something crazy

titleOJ Simpson Football Jerseys/titlepThe West has always been fascinated about football. In America, they call it American football. Europeans dub it as soccer. But whatever it is, football per se is one of the attention-getters in sports arena aside from basketball, wrestling, boxing and softball. Screaming fans are also crazy about football memorabilia, gears and jerseys that have their favorite players names on. OJ Simpson football jersey is one of the sough-after items among football followers./ppCheering for their most favorite player on field, fans from different states are shopping here and there to get the best deals of football stuff. In the history of American football, does retired running back O.J. Simpson ring the bell? For sure, youd remember him as the first-ever NFL player to rush beyond 2,000 yards in a season. He was formerly playing for Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. But even if hes given up his pro-football career, OJ Simpson football jersey collections are still making a big hit./ppOJ Simpson football jerseys are sold via online shopping sites as E-bay and Amazon. They vary in sizes and designs. To name a few of them, theres OJ Simpson Signed Autograph Jersey, Simpson Auto Buffalo Bills TB Jersey, Retro 1969 Throwback Jersey, OJ Simpson Signed Authentic Jersey, among others. These jerseys are brand new ones and never been worn. All logos and figures are designed with 100% truly authentic USC football jersey./ppBody and sleeve parts of OJ Simpson football jerseys are 100% nylon made and are enhanced by spandex side panels. Football fanatics and their families dont go dilly-dally in purchasing these kinds of jerseys that remind them of their adored player OJ. Others buy them as part of their collections./ppSizes of OJ Simpson football jerseys are of standard American fit that can suit both male and female built. Usually of bigger sizes, however, these jerseys can also be given as giveaways, birthday presents, sports festival tokens, Thanksgiving gift and Christmas souvenir. Others just merely display them at the living room or bedroom as decoration./ppThose teenagers and aspiring NFL players wearing OJ Simpson football jerseys are inspired to play football in their most passionate way. They seem inspired to flaunt the OJ power of sportsmanship and dedication to excel on field. These jerseys are also sold in major shopping avenues aside from online stores. They are ensured to be of quality and are not priced too high. You can find discounts if you are just diligent to search and canvass./ppOJ Simpson football jerseys have become popular not only among the NFL level of football but also high school and college leagues. As OJ Simpson used to play for the Buffalo or San Francisco, his big fans cheer wearing his jerseys./ppIan Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author./ppTo learn more about a target=_new href=http://sportslegendsshop.info/oj-simpson-football-jerseys/football jerseys/a, please visit a target=_new href=http://sportslegendsshop.info/Sports Legends Shop/a for current articles and discussions./pbrbr

titleThe Essential Shopping Guide For Baby Girl Clothes Shopping/titlepMany consider it a fact that shopping for baby girl clothes is easier and more interesting than shopping for baby boy clothes. For one, baby girl clothes are more varied; boy clothes, on the other hand, tend to be limited in terms of style and design. Yet, because of the variety, many tend to overdo the shopping and their shopping gravitates towards the impractical and the gratuitous. On the other hand, there are also those who choose baby girl clothes using very limited standards-such as buying pink clothes for girls, clothes with ribbons and laces among others. Obviously, parents should find the right balance between these two factors to be able to buy their baby girls the perfect clothes./ppFirst, do not restrict the baby girl clothes to certain colors. Many believe clothes for baby girls should only be in pink. This is, of course, not true. Buy clothes in various colors to create character. However, it is not advisable to buy baby girl clothes with too many laces or ribbons or any other materials that may be removed and may cause injuries such as suffocation./ppParents may have to consider stocking up on particular baby girl clothes such as such dresses, t-shirts, onesies, and infant gowns. Dresses, in particular, are of special interest, since they are obvious made for baby girls. Dresses are often for outdoor use, so parents can choose those with extravagant designs. However, the dresses should still remain light despite the design. Buying baby girl clothes made from cotton is the best choice, since cotton is soft and safe on a babys skin. However, when buying sleepwear, parents have to make sure the material is flame-resistant and snug-fitting, since loose clothes can also cause suffocation. Fabrics such as cashmere and wool are also often used for baby clothes. The key is to make sure the fabric is soft and light-anything heavier than these materials may prove to be an inconvenience for the babies./ppIt may be wise to but baby girl clothes in sets, especially when the baby is only a few months old. However, baby girls aged one to three have different needs, so buying clothes sets are no longer advisable. Babies aged one and up are already classified as toddlers. Toddlers, depending on their age and growth development, may be already aware of clothing choices so they might have clothing preferences already. In this case, it is better to ask the toddler what she wants. However, it is better to observe which types of baby girl clothes for more suitable for baby girls. As she grows older, she may prefer dresses and shirts over onesies and stretch suits. Parents should gauge the childs ability when it comes to wearing these items since they pose as a trouble during diaper change or when parents are teaching baby girls to use the potty./ppClifton Johnson is a freelance writer and product selector for the online retailer a target=_new href=http://www.childclothingoutlet.comhttp://www.childclothingoutlet.com/a br Hes written for a variety of news providers reviewing products, emerging markets, and parenting. Some of the products mentioned in this article are available there. Hes 26 and lives in New England./pbrbr

