History Sandbox / BeerBaron

* NamesTheSame: With the thousands of figures to be involved in the NFL at some point in its century-long history, this obviously comes up fairly often. More notably, there have been plenty of teams to share names, some of them even sharing the same market at different times:
** The short-lived 1952 Dallas Texans, the last NFL team to fold, were later succeeded by the AFL's Dallas Texans. They later became the Kansas City Chiefs and had to grant permission to the new Houston franchise in 2002 to also use the name.
** As mentioned under ContinuitySnarl, there was another Baltimore Colts team unrelated to the one that later moved to Indianapolis that played in the NFL for a single season.
** Before the Tennessee Oilers took the Titans name, they had to get the go-ahead from the New York Jets, who played their first three seasons as the Titans.
** In the early days of the NFL, a few teams in New York City took... er, "shared" the names of local UsefulNotes/MLBTeams to help attract interest from fans of the more popular sport. The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yanks eventually folded, but the New York Giants have stuck around in the city for decades after the baseball team left for San Francisco (though they [[ArtifactTitle still refer to themselves]] as the "New York Football Giants"). This also inadvertently happened when the Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis, which had hosted the baseball Cardinals for decades; the football Cards had to adopt nicknames like "the Gridbirds" to distinguish themselves, nicknames that stuck when they left town for Arizona.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Plenty of examples in league history. Just pulling from the Hall of Fame, there's Bronko Nagurski, Cliff Battles, Mack Speedie, Paul Warfield, Jack Youngblood, Joe Montana, Will Shields (especially apt for his position of guard), and Champ Bailey.

* IconicLogo:
** The "Shield". Though modernized in the early '00s following the division realignment, there would be a major uproar if the NFL ever significantly changed it.
** Many teams, especially older ones, feature classic and instantly recognizable logos. Included are the Bears stylized "C", the Packers green-and-white "G", and the Colts horseshoe.

** In the late '90s and 2000s, a number of teams (the Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans[[note]]who also changed their name from the Oilers[[/note]], and Seattle Seahawks) reached or won their franchise's first Super Bowl soon after noticeably changing their traditional uniforms, colors, and logo designs into something less garish and more modern/aggressive; the Bucs even won their second Super Bowl the season they changed their design ''back'' to look more similar to the unis they wore to win their first. Whether wearing a "cooler" uniform actually has any role in motivating teams to play better is an open question, but expect fans to still bring this up whenever there's a team uniform change or rebranding.

* ParanoiaGambit: The intent of pre-snap movement by the defense is to cause this in the quarterback. Unlike the offense who must remain "set" for a full second prior to snapping the ball (with the exception of one legal "man in motion" who can be moving as long as it isn't toward the line of scrimmage), defenders can move however they please. Most often, the "back seven" (a combination of linebackers, corners, and safeties) will creep closer to the line of scrimmage, potentially tricking the quarterback into thinking they're going to blitz. If successful, the QB may adjust his protections to defenders who aren't actually blitzing. They may also trick the QB into throwing the ball to an earlier, typically less aggressive read, trying to get it out of his hands more quickly to avoid a sack. Peyton Manning was one of the all time greats at ''avoiding'' this, reading the defense before the snap (even if they tried to move and throw him off) then targeting the defense's weak spot.

* NamesTheSame: With the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters thousands of figures]] to be involved in the NFL at some point in its century-long history, this obviously comes up fairly often. More notably, there have been plenty of teams to share names, some of them even sharing the same market at different times:

** In the late '90s and 2000s, a number of teams (the Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans[[note]]who changed their name from the Oilers[[/note]], and Seattle Seahawks) reached or won their franchise's first Super Bowl soon after noticeably changing their traditional uniforms, colors, and logo designs into something less garish and more modern/aggressive. Whether wearing a "cooler" uniform actually has any role in motivating teams to play better is an open question, but expect fans to still bring this up whenever there's a team uniform change or rebranding.

* BaldOfAwesome: There have been countless NFL greats who have gone bald or voluntarily shave their heads.
** Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowls in the '70s, had been nicknamed the "Blonde Bomber" since his college days and tried to avert this trope by not shaving his head for years after his hairline sharply receded; he finally embraced the bald head in his second career as a broadcaster.
** Hall of Fame Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher's baldness added to his intimidation factor. This led to general confusion and despair among the bald brotherhood when he underwent hair transplant surgery after his retirement.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY:
** Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Terrell Owens each pronounce their first names differently. Davis, a running back inducted in 2017, puts the accent on the second syllable. Owens, a wide receiver inducted in 2018, accents the first syllable.
** Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre's last name is pronounced "Farv" despite its spelling.

