September 9, 1960 – It was the dawn of a whole new era of professional football. When the Denver Broncos met and defeated the Boston Patriots, 13-10 in the American Football League’s first game, it put the NFL on notice that some things were going to change.
The contest was held in front of 21,597 fans at Nickerson Field in Boston as the AFL pushed pro football to new heights in the coming decade including National TV contracts, paying players better, and an eventual merger of the two leagues creating the sports world’s greatest championship game, the Super Bowl.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network

When Machine Gun Jack Met The Galloping Ghost!
Some may claim that Chicago has a bad reputation…and not necessarily just in football!

The Hidden Gems of the Squared Circle
ROGER: BRYAN CLARKE as ADAM BOMB– one of four wrestlers we’ll be discussing on

History Of Counter-Strike Skins
Weapon cosmetics turned online battles into a showcase of style and status. The changing

Chuck Taylor: The Greatest Shoe Salesman of All-Time
The name Chuck Taylor should ring a bell for any basketball fan. But you

The Calumet Indians Take on the Chicago Bears in Hammond, IN
Tuesday, October 18, 1938, was one of the most unique days in the history

It’s Disco Inferno Time, Baby! (a.k.a. Glenn Gilbertti)
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER made John Travolta a household name. Movies like Urban Cowboy, Grease, and

What Was The NFL Coaching Carousel Like In The 1970s?
Perhaps no other era in the sport of pro football has seen the renewing

Biggest Comebacks in Super Bowl History
We are not even halfway through the 2022 NFL regular season yet but many