Editing American Football League (section)

==History==
During the 1950s, the [[National Football League]] had grown to rival [[Major League Baseball]] as one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the United States. One franchise that did not share in this newfound success of the league was the [[Chicago Cardinals (NFL, 1920–59)|Chicago Cardinals]] – owned by the Bidwill family – who had become overshadowed by the more popular [[Chicago Bears]]. The Bidwills hoped to move their franchise, preferably to [[St. Louis]], but could not come to terms with the league, which demanded money before it would approve the move. Needing cash, the Bidwills began entertaining offers from would-be investors, and one of the men who approached the Bidwills was [[Lamar Hunt]], son and heir of millionaire oilman [[H. L. Hunt]].<ref>Gruver, ''The American Football League'', p. 9.</ref> Hunt offered to buy the Cardinals and move them to [[Dallas]], where he had grown up. However, these negotiations came to nothing, since the Bidwills insisted on retaining a controlling interest in the franchise and were unwilling to move their team to a city where a [[Dallas Texans (NFL)|previous NFL franchise]] had failed in {{nfly|1952}}. While Hunt negotiated with the Bidwills, similar offers were made by [[Bud Adams]], [[Bob Howsam]], and [[Max Winter]].<ref>Gruver, ''The American Football League'', p. 13.</ref>

When Hunt, Adams, and Howsam were unable to secure a controlling interest in the Cardinals, they approached NFL commissioner [[Bert Bell]] and proposed the addition of [[expansion team]]s. Bell, wary of expanding the 12-team league and risking its newfound success, rejected the offer.<ref>Gruver, ''The American Football League'', pp. 13–14.</ref> On his return flight to Dallas, Hunt conceived the idea of an entirely new league and decided to contact the others who had shown interest in purchasing the Cardinals. In addition to Adams, Howsam, and Winter, Hunt reached out to [[Bill Boyer]], Winter's business partner, to gauge their interest in starting a new league. Hunt's first meeting with Adams was held in March 1959.<ref>Gruver, ''The American Football League'', p. 14.</ref> Hunt, who felt a regional rivalry would be critical for the success of the new league, convinced Adams to join and found his team in [[Houston]]. Hunt next secured an agreement from Howsam to bring a team to [[Denver]].<ref>Gruver, ''The American Football League'', pp. 15–16.</ref>

After Winter and Boyer agreed to start a team in [[Minneapolis-Saint Paul]], the new league had its first four teams. Hunt then approached Willard Rhodes, who hoped to bring pro football to [[Seattle]]. However, not wanting to undermine its own brand, the [[University of Washington]] was unwilling to let the fledgling league use [[Husky Stadium]], and Rhodes' effort came to nothing (Seattle would later get a [[Seattle Seahawks|pro football team of its own]] in 1974 some time after the AFL-NFL merger during the construction of the [[Kingdome]] and began play in 1976).<ref>Miller, ''Going Long'', pp. 3–4.</ref> Hunt also sought franchises in Los Angeles, [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] and New York City. During the summer of 1959, he sought the blessings of the NFL for his nascent league, as he did not seek a potentially costly rivalry. Within weeks of the July 1959 announcement of the league's formation,<ref name=nglbs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CJpjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7047%2C3861444 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=New grid league by 1960–Bell |date=July 29, 1959 |page=17}}</ref><ref name=ptpins>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=610bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a04EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6043%2C3611297 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=New pro grid league plans to play in 1960 |date=July 29, 1959 |page=30}}</ref> Hunt received commitments from [[Barron Hilton]] and [[Harry Wismer]] to bring teams to Los Angeles and New York, respectively.<ref name="chiefsafl">{{cite web|url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/ |title=Kansas City Chiefs History – AFL Origins |access-date=2007-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205213037/http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/ |archive-date=2007-02-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His initial efforts for Buffalo, however, were rebuffed, when Hunt's first choice of owner, [[Pat McGroder]], declined to take part; McGroder had hoped that the threat of the AFL would be enough to prompt the NFL to expand to Buffalo.<ref>Warren, Matt. [http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2010/9/4/1658230/september-4-1985-mcgroder-joins?ref=yahoo September 4, 1985 – McGroder Joins The Wall Of Fame]. ''BuffaloRumblings.com''. Retrieved March 26, 2014.</ref>