titleExecutive Speeches - What You Can Learn From Your Kids/titlepExecutives who want to improve their speaking skills are often advised to liven up their presentations by incorporating stories. The way I put it is, Use stories, not statistics. But that sage advice leads to the logical question: How do I make my point in a speech (and sometimes even in a press release) by telling a story?/ppIf youve got kids, you probably already know, because theyve badgered you to tell them stories and let you know what doesnt work (Too boring, Daddy!) and what does (Ooh, this is good!)./ppBelieve it or not, the general guidelines for creating interesting kids stories are the same as for folding stories into a speech./ppSTART WITH SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS. With your kids, you pick something age appropriate. When youre giving a speech, you have to be sure to start your story with a reference that will mean something to the specific group youre addressing. Your employees will know a lot about the history of your company; your customers-especially new ones-will know a lot less./ppSET UP A CONFLICT QUICKLY. Kids love stories with conflict. Audiences, too. If at all possible, draw contrasts between opposing points of view in your speech, describe working hard to overcome a rival in the marketplace, or find other ways to get conflict into your speech. It will add drama and keep your audience tuned in. One of the best speeches Ive heard was by the then-CEO of chip-maker AMD describing how his company had valiantly fought the Goliath (Intel)./ppSTOCK THE STORY WITH OBVIOUS HEROES AND VILLAINS. Speaking of Goliath, in a speech, setting up heroes and villains not only entertains, it also helps to win the audience over to your point of view./ppDONT FORGET THE STICKING POINT. Most of the time, youre just telling kids a story to entertain. But every once in a while you use a story to teach them a lesson about life or maybe even deliver a warning. The point of many executive speeches is to convince an audience of something-about your company, about a product, about a company policy, etc. To do that, you need to include one telling fact or detail that will resonate with the audience and stick with them./ppUnless we act now, the United States will stagnate, the way Japan did in the 1970s./ppSarbanes-Oxley has become little more than a full employment act for accountants and business consultants./ppAnd on and on./ppA HAPPY ENDING. You always have one for your kids, of course. Its a little trickier in a call-to-action speech. You want the audience to believe there CAN be a happy ending, but only if they do what you want them to do: support legislation, buy a product, invest in the company, etc./ppFor an executive giving a speech, of course, the best happy ending is enthusiastic applause./ppDr. Jeffrey Porro, Ph.D. has written first-person speeches and provided communication strategies for the CEOs of Sodexo, Eastman Chemicals, the McGraw Hill Companies, Office Depot, the COO of General Mills, as well as for diplomats such as former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, other government leaders, and presidents of some of the nations leading trade and professional associations. In addition to offering his expertise to world and business leaders, he has extended his skills to the world of entertainment. Dr. Porro discovered and researched the true story of a Jim Crow-era African American college debate team, and helped turn it into the 2007 feature film The Great Debaters starring Denzel Washington./ppa target=_new href=http://www.porrollc.comhttp://www.porrollc.com/a/pbrbr