** Free agents from teams who just won the Super Bowl tend to have highly inflated value on the market and rarely carry over that success to their new teams. Two of the most infamous examples won Super Bowl MVP right before moving on to other teams as free agents. Larry Brown intercepted two passes for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX, but was a miserable failure as a free agent signing with the Raiders. Dexter Jackson was MVP of Super Bowl XXXVII for the Bucs, then signed a big free agent deal with the Cardinals where he played a single disappointing season before returning to the Bucs on a more modest contract.

* OverratedAndUnderleveled: There have been many examples of elite college players drafted high in the NFL who never develop into quality pro starters yet continue to get opportunities (and big pay days) in the league. Sam Bradford, a Heisman-winning quarterback who went #1 overall in 2010, is a prime example. He was oft-injured and was quite average when he did play, with his best trait being that he was good at avoiding turnovers. He landed starting jobs on four teams over nearly a decade, ending his career with $129 million in earnings and a below .500 record.

** Tom Dempsey was a Pro-Bowl kicker in the '70s who, due to a birth defect, did not have toes on his right foot. He wore a custom kicking shoe and is famous for making a then-record 63 yard field goal in 1970. Several other kickers would tie and later break his record, though they all did so either in the high altitude of Denver (where kicks travel farther) or in domed stadiums. Dempsey kicked his 63 yarder outdoors at sea level in Tulane stadium. To this day, sports scientists debate whether his handicap and the shoe he wore to compensate (a modification now banned under league rules) made said kick possible.

** The "Salata Rule", introduced in 1979, prevents the penultimate team in the draft from passing in an attempt to get the final pick. Introduced after the Rams, interested in the extra publicity that choosing "Mr. Irrelevant" brings, passed on their pick so the Steelers would inherit their place and choose first. The Steelers, also interested in the extra publicity, subsequently did the same. This continued until the NFL commissioner forced them to make their picks in their original spots, and turned it into an official rule shortly afterwards.

*** Aaron Rodgers was the favorite to be selected #1 overall in the 2005 Draft by the 49ers, his [[AHeroToHisHometown hometown team]]. Instead, they selected Alex Smith, setting Rodgers up for one of the most embarrassing draft slides in NFL history until the Packers finally picked him at #24 to be the heir apparent to the aforementioned Brett Favre. Rodgers would go on to be a three time league MVP and win a Super Bowl.

** Any player who commits an especially violent or graphic crime can expect this treatment in the media. Despite their accomplishments and his major presence in the NFL and pop culture in the '70s and '80s, you'll hardly ever see Creator/OJSimpson mentioned in a positive context in NFL Media without reference to his murder allegations and subsequent legal issues.

* DeepSouth: Given that the traditional deep south areas have some of the nation's strongest high school and college football programs, it's little surprise that many NFL players sport these accents. It is especially notable, and even ''detrimental'', when one of these players is drafted to a northern team where it stands out even more. Famously, Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw, from Louisiana, was selected #1 overall by the Steelers in 1970. His accent did not help his perceived lack of intelligence, though he had the last laugh; despite some early struggles as he led Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl titles by the end of the decade.

* DiscoDan: The media played up this image of Raiders owner/GM Al Davis later in his life, especially after his once-great team fell from regular contention. Davis had started wearing his IconicOutfit of a white track suit and chained sunglasses in the '70s, an era where most teams' staff wore suits and ties even on the sideline, as a symbol of his renegade style. The look worked for him when he was young and his "Just win, baby" management style brought the team immense success. Hbis refusal to adjust his choices in clothing to both the era he lived in and his own advancing age proved an apt metaphor once his team dropped to the basement of the league's standings as he likewise refused to update his managing philosophy.
* DisqualificationInducedVictory: The Cardinals, then in Chicago, were awarded the 1925 NFL Championship (their first as a franchise) in this fashion. The original champion, the now-defunct Pottsville Maroons, were suspended by the commissioner for having played two exhibition games in Philadelphia, supposedly violating the territorial rights of the also-defunct Frankford Yellow Jackets. To make up the games, Pottsville quickly scheduled, played, and won two more games. However, they were found to have hired four ineligible high school players for those games, and were again suspended as well as stripped of their championship. The NFL reviewed the case two more times in 1963 and 2003, but still recognizes the Cardinals as the 1925 champions.