On August 14, 1959, the first league meeting was held in Chicago, and charter memberships were given to Dallas, New York, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. On August 22, the league officially was named the American Football League at a meeting in Dallas.<ref name=cmgrd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ggBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6uIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6809%2C4367002 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=New pro loop to compete for gridders |date=August 23, 1959 |page=1B}}</ref> The NFL's initial reaction was not as openly hostile as it had been with the earlier [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC), as Bell had even given his public approval;<ref name=nglbs/><ref name=ptpins/> but he died suddenly in October 1959,<ref name=ppgbell>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CclRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6034%2C1707578|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=NFL head Bert Bell dies at 65 |date=October 12, 1959 |page=1}}</ref> and individual NFL owners soon began a campaign to undermine the new league. AFL owners were approached with promises of new NFL franchises or ownership stakes in existing ones. Only the party from Minneapolis-Saint Paul accepted, and with the addition of [[Ole Haugsrud]] and [[Bernie Ridder]] the Minnesota group joined the NFL in 1961 as the [[Minnesota Vikings]]. The older league also announced on August 29 that it had conveniently reversed its position against expansion, and planned to bring new NFL teams to Houston and Dallas, to start play in 1961.<ref>Gruver, ''The American Football League'', pp. 22–23.</ref> (The NFL did not expand to Houston at that time; the promised Dallas team – the [[Dallas Cowboys]] – actually started play in 1960, and the Vikings began play in 1961.) Finally, the NFL quickly came to terms with the Bidwills and allowed them to relocate the struggling Cardinals to St. Louis, eliminating that city as a potential AFL market.

[[Ralph Wilson]], who owned a minority interest in the NFL's [[1959 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]] at the time, initially announced he was placing a team in [[Miami]], but like the Seattle situation, was also rebuffed by local ownership (like Seattle, Miami would later get a [[Miami Dolphins|pro football team of its own]] as well); given five other choices, Wilson negotiated with McGroder and brought the team that became the [[1960 Buffalo Bills season|Bills]] to Buffalo. Buffalo was officially awarded its franchise on October 28. During a league meeting on November 22, a 10-man ownership group from [[Boston]] (led by [[Billy Sullivan (American football)|Billy Sullivan]]) was awarded the AFL's eighth team.<ref>Maiorana, ''Relentless'', p. 65.</ref> On November 30, 1959, [[Joe Foss]], a World War II [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] [[fighter ace]] and former governor of [[South Dakota]], was named the AFL's first commissioner. Foss commissioned a friend of Harry Wismer's to develop the AFL's eagle-on-football logo. Hunt was elected President of the AFL on January 26, 1960.

===The AFL draft===
{{further|American Football League draft}}

The AFL's [[1960 American Football League draft|first draft]] took place the same day Boston was awarded its franchise, and lasted 33 rounds. The league held a second draft on December 2, which lasted for 20 rounds. Because the [[Oakland Raiders]] joined after the initial AFL drafts, they inherited Minnesota's selections.<ref>Dickey, ''Just Win, Baby'', pp. 7–8.</ref><ref name="nflhistoryone">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1951-1960 |title=NFL History, 1951–1960 |access-date=2007-02-08 |work=NFL.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209180120/http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1951-1960 |archive-date=9 February 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> A special ''[[1960 American Football League draft|allocation draft]]'' was held in January 1960, to allow the Raiders to stock their team, as some of the other AFL teams had already signed some of Minneapolis' original draft choices.

===Crisis and success (1960–61)===
In November 1959, Minneapolis-Saint Paul owner Max Winter announced his intent to leave the AFL to accept a franchise offer from the NFL. In 1961, his team began play in the NFL as the [[1961 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]]. [[1960 Los Angeles Chargers season|Los Angeles Chargers]] owner Barron Hilton demanded that a replacement for Minnesota be placed in California, to reduce his team's operating costs and to create a rivalry. After a brief search, [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] was chosen and an ownership group led by [[F. Wayne Valley]] and local real estate developer [[Chet Soda]] was formed. After initially being called the Oakland Señors,<ref>"Grid Team Named-- They're Senors", ''Oakland Tribune'', April 5, 1960, p37. Soda said, "My own personal choice would have been Mavericks, but I believe we came up with a real fine name." The selection committee narrowed the choices down to Admirals, Lakers, Diablos, Seawolves, Gauchos, Nuggets, Señors Dons, Costers, Grandees, Sequoias, Missiles, Knights, Redwoods, Clippers, Jets and Dolphins.</ref> the rechristened [[1960 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] officially joined the AFL on January 30, 1960.

