I thought I would share a new #Holiday with you which falls on November 5th American Football Day #AmericanFootballDay a perfect Holiday to celebrate with your friends and family. Charlie and I’ve never been to a #Football game.
Other than kids games so I was thinking I would see if I could find a game for us to attend. Would you like you want to go with us? If we had been #Homeschooling today we would have studied #Football and taken a Field Trip to go look for equipment when playing Football.
For our cooking class we would have held a Tailgate party and created snacks we could have served at a Game. In our Drama Class Charlie and I would have watched movies based on Football. In PE we would have played a Football Game. Would you like to join us? If so whose team would you want on. Mine or Charlie’s and why?
Now it’s time to phone your friends and get the old pigskin out, because November 5th is American Football Day. Sure, they could have just called it Football Day, but if we want the rest of the world to join in on the festivities, we should probably be more specific.
American Football Day celebrates the U.S.A’s most popular sport and reminds us all that it’s mid-season and we should probably check on our fantasy teams. To know more on how enthusiastic America is about football check out top football journalist stories.
Did you know Rugby and Soccer both paved the way for American football in the late 1800s. Yale grad Walter Camp gets the credit for pushing innovative rule changes including the line of scrimmage, down-and-distance rules (i.e. “1st and 10”), and the legalization of blocking.
Later, coaches like Knute Rockne and Amos Alonzo Stagg capitalized on the new “forward pass” play. College football took off well before the pro version in the early 1900s as Bowl Games attracted a national audience for college teams. The NCAA version remains immensely popular today — with media coverage easily rivaling that of the NFL.
The pre-NFL American Professional Football Association began in 1920. Things grew quickly on the pro side. The NFL had grown to 25 teams by the mid 20s, and although the rival AFL folded after one Season, it marked a growing interest in the game. Several college stars joined the NFL, most notably the University of Illinois’ Red Grange.
More teams entered the league during the 1950s and the 1958 NFL Championship Game, known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” changed everything. The Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants, meeting at Yankee Stadium, played the first “sudden death” overtime game in NFL history.
Tied after 60 minutes of play, it became the first NFL game to go into sudden death overtime. The final score was Colts 23, Giants 17. The game has since become widely known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played”. NBC broadcast the game live; many believe this set the stage for America’s current NFL frenzy.
Today there are 32 NFL teams split evenly between the NFC and the AFC. Conference winners meet to determine the league champion in the Super Bowl generally held in early February. A postseason Bowl playoff system now generates the Collegiate “national champion” as well.
American Football Day Activities
- Just because high school is over doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Football anymore. There are plenty of local leagues that need good, strong-bodied players to join their ranks. In fact, there are probably a lot of leagues that need even mediocre, soft-bodied players to round out their team. The whole reason is to have fun so why not check out the local league and see if you make the cut?
- There is nothing that brings the office together like a little friendly wager, and there’s no better way to get everyone involved than by centering it around Football.
- If there are three things everyone thinks they’re an expert on, it’s music, movies, and football. Instead of having to put up listening to Justin in Customer Service talk about his playoff predictions, why not get him to put his money where his mouth is.
- There is no better way to celebrate Football than to experience two teams battling it out on the turf? You know what to do. Get a few six-packs, fire up the crock pot, and turn on the flat screen because nothing brings friends together than a good game of Football, a hot bowl of Chili, and countless hours of trash talking.
Why People Love American Football Day
There are a few sports out there and we’re not naming names, but we’re looking at you basketball where one star player can really define a whole team. Football is a sport which relies heavily on a team working together.
Each play is designed with a desired outcome in mind and if one player is sleeping at the wheel, the whole plan falls apart. This is one reason why football is such a popular sport. It requires unity to achieve a desired goal (or in this case, touchdown).
People who are not fans of football which is a sport like to paint the game as simple minded and barbaric, but they clearly have no idea how much strategy is involved in making a winning team. You can have as many star players on your team as you can afford, but without the brains to back it up, you’ll be eating dirt.
Did you know in America, the two biggest holidays that bring family and friends together are Christmas and Super Bowl Sunday. Even people who never watch a single regular-season game will head on over to a neighbor’s house to watch the Super Bowl and have a Wing or two. Even Super Bowl commercials are now an event.
To prepare you for a Game of Football with your friends and family I thought I would share a recipe for Wings with you which can be prepared in the Crockpot while your outside chasing the Pigskin with your friends and family.
Wings Recipe
Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 300 min Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen
Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 pounds chicken wings
1-1/2 cups ketchup
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
Ranch dressing and celery stalks, optional
Cut wings into 3 sections; discard wing tip sections. Place chicken in a 4-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken; stir until Coated. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or until Chicken Juices run clear. If desired, serve with Ranch Dressing and Celery Stalks.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