** Tom Coughlin was easily the best coach in Jaguars history, then led the Giants to two Super Bowl wins in '07 and '11. Despite this, he was strongly disliked by many of his players for his "nastier" habits. For example, players were expected to be five minutes early to every meeting, being on time was considered late, and he would fine players who showed up on time.

** The gameplay of the early NFL itself was radically different in recent years. Over the course of its history, the NFL has transformed from a game primarily based around running backs steadily grinding the ball down to the field to a passing league dependent on a star quarterback's throwing ability. Almost all current passing records are held by players who were active in the 21st century, and even many "second tier" quarterbacks would be considered "great" if compared to earlier decades by passing statistics alone. The "two-minute drill" of a QB leading an end-of-game victory drive was considered an unheard of concept when Johnny Unitas came up with it basically on the fly, yet today there are several plays in the playbook exclusively reserved for that scenario, and DownToTheLastPlay has become the rule rather than the exception.

** George Allen was a Hall of Fame coach for the L.A. Rams and Washington in the '60s and '70s, posted the fourth-best winning percentage in NFL history in the regular season (116-47-5, .712), never had a losing season, and took his team to playoff berths seven times. In every season save for 1972, his team lost their first postseason game; the one year he did make it past the first round, he managed to reach the Super Bowl but lost to the "perfect" Dolphins.

** Donovan [=McNabb=] is statistically the leading passer in Eagles history, but is infamous for losing three straight NFC Championship games, the last two as home favorites. When he finally broke through and won his fourth NFC Championship appearance, he lost in the Super Bowl and went down in infamy for throwing up during the fourth quarter.

* FakeUltimateHero: A common criticism of Tim Tebow during his two year with the Denver Broncos. He managed to pull off a few fourth-quarter comebacks and even put together a winning streak, including a win against the defending champion Steelers during the playoffs... but his play as a quarterback, especially his long, slow throwing motion and lack of accuracy, was ''atrocious''. Critics noted that his team wouldn't need the comebacks if Tebow played better during the first three quarters and his teammates, especially the defense, were to credit for much of the team's success while Tebow got all the credit due to this trope and WolverinePublicity. Denver seemed to agree, trading Tebow away after signing the much more dependable Peyton Manning as a free agent.

** Jake Plummer was a quarterback at Arizona State where he was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy before being drafted by the Cardinals in 1997. His local hero status coupled with his [[DeathOrGloryAttack gunslinger]] mentality and scrambling ability made him a fan favorite while he led the Cardinals to their first post-season victory in ''four decades''. Plummer's teammate Pat Tillman had likewise played with him at Arizona State, one reason why his death from friendly while serving in Afghanistan shook the fanbase particularly hard.

** On the coaching front, the then-Los Angeles Raiders made Art Shell (a Hall of Fame offensive tackle who played for the team from '68-'82) the first black head coach in modern NFL history (the aforementioned Fritz Pollard was a co-head coach of his team in the years before the Gentleman's Agreement).

* AnimalMotifs: 15 of the league's 32 teams have some type of animal as their team name[[note]]Bears, Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Cardinals, Colts, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Jaguars, Lions, Panthers, Rams, Ravens, Seahawks[[/note]], while several more use animals as part of their imagery[[note]]The Browns with a dog, Washington (loosely) with hogs, the Texans with a bull[[/note]].

* BadassCape: Heavy capes have long been worn on NFL sidelines during cold weather games, as they are easier to put on over pads than coats, and can be removed quickly when the player needs to return to the game. All-time great RB Walter Payton's cape became so iconic that it is now part of the patch "Walter Payton Man of the Year" award winners get to wear on their jerseys.

* BattleInTheRain: There are at least a few prominent games every season which are heavily impacted by the weather. A major YMMV split among fans (and even some players) is whether playing in the elements improves or detracts from the game. Some notable historic examples:

* BlessedWithSuck: Prior to the institution of a rookie salary structure in 2011, high draft picks were this. As the NFL awards draft picks based on an inverse order of the standings, the worst teams got the top choices of incoming prospects, which sounds great. However, no matter how good these players were in college, projecting success at the pro level is still a major gamble. By the 2000s, these players demanded salaries in the range of the the highest paid veterans at their positions, knowing that the team selecting them would be forced to agree or else risk the player holding out and getting nothing out of their top draft choice. In 2010, #1 overall pick QB Sam Bradford received a contract that put him in the top five highest paid quarterbacks in the league before even taking his ''first professional snap''. Even worse, when these players "busted", the team not only lost out on the high draft choice used to select but millions of dollars as well. Each year, it was speculated that the teams with the top choices may try to trade down to avoid having to pay inexperienced players so much money, but they rarely found trade partners. In 2011, the league instituted a rookie salary structure, significantly limiting the amount rookies ''could'' be paid to address this issue. It also opened up more trading at the top of the draft, making it much more exciting for fans and media.

