It's because the first game of
Football, between Rutgers and Princeton on November 6, 1869, was played under a set of rules similar to both Rugby and Soccer. In 1880 the Rules were changed, incorporating things like the snap, and 11 player teams. Later changes that were made included making the Forward Pass legal, and settling on the shape and size of the football. Eventually it evolved into the 'spectacle' that's shown damn near every day of the Week...
Maybe it's just me, but I find myself growing more and more disillusioned by the game as it's played today. It seems as if there's no such thing as the 'pure' form of the game anymore, save for the yearly Turkey Bowl pickup game with friends. Nowadays it's all glitz, talk and hyper analysis.