The AFL's first major success came when the [[1960 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]] signed [[Billy Cannon]], the All-American and 1959 [[Heisman Trophy]] winner from [[1959 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]]. Cannon signed a $100,000 contract to play for the Oilers, despite having already signed a $50,000 contract with the NFL's [[1960 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]]. The Oilers filed suit and claimed that Rams general manager [[Pete Rozelle]] had unduly manipulated Cannon. The court upheld the Houston contract, and with Cannon the Oilers appeared in the AFL's first three championship games (winning two).<ref name="loup">{{cite news |first=Rich |last=Loup |title=The AFL: A Football Legacy (Part One) |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2001/01/22/afl_history_1/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010602195035/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2001/01/22/afl_history_1/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 2, 2001 |publisher=CNNSI.com |date=2001-01-22 |access-date=2007-02-08 }}</ref><ref name="cannon">{{cite news |first=Al |last=Carter |title=Oilers leave rich legacy of low-budget absurdity |url=http://texnews.com/texsports97/oilers063097.html |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=1997-06-30 |access-date=2007-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106015329/http://texnews.com/texsports97/oilers063097.html |archive-date=6 January 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On June 9, 1960, the league signed a five-year television contract with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], which brought in revenues of approximately $2.125 million per year for the entire league. On June 17, the AFL filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, which was dismissed in 1962 after a two-month trial.<ref name="loup" /> The AFL began regular-season play (a night game on Friday, September 9, 1960) with eight teams in the league – the [[Boston Patriots]], [[Buffalo Bills]], [[Dallas Texans (AFL)|Dallas Texans]], [[Denver Broncos]], [[Houston Oilers]], [[Los Angeles Chargers]], [[New York Titans (football)|Titans of New York]], and [[Oakland Raiders]]. Raiders' co-owner [[F. Wayne Valley|Wayne Valley]] dubbed the AFL ownership "[[Foolish Club|The Foolish Club]]", a term Lamar Hunt subsequently used on team photographs he sent as Christmas gifts.<ref name="herskowitz">{{cite news |first=Mickey |last=Herskowitz |title=The Foolish Club |url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/media/misc/5_the_foolish_club.pdf |work=Pro Football Weekly |year=1974 |access-date=2007-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605071618/http://www.kcchiefs.com/media/misc/5_the_foolish_club.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Oilers became the first-ever league champions by defeating the Chargers, 24–16, in the AFL Championship on January 1, 1961. Attendance for the 1960 season was respectable for a new league, but not nearly that of the NFL. In 1960, the NFL averaged attendance of more than 40,000 fans per game and more popular NFL teams in 1960 regularly saw attendance figures in excess of 50,000 per game,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=The American Football League Attendance, 1960–69 |last=Carroll |first=Bob |magazine=The Coffin Corner |volume=13 |number=4 |date=1991 |access-date=May 24, 2022}}</ref> while [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL) attendances averaged approximately 20,000 per game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/1960|title=Canadian Football League 1960 Attendance on CFLdb Statistics}}</ref> By comparison, AFL attendance averaged about 16,500 per game and generally hovered between 10,000 and 20,000 per game. Professional football was still primarily a gate-driven business in 1960, so low attendance meant financial losses. The Raiders, with a league-worst average attendance of just 9,612, lost $500,000 in their first year and only survived after receiving a $400,000 loan from Bills owner Ralph Wilson.<ref name="dvd">{{cite video |people=[[Steve Sabol]] (Executive Producer) |date=2004 |title=Raiders – The Complete History |medium=DVD |publisher=NFL Productions LLC}}</ref> In an early sign of stability, however, the AFL did not lose any teams after its first year of operation. In fact, the only major change was the Chargers' move from Los Angeles to nearby [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] (they would return to Los Angeles in 2017).

