"The National Football League was founded in 1920 as the American Football Association. At first it struggled in the shadow of baseball as a vaguely disreputable professional sport, and had trouble competing for athletes and fans. Through a series of mergers, moves between cities, and the advent of television, the NFL gradually grew into one of the nation's most successful professional sports, with cities competing for franchises, and networks competing for broadcast rights. Its stars became national celebrities and its championship game became an annual extravaganza"-- Provided by publisher.