Trying to Get Pregnant Using Natural Fertility Methods

Women who are trying to get pregnant naturally use a menstrual chart to do so. With this chart she will be able to record the signs that will indicate when she is at her most fertile. It is an easy way to increase your chances to get pregnant. This information will also aid your doctor determining any problems you may be experiencing in falling pregnant.

When you have familiarised yourself with these natural fertility methods in order to become pregnant, this will also bring to light any underlying infertility problems you are having. The natural fertility methods to conceive will alert you to the most fertile time in the monthly cycle which is just before ovulation. If any problems have been detected then this could save you waiting the required 12 months before being referred to a specialist.

Monitoring the body as it progresses through the menstrual cycle is how the natural fertility method of getting pregnant functions. This is achieved by observation of various fertility signs, such as vaginal mucus and new urine testing for the LH surge, as well as the basal body temperature which is taken and charted on the menstrual calendar every morning.

One of the natural fertility methods that could assist you to get pregnant is to use a basal body temperature thermometer, known as BBT, (different from that used for taking a fever temperature) It is important that the temperature be taken on wakening up in the morning prior to moving from the bed. You should then record this preferably on a fertility calendar as it can then be readily observed. During the first half of the menstrual cycle the temperature is constant. When the temperature rises about half a degree Fahrenheit, caused by progesterone being released, this indicates that ovulation has occurred. We can hope that the next months cycle will be the same or very similar. This allows prediction of ovulation and highlights the fertile period and can assist if trying to get pregnant quickly.

When you purchase a basal thermometer the company often encloses instructions for its use. Most supply a menstrual calendar too. This allows a woman to start without delay the very next morning to record her temperature and changes to her cervical mucus on the chart. You will normally need to do this over several months when you are trying to get pregnant, so it would be helpful to run of a copy or two of these charts in advance.

The apparent changes noticed in the cervical mucus right through the menstrual cycle will greatly enhance the possibility of finding your most fertile times and thereby increase your endeavours’ of becoming pregnant. Try to imagine the cervical mucus as a magnet attracting sperm or sometimes you may have seen magnets that repel object, in this case the sperm. The attracting magnet is when the mucus is wet and slippery and sperm will swim more freely, the repelling magnet is when the mucus is drier and thick and makes the sperms task more difficult.

It is a true saying, everyone is different. You have to get to know your body intimately to become aware of your own mucus distinctions. An interesting fact is that the odour or smell of the mucus changes at various times through the cycle too.

This mucus inspection will only be required at the mouth of the vagina. When visiting the bathroom you can simply check by a wipe after urinating for a sample. Any time of day will do for this check. It is a good idea to get into the habit of doing this to evaluate your findings. Finding the point in time that the mucus alters from thick and dry to a slippery wet consistency will signal fertility and you’re most likely time to get pregnant.

When trying to get pregnant, the importance of charting these observations accurately can not be stressed enough. These charts allow your doctor or specialist such as a reproductive endocrinologist to see your bodily functions at a glance. If there if no temperature rise and/or no change in the cervical mucus, this would suggest that further investigation is necessary to recognise and treat the problem or problems such as no ovulation.

The start of your period can also be forecasted with these basal body temperature findings. The time period between day one of menstruation until ovulation can fluctuate but when ovulation has taken place the time variation is only a day or two. If this higher temperature is maintained for more than 18 days you would be classed as being pregnant.

A lot of women and their partners have been more than surprised to find it was not so easy as they had first thought to get pregnant. Possibly after trying to avoid pregnancy for a time, they thought that it would just happen at will, when coming off contraceptives. Anyone in this position should not feel alone, as statistics show that one person in six living in the western areas of the world are having difficulties when trying to get pregnant. Where then could we find answers to these problems?