On August 8, 1961, the AFL challenged the CFL to an exhibition game that would feature the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] and the [[Buffalo Bills]], which was attended by 24,376 spectators.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/touch-down-in-to/article18147971/?page=all|title=Touch down in T.O.|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|language=en-ca|access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref> Playing at [[Ivor Wynne Stadium|Civic Stadium]] in [[Hamilton, Ontario]], the Tiger-Cats defeated the Bills 38–21 playing a mix of AFL and CFL rules.

===Movement and instability (1962–63)===
While the Oilers found instant success in the AFL, other teams did not fare as well. The Oakland Raiders and Titans of New York struggled on and off the field during their first few seasons in the league. Oakland's eight-man ownership group was reduced to just three in 1961, after heavy financial losses in their first season.<ref name="nflhistorytwo">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1961-1970 |title=NFL History, 1961–1970 |access-date=2007-02-08 |work=NFL.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205052436/http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1961-1970 |archive-date=5 February 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> Attendance for home games was poor, partly due to the team playing in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]—which already had an established NFL team (the [[San Francisco 49ers]])—but the product on the field was also to blame. After winning six games in their debut season, the Raiders won a total of three times in the 1961 and 1962 seasons. Oakland took part in a 1961 supplemental draft meant to boost the weaker teams in the league, but it did little good. They participated in another such draft in 1962.<ref name="loup" />

The Titans fared a little better on the field but had their own financial troubles. Attendance was so low for home games that team owner Harry Wismer had fans move to seats closer to the field to give the illusion of a fuller stadium on television.<ref name="jetsencyc">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/nyj/jets.html |title=New York Jets history |access-date=2007-02-08 |encyclopedia=Sports Encyclopedia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210123412/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/nyj/jets.html |archive-date=10 February 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> Eventually Wismer could no longer afford to meet his payroll, and on November 8, 1962, the AFL took over operations of the team. The Titans were sold to a five-person ownership group headed by [[Sonny Werblin]] on March 28, 1963, and in April the new owners changed the team's name to the [[New York Jets]].<ref name="jetsone">{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1962 |title=Jets history – 1962 |access-date=2007-02-08 |work=NewYorkJets.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061114025135/http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1962 |archive-date=2006-11-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="jetstwo">{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1963 |title=Jets history – 1963 |access-date=2007-02-08 |work=NewYorkJets.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061114025303/http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1963 |archive-date=2006-11-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Raiders and Titans both finished last in their divisions in the 1962 season.<ref name="sixtytwo">{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1962.htm |title=1962 standings |access-date=2007-02-08 |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207123656/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1962.htm |archive-date=7 February 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Texans and Oilers, winners of their divisions, faced each other for the 1962 AFL Championship on December 23. The Texans dethroned the two-time champion Oilers, 20–17, in a double-[[Overtime (sports)|overtime]] contest that was, at the time, professional football's longest-ever game.<ref name="loup" />

In 1963, the Texans became the second AFL team to relocate. Lamar Hunt felt that despite winning the league championship in 1962, the Texans could not sufficiently profit in the same market as the [[Dallas Cowboys]], which entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1960. After meetings with [[New Orleans]], [[Atlanta]], and [[Miami]], Hunt announced on May 22 that the Texans' new home would be [[Kansas City, Missouri]]. Kansas City mayor [[Harold Roe Bartle]] (nicknamed "Chief") was instrumental in his city's success in attracting the team. Partly to honor Bartle, the franchise officially became the Kansas City Chiefs on May 26.<ref name="kcsixties">{{cite web|url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/60s/ |title=Chiefs timeline – 1960s |access-date=2007-02-08 |work=KCChiefs.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070124191953/http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/60s/ |archive-date=2007-01-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The San Diego Chargers, under head coach [[Sid Gillman]], won a decisive 51–10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the 1963 AFL Championship. Confident that his team was capable of beating that season's NFL champion [[Chicago Bears]] (he had the Chargers' rings inscribed with the phrase "World Champions"), Gillman approached NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and proposed a final championship game between the two teams. Rozelle declined the offer; however, the game would be instituted three seasons later.<ref name="gillman">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6101341 |title=Gillman laid foundation for all who followed |access-date=2007-02-08 |last=Barber |first=Phil |work=NFL.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051108064658/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6101341 |archive-date=8 November 2005 }}</ref>

