Justin Baltes and Dominick Kerman – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)- Football is a simple sport with an uncomplicated goal. All one must do to win is score more points than the opposing team. This makes many wonder, why do so many Americans love football?

Many students said they love the atmosphere when you go to a game and the history of their team plus the league their team is in.

Sophomore Jacob Smith said, “The game of football is a wonderful game. The fans and the atmosphere are unmatched to any other sporting event in the United States of America.”

Sophomore Heyden Kudelko said, “Football as a sport has been changing since it first started. If you compare the game from the 1960’s to now it is hugely different, especially with things like coaching systems, and better players.”

There have been several changes to the game throughout the years, something that many find positive.

The very first game of football in recorded history was played on Nov. 6, 1869. The two college teams playing were the Princeton Tigers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Football in the old days was vastly different compared to the game of today. The game back then more closely resembled a game of soccer than modern American football.

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In the 1870’s there was a major rule reform which made football resemble closer to the modern game. In 1875 the game Harvard v. Yale, the new rules closer to rugby were the first time ever being played.

Walter Camp, the Yale team captain from 1876- 1881, is considered the “Father of American Football.”  

Camp made the push for the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) to approve the rule if the offense did not get a first down after four plays, they turned the ball over.

Camp also made the IFA introduce the 11-man team, the quarterback position, the line of scrimmage, offensive signal-calling and the scoring rules used in football today.

The biggest game each year is the Super Bowl, the National Football League championship game.

On average the super bowl draws in about 112.3 million spectators.