| The National Football League or the NFL is the | | | | 'interconference', which is a rivalry between teams in |
| biggest professional football league in the United | | | | different conferences. Many times fans will hear |
| States. The NFL has thirty-two teams that are based | | | | sportscasters refer to team rivalries as "divisional |
| in a variety of cities across the country. Originally | | | | rivals", "division rival" or "conference rival" instead of |
| known as the American Professional Football | | | | including the appropriate prefix. |
| Association when it was formed in 1920, the | | | | For example, in the AFC North, there is a rivalry |
| Association assumed the name "National Football | | | | between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland |
| League" in 1922. | | | | Browns based on the when the team's owner, Art |
| At first, the most popular way people enjoyed their | | | | Modell, moved the Cleveland Browns franchise to |
| football was by watching their favorite college team | | | | Baltimore. Fortunately for Cleveland Browns fans, the |
| play but the focus of the country changed in 1958. | | | | "Dawg Pound" and its colors remained in Cleveland. |
| That NFL game went into overtime and captured a | | | | The Cleveland Browns were reactivated as a NFL |
| number of new fans who found that they enjoyed | | | | team in 1999. The "Dawg Pound" fans waited for |
| the professional football league just as much as if not | | | | their revenge and got a taste in 2001 when the |
| more than their college football teams. Due to the | | | | Browns won against the Ravens after only four |
| rising popularity of professional football, the NFL | | | | games. |
| merged with the American Football League in the | | | | Another famous rivalry began in the AFC East when |
| 1960's to form what is now the National Football | | | | the Buffalo Bills owner, Ralph Wilson, wasn't allowed |
| League. | | | | to base an AFL team in Miami and went on to |
| Over the years, some friendly and some | | | | establish the Buffalo Bills as a charter member of the |
| not-so-friendly rivalries have come about due to a | | | | AFL. The Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins have |
| number of circumstances. These rivalries can be | | | | maintained a rivalry based on this history since 1967. |
| categorized into three separate groups. The first is | | | | This particular rivalry has had a number of key |
| the 'intradivisional', which is a rivalry between teams in | | | | moments that continued to fuel their contention over |
| the same NFL division. The second is interdivisional, | | | | the years including playing against each other in the |
| which is a rivalry between teams in the different | | | | ultimate game of the football season- the Super |
| divisions but in the same conference. The third is the | | | | Bowl. |