ESPN shows NFL dilemma during Kennedy assasination.

[Saturnmane]

They act like people back then really cared if there was no NFL. They are projecting into the past our present view and act like its always been that way. NFL was smalltime back then and seems like its popularity is more of a recent phenomenon. When I was growing up all I cared about was baseball and basketball. The only time I say to myself, "I cant wait until sunday," is on Saturday when all that's on is college football which is an absolute joke. I still cannot wait until football is done so on sunday we will have NBA doubleheaders. When I watched a documentary on the Mannings and Peyton was talking about as a kid doing NFL trivia I remember thinking to myself how weird his family must have been, its like a family today doing X-games trivia. I think the only reason NFL is so popular now is because of the drama...it never ends and there is always a new story.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

What?

I read your post and I'm still not sure what your point is...Is your beef with the ESPN or the NFL?

The NFL imo has peaked in popularity...but at the same time I'm not thinking the game is on a downward trend...I think the game has plateaued...there will be some fallout from the concussions, etc. in terms of the game losing some popularity but we could be 20 yrs or more from that point.

 

[indypatfan]

I was 24 years old in Nov 1963 living in Quincy Ma. At that time the NY giants were the big team in New England. The AFL postponed all games that Sunday till the end of the year. That move at that time put the AFL and the Pats to no. 1 in N.E. (except w CT) from that day to today

 

[wiskyisgood12]

The NFL is special because there are only 16 games in a season, so when you watch your teams game or another game, it feels fairly special.

The NFL is so popular because there are so many ways for fans to connect and analyze/discuss games and teams. It's hard to do that with 82 game NBA or NHL seasons, or a 162 game MLB season. In those 3 sports one game doesn't carry the same weight that one NFL game does. Not to say that I don't like those other sports. I'm not really sure what the Kennedy assassination has to do with anything, other than today is it's anniversary.

 

[Bulldog]

In the 60's the AFL for the most part played a wide open game of football, at least most AFC teams. Games were a little more exciting than the more conventional games the NFL played. I was definitly a Chargers fan in those days. They had John Hadl, Lance Alworth, Lowe and Lincoln as running backs. I for one, was sorry to see the AFC merge into the NFL. In my opinion the AFL had many more colorful characters than the NFL.

 

[Southieinnc]

I was 24 years old in Nov 1963 living in Quincy Ma. At that time the NY giants were the big team in New England. The AFL postponed all games that Sunday till the end of the year. That move at that time put the AFL and the Pats to no. 1 in N.E. (except w CT) from that day to today

In 63 I was 10 yrs old and living in Southern California. I was big into baseball and listened to games on the radio almost every day. I was a Red Sox fan but I listened to Angels and Dodgers games on TV. Watched Sandy Koufax pitch on TV. I lived halfway between LA and San Francisco and baseball was really big. As a paperboy I watched the Newspaper guys draw straws to decide who delivered the papers to the field and who got to watch Koufax and Marichal go head to head on TV.
I don't remember anything about football at all until 1970 when I worked summer camp with the Baltimore Colts. I met Johnny Unitas and Bubba Smith, among others. It was Bubba that arroused my interest in NFL and then going on to win the Superbowl.