It might not be America’s favorite past time, but the NFL is arguably the most successful sport in American history. The thing is, the NFL was not always this successful. In the beginning, there were five teams from Ohio, four teams from Illinois, two teams from Indiana, two teams from New York and one from Detroit. Of the original 14 teams, only two teams remain — Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears.
In the beginning, the NFL champion was the team with the best record at the end of the season. The league switched to a playoff system in 1933.