===Watershed years (1964–65)===
A series of events throughout the next few years demonstrated the AFL's ability to achieve a greater level of equality with the NFL. On January 29, 1964, the AFL signed a lucrative $36&nbsp;million television contract with [[NBC]] (beginning in the 1965 season), which gave the league money it needed to compete with the NFL for players. Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney was quoted as saying to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle after receiving the news of the AFL's new TV deal that, "They don't have to call us 'Mister' anymore". A single-game attendance record was set on November 8, 1964, when 61,929 fans packed [[Shea Stadium]] to watch the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

The bidding war for players between the AFL and NFL escalated in 1965. The Chiefs drafted [[Kansas Jayhawks football|University of Kansas]] star [[Gale Sayers]] in the first round of the 1965 AFL draft (held November 28, 1964), while the Chicago Bears did the same in the NFL draft. Sayers eventually signed with the Bears.<ref name="kcsixties" /> A similar situation occurred when the New York Jets and the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals both drafted University of Alabama quarterback [[Joe Namath]]. In what was viewed as a key victory for the AFL, Namath signed a $427,000 contract with the Jets on January 2, 1965 (the deal included a new car). It was the highest amount of money ever paid to a collegiate football player, and is cited as the strongest contributing factor to the eventual merger between the two leagues.<ref name="silverman">{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Silverman |title=The 'Other' League |url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/media/misc/11_the_other_league.pdf |work=Pro Football Weekly |date=1994-11-07 |access-date=2007-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605071617/http://www.kcchiefs.com/media/misc/11_the_other_league.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

After the 1963 season, the [[Orlando Panthers|Newark Bears]] of the [[Atlantic Coast Football League]] expressed interest in joining the AFL;<ref>{{cite news|title=Bears Seek Data on AFL|work=Asbury Park Press|agency=Associated Press|date=January 12, 1964}}</ref> concerns over having to split the New York metro area with the still-uncertain Jets were a factor in the Bears' bid being rejected. In 1965, [[Milwaukee]] officials tried to lure an expansion team to play at [[Milwaukee County Stadium]] where the [[Green Bay Packers]] had played parts of their [[Milwaukee County Stadium#Green Bay Packers (1953–1994)|home schedule]] after an unsuccessful attempt to lure the Packers there full-time, but Packers head coach [[Vince Lombardi]] invoked the team's exclusive lease, and additionally, signed an extension to keep some home games in Milwaukee until 1976.<ref name="Milwaukee">{{cite web| url = http://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2017/10/24/when-lombardi-sacked-milwaukees-bid-land-pro-football-franchise/789376001/| title = When Lombardi sacked Milwaukee's bid to land a pro football franchise}}</ref>

In June 1965, the AFL awarded its first [[expansion team]] to [[Cox Communications|Cox Broadcasting]] of [[Atlanta]].<ref name=stlonfa>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GOpOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cgEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7329%2C4048321 |work=Toledo Blade |location=(Ohio) |agency=Associated Press |title=NFL-AFL battle still on for Atlanta |date=June 9, 1965 |page=60}}</ref><ref name=alookc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qrBeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oS8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4145%2C1679350 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Atlanta gets AFL franchise; NFL also looking at city |date=June 9, 1965 |page=13}}</ref> The NFL quickly counteroffered insurance executive [[Rankin M. Smith Sr.|Rankin Smith]] a franchise, which he accepted;<ref name=awbfff>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zyZPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VQEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4404%2C1101572 |work=Toledo Blade |location=(Ohio) |agency=Associated Press |title=Atlanta will become 15th NFL franchise |date=June 22, 1965 |page=20}}</ref> the [[Atlanta Falcons]] began play as an NFL franchise for the [[1966 Atlanta Falcons season|1966]] season. In March 1965, [[Joe Robbie]] had met with Commissioner Foss to inquire about an expansion franchise for [[Miami]]. On May 6,<!--after Atlanta's exit,--> Robbie secured an agreement with Miami mayor Robert King High to bring a team to Miami. League expansion was approved at a meeting held on June 7, and on August 16 the AFL's ninth franchise was officially awarded to Robbie and entertainer [[Danny Thomas]]. The [[Miami Dolphins]] joined the league for a fee of $7.5&nbsp;million and started play in the AFL's Eastern Division in [[1966 Miami Dolphins season|1966]].<ref name="dolphins">{{cite web|url=http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/history/historicalhighlights/historicalhighlights.asp |title=Miami Dolphins Historical Highlights |access-date=2007-02-08 |work=MiamiDolphins.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207055603/http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/history/historicalhighlights/historicalhighlights.asp |archive-date=7 February 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The AFL also planned to add two more teams by 1967.<ref name="Milwaukee" />