Well many people have found the answers at Trying to Get Pregnant where it will be revealed to you what the medical profession would rather you didn’t know. Further research can be found at the Common Causes of Infertility.

Speeding Not Always to Blame

It is interesting to note that of all the reasons contributing to the cause of a car accident, only 3% of them can be attributed to speeding drivers. It is interesting because it was partially on this basis that the nearly 7,000 speed cameras scattered across the country were put up. These very cameras while they are able to detect when a car is speeding, cannot detect the reckless drivers who are responsible for three times as many accidents and it is on the back of this revelation that the justification for the cameras are demolished.

What the figures show
Statistics show that the number of deaths occurring on the roads fell last year to their lowest level since records first began back in 1928. The data also highlighted that the number of deaths resulting from drink driving has also seen a reduction, in the year 2007 the number stood at 460 while in the previous year 2006, the total was 560, an overall reduction of 18%.

Interestingly the highest contributing factor was human error, some four out of five of the reported contributory factors in car accidents were down to driver or rider error or their slow reaction, in some cases a lack of reaction all together. Reports also drew attention to an ever growing area of concern which is that of ‘drugged’ driving; this sector highlights that some 64 fatalities, 3% of the overall fatalities logged were linked to the use of either licit or illicit drug use. Edmund King, the AA present commented that “drivers and indeed many police officers indicate to us that drug-driving is a major problem” and that “the severity of the problem is not reflected in the official figures”. If this is the case the number of ‘drugged’ driving fatalities may be far more than currently being perceived, that is of even more concern as the current statistics are already showing an increase in this area as 2007 saw 64 deaths while 2006 saw only 51.

The issues surrounding ‘drugged’ driving are of major concern to police officers and the law makers alike as the ability to detect drug use ‘on the spot’ is not as straightforward as alcohol. There is no way to breathalyse an individual and come up with a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as to whether a person is in fact under the influence.

What about young drivers?
In a recent study the RAC showed that the number of young drivers (those aged between 16 and 29) that died on the roads in 2007 had reduced by 72 when compared to the figures reported in 2006. While there has been a great improvement within the demographic of young and novice drivers there is no room for complacency, this is the message being encouraged by Sheila Rainger, the deputy director of the RAC foundation.

Rainger commended the efforts being made by young drivers to improve the road using community, by participating in schemes such as ‘pass plus’ which not only improve a drivers skill and capability but also have the added benefit of reducing insurance premiums. She also highlighted that developing “positive driver attitudes…encouraging better communication between road users…and implementing engineering improvements at known accident hotspots will help sustain this improvement” and ensure its success is “not a flash in the pan”.

Onome has more articles pertaining to accident claims

NFL Game Analysis - 3 Reasons to Bet on Tampa Bay (-1.5) In Week 4

Week 4 brings us an interesting NFC match-up pitting 2 teams against each other that are currently sitting a-top their respective divisions, both at 2-1 SU.

While Green Bay started the season out 2-0, they had no answer for Dallas’ relentless ground attack in Week 3 and with Tampa Bay squeezing out a big OT win on the road in Chicago, a definite shift in momentum appears to be occurring and the various situations at play in this game would appear to bear this projection out.

The Buc’s are one of my plays of the week and here are the main reasons why:

Reason #1
The Packers fall into a number of negative situations this week, the most significant of which, involves Favs (or Dogs of < 7 pts) playing between Week 4 and 15, that have a higher Offensive Holding Penalty Against average (OHPA) than their current opponent.

Season-to-date, the Packers have a dismal OHPA of 3.33 while Tampa has a more reasonable average of 2.33 Offensive Holding Penalties Against per-game.

When a handful of secondary conditions are also added to the mix (excluding play-against teams that have had to deal with a Strength-of-Schedule > 0.600 is one example), this situation has been almost automatic since 2001, with a brutal record of 85-191 ATS.

