The NFL - Time For This Packer Fan To Pontificate!

As a life long football fan and a senior citizen, I have time to think - dangerous!  The place we will start is the 1950's - a simpler time!  Black & white TV, Ike as President, and NFL Football - let's look at the 1959 Standings!

The NFL was 40 years old in 1959!

I was just starting to follow football!  I had a chance to see football on Sunday afternoons, that's it!  That is what we all had - 12 teams!!!  

Today we have 32 teams!!! - That is 32 teams - 53 active roster & 10 on the practice squad!  Not counting the PUP list & the IR list, that is 2,016 players.  

 The Packer Roster, 36 players! Here they are:

So, in 1959, with 12 teams & 36 players, there were 432 players in the NFL!

The teams had 36 players!!!  Many played BOTH ways!  There we no long snappers, punters, kickers, they were the REGULAR players!  Wide Receivers punted, linemen kicked! 

The NFL Championship Game:

NFL Championship Game[edit]

Baltimore 31, NY Giants 16 at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland, December 27, 1959

They played 12 games & 1 playoff game for the championship! Now, the season is 16 games and maybe 4 playoff games!  Season ends in February!

So, fewer teams, fewer players, fewer games, and now?  Is bigger ALWAYS better?  Let the analysis continue!