===Escalation and merger (1966–67)===
{{further|AFL–NFL merger}}
In 1966, the rivalry between the AFL and NFL reached an all-time peak. On April 7, Joe Foss resigned as AFL commissioner. His successor was Oakland Raiders head coach and general manager [[Al Davis]], who had been instrumental in turning around the fortunes of that franchise. That following May, [[Wellington Mara]], owner of the NFL's [[New York Giants]], broke a "gentleman's agreement" against signing another league's players and lured kicker [[Pete Gogolak]] away from the AFL's Buffalo Bills.<ref name=dhrimrgr>{{cite web |url=http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/5/17/2175149/pete-gogolak-afl-nfl-merger |publisher=Buffalo Rumblings |last=Warren |first=Matt |title=Pete Gogolak discusses his role in the AFL–NFL merger |date=May 17, 2011 |access-date=September 26, 2022}}</ref> In response to the Gogolak signing and no longer content with trying to outbid the NFL for college talent, the AFL under Davis began to also recruit players already on NFL squads.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/throwback-thursday-al-davis-leads-the-afls-guerrilla-war-against-the-nfl/|publisher=Vice.com|last=Weinreb |first=Michael |title=Throwback Thursday: Al Davis Leads The AFL's Guerrilla War Against The NFL |date=April 7, 2016 |access-date=September 26, 2022}}</ref> Davis's strategy focused on quarterbacks in particular, and in two months he persuaded seven NFL quarterbacks to sign with the AFL.<ref>Dickey, pp. 38–39.</ref> Although Davis's intention was to help the AFL win the bidding war, some AFL and NFL owners saw the escalation as detrimental to both leagues. Alarmed with the rate of spending in the league, [[Hilton Hotels]] forced Barron Hilton to relinquish his stake in the Chargers as a condition of maintaining his leadership role with the hotel chain.<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-30-la-sp-dwyre30-2009nov30-story.html|title=Barron Hilton's Chargers turned short stay into long-term success|first=Bill|last=Dwyre|date=30 November 2009|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

The same month Davis was named commissioner, several NFL owners, headed by Dallas Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm, secretly approached Lamar Hunt and other AFL owners and started negotiations with the AFL to merge. A series of secret meetings commenced in Dallas to discuss the concerns of both leagues over rapidly increasing player salaries, as well as the practice of player poaching. Hunt and Schramm completed the basic groundwork for a merger of the two leagues by the end of May, and on June 8, 1966, the merger was officially announced. Under the terms of the agreement, the two leagues would hold a common player draft. The agreement also called for a title game to be played between the champions of the respective leagues. The two leagues would be fully merged by 1970, NFL commissioner [[Pete Rozelle]] would remain as commissioner of the merged league, which would be named the NFL. Additional expansion teams would eventually be awarded by 1970 or soon thereafter to bring it to a 28-team league. (The additional expansion would not happen until 1976.) The AFL also agreed to pay indemnities of $18&nbsp;million to the NFL over 20 years. In protest, Davis resigned as AFL commissioner on July 25 rather than remain until the completion of the merger, and [[Milt Woodard]] was named [[president (corporate title)|president]] of the AFL,<ref name="silverman" /><ref name=widoiafl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KHhQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VBEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4057%2C4872186 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=UPI |title=Woodard in, Davis out in AFL |date=July 26, 1966 |page=2, part 2 }}</ref><ref name="cross">{{cite news |first=B. Duane |last=Cross |title=The AFL: A Football Legacy (Part Two) |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2001/01/22/afl_history_2/ |publisher=CNNSI.com |date=2001-01-22 |access-date=2007-02-08 |archive-date=2011-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604102002/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2001/01/22/afl_history_2/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> with the "commissioner" title vacated because of Rozelle's expanded role.

