History of Football - BEGINNING OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL

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Welcome to the history of football. Here you will learn more about the history of football. In 1895 the first professional football game in the United States was held in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. That game was against a team that represented Latrobe, Pennsylvania and a team from Jeannette, Pennsylvania.

Over the next 10 years many professional teams were started including The Olympics of McKeesport, Pennsylvania; the Bulldogs of Canton, Ohio; and the Duquesness of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Willie Heston, Jim Thrope, Knute Rockne, and Fritz Pollard where all among noted college players who took up professional football. During the first thirty years the professional game didn't attract many people. There were many military men that wanted to play football, but if they did they were put in jail for not doing their military duties.

The first league of professional football was founded in 1920 and it was called the American Football Association. The admission fee was 100 dollars per team. The teams promised not to use any student player who still had college eligibility left to play football.

In 1922 the American Football Association ended and NFL, the National Football League, was born. Red Grange, a famous halfback from the University of Illinois provided a great stimulus for the league when he joined the Chicago Bears in 1925. His exciting plays drew a large crowd. Professional football attracted many good college football players at that time. The early NFL game was hardly different from college football. College play books and rule books made no attempt to break away from the NCAA, National Collegiate Athletic Association rules. In the league's early years, playing NFL football was a part time job and players held other jobs during the day. Professional football coaches arranged to practice in the evenings, sometimes only three or four times a week.

You're a great football fan, if...

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All football fans go a little crazy. So how can you tell a real fan? You're a great football fan, if...

You said your wedding vows while watching a football game out of the corner of your eye.

You proposed at a tailgate party.

You asked your wife to have a Caesarian Section, because the baby was due on Super Bowl Sunday.

In preparation for a romantic evening you put on a football helmet.

You did the end zone hustle at your wedding reception.

You dated the team mascot in costume.

Your definition of "getting lucky" is finding a football ticket in your wife's jeans.

Your wife saw your marriage proposal on the stadium scoreboard.

You've ever worn face paint to Sunday church.

You met your wife when she was selling hotdogs at the stadium.

You keep a football playbook in the bathroom.

Your girlfriend used to date most of the players on the team.

Your season tickets cost more than your house.

You have a tattoo of your team logo.

You dream of having sex at half-time... in the stadium.

You have had sex at half-time... in the stadium.

Your children are named Ditka, Heisman and O.J.

Your wedding colors were the same as your team colors.

You've offered to post bail for a football player.

You're definition of "getting lucky" is a seat on the fifty-yard line.

Stadium Food Service catered your wedding.

In preparation for a romantic evening, you ask your wife to wear a cheerleader outfit.

You missed weekend visitation rights because of a football game.

You and your wife stay married for the sake of the bobblehead collection.

You do "the wave" when you're asleep in bed.

In the school yearbook, you're wearing the team uniform on picture day.

Your prenuptial agreement mentions season tickets.

You named your dog Touchdown.

You have three big screen TV's in the living room for Sunday's games.

You've worn the same shirt on Sundays for seven years

Should College Football Athletes Be Paid?

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College football is it work or is it fun? Some would argue both. The athletes have fun running, catching, blocking, and kicking. They don't necessarily enjoy 4 and 5 hour practices, daily film sessions, and weight lifting. Much of what they do is fun. Also much of what they do is work. With that in mind, should they be paid? Also keep in mind they produce millions of dollars for their schools and risk life and limb.

They have fun. They have worked their whole lives to get to the point where they are able to perform at the college level of athletics. They put in long hours of training and perform at high levels to produce wins and put people in seats. There is no doubt that what they do is work. This is why they give scholarships to the best of these athletes and provide housing and meals. Is that enough? Should they be paid?

Many colleges bring in as much as 45 million dollars a year from the football program. Notre Dame brings in 101 million a year from athletics. College football coaches are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and even millions in many cases. The football program provides money for the entire department of athletics. Football players are given scholarships but no money. They produce a great deal but aren't given any money. I think they should be given a monthly per diem of at least $1000.00 per player.

Yes they risk life and limb with no monetary compensation. There have been athletes to receive substantial injuries from playing football from paralysis, to hip injuries, to ankle injuries and sometimes even death. These injuries have ended possible million dollar careers. They play a gladiator sport that involves violence. Athletes should be compensated monetarily for this risk and in many cases this occurrence of injuries.

The NCAA does not allow for the paying of college football players and athletes. They risk life and limb and work extra hard for their schools. They bring in millions of dollars and provide millions of dollars for other athletics at these universities. They should be paid. No doubt!

I am a writer of many things, but presently I am venturing into college football, so some would call me a sportswriter.

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