* BrokenAce: Obviously, HumansAreFlawed and most if not all of the game's greatest players have dealt with inner demons of some kind. Even still, Lawrence Taylor stands out as a particularly notable example. Decades after his playing career ended, he is still considered by many to be the most gifted linebacker to ever play the game. His on-field legend has largely obscured the extent to which most observers in the media and on his own team viewed him as a walking time-bomb, as his heavy drug use and party-all-night exploits were an OpenSecret that coaches and regulators largely looked away from until they just couldn't anymore. While Taylor sobered up in the final years of his career to avoid being kicked out of the league, he later confessed that, even with all his wealth, fame, and talent, he saw the chance to take cocaine again as the only bright spot in his future. The fact that he was able to accomplish all he did on the filed while living such an unhealthy and unsafe lifestyle makes one wonder what he might have achieved without it. Sadly, these things did finally catch up with him after his retirement, leading to decades of legal and financial issues for one of the league's living legends.

** From 1984-1996, the NFC champion won the Super Bowl over the AFC champion ''every single year''. This stretch included some of the worst blowouts in Super Bowl history as well, including the '85 Bears [[CurbStompBattle epic 46-10 beatdown]] of the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, Washington's 42-10 defeat of the Broncos in Super Bowl XXII, and the 49ers Super Bowl record ''55''-10 defeat of the Broncos (again) in Super Bowl XXIV. Ironically, the Broncos finally broke this streak, winning two straight Super Bowls following the '97 and '98 seasons.

** On Christmas 2020, the Saints took on the Vikings. On that day, Saints RB Alvin Kamara tied a ''91'' year old record, becoming only the second player to score six rushing touchdowns in a single game.

* ClusterFBomb: Used by many players and even coaches. The trash talk out on the field can get... aggressive and creative. Meanwhile, officials are usually on the receiving end of such tirades from coaches after what the coach deems to be a bad call. If it goes too far, they can be penalized for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

** Baltimore's previous team, the Indianapolis Colts, have their own complicated history that makes the Browns' somehow look more ''and'' less confusing:
*** Some argue that the Colts' history dates all the way back to start of the NFL, specifically to an original team, the Dayton Triangles. The Triangles' franchise was bought by the founders of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1929, though they released almost all of the players. The Dodgers spent one year merged with the Boston Yanks before the owner brought the players to the AAFC as the New York Yankees, then merged with that league's Brooklyn Dodgers to become the New York-Brooklyn Yankees. The team's assets were later split between the New York Giants and Bulldogs (formerly the Boston Yanks) after the NFL-AAFC merger. The Bulldogs renamed themselves the Yanks, who folded a few years later. ''Their'' rights and players were bought by the Dallas Texans, which also immediately folded. Then ''their'' rights, players, and uniforms were purchased by the new Baltimore Colts in 1953. Though there is some continuity in ownership, players, and property between all of these teams, the NFL [[CanonDiscontinuity doesn't recognize any of this]] genealogy prior to 1953.
*** Speaking of genealogy, the Colts actually have ''another'' branch of predecessors in the NFL: another team ''also'' called the Baltimore Colts that made the leap to the NFL in 1950 from the AAFC with the Browns and San Francisco 49ers but folded after a year. The new team picked up this team's city, stadium, name, and marching band, but the NFL likewise doesn't recognize this short-lived team as part of the modern Colts history.
*** In the '80s, the Colts infamously moved to Indianapolis where they continue to play today, taking the "Baltimore Colts" team history and records with them. However, the move was so acrimonious and hated by Baltimore fans and former star players that, when the Ravens landed in town, many old Colts fans declared the Ravens to be the ''true'' Colts successor. Ravens ownership, trying to make up for the goodwill they lost abandoning Cleveland, played into this by adopting the Colts' old marching band and erecting statues of former Baltimore Colts greats around the stadium, even though the NFL still sticks with the franchise rather than regional history as the "official" record.

** Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowls in the '70s, had been nicknamed the "Blonde Bomber" since his college days and tried to avert this trope by not shaving his head for years after his hairline sharply receded; he finally embraced the bald head it in his second career as a broadcaster.