American football league
The American Football League (AFL) was a former professional American football league that existed from 1960 to 1969. In 1970 it merged with the National Football League (NFL).).
The AFL was founded by businessmen who had not obtained franchises in the NFL and by minority partners. In its first season in 1960, the league had eight teams: four in cities with NFL teams (Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, and Dallas) and four in cities without an NFL presence (Boston, Buffalo, Denver, and Houston).. In 1961 the Chargers moved from Los Angeles to San Diego, and in 1963 the Dallas Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs, thus increasing the number of alternative cities to the NFL. Miami joined the league in 1966 and Cincinnati in 1968, for a total of ten teams.
The AFL was broadcast on ABC television from 1960 to 1964, and on NBC from 1965. Using revenue from television contracts, the teams waged a financial war with the NFL to sign the best players. In addition, measures were implemented to increase public interest, such as placing the last names of the players on the number of the shirts, and adopting the conversion of two points.
In May 1966, the NFL's New York Giants signed Pete Gogolak, who had a current contract with the AFL's Buffalo Bills, to a contract, violating the agreement between the two leagues. In June, both leagues signed an agreement to merge, agreeing that no team would be excluded or change cities. At the end of the 1966/67 season, a match between the champions of both leagues would be played, later known as Super Bowl I, and in 1970 both leagues would integrate their calendars.
Franchises
| Division | Equipment | Debut | Stadium | Récord | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | Boston Patriots | 1960 | Nickerson Field (1960–62), Fenway Park (1963–68), Alumni Stadium (1969) | 64-69-9 | 0 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1960 | War Memorial Stadium (1960–69) | 67-71-6 | 2 | |
| Houston Oilers | 1960 | Jeppesen Stadium (1960–64), Rice Stadium (1965–67), Houston Astrodome (1968–69) | 72-69-4 | 2 | |
| Miami Dolphins | 1966 | Miami Orange Bowl | 15-39-2 | 0 | |
| New York Titans | 1960 | Polo Grounds (1960–63), Shea Stadium (1964–69) | 71-67-6 | 1 | |
| West | Cincinnati Bengals | 1968 | Nippert Stadium (1968–69) | 7-20-1 | 0 |
| Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs | 1960 | Cotton Bowl (1960–62), Stadium Municipal (1963–69) | 92-50-5 | 3 | |
| Denver Broncos | 1960 | Bears Stadium/Mile High Stadium (1960–69) | 39-97-4 | 0 | |
| Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers | 1960 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1960), Balboa Stadium (1961–66), San Diego Stadium (1967–69) | 88-51-6 | 1 | |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 1960 | Kezar Stadium (1960), Candlestick Park (1961), Frank Youell Field (1962–65), Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (1966–69) | 80-61-5 | 1 |
Championships
| East Division | West Division |
| Season | Date | Winner | Marker | Loser | Headquarters | Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1 January 1961 | Houston Oilers | 24-16 | Los Angeles Chargers | Jeppesen Stadium | 32,183 |
| 1961 | 24 December 1961 | Houston Oilers (2) | 10-3 | San Diego Chargers | Balboa Stadium | 29,556 |
| 1962 | 23 December 1962 | Dallas Texans | 20-17 (2OT) | Houston Oilers | Jeppesen Stadium (2) | 37,981 |
| 1963 | 5 January 1964 | San Diego Chargers | 51-10 | Boston Patriots | Balboa Stadium (2) | 30.127 |
| 1964 | 26 December 1964 | Buffalo Bills | 20-7 | San Diego Chargers | War Memorial Stadium | 40,242 |
| 1965 | 26 December 1965 | Buffalo Bills (2) | 23-0 | San Diego Chargers | Balboa Stadium (3) | 30,361 |
| 1966 | 1 January 1967 | Kansas City Chiefs (2) | 31-7 | Buffalo Bills | War Memorial Stadium (2) | 42,080 |
| 1967 | 31 December 1967 | Oakland Raiders | 40-7 | Houston Oilers | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 53.330 |
| 1968 | 29 December 1968 | New York Jets | 27–23 | Oakland Raiders | Shea Stadium | 62.627 |
| 1969 | 4 January 1970 | Kansas City Chiefs (3) | 17-7 | Oakland Raiders | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (2) | 53,561 |
Italics – They made it to the Super Bowl.
Bold – They won the Super Bowl.
Honours of Prizes
| Equipment | Titles | Years champion | Subfield | Years underfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3 | 1962, 1966, 1969 | 0 | - |
| Houston Oilers | 2 | 1960, 1961 | 2 | 1962, 1967 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2 | 1964, 1965 | 1 | 1966 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1 | 1963 | 4 | 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1 | 1967 | 2 | 1968, 1969 |
| New York Jets | 1 | 1968 | 0 | - |
| Boston Patriots | 0 | - | 1 | 1963 |