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Dates: Tuesday, October 8th OR Thursday, October 10th
Location: See your e-mail for the Zoom link!
Website: https://www.profootballhof.com/
Down! Set! Hike!
Down! Set! Hike!
This week, we will be visiting with the Pro Football Hall of Fame! Our speakers will take us on a virtual tour of the museum and tell us ‘The Story of Pro Football’ through artifacts and historical documents. For our background reading, there are some interactive links to check out before our tour. Enjoy!
First up, here is a short (1.5 minute) introduction to our tour this week:
The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened its doors to the public on September 7, 1963. Since then, it has undergone quite a few changes! To see the Hall throughout the years, click here:
To read some interesting facts, including the reasons the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio, click here:
To see the visitor guide for the museum, click here to scroll through it: https://www.profootballhof.com/visit/visitors-guide/
Wait, what’s football?
Not a football fan? Not sure if they’re scoring runs, points, or baskets? That’s OK! Check out this 10 minute explainer of American football rules here.
A little history
A little history
How can I resist? Before we hear the story of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, let’s take quick walk through the history of this American sport:
1823 - Football gets picked up
There are plenty of predecessors to the modern game of American football, including ancient Greek games, as well as games played by Indigenous people in the Americas. Early games played by European settlers resemble ‘mob football’, played in England. But according to football legend, during a school game in England, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it in 1823, creating a new style of play.
1820 - Princeton plays ‘balldown’
As early as 1820, Princeton university students played a game called ‘balldown’. Other schools developed similar traditions. Harvard developed a tradition called ‘Bloody Monday’, which was a mass ballgame between freshman and sophomore classes. In 1860, school administrators grew tired of the violent game and banned it for 12 years.
November 6, 1869 - the first intercollegiate game
Rutgers University faced Princeton University for a game with a round ball and a set of rules set out by Rutgers captain William J. Leggett. Even though the rules and style of play are a far cry from the football game we know today, this is still widely considered the first intercollegiate game of football in America.
1880 - Walter Camp changes the game
While college game were more similar to rugby, some athletes continued to advocate for changes to the game. Walter Camp participated in talks where rules were debated and changed for the game between colleges. His proposed the first rule change in 1878, that the number of players be reduced from 15 to 11. Though it wasn’t passed then, it was adopted in 1880. Also adopted that year were his suggestions for a line of scrimmage and a snap from the center to quarterback.
Unfortunately, the line of scrimmage rule was used to slow down the game; teams now focused on controlling the ball to run out time. As a result, the games were low scoring and often boring to watch.
1882 - down rules established
To try to speed up the game and make it more exciting, Walter proposed that the team have to advance the ball a minimum of 5 years in 3 downs. The necessity to move a certain distance, combined with a line of scrimmage and passing rules, made the game of football wholly unique from the developing game of rugby as well. Eventually, blocking and tackling rules were established, further separating the game from other styles.
Walter Camp ended his playing career with Yale this year and went to work for the New Haven Clock Company. Though no longer playing, Camp continued to impact the sport and attend rules meetings. He personally selected an annual All-American team every year from 1889 to 1924.
August 20, 1920 - NFL Founded
The National Football League was founded in Canton, Ohio. Initially, the league had 14 teams, including the Canton Bulldogs.
1946 - Integrated NFL
Kenny Washington and Woody Strode signed with the Los Angeles Rams, making them the first Black football players in the NFL since 1933.
1970 - First Super Bowl
The American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) merged to create two conferences with 4 divisions. This merger created the Super Bowl as an annual championship game between the two conferences.
2002 - NFL realignment
The NFL realigns into 8 divisions, each with 4 teams. This introduces the Houston Texans as the league’s 32nd team.
Tune in this week to learn even more about this uniquely American sport!
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works cited
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