Professional Football in North America

                Professional football in North America is usually thought of as just the National Football League. But there are two other levels of professional football in North America. The two other levels are looked upon as inferior to the NFL and aren’t very well known. They are the Arena Football league and the Canadian Football League. Football in North America is a sport that is held in high honor and is practiced as often and as frequently as an individual’s religious beliefs.

NFL

The NFL is the big brother to the other two football leagues and the one that is thought of as superior. It is thought of as superior for many reasons. The NFL has been around since the 1920’s and has been willing to change with the times to fit what the nation likes and dislike s of the sport to be able please their fans. The sport was almost banned forever because it was called to violent when it started to be played. Some teams folded in the beginning because of bankruptcy or other various reasons. But teams like the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers were able to survive through things like the Great Depression and multiple wars throughout time to please their fans and become fan favorites throughout the nation. People throughout North America have become infatuated with football because there is room to root for the underdog with each game and each season especially when it comes to the championship game, the Super Bowl.

When the Super Bowl comes around people love to cheer for the underdog for various reasons but it all depends on who they face. The thing with the NFL and the Super Bowl there are some teams who have been able to win three or more titles. But there is never a team who is so dominating that they win consistently like the New York Yankees. The Super Bowl has been won by 18 of the 32 teams. The Super Bowl has been represented by 28 of 32 teams. The NFL is viewed as superior because not one team can dominate the postseason and most teams have a chance for the postseason and become super bowl champions. Everyone has a chance to win the championship but it is what they do with their season that will make or break their chances of winning. It is superior because everyone believes they have a chance no matter where they are in the standings.

CFL

The Canadian Football league is represented by only eight teams who are within about 200 miles of the American border. Their teams are located in cities like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. They play 18 games in the regular season, 2 pre-season and up to three postseason games if they reach the final. The championship game for the CFL is called the Grey Cup. This year the teams represented in the Grey Cup are the British Columbia Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. There a few reasons why people think that the CFL is inferior to the NFL. The CFL plays an 18 game regular season and people who play professional football don’t like that long of a season because of the wear and tear on the body that a football season takes.

Also, there is the fact that since there are only eight teams there are a couple teams since the CFL’s inception that have appeared in a total 67 grey cup and won a total 38 combined titles. There are only a few in the league and it just adds to the repetition of a few teams being dominating while the others have to settle for mediocre. None of their games are played in America, only Canada so there aren’t many chances for Canadian-Americans to watch the games unless they live close to Canada. Another reason is not many players like to go play in Canada unless their careers are almost over because the pay in the CFL is significantly less than that of current NFL players.

AFL

The Arena Football would by most North Americans be classified as the lowest of the three levels and least exciting. It is considered the lowest because the field is much smaller, combined scores that often reach over 100 points and it is where football players who aren’t good enough for the NFL or CFL and were most likely benchwarmers in college football. The pay is extremely low in terms of being paid for professional sports especially in football. The games are played in small arenas usually played in during the summer that are occupied by NBA, NHL, or minor league hockey teams. The games can be exciting but not usually just because the scores are high and the play is usually sloppy. They are also like the CFL in having an 18 game season with up to three postseason games if a team makes the Championship game.

                Even though football to some is like a ritual that’s practiced as often as their beliefs, professional football is held at a high honor to millions of people in North America. The NFL is the most dominate form of professional football for many reasons. It is also in the top two favorite sports among North Americans and is watched worldwide by many.