Reason #2
Another negative situation hurting the Packers this week involves teams that would appear to be a good wager based on how their Pass Defense Rating matches up with their opponents Pass Offense Rating.

Green Bay’s Pass Defense Rating of +1.28 would appear to match up well with Tampa’s anaemic Pass Offense Rating of -0.44, but, when an ‘advantage’ of at least +1 occurs, as in this case, AND the team in question also had an above average Pass Offense Rating (POF) last season, (with Favre at the helm, the Packers were +0.28 in this category in ‘07) we start to see the makings of a situation that has caused grief for the team involved, versus the line, all the way back to 1994.

Now, there are other conditions that need to be met as well, most importantly, that the opponent of the team with the ‘Pass Offense Advantage’ also happens to have an above average Rush Offense Rating (the Buc’s are currently at +1.11 in this regard) and this game does not happen to be on Monday Night.

Add everything up, and you are looking at a killer situation that is 53-138 ATS since 1994 and 8-28 ATS in the past 2 years alone.

Reason #3
In addition to the bad news surrounding the Packers and their statistical make-up this week, the Buc’s are in a powerful situation that is 135-52 ATS since 1994 which looks at ‘undervalued’ teams that have seen a big improvement in their Rushing Offense from the previous year.

The logic is fairly simple and it entails playing on teams with a Rush Offense Rating (ROF) that is at least 0.5 pts higher than last season and is also a minimum of 0.5 pts higher than their current opponents ROF.

As mentioned above, Tampa Bay’s ROF is currently +1.11–a vast improvement from their mark of +0.24 last season.

In addition, Green Bay’s current ROF of only -0.13 suffices the 2nd primary condition for this trend as well.

The one other key ingredient in this situation is that the opponent of our much improved rushing team was a Playoff team in the previous season, which of course the Packers were, albeit with Brett Favre running the offense….

For more information on these trends, and a total of 6 pages stuffed with every team statistic imaginable, please vist my site and click on the ‘articles’ page.

Tampa Bay’s Confidence Percentage for covering the spread in this game is: 65%

Dennis Arthur, a self-professed statistics junkie and American Football fanatic, has been providing innovative NFL analysis based against the Vegas point spread since 1999. For more wagering orientated articles like this one along with specialized team ratings and winning selections versus the spread, visit his site at http://www.armchairanalysis.com

The Olympics Are Coming - Learn Chinese

The Olympics will soon be here, and have you even considered taking a trip to China to get an idea of how things really feel when you’re in the audience? You might think that the language is somewhat of a setback - not quite true. The Olympics are quite some time away for the moment therefore why not simply start learning the language now, worry about the tickets later and witness an interesting experience. Imagine how great it can be to be there, in the audience while different people give their best to win that gold metal. To see the whole world challenging for the same goal - winning more medals.

Of course, the Olympics are just one reason that can motivate you now to start learn Chinese. Actually, there are dozens of reasons for which you should start learning a new language, especially such an interesting one as Chinese. Imagine that Chinese is more like a code - it would be like finally breaking the puzzle - understanding how it works. I know it’s tempting, actually, I had the same feeling a while ago when I finally managed to learn Chinese. I left for China a short while after completing my courses and I have to say that I will never forget that trip - I managed to learn the language pretty well therefore I was able to discuss with people and understand a great part of what they were telling me. I talked to people near historical sites, and learned more about them than I would have ever with the help of a history book or something similar.

Learning Chinese is not as hard as you may think - it can pose some difficulties until you master the symbols and you get a grip on how the language is expressed. I do not mean speech-wise - for example, saying thank you in Chinese requires more than two simple words - you need to underline the fact that you are thanking someone with about five or six words. On the other hand, if you start saying too many words, the other party may think that you are trying to mock them, or simply being ironic - you would not want that now, would you? Overall, learning Chinese implies a great deal of determination - it may not pose some great difficulties, however you have to want to learn the language throughout the course.