On January 15, 1967, the first-ever championship game between the two separate professional football leagues, the "AFL-NFL World Championship Game" (retroactively referred to as [[Super Bowl I]]), was played in Los Angeles. After a close first half, the NFL champion [[Green Bay Packers]] overwhelmed the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs, 35–10. The loss reinforced for many the notion that the AFL was an inferior league. Packers head coach [[Vince Lombardi]] stated after the game, "I do not think they are as good as the top teams in the National Football League."<ref name="silverman" />

The second AFL-NFL Championship ([[Super Bowl II]]) yielded a similar result. The Oakland Raiders—who had easily beaten the Houston Oilers to win their first AFL championship—were overmatched by the Packers, 33–14. The more experienced Packers capitalized on a number of Raiders miscues and never trailed. Green Bay defensive tackle [[Henry Jordan]] offered a compliment to Oakland and the AFL, when he said, "...&nbsp;the AFL is becoming much more sophisticated on offense. I think the league has always had good personnel, but the blocks were subtler and better conceived in this game."<ref name="sbtwo">{{cite magazine |first=Tex |last=Maule |title=Green Bay, Handily |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030217044045/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/2/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 17, 2003 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=1968-01-22 |access-date=2007-02-09 }}</ref>

The AFL added its tenth and final team on May 24, 1967, when it awarded the league's second expansion franchise to an ownership group from [[Cincinnati]], [[Ohio]], headed by NFL legend [[Paul Brown]].<ref name="nflhistorytwo" /> Although Brown had intended to join the NFL, he agreed to join the AFL when he learned that his team would be included in the NFL once the merger was completed.<ref>Brown, ''PB – The Paul Brown Story''</ref> The league's last expansion team, the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] began play in the 1968 season, finishing last in the Western Division.

===Legitimacy and the end of an era (1968–1970)===
While many AFL players and observers believed their league was the equal of the NFL, their first two Super Bowl performances did nothing to prove it. However, on November 17, 1968, when NBC [[Heidi Game|cut away from a game]] between the Jets and Raiders to air the children's movie ''[[Heidi (1968 film)|Heidi]]'', the ensuing uproar helped disprove the notion that fans still considered the AFL an inferior product. The perception of AFL inferiority forever changed on January 12, 1969, when the AFL Champion New York Jets shocked the heavily favored NFL Champion [[Baltimore Colts]] in [[Super Bowl III]]. The Colts, who entered the contest favored by as many as 18 points, had completed the [[1968 NFL season]] with a 13–1 record, and won the NFL title with a convincing 34–0 win over the Cleveland Browns. Led by their stalwart defense—which allowed a record-low 144 points—the 1968 Colts were considered one of the best-ever NFL teams.<ref name="hof">{{cite web |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=822 |title=He guaranteed it |access-date=2007-02-09 |work=Pro Football Hall of Fame}}</ref><ref name="baltse">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/balticolts/baltcolts.html |title=Baltimore Colts history |access-date=2007-02-09 |encyclopedia=Sports Encyclopedia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210173055/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/balticolts/baltcolts.html |archive-date=10 February 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

