Most of us are to young to remember the good old days of Joe Namath, and John Madden two of most influential people ever associated with the American Football League. Starting on September 16, Showtime will air a five-part documentary entitled Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League. Airing every Wednesday at 8:00pm eastern, the programming gives insight to the unique brand of football and the originality of the AFL member clubs. Footage of the AFL is courtesy of NFL Films, which chronicled and documented the league from 1960-1969.

What most people don't realize is that the AFL helped change the way all sports are played. You see before Michael Jordan was sticking his tongue out while gliding through the air, before Tiger Woods fist pump when sinking the winning putt,cheap uggs, before all the touchdown dances seen in every football game today. There was no celebration after a big moment it was considered disrespectful to your opponent because sports were considered a gentlemen's game.

That all changed with the birth of the AFL. The AFL started when league founder Lamar Hunt, was turned down by the NFL when he tried to purchase an NFL team. Distraught over not being able to purchase a team while flying on a plane the idea hit him. Through lots of hard work he put together a league of eight teams and set out to prove he could build a league to rival the mighty NFL. The eight teams were the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Dallas Texans, Boston Patriots, New York Titans, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Oilers.

While the league started off with hardly anyone attending games,ugg boots uk, it soon picked up momentum when people began to see the flamboyant style of play. Guys were high fiving each other on the field, Joe Namath, quarterback for the New York Jets was attired in fur coats on the sidelines, it was fun and seats quickly started to fill up.

While the league was fun to watch because of all the ethusiasm the players exhibited, it wasn't just a showboat league. The AFL had many talented players that ended up being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,cheap uggs, legends like, Fred Biletnikoff, Willie Brown, Bob Griese, Larry Little, O.J. Simpson, Gene Upshaw, and Art Shell. Even my nine and four year old sons know the name John Madden,ugg boots sale uk, not because they watched him coach the Oakland Raiders,uk ugg boots sale, but because of his video game that they love to play. Not only did the AFL revolutionized Pro Football but it made buying merchandise of your favorite team a more common thing back then and even now.

The AFL eventually merged with the NFL in 1970 and helped shape the league we know today. While some teams are still in the same location since their inaugural AFL season, some have changed names or locations. The Dallas Texans are now the Kansas City Chiefs, the Boston Patriots adopted a region and paly as the New England Patriots today, The New York Titans changed their name to the New York Jets, their home, Shea Stadium in close proximety to the busy airports of New York and the Houston Oilers moved northeast to become the Tennessee Titans.

During the course of the 2009-10 NFL season, the eight original teams of the AFL will wear their old retro uniforms when they play against each other in honor of the AFL's 50th anniversary. While some of the uniforms are probably the worst thing seen since the 1960's Batman and Robin with Adam West. It shows how far football has come.
We would all like to take the family to a game, but lets face it, the cost of taking a family of four to a live professional sports event can cripple most family's budgets. Then there is the matter of actually attending the game, dealing with the traffic,cheap ugg boots, missing significant parts of the game to deal with concessions and bathroom needs - and - of course there is always the drunk three rows back who can be heard throughout the stadium, his lesson in vocabulary, probably not the one you want your kids to pay attention to.

For me, there can be no better option than watching the game from the comfort of my own living room. First of all I can actually fit into every seat in the house and they're all comfortable. Caution,ugg boots, when watching alone you may have a tendency to fall asleep, I will address this later. There are no known traffic conditions I am aware of in my home, except for the odd toy on the floor, (my kids are young). Concessions are just a few short strides to the kitchen and as far as bathroom facilities - I have two to choose from. The only off-colored language comes from my uncles,ugg boots sale uk, but that is a family matter that needs not be taken up here.

Let's talk cost. I purchased a 47", LCD, 1080P capable television, that fits my living room perfectly. Shop around, you can find real good deals on some brand name equipment that won't wipe you out financially. Remember this is an investment in family entertainment; you'll save in the long run. For what I paid for my television and mounting (you got to get it mounted) - I would have spent on just three pro sporting events. I am going to watch way more than three games - I guarantee it,uggs cheap uk!

Now, what to watch. For me there was no other choice but satellite,ugg boots uk, for many reasons. I just spent my hard earned money on this beautiful HD TV; I wanted a provider that would give me the most High-Definition programming I could get. I wanted a provider that could not only bring into my living room - my local teams, but every other sporting event known to man - In other words, if it is being played I should see it and I should see it in HD.

Switching from cable to satellite was not an easy decision, but it helped that a friend of mine had it and raved about. Having watched it, I knew that the picture quality was superior to my cable and he seemed to have an endless supply of channels, some of which my cable company did not offer.

I ordered satellite and brought into my home a ticket to every sporting event I could wish for and some I didn't know existed. My local pro sports teams are in crystal clear high-definition as well as about 85% of all the other sports programming. I also ordered an HD-DVR (this is your protection, in case you fall asleep).

I have to say - I am like a kid in a candy store with all of this sports programming; With satellite I literally can watch college football from every conference in the country. There are channels I couldn't get with my cable provider such as the NHL Network, NFL Network, and NBA TV. The programming also included all of the premium movie channels for the wife and more children's programming than the kids can handle, because it is not just about me - even though it is!

So to recap, I no longer suffer from road rage. My wife cooks better than the stadium vendors. The only verbally challenged people I encounter are relatives and I have to do deal with them anyway. I no longer have to go to a bar to watch a game I can't see. When it is snowing and 20-below at the game, it is still 72-degrees in my living room and the DVR makes me a better husband and father.：

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