Want to go to the Olympics and want to learn the language - now it is easier than ever! All you have to do is follow the right course and you will be able to discuss important matters with almost any Chinese citizen.

If you want to know more about learning Chinese, simply follow this link: http://hello-chinese.info

If Great Britain is So Great Why Are More and More British People Moving Abroad?

If Great Britain is so great why are more and more British people moving abroad? It’s not a trick question in fact it’s quite obvious. I recently read a newspaper report with some very interesting statistics about British families immigrating abroad.

Government figures which are set to be released this year show that an amazing 250,000 people moved out of Britain in 2007 which is a 21% increase on the year before. That is 684 a day or one in every two minutes! In 1997 only 149,000- people fled the UK so in ten years the amount has gone up nearly 70%.

It is hardly surprising to me as I have thought about leaving the country myself. I, like many people are fed up with the spiraling levels of immigration, crime and tax and the increase of drug use. Our schooling system is a waste of tax payer’s money in my mind. What a lot of lovely teenagers running riot in our towns and cities most on drugs leading or heading for a life of crime. Why does our school curriculum not teach money management, ethically values, healthy cooking.

One of the things that annoy me about this country and our society is the older generation - they always go on about ‘in our day children respected adults’ and so on. But what I always tell the older generation is that if your not happy with the way children and adults behave today then you only have yourself to blame. At the end of the day we are a result of this older generation, we evolved from that generation.

Did you know that just last year there were at least 620,000 foreigners settling in the UK and that is the known figure; I would estimate it is more like double that, but we will never know. In fact there has been a 90% increase in immigration over the past ten years which tells us something about this country.

Why is Britain so attractive to foreigners? Well apart from our glorious weather it must be the fact that we have a fairly good NHS, you only have to call 999 and within 20 minutes you are being helped by professionals. Another reason is our pathetic benefit system which allows you to claim tax payers’ money for doing nothing. You can spend your benefit on drink and drugs or spend it down the betting shop if you fancy. You could make out you have a bad back and you will get high disability benefit, and you can still go to work as your are not likely to get caught! Men can also have a child without having to pay maintenance. Of course there is the CSA but all you have to do is become self employed and they know damn well they won’t get a penny out of you.

So it is no wonder that experts are telling us that this year they the total number of people moving out of the UK will be even higher. And it is hardly surprising that more and more hard-pressed families people not just wanting to escape the bleak weather, but seeking a whole change of lifestyle in the sun with Australia, New Zealand, France and Spain the top destinations.

Overs International offer international removal services including Removals to France and Removals to Spain

Interesting Facts About Reptiles

This article illustrates the amazing diversity found within the animal kingdom. Below, I have compiled what I feel are some of the most interesting facts about reptiles and their behavior.

Interesting Reptile Facts

• There are more than 8,000 species of reptiles on the planet, and the live on every continent except Antarctica (where it is too cold).
• Most kinds of reptiles do not tolerate the cold very well. But the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is sometimes found swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region of the United States.
• Reptiles are among the longest-lived species on the planet. For example, large tortoises such as the Aldabra tortoise can live for more than 150 years. Alligators can live nearly 70 years. Ball pythons, a popular type of pet snake, can live up to 40 years (consider that before getting one as a pet).
• Most of the world’s snakes (nearly two-thirds) are non-venomous. Only about 500 snake species are venomous, and of those only 30 - 40 are considered harmful to humans. In other words, less than 2 percent of all snakes are considered harmful to humans.
• It is a fact that more Americans die each year from bee stings than from snake bites.
• With regard to reptile fact #4 above, the opposite is true in Australia. There are actually more venomous snakes in Australia than non-venomous snakes. The inland taipan is one of the most popular of these venomous Australian snakes. Australia is the only continent where venomous snakes outnumber non-venomous snakes.
• Certain types of snakes can go months without eating. This is especially true of the big constrictors, such as the Anaconda and the reticulated python. Snakes eat large meals (relative to their body size), and they have much slower metabolisms than we humans have. This partly explains how they can go so long between meals.
• “Cold-blooded” is not the best way to describe reptiles. Their blood is not necessarily cold by itself. But they are ectothermic, which means they get their body heat from external sources. Reptiles cannot regulate their body temperature internally as humans do.
• Snakes and lizards flick their tongues in the air to capture scent particles. They don’t smell through their noses like you and I. Instead, the use their tongues to collect scent particles and then pass the particles over something called a Jacobson’s organ to decipher the air around them. This is partly how reptiles hunt for food.
• True to its name, the African egg-eating snake (of the genus Dasypeltis) prefers to dine on the eggs of other animals. It will swallow the egg whole, and then use tiny “spikes” extending internally from its spine to crack the egg open and swallow the nutritious contents. Lastly, it will regurgitate the unneeded egg shell in a neatly folded piece.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about this subject, be sure to check out the informational resources listed below.

