Traditions
What is football without traditions? Watch any game and commentators will bring up the history of the teams, the coaches, the players, or other stats related to the game at hand. It's hard to learn it all, but it's good to know a little something about the main traditions related to football.
Rivalries
To be a true football fan you have to know who is your rivals. Some fans look forward to theses games all year. They can be the most exciting time of the season aside from a game played to get into a playoff position. Some teams even have more than one rival.
If you don't see your team below, I suggest searching around the internet to learn the history of your team rivalry. Even if you see your team below, I think it's good to learn the roots of your rivalries and see just how deep it goes.
- Bears vs Packers – oldest rivalries
- Bengals vs Browns
- 49ers vs Rams
- Packers vs Vikings
- Broncos vs Raiders
- Steelers vs Browns
- Giants vs Eagles
- Chiefs vs Raiders
- Patriots vs Jets
- Cowboys vs Redskins
- New Orleans vs Falcon
- Eagles vs Cowboys
- Steelers vs Ravens
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving and football has been together since 1920 even before the NFL was established. While the games have changed over time, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have been the most constant teams to play a Thanksgiving game. The Thanksgiving game can usually feature two rivals or just another opponent.
Pro Bowl
The Pro Bowl takes place the week after the regular season. The top players from the year play in the game. The Pro Bowl is similar to an All–Star game. Though it has lower ratings then regular games, the Pro Bowl is a tradition of the NFL. Every year the top players are picked for the game but some of the star players decline the offer to avoid injury.