IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1286 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 21, 2010 Mr. Perlmutter (for himself, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Hodes, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Markey of Colorado, Mr. Markey of Massachusetts, Mr. Moore of Kansas, and Mr. Rothman of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural season of the American Football League.

Whereas, on August 14, 1959, businessman Lamar Hunt and 11 colleagues proposed a new major professional football league in the United States; Whereas the American Football League was chartered to expand professional football to athletically minded cities growing in population and industry; Whereas most professional football fans at the time believed the well-established National Football League was the premier football league; Whereas the owners of the new league, including Bud Adams, Lamar Hunt, and Ralph Wilson, jokingly referred to themselves as the “Foolish Club” for taking such a financial risk; Whereas securing major television coverage of the proposed league and the financial viability of the American Football League were very much in doubt; Whereas the Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, and Oakland Raiders comprised the original 8 teams of the inaugural American Football League; Whereas few experts felt the American Football League had the talented players or coaching staffs to provide a quality product marketable to the American people; Whereas the American Broadcasting Company agreed to a television contract with the new League without knowing the potential reception of the league; Whereas, on September 9, 1960, the Denver Broncos defeated the Boston Patriots in the first regular season AFL game; Whereas steadily over the 1960s many talented players chose to play in the new AFL rather than the NFL; Whereas football legends Sid Gillman, Al Davis, Hank Stram, Joe Namath, Lionel Taylor, George Blanda, Jack Kemp, and Gino Cappelletti coached or played in the AFL; Whereas, on June 8, 1966, the American Football League and the National Football League announced a proposed merger; Whereas, on January 15, 1967, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first Super Bowl, pitting the winner of the AFL against the winner of the NFL; Whereas, on August 5, 1967, the Denver Broncos became the first AFL team to defeat an NFL team when they defeated the Detroit Lions; Whereas, on January 12, 1969, the New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts, becoming the first AFL team to win the Super Bowl; Whereas, in 1970, the American Football League officially merged with the National Football League; Whereas American football has become the most watched sport in the Nation; Whereas, since the merger, the former AFL teams have won a combined 12 Super Bowl championships; and Whereas 10 current National Football League teams (the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and Tennessee Titans) trace their roots to the American Football League: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)commemorates the 50th anniversary of the inaugural season of the American Football League as a landmark moment in the history of football; (2)reaffirms that professional football is a unifying force in the United States; (3)encourages football fans to reflect on the contributions of the American Football League to professional football; and (4)supports the continued involvement of children and adults in the sport of football.