Fifty years ago, professional football’s civil war came to a formal end. The bitter conflict between the establishment National Football League and upstart American Football League had dragged on for more than six years, highlighted by intense infighting as each league struggled for supremacy.
Achieving peace was a painstaking process, but a critical one. Team for team, the modern NFL is the most valuable sports league on earth. The league found unprecedented strength in unity, helping to launch football past baseball in the national consciousness. After all, the AFL-NFL merger meant the Super Bowl was the season’s new culmination. In 2016, the Super Bowl is annually the most watched program in the United States.
Looking back on the merger, which was agreed to on June 8, 1966 (though not finalized until 1970), a number of forgotten moments stand out. Because of a league rule, the Patriots were forced to find a new home. And despite the growth that the merger eventually spurred, not all owners were happy about the deal.