Brandon Cornett is the pubisher of Reptile Knowledge, an educational website full of information about lizards, turtles, snakes and other reptile species. Learn more by visiting http://www.reptileknowledge.com

Atlanta Falcons - How American College Football Elevated to Pro

In the early 19th century, some students at Princeton played a game that was known as “ballown,” where they used their fists and their feet to advance the ball. During that time, there were no hard and fast established rules; the goal was simply to advance the ball past the opposing team. At Harvard, freshmen and sophomores competed in a game that was called “Bloody Monday,” a football-like game that was played on the first Monday of every school year. Around 1860, the game soon caught popularity among the Boston Common and had several variations.

The First Intercollegiate Football Game

Around 1865, colleges began organizing football games, which still did not have clearly instituted rules and gameplay. Princeton established some rudimentary rules some time in 1867 and in that year, American football was patented for the first time. In addition to Princeton’s rules, Rutgers College contributed a set of rules in that same year. In November 6, 1869, Princeton and Rutgers, combining their set of rules, played the first intercollegiate football. Rutgers won six goals to four.

The Intercollegiate Football Association

In 1873, representatives from Princeton, Rutgers, Columbia, and Yale met in New York City and formulated the first intercollegiate football rules and established the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA), setting the number of players allowed in a team to fifteen.

The Final Evolution of American Football

Walter Camp, a football coach at Yale and member of the IFA, was a big dissenter of the fifteen-player football team and wanted to institute an eleven-player team. Considered as the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp helped institute the final evolution of the American Football from the rugby-style of playing. Led by Camp, the IFA committee soon cut the number of football players to eleven from the original fifteen and instated the size of the football playing field at 110 yards. It was also Walter Camp who introduced the systems of downs in 1882 and the line of scrimmage rules. He also standardized the scoring system and created the safety, penalties, interference, and neutral zone. In time, further developments were made to the rules of the game, with the help of college football coaches such as Amos Alonzo Stagg, Knute Rockne, Glenn “Pop” Warner, and Eddie Cochems.

Reforms and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

By the early 20th century, the increasing brutality of the game led some colleges to ban the sport. On record was close to 180 players who suffered serious injuries from playing football and eighteen who died from injuries or from the brutal mass plays that was common practice during that time. In 1905, then President Theodor Roosevelt called on Princeton, Yale, and Harvard to help save American Football from dying. Reforms were made in a meeting between schools, attended by more than 60 schools. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was established to uphold the new reforms.

One of the Most Popular Sports in the U.S.

American Football grew to be one of the most popular sports in the U.S., especially in Universities. Fierce competitions among colleges made it an exciting game that became a national pastime. Because of its popularity, a Professional league was established, and which is today known as the National Football League (NFL). Each state in the U.S. is represented by a football team. Some of the top ranking football teams in recent history include the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and Atlanta Falcons.

Rick Grantham is an avid sports fan. Most of Rick’s articles focus on sports memorabilia. Many articles are related to baseball memorabilia and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village