. Football is a way of life, so it’s no surprise that people do everything they can to be present at important games, buy official NFL merchandise from NFL stores and even track down rare memorabilia. Although most fans are up to date about the latest developments of football competitions, few are familiar with the football history. Today we are going to present you with some of the most interesting football facts.
Sports are fun and exciting, but they do carry the risks of physical injuries and some sports are particularly violent. Take the Kabaddi Cup 2014, for example. For some, it’s a true hobby, for others, something extreme. The violent nature of football can be noticed from watching just a single game. There are very few people who know that the game was almost banned due to its violent nature. In the last years of the 19th century the game had some very little restrictions so the players were allowed to do almost everything in order to win. Because of this fact, most games ended with serious injuries and some even ended in death. In 1905 the president of Harvard initiated an anti-football campaign and several universities eliminated football from their sports programs. However due to an intervention from the beloved president Teddy Roosevelt, the game was eventually regulated in order to become safer.
Despite the fact that football is a lot safer today than it was a hundred years ago, it can still have devastating effects on the player’s health. The players who were in the NFL during 1959 and 1988 had an average life time of 57 years. Furthermore American football players are three times more inclined to develop Alzheimer or Parkinson than normal people. Players who suffered more than 3 concussions have high chances of suffering from depression. A large number of former NFL players are suing the league for not revealing the risks of this sport. Of course, compared to competitions such as the Kabaddi cup 2014, American football is quite mild.
On a happier note, one of the most interesting football facts is related to the location of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. A lot of people wonder why The Hall of Fame is located in Ohio. Well the decision to build it there was based on the desire to bring a tribute to one of the best football teams in history. The Canton Bulldogs was a popular team during the 20s. Even today they still hold the record for the largest number of games played without being defeated. In 25 consecutive games they managed to make three ties and win 22 times.
Some very interesting football facts involve the actual ball. In the early years of football, the ball was actually a lot larger and rounder but it suffered a major transformation in 1934. The reason for this transformation was to encourage passing. Another interesting fact is that the home team needs to provide 24 balls before each season. Last but not least although most people believe that the ball is made of pig skin, it is actually made of cow skin and over 3000 cows are required in order to satisfy the NFL needs each year.