By contrast, the Jets had allowed 280 points, the highest total for any division winner in the two leagues. They had also only narrowly beaten the favored Oakland Raiders 27–23 in the AFL championship game. Jets quarterback [[Joe Namath]] recalled that in the days leading up to the game, he grew increasingly angry when told New York had no chance to beat Baltimore. Three days before the game, a frustrated Namath responded to a [[heckler]] at the Touchdown Club in Miami by declaring, "We're going to win Sunday, I guarantee it!"<ref name="silverman" /><ref name="cross" /><ref name="jackman">{{cite news|first=Phil |last=Jackman |title=Lifetime guarantee; Jets-Colts |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-mackey011299,0,4077047.story?coll=bal-sports-football |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=1999-01-12 |access-date=2007-02-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014536/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-mackey011299%2C0%2C4077047.story?coll=bal-sports-football |archive-date=2007-09-30 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Namath and the Jets made good on his guarantee as they held the Colts scoreless until late in the fourth quarter. The Jets won, 16–7, in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in American sports history.<ref name="pagetwo">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/list/010523upset.html |title=Page 2's List for top upset in sports history |access-date=2007-02-09 |work=[[Page2]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221035618/http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/010523upset.html |archive-date=21 February 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wankel">{{cite news |first=Bob |last=Wankel |title=Eagles can win with right strategy |url=http://www.courierpostonline.com/columnists/cxww020105a.htm |work=[[The Courier-Post]] |date=2005-02-01 |access-date=2007-02-09 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref name="hornet">{{cite news|first=Kenneth |last=Gooden |title=Can Hornets match greatest all-time upsets? |url=http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2003/11/19/Sports/Can-Hornets.Match.Greatest.AllTime.Upsets-2422553.shtml?sourcedomain=www.statehornet.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com |work=The State Hornet |date=2003-11-19 |access-date=2007-02-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927074841/http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2003/11/19/Sports/Can-Hornets.Match.Greatest.AllTime.Upsets-2422553.shtml?sourcedomain=www.statehornet.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref><ref>Shamsky, ''The Magnificent Seasons'', p. 5.</ref> With the win, the AFL finally achieved parity with the NFL and legitimized the merger of the two leagues.<ref name="hof" /> That notion was reinforced one year later in [[Super Bowl IV]], when the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs upset the NFL champion [[Minnesota Vikings]], 23–7, in the last championship game to be played between the two leagues. The Vikings, favored by 12½ points, were held to just 67 rushing yards.<ref name="boxiv">{{cite web |url=http://www.superbowl.com/history/boxscores/game/sbiv |title=Super Bowl IV box score |access-date=2007-02-09 |work=SuperBowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101112306/http://www.superbowl.com/history/boxscores/game/sbiv |archive-date=2007-01-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The last game in AFL history was the [[AFL All-Star Game]], held in Houston's [[Astrodome]] on January 17, 1970. The Western All-Stars, led by Chargers quarterback [[John Hadl]], defeated the Eastern All-Stars, 26–3. Buffalo rookie running back [[O. J. Simpson]] carried the ball for the last play in AFL history. Hadl was named the game's [[Most Valuable Player]].<ref name="allstarhadl">{{cite web |url=http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_1970_AFL_All-Star_Game.htm |title=1970 AFL All-Star Game recap |access-date=2007-02-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714033244/http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/The_1970_AFL_All-Star_Game.htm |archive-date=2007-07-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The AFL ceased to exist as an unincorporated organization on February 1, 1970, when the NFL granted 10 new franchises and issued a new constitution.<ref name="FZmerger">{{cite tweet |author=Football Zebras |user=footballzebras |number=1223828075495993344 |date=February 1, 2020 |title="On this date, 50 years ago and with little fanfare, the American Football League ceased to exist as an unincorporated association. The National Football League formally granted 10 new franchises, revised the league constitution. The merger was legally completed."}}</ref>

Prior to the start of the [[1970 NFL season]], the merged league was organized into two conferences of three divisions each. All ten AFL teams made up the bulk of the new [[American Football Conference]]. To avoid having an inequitable number of teams in each conference, the leagues voted to move three NFL teams to the AFC. Motivated by the prospect of an [[Battle of Ohio (NFL)|intrastate rivalry]] with the Bengals as well as by personal animosity toward [[Paul Brown]], Cleveland Browns owner [[Art Modell]] quickly offered to include his team in the AFC. He helped persuade the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ([[Browns–Steelers rivalry|the Browns' archrivals]]) and Baltimore Colts (who shared the [[Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area|Baltimore-Washington]] market with the [[Washington Redskins]]) to follow suit, and each team received US$3&nbsp;million to make the switch.<ref name="switch">{{cite news |first=Gordon |last=Forbes |title=This time, realignment will be cool breeze |url=http://lists.rollanet.org/pipermail/rampage/Week-of-Mon-20010319/001092.html |work=[[USA Today]] |date=2001-03-22 |access-date=2007-02-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040829161949/http://lists.rollanet.org/pipermail/rampage/Week-of-Mon-20010319/001092.html |archive-date=2004-08-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="modell">{{cite web |url=http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=6085 |title=Moment 26: Enter Art |access-date=2007-02-09 |work=ClevelandBrowns.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010070953/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=6085 |archive-date=2007-10-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The remaining 13 NFL teams became part of the [[National Football Conference]].

[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] receiver [[Charlie Joiner]], who started his career with the [[Houston Oilers]] ([[1969 AFL season|1969]]), was the last AFL player active in professional football, retiring after the 1986 season, when he played for the [[San Diego